Abkhazia

Monday, May 12, 2008


It may be a surprise to find that first in our list of countries to survey is Abkhazia.

Where?

Abkhazia!?

Yes, Abkhazia!

Abkhazia has a president, a flag, a national anthem and even a visa system for foreign visitors, but the country doesn't appear on many maps.

Abkhazia is the land located in the Transcaucasus region between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. It is a land that was incorporated into Russia in 1810; was declared an Independent Soviet Socialist Republic in March 1921; by December 1921 had signed a treaty of federation with Georgia(which we shall visit later); and was merged into Georgia as an autonomous republic of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1931.

It sounds an idyllic land. Squeezed between the Black Sea and the Caucasus mountains the climate in Abkhazia is mild. The coastal areas have a subtropical climate and it had been known as the "Soviet Riviera" in the 1970s and 1980s. To this day, tourism is said to a key industry.

It is a fertile land. It is a land richly irrigated by small rivers originating in the Caucasus mountains. Its agriculture supplied Soviet markets with tea, tobacco, wine and fruits (especially tangerines) and, it is said, these agricultural products remain an important part of the economy of this country.

But in truth, Abkhazia today is a half-abandoned place of rusting ports and skeleton homes. It is a vast junkyard of collapsed structures and resurgent nature. The factories are blighted, offices shut down.

Roads are dotted with the shells of homes, picked clean of all but the frame. Staircases to nowhere rise from tangles of vine. Cows claim the right of way on shattered roads, stepping among the bomb craters and puddles.

The economy is broken, but the people don't starve. Families have turned to their gardens to survive; to their milk cows and chickens; their fruit and nut trees.

It is called a "ghost country" because no other country has officially recognised it. Only Abkhas recognise their sovereignity over their land.

It is said that there are about 200,000 ethnic Abkhaz in all, of whom 150,000 live in Abkhazia. These people are a Caucasian ethnic group, and their origin is not clear. Classical sources speak of several tribes dwelling in the region, but their exact identity and location remains controversial. The Abasgoi of the Graeco-Roman authors are sometimes considered as the predecessors of modern-day Abkhaz, but the identification is not universally accepted.

Once part of the ancient Greek and Roman empires, many Abkhaz adopted Christianity in the sixth century. Surveys of Abkhazia's population (1997 and 2003) shows the Abkhaz people are highly religious. In 2003, 60% of the people surveyed considered themselves Orthodox Christians, 16% Muslims, 8% atheists and unbelievers, 5% pagans, 3% devotees of an Abkhaz religion. Jehovah's Witnesses and Jews accounted for less than 1% each. It would seem to be a population not riven by tensions based on religious identification.

Yet this land is rift. People inhabiting this place are not at peace with each other. Conflict between peoples over this land is primarily a consequence of conflicting views and of longstanding fears with regard to the preservation of language, culture and national identity.

The French historian Papin described in 1824 the "state of perpetual hostility" in which the Abkhaz were living "with their neighbours the Russians from Doudjouk-Kal and the Mingrelians". Events such as the Caucasian war, which ended in 1864, the deportation of a large part of the Abkhaz population by the Tsarist regime in the wake of the failed uprisings of 1866 and 1877, the Georgian colonization of the country and the establishment of Soviet rule, are grievances still held by Abkhaz today. The Abkhaz feel their culture is on the verge of extinction.

The Abkhaz feared that the "Georgianization" of Abkhazia,
which in their view was far advanced under the Soviet regime
and their view is supported by the chart to the left which was published by Conciliation Resources).

They feared this "Georgianization" would be completed through the integration of Abkhazia into a Georgian framework. They were concerned that a rise in the number of Georgians through further ‘colonisation’ would lead to the exclusion of the Abkhaz from political power in their own homeland and limit their rights.

The Georgians feared the Russification of Abkhazia by cultural means and the loss of the ‘historical’ Georgian character of this region. They criticized the close links between the Abkhaz leadership and Moscow.

