Caucasian Powderkeg?

[Burunsuzoglu]

Well, I lived for half of my life - until turned 20 in the USSR, so I should have different preprogrammed ideological convictions, like, USA - the last bastion of imperialism etc etc... And yet... Having lived in both societies I tend to concur with Burunsuzoglu - once a KGB, always a KGB.

The USSR had discipline - these guys are completely unpredictable.

 

[Burunsuzoglu]

I have to say I think your absolutely off your rocker.
I have been reading your posts with increasing amusement. I esp liked the bit ' if it was'ent for those pesky french'
Its a kind of a condensed Daily Mail, all bluster, half truths, and self righteous moral outrage, dressed up as some kind geo political analysis. I feel like i'm wading through bill kristols Id.

Now I know I have won the argument if you all you can do is personal insults with complete lack of fact.

 

[merocaine]

Now I know I have won the argument if you all you can do is personal insults with complete lack of fact.

There was an arguement? about what?

 

[Burunsuzoglu]

Now that you mentioned the media i fund something "funny" on "Russia Today" (even tough they are not Angels when it comes to "proper" reporting, just listen to the reporter in the video where Schaakashvilli takes cover from the russian bombers )

"American broadcaster CNN has been accused of using misleading footage in their coverage of the conflict in South Ossetia. A Russian cameraman says footage of wrecked tanks and ruined buildings, which was purported to be the town of Gori, was in fact the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali.

Gori was said to be about to fall under the control of the Russian army but the cameraman says the video was actually shot in Tskhinvali, which had been flattened by Georgian shelling.

Aleksandr Zhukov, from the Russiya Al-Yaum channel, said: “When we arrived and news came that Gori was being shelled, I saw my footage. I said: that’s not Gori! That’s Tskhinvali. Having crawled through the length and breadth of Tskhinvali, I don’t need much to tell from which point this or that footage was recorded. I can swear in front of any tribunal. I can point at this location on the map of the town, because I and the cameraman of the Rossiya channel videotaped that.”

Well its hard to get proper news these days

Let me ask you a question - if you were a Russian reporter would you challenge the Russian state?

 

[windscorpion]

You maybe need to a westerner working for the Russians to protest.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/greenslade/2008/08/russian_tv_reporter_resigns_af.html

 

[eaf-f16]

Now I know I have won the argument if you all you can do is personal insults with complete lack of fact.

You didn't win anything. I saw you insult 2-4 different people so far. Way before he "insulted" you.

I'd like to hear in what voice you would conduct your public delivery when your country is being overrun by Russians?

Well, Saakashvili seemed pretty composed and optimistic (even had a little smile on his face) when the Georgian army was leveling civilian areas while residents slept...


Also, what contribution have you made to the discussion so far? Aside from the anti-Russian garbage you keep posting?

I literary want you to go through all of your posts and see how many of them are actual contributions and not just anti-Russian rants and insults.

****************************

Moving to a topic of more relevance; I found this interesting story from the Associated Press about the Georgian contingent in Iraq.

It says the Georgian departure will leave a "vacuum" near the Iranian border. I doubt this will have serious effect on stability though. The US says it will have to "re-shuffle" troops to fill in for the Georgians which will cause some short-term problems but says it will have no impact in the long-term.

The most interesting part of the article is this, though:

Three Georgian checkpoints on highways surrounding the area's main city of Kut, 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, were empty on Monday, residents and Iraqi officials said.

But many Iraqis aren't sorry to see the Georgians go. They say the Georgians were rude, disrespectful and ineffective.

"They never respected us," 20-year-old college student Saad Hassan complained. He said Georgian soldiers would hold families at checkpoints for hours even in extremely hot or cold weather.

If this is what the Georgian troops were doing in Iraq then security may actually improve after they leave and the Americans replace them.

The importance of having the people in your AO trust you enough to come to you with information (either about enemy activity or just about the basic needs of the people) is invaluable in COIN operations. Read anything written by David Galula and you will begin to realize how absolutely vital that is in fighting insurgencies.

By the way, it's important to note that S.Ossetian refugees also reported advancing Georgian troops disrespecting them and mocking them. Hmm...maybe it's a cultural thing.

 

[Burunsuzoglu]

You maybe need to a westerner working for the Russians to protest.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/greenslade/2008/08/russian_tv_reporter_resigns_af.html

Bingo - hence my reluctance to whole heartedly accept Russian propaganda.

 

[roberto]

Except that it is a) only 27%; b) Central Asian gas is accounted for in that number; c) Risk is managed through diversification.

The reason why gas has the role it has in Europe is because some of the large countries decided not to pursue nuclear power in the future.