In the view of both parties, political sovereignty – which meant in practice full control of the state apparatus of Abkhazia – was the sole instrument to counter that fear of extinction.

Georgian language was made compulsory in Georgia and the Abkhazi felt their culture was being assimilated and dissipated. An existential crisis, real or merely perceived, is a motivating force. A secessionist movement of the Abkhaz people living in this region declared independence from Georgia in 1992, so it is now a de facto independent republic, but de jure an autonomous republic
covering 8,600 km² of land located within the internationally recognised borders of Georgia on the eastern coast of the Black Sea.

What can we see of the present situation in this land where the Abkhaz live?

Concern about conflict escalating into crisis and violence.

Conflict over this land has festered since the fighting in 1992-1993. Fourteen years of negotiation, led alternately by the UN and Russia, have done little to resolve it. Conflict remains a central factor in the experience of living in this land. The main topic of discussion in the region is whether war is going to break out again.

Years of stalemate have solidified each side’s distorted and negative image of the “other”.

Tensions rose in July 2006 when a forceful Georgian police operation raided a "renegade militia" out of upper Kodori Gorge, the one part of pre-war Abkhazia not controlled by the de facto government in Sukhumi.

Since then Georgian-Abkhaz negotiations have been frozen. While Georgia asserts that it is committed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, its military budget rose in 2005 at a rate higher than any other country in the world. Bellicose statements by some officials do not increase confidence.

Georgia accuses the Abkhaz secessionists of having conducted a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing. This claim is supported by an OSCE declaration and many Western governments. The United Nations Security Council has diplomatically avoided use of the term "ethnic cleansing", but it has affirmed "the unacceptability of the demographic changes resulting from the conflict."

Local media are broadcasting statements from Moscow warning that if Georgia attacks Abkhazia, Russia will support its citizens there and tens of thousands of people in Abkhazia now hold Russian passports.

Last week a Georgian newspaper, Rezonansi, printed a front-page headline asking,'Will war in Abkhazia begin tomorrow?' The article said that Russian and Abkhaz forces were preparing to attack the Upper Kodori Valley, the only part of Abkhaz territory still under Georgian control.

It was reported last week that the Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, speaking to Russian journalists, had said, "I think that a few days ago, we were very close [to war] and this threat is still real."

The rise in tension comes after Russia sent an additional 500 troops to Abkhazia to join the peacekeeping force there (which operates under a mandate from the Commonwealth of Independent States). It also comes after a number of serious incidents between Tbilisi and Moscow.

Moscow has withdrawn from CIS sanctions against Abkhazia and has authorised official contacts with the de facto government there. The Georgians have accused Moscow of behaving aggressively by deploying extra troops and shooting down a Georgian unmanned spy plane over Abkhazia on 20 April 2008.

The Georgians are saying they have no intention of declaring war, but Georgia holds parliamentary elections later this month. Can we see that the Georgian president might be grateful for this chance to be seen as bold?

The president of the unrecognised Abkhazia republic, Sergei Bagapsh, stated on Wednesday, 7 May 2008 (in an interview with the Spanish El Pais newspaper), that Abkhazia will eventually achieve independence just like Serbia's Kosovo gained sovereignty in February 2008.

"We want a lawful state, independent and democratic... If Kosovo can be independent then so can Abkhazia," Bagapsh said. "We [Abkhazia] do not want Moscow to recognise us in defiance of the United States in order to take revenge for Kosovo," he added, "We want independence because we have a right to it. Because we have deserved it."

[Much more to come ... as there is much, much more to learn]

orana gelar


News Archive for Abkhazia
Wikimedia Atlas of Abkhazia
HDI: N/A (Rank 2008: N/A)

23 comments:

Friedham I. Whont said...

Congrats on joining the blogger community.

I'd heard about the drone shooting down, but had not taken the opportunity to inform myself more over where or why; you have filled that little hole somewhat, thanks.

It seems like a long journey you have planned, (I'll try to keep up) - but good luck!

If I may be allowed a 2nd 'chomp,' this:

Your (or rather Sergei Bagapsh's) «"We want a lawful state, independent and democratic... We want independence because we have a right to it. Because we have deserved it."»

 .. all sounds perfectly reasonable. And with the US sponsoring 'color revolutions' wherever they can, perhaps unstoppable.

But: what happens when we the (Aussie) sheople® demand *real* democracy (as opposed to the sham we currently 'enjoy?') - it'd be - it is - our democratic right, too.

orana gelar said...

Welcome and thank you, Friedam.

An interesting fact about the situation is that, despite not being "officially" at war with anyone, the military budget of Georgia last year had the highest growth rate of any country in the world, with much of it being financed openly and directly by its key military partner, the United States.

orana gelar said...

Indeed, in what some see as a quid pro quo arrangement, Georgia now uses its military to assist the United States in its unpopular wars. In return for this favour, the United States continues to oppose the right of Abkhazia (and South Ossetia) to independence. So much for spreading freedom.

Friedham I. Whont said...

G'day orana,

let us consider quid pro quos, independence and spreading freedom.

We could invoke an old maxim: count your fingers after you shake hands with a ...

One thing fur shure, is that the US does nothing 'for free' (detested Ameri-speak; spit!)

And in that last sentence appears probably the only part of 'freedom' that will be in any way here applicable.

'Free' markets? Forget it, 'they' (meaning the US), want monopolies, or as a poor second, cosy oligopolies.

Your header article mentioned democracy: any colour/flavour, just so long as it's actually an oligarchy, with the (powerless) sheople® consigned to a 'mushroom club.'

Independence perhaps, but if then only fleetingly; next step is an FTA (which adds a veneer of apparent legality to the screwing over (again, spit!))

Q: What else? A: Greed. But on both sides: the rapacious greed of capitalism (mainly US, some UK then others), then the sordid, corrupt greed of the sell-out (so-called) élite of the target country. If that doesn't do the trick, then there're the "Economic Hit Men." The spectrum of coercion: 1st threats, then actual violence, ultimately: well, see Iraq. End result: the already filthy rich get ever obscenely richer, we the sheople everywhere get 'the shaft' (final spit!)

orana gelar said...

Beginning late on 1 August, intense fighting began between Georgian troops and South Ossetian paramilitary soldiers. The conflict has escalated. Two days ago it was reported that volunteers from Abkhazia were on their way to help South Ossetians in their struggle against Georgians. 15 minutes ago, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that Abkhazia has said it has launched an operation to drive Georgia out of Kodori, a narrow gorge which cuts deep into the Abkhazian territory and is an ideal route for any invasion in the region.

orana gelar said...

Associated Press have reported some of the statements of Sergei Shamba, foreign minister in Abkhazia's separatist government:

"Shamba said Abkhazian forces intended to push Georgian forces out of the Kodori Gorge. The northern part of the gorge is the only area of Abkhazia that has remained under Georgian government control."

Anonymous said...

what's the world coming to? ...

  .. not truth, not justice, not peace

-=*=-

«Bush calls for end to Russian bombing
Posted August 9, 2008 21:42:00»


And no sense of irony, nothing but utter hypocrisy - and US criminality.

Recently the US helped then welcomed the break-away province of Kosovo.

What's Kosovo got, that South Ossetia or Abkhazia's separatists can't have?

«Serbia lashes Kosovo as 'NATO state'
Posted March 25, 2008 09:38:00

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said NATO bombed his country to create its own state out of Kosovo, as he marked the ninth anniversary of the start of the alliance's air war.

"Now it is more than clear that the cruel destruction of Serbia in the NATO bombing had only one real goal, and this is to turn the province of Kosovo into the first NATO state in the world," Mr Kostunica said.»

orana gelar said...

G'day Friedham I. Wont, taking your question one part at a time:

Q. What's Kosovo got?

A. The world’s fifth-largest proven reserves of lignite. Western interests are keen on maintaining access to that.

Q. What can't South Ossetia or Abkhazia's separatists have?

A. From the US perspective, the Ossetians and Abkhaz live in strategic locations and can't have control of their own destinies because they'd align with Russian rather than Western interests.

orana gelar said...