However, I note that in Finland and Lithuania (Baltic States) are building major nuclear installations. Both Finland and the Baltic states import 100% of their gas from Russia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olkiluoto_Nuclear_Power_Plant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visaginas_nuclear_power_plant

The Swedes are having serious seconds thought about closing theirs and a reversal of policy is all of a sudden realistic.

I find it very possible the Czechs and the Poles will also chose alternatives from gas imported from Russia, after the Russian have shown they will tweak the flow over the last two years.

Dont worry. if u make so many nuclear plants uranium prices will move towards roof. EU basically has not choice as Chinese/Russians has bought African mines and Austallia has long term contract with China and is too far for EU for cheap transport.
Russia is the only option for EU supply of cheaper fuel

http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page38?oid=58238&sn=Detail
Russia's ARMZ has new uranium reach
Russian state uranium miner now no.2 in control of world uranium resources.

http://travel.asia.ru/travel2russia/news/document22739.shtml
$40 billion boost for nuclear power in Russia
Every 6th nuclear reactor in the world runs on Russian nuclear fuel - uranium stored in rods.

 

[Burunsuzoglu]

You didn't win anything. I saw you insult 2-4 different people so far. Way before he "insulted" you.



Well, Saakashvili seemed pretty composed and optimistic (even had a little smile on his face) when the Georgian army was leveling civilian areas while residents slept...

Also, what contribution have you made to the discussion so far? Aside from the anti-Russian garbage you keep posting?

I literary want you to go through all of your posts and see how many of them are actual contributions and not just anti-Russian rants and insults.

Please give me an example where I make a personal attack as to the attributes (sanity or other) of anyone on this site - or have failed to support my arguments with independent research?

 

[windscorpion]

Bingo - hence my reluctance to whole heartedly accept Russian propaganda.

I take both sides with a massive pinch of salt, the truth is somewhere amid the mutual spin.

 

[Burunsuzoglu]

Dont worry. if u make so many nuclear plants uranium prices will move towards roof. EU basically has not choice as Chinese/Russians has bought African mines and Austallia has long term contract with China and is too far for EU for cheap transport.
Russia is the only option for EU supply of cheaper fuel

you forgot to mention Uranium is too expensive and Thorium is at least 50 years from becoming a feasible option?

 

[BlackAdder]

You didn't win anything. I saw you insult 2-4 different people so far. Way before he "insulted" you.



Well, Saakashvili seemed pretty composed and optimistic (even had a little smile on his face) when the Georgian army was leveling civilian areas while residents slept...

Also, what contribution have you made to the discussion so far? Aside from the anti-Russian garbage you keep posting?

I literary want you to go through all of your posts and see how many of them are actual contributions and not just anti-Russian rants and insults.

To be absolutely honest? I could not care less for what you think about my contributions. And I absolutely refuse to waste my time going through your posts and sort them into actual contributions or anti-American, anti-Western rants.
You're entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine. You select to base your opinion on sources you trust, I select to base my opinion on sources I trust. Simple as that.

 

[Burunsuzoglu]

I take both sides with a massive pinch of salt, thetruth is somewhere amid the mutual spin.

Agreed - hence my reluctance to rely on the BBC; however, western reporters are unlikely to end up dead on their own doorstep for challenging a one party system, hence my complete disregard for the Russian propaganda machine.

 

[radiosilence]

That video of Schaakashvilli taking cover on the ground is priceless. Now there is a leader for you.nfloorl:

 

[BlackAdder]

Since there were desperate calls for more contributions, preferably, from sources untainted with bourgeois media sins and anti-Russian bias, here you go, one reports by osinform.ru, the state-run South Ossetian news site.

14:12 (local time). Западной Грузии, в Кутаиси, сформированы отряды бандеровцев с Западной Украины и прибалтийских националистов, которые переоделись в российскую форму и получили российское оружие. Многие города Западной Грузии сейчас оставлены грузинскими войсками и полицией, а Россия не хочет начинать оккупацию собственно Грузии, поэтому там полное безвластие, население предоставлено самому себе и находится без защиты.

По информации военных журналистов, США руками украинцев и прибалтов готовят грандиозную провокацию - массовые зверства среди местного населения под видом российских военных.

[translation]
In Western Georgia, Kutaisi, groups made up from Western Ukrainian and Baltic nationalist were formed. They are dressed in Russian BDUs and armed with Russian weapons. Majority of towns in Western Georgia were left without Georgian army and police, while Russia does not want to occupy Georgia proper, therefore, a vacuum of power was created, population is left to their own devices and is left defenseless.
According to the military journalists, USA is preparing, with the help of Ukrainians and Balts, a provocation of grand scale - mass atrocities against local people allegedly perpetrated by Russian military.

I guess that comments are not called for... Words speak for themselves.

 

[Grand Danois]

Thread closed for now pending a mod discussion on its future.

/GD