Abkhazia's President Sergei Bagapsh is reported to have said he issued a decree putting Abkhaz troops on high alert and mobilising some reservists after Georgia launched its military campaign to regain control over South Ossetia.

Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili has been reported by Reuters as having said: "They [the Russians] have started the operation to storm Kodori gorge."

Someone isn't telling the whole truth.

orana gelar said...

Mr. Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, has briefed the UN Security Council.

He said the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), which has been in place since 1993 to monitor the ceasefire deal between Georgia and Abkhaz authorities, reported that it expected Abkhaz forces to launch a military operation in the Upper Kodori Valley this morning.

He said UNOMIG withdrew its patrols from the valley yesterday for safety and security reasons after Abkhaz authorities contacted the mission and asked it to do so.

He added that "Abkhaz forces" had already started shelling in the valley.

Clearly the UN's man receiving direct reports from UN observers on the ground is telling the UNSC that Abkhaz, not Russians, started the action in Kodori.

That indicates that it is most likely that the Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili is the one who was not telling the whole truth.

orana gelar said...

Today it has been reported that Anatoliy Zaitsev, an Abkhazian military spokesman, said the Abkhazian flag is flying from a former Georgian police headquarters in Adjara, the largest village in the Kodori.

orana gelar said...

25 minutes ago Associated Press reported that Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili said his government will declare that "its breakaway regions" are "occupied territories" and will designate Russian peacekeepers as the "occupying forces."

AP has a reporter on the ground in Georgia: Chris Torchia (who is said to be in the town of Zugdidi). He appears to adopt a pro-Georgian bias in his reports.

orana gelar said...

A Wikipedia entry has been created on the Battle of the Kodori Valley.

A brief analysis of the primary content authors of that entry suggest one, Roman888, might be a Malaysian (with an interest in matters legal and political) and the other, Mattiabonasso, has been watching the region for a while and has been contributing material on Abkhazia since February 2008.

Anonymous said...

oh what a lovely NWO?

  .. no, utterly criminal chaos

-=*=-

G'day brother - orana gelar,

From an item on the South Ossetian problem:

  «What happened on the night of August 7 is beyond comprehension. The Georgian military attacked the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali with multiple rocket launchers designed to devastate large areas. Russia (under the leadership of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin) had to respond. To accuse it of aggression against "small, defenceless Georgia" is not just hypocritical but shows a lack of humanity.
Mounting a military assault against innocents was a reckless decision [by Georgia]...»

[Mikhail Gorbachev/Old feud needs new rules]

Of course, Gorbachev is not 'one of us,' so what would he know? A bit more:

  «By declaring the Caucasus, a region that is thousands of miles from the American continent, a sphere of its "national interest", the US made a serious blunder.»
[Gorbachev, ibid.]

Ahhh; Gorby clearly didn't hear the bit about the US Empire, and them making their own reality? Too bad for the rest of us I suppose, that the US reality is utterly, murderingly criminal, like the illegal invasion of Iraq they've now morphed into a brutal occupation; mass-murder of Iraqis to enable the theft of Iraqi oil.

How dare Bush & Rice lecture others?

orana gelar said...

Abkhazia's Foreign Ministry has said in a statement that recognition of the republic's independence was the main condition for opening talks with Georgia.

Sounds reasonable to me.

G'day, my friend Friedham, I happened to have a conversation earlier this week with a few (clueless) businessmen and the topic of this conflict came up. The unthinking middle (middling) managers had swallowed whole whatever had been served up by the trashy Murdoch tabloid in our town ... and, unsurprisingly, that had them (blindly) believing that all the violence had been perpetrated by Russia.

Anonymous said...

off with the fairies ...

  .. better would be off with their heads

-=*=-

G'day brother - orana gelar,

It's not only the Murdoch rags, the AusBC (& SBS) are at it too. I briefly listened to 'the breakfast bag' (RN/breakfast) yesterday (Rice) and today (Gates), both spreading lies. What a nerve the AusBC has, to so shamelessly propagandise the sheople®. RN/breakfast has a 'news' segment just after 6:00 which they call a 'wrap' (detested Ameri-speak, spit!) - This segment 'courtesy of ... & CNN.' There is no program note describing this segment and they provide neither transcript nor recording. Sooo, this undocumented segment can be - and often is - used to repeat the filthy lies[1] coming out of the US regime.

Shame on you, RN/breakfast, shame on the AusBC.

-=*end*=-

Ref(s):

[1] «I am deeply concerned by reports that Russian troops have moved beyond the zone of conflict, attacked the Georgian town of Gori, and are threatening the Georgia's -- Georgia's capital of Tbilisi. There's evidence that Russian forces may soon begin bombing the civilian airport in the capital city.»
[GWBush]

My comment: Everything that Bush accuses Russia of doing in and around Georgia was done - in spades - by the US/NATO in and around Serbia/Kosovo etc.. So in the 1st instance "Pot - Kettle!" But in the 2nd instance and far more seriously, going on 'the balance of probabilities' and weighing the various reports, it would appear that Georgia was totally in the wrong here, they attacked a) civilians and b) peace-keeping forces first and without notice - on their way to invading the semi-autonomous enclaves, therefore Georgia is presumably guilty of committing war crimes. That Russia reacted - with relative restraint - to these provocations is understandable, IMHO morally and possibly legally correct (however international law has been so damaged by the US in Iraq (only one instance of many, one is already too much), that there is now as good as no such thing). That the venal MSM transmits *and amplifies* the US regime's lies is known to those who care to look, but cannot lessen the offence that the corrupt MSM traitors commit.

The US regime's brutal and illegal actions, from the A-bombing through to the invasion of Iraq - there assisted by the UK & (to our shame!) Aus, the Israeli regime's actions for the last 60+ years in and around (now sadly mostly ex-) Palestine are - in my considered opinion - not just wrong but deeply criminally so; the US and Israeli regimes belong in war crimes court, not grandstanding on the world stage - or given a platform on RN/breakfast.

orana gelar said...

In 1999, in a national referendum, Abkhazia’s citizens voted overwhelmingly in favour of independence.

This week Russian president Dmitri Medvedev signed a decree formally recognising their independence from Georgia.

US President George Bush is reported (by the BBC) to have " ... warned his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, that his 'irresponsible decision' was exacerbating tensions in the region." As if he's no hypocrite.

orana gelar said...

Here is the text (in an English translation released by the Kremlin press service) of the statement made on Tuesday by Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev:

"My dear fellow citizens of Russia!

You are no doubt well aware of the tragedy of South Ossetia. The night-time execution-style bombardment of Tskhinvali by the Georgian troops resulted in the deaths of hundreds of our civilians. Among the dead were the Russian peacekeepers, who gave their lives in fulfilling their duty to protect women, children and the elderly.

The Georgian leadership, in violation of the UN Charter and their obligations under international agreements and contrary to the voice of reason, unleashed an armed conflict victimizing innocent civilians. The same fate lay in store for Abkhazia. Obviously, they in Tbilisi hoped for a blitzkrieg that would have confronted the world community with an accomplished fact. The most inhuman way was chosen to achieve the objective — annexing South Ossetia through the annihilation of a whole people.

That was not the first attempt to do this. In 1991, President Gamsakhurdia of Georgia, having proclaimed the motto "Georgia for Georgians" — just think about it! — ordered attacks on the cities of Sukhumi and Tskhinvali. The result then was thousands of killed people, dozens of thousands of refugees and devastated villages. And it was Russia who at that time put an end to the eradication of the Abkhaz and Ossetian peoples. Our country came forward as a mediator and peacekeeper insisting on a political settlement. In doing so we were invariably guided by the recognition of Georgia's territorial integrity.

The Georgian leadership chose another way. Disrupting the negotiating process, ignoring the agreements achieved, committing political and military provocations, attacking the peacekeepers — all these actions grossly violated the regime established in conflict zones with the support of the United Nations and O.S.C.E [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe].

Russia continually displayed calm and patience. We repeatedly called for returning to the negotiating table and did not deviate from this position of ours even after the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo's independence. However our persistent proposals to the Georgian side to conclude agreements with Abkhazia and South Ossetia on the non-use of force remained unanswered. Regrettably, they were ignored also by NATO and even at the United Nations.

It stands quite clear now: a peaceful resolution of the conflict was not part of Tbilisi's plan. The Georgian leadership was methodically preparing for war, while the political and material support provided by their foreign guardians only served to reinforce the perception of their own impunity.

Tbilisi made its choice during the night of Aug. 8, 2008. Saakashvili opted for genocide to accomplish his political objectives. By doing so he himself dashed all the hopes for the peaceful coexistence of Ossetians, Abkhazians and Georgians in a single state. The peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia have several times spoken out at referendums in favor of independence for their republics. It is our understanding that after what has happened in Tskhinvali and what has been planned for Abkhazia they have the right to decide their destiny by themselves.

The Presidents of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, based on the results of the referendums conducted and on the decisions taken by the Parliaments of the two republics, appealed to Russia to recognize the state sovereignty of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Federation Council and the State Duma voted in support of those appeals.

A decision needs to be taken based on the situation on the ground. Considering the freely expressed will of the Ossetian and Abkhaz peoples and being guided by the provisions of the UN Charter, the 1970 Declaration on the Principles of International Law Governing Friendly Relations Between States, the CSCE Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and other fundamental international instruments, I signed Decrees on the recognition by the Russian Federation of South Ossetia's and Abkhazia's independence.

Russia calls on other states to follow its example. This is not an easy choice to make, but it represents the only possibility to save human lives."

orana gelar said...

So far, Nicaragua is the only state to take up Russia's call to recognise the independence of Abkhazia.

Abkhaz hope for wider engagement by other countries and international structures was reflected in the way they had played constructive roles to resolve the Caucasus crisis last August.

Viacheslav Chirikba, advisor to the president of Abkhazia, has claimed that the EU, the US and the OSCE have an "irrational attitude" in not recognising Abkhaz independence, particularly when they did so in regards to Kosovo.

To my knowledge no official representing either the EU and the US has responded with a full explanation for why the Kosovars were supported in gaining their independence, but the Abkhaz aren't. There have been references to the "uniqueness" of the Kosovo situation, but no detailed description of what particular features of the Kosovars situation makes it an example which cannot be followed by the Abkhaz or other peoples seeking to form an independent nation.

orana gelar said...

Spokesmen of the EU, U.N. and OSCE visited Sukhumi yesterday to urge Abkhazia’s leadership to attend tomorrow the second round of Caucasus negotiations under Medvedev-Sarkozy peace deal.

Abkhazia’s President, Sergei Bagapsh, made it clear this afternoon that Abkhaz participation in those negotiations is unlikely unless the Abkhaz are treated as the equals of other parties to the negotiations.

Sounds fair to me.

Now it up to the Georgians to decide whether they'll be fair and recognise that discussion amongst equals is usually how things get worked out in ways that result in a win-win.

Anonymous said...

treason ...

  .. lurks ...

    .. behind lying hypocrisy

-=*=-

G'day orana gelar,

I'm supposing you've seen this one:

Saakashvili defends decision to attack South Ossetia
November 29, 2008 - 7:36AM

  «"This is another attempt to escape responsibility for his decision to start a military operation against South Ossetia," Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the Russian army's deputy chief of staff, told the Interfax news agency.
Saakashvili's appearance came after Erosi Kitsmarishvili, Georgia's former envoy to Russia, claimed before the commission this week that Tbilisi had been planning assaults on South Ossetia and another rebel region, Abkhazia, for months.
Kitsmarishvili, who was ambassador to Moscow in the months before the war, also alleged that senior officials in Tbilisi believed they had received a green light from Washington to launch an assault.»

[theAge/Breaking News]

What we've 'heard,' is that both the US and Israel were present in Georgia, 'training and advising.'

What we've 'seen,' is the US pushing NATO into the former Russian 'sphere of influence.'

Also what we've 'seen,' is the US planning a missile interceptor capability in Poland and Czechoslovakia.

And of course, 60+ years of the I/J/Z-plex occupation of (now sadly mostly ex-) Palestine; murder for land and water and the US illegal invasion of Iraq now morphed into brutal occupation; mass-murder for oil.

-=*=-

All of these destabilising things - a tiny sample of the filthy coercive threats, depredations and thieving murder practiced by the US and Israel are all - IMHO - as unnecessary as they are Nuremberg-class criminal. But not 'just,' such criminal behaviour has been going on - disguised by the lying propaganda 'catapulted' by equally lying politicians, transmitted through and far too often assisted by the corrupt and venal MSM, including big bits'a the AusBC & SBS. This is treachery by the MSM; their job is to inform us, we the sheople. Even one assist to criminals should be enough to land those assisting in gaol.

But the treachery of the corrupt and venal MSM, as horrible as it is, pales into insignificance next to the outright criminal actions of the US and Israel regimes. Both of these filthy regimes spout 'peace' bulls**t, whilst waging mass-murdering wars for spoil.

The real question is: why does the rest of the world 'allow' the US and Israel to get away with their murdering criminality?

What happened to the enlightenment? Where's the truth? Where is justice?

Where are the adults?

Anonymous said...

temporary setback ...

  .. or part of a trend?

G'day orana gelar.

-=*=-

Try this (the later bits, i.e. from December:)

Central Asia
Dec 9, 2008
NATO scuttles US plan to encircle Russia
By F William Engdahl

  «Translated into real political language, Washington has undergone a stunning setback in its agenda of encircling Russia with NATO. Despite the fact that president-elect Obama retained Bush Administration Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and named a person to be Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who has strongly supported bringing Georgia and Ukraine into NATO, key European NATO members, led by Germany and France, blocked what must be a unanimous membership decision.»
[atimes/Engdahl]

(Nice to see a 'next step;' i.e. the abandoning of a (phony! Aggressive!) missile 'defence' system in Poland & the Czech Republic.)

Continuing the Russian theme; the next 'cab off the rank:'

South Asia
Dec 9, 2008
India, Russia regain elan of friendship
By M K Bhadrakumar

  «In sum, the Mumbai attacks may prove to be a watershed in Indian regional policies. Relations with Russia, China and Iran assume a new level of importance in New Delhi's regional strategies. The gravitation towards the SCO signifies the new thinking. Not too long ago, India visualized the SCO as primarily an "energy club". Actually, India's petroleum minister routinely represented India at the SCO summit meetings. Now, to envisage a crucial role for an SCO-led regional initiative on Afghanistan, New Delhi has indeed come a long way. Surely, Medvedev would have returned to Moscow quietly pleased that he met a long-lost friend.»
[times/Bhadrakumar]

Then, just to round the day off; win some, lose some:

1. Win? Pak 'militants' destroy nearly 200 NATO vehicles yesterday.

2. Win? Pak 'militants' destroy nearly 100 more vehicles.

3. Lose? Pak army attacks LeT base.

The Q: Was the Mumbai outrage a false-flag/black-op is still wide open; we may never know. That the CIA and Mossad do such things, instigate such things, and that the CIA actually created Al Qaeda is IMHO not in dispute.

-=*end*=-

[cross posted]

orana gelar said...

"Next week, the parliament will begin considering the recognition of Abkhazia," the Head of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Belarus, Vladimir Makei said today.

Abkhazia will hold a presidential election on December 12, the first presidential elections since it was recognised as an independent state by Russia in August 2008.

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