i think that article of ralph peters expose very well some kind of ignorance, or some resentment by old events when russia was the ussr and the world was about to explode.
the title, "russia goes rogue", says everything, since russia became a democratic country and ehir are open for business, investments and also a capitalist nation, some part of west still associate russia with countries like iran and n. korea.
RUSSIA GOES ROGUE
By RALPH PETERS
August 12, 2008 --
IT'S impossible to overstate the importance of what's unfolding as we watch. Russia's invasion of Georgia - a calculated, unprovoked aggression - is a crisis that may have more important strategic implications than Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
We're seeing the emergence of a rogue military power with a nuclear arsenal.
The response of our own government has been pathetic - and our media's uncritical acceptance of Moscow's version of events is infuriating.
ralph demands that russia invasion was "calculated, unprovoked aggression", but he forget to say, there was about 1.600, S. Ossetians killed before russia invades georgia. and most of them, russian citzens.
He mentions iraq, maybe because some ressentment about russia was against the invasion, like france and germany, besides the only thing in commom between both situations was really the fact russia and usa didnt care about the security council´s decision.
he said the response of usa was pathetic, but i readed in this forum, many americans thinks the best of usa could do was been out of this conflict.
This is the "new" Russia announcing - in blood - that it won't tolerate freedom and self-determination along its borders. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is putting it bluntly: Today, Georgia, tomorrow Ukraine (and the Baltic states had better pay attention).
Georgia's affiliation with the European Union, its status as a would-be NATO member, its working democracy - none of it deterred Putin.
once again, he talks about blood, but forgets until now, what we know is the georgian army killed 1600 people instead russia focused more over military bases and strategical points, making less civilian deaths.
he forgets that russia is a free country and agree with the self-determination of their former republics, he also hurries to predict a disater: "Today, Georgia, tomorrow Ukraine (and the Baltic states had better pay attention)".
he also subverts the meaning of the word "democracy" to a state of alliance with western powers. democracy isnt free voting, isnt freedon of expression, is about you allie with western powers, to opposes puttin.
now, whos the rogue ?
Nor does Putin's ambition stop with the former Soviet territories. His air force has been trying (unsuccessfully) to hit the new gas pipeline running from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean. The Kremlin is telling Europe: We not only have the power to turn off Siberian gas, we can turn off every tap in the region, any time we choose.
he said that russian air force "unsuccessfully" bombs a pipeline, but until now, no pictures of this attempt or videos was shown. also russias didnt confirmed any kind of action like that. he also wants to associate russia with terrorism. for russians its not interesting sell natural gas for europe, but use that as a weapon of terror.
Let's be clear: For all that US commentators and diplomats are still chattering about Russia's "response" to Georgia's actions, the Kremlin spent months planning and preparing this operation. Any soldier above the grade of private can tell you that there's absolutely no way Moscow could've launched this huge ground, air and sea offensive in an instantaneous "response" to alleged Georgian actions.
now we see whos responsible for the "pathetic response" of usa: the diplomats !
also, in a unbelievable gessing, he affirms that kremlin spent months preparing this operation, he also claim have sources for such issue. wich is quite strange since ralph peters shows to be a russian hater.
how could be possible ? georgia calls kremlin and says: - we gonna attack S. Ossetia, should you be there ? - yes. kremlin answers. - so lets make some noise !
mr peters is impressed with the instantaneus russian response, does he knows that russia makes frontier with georgia ? or he thinks is the state of georgia in usa ?
As I pointed out Saturday, even to get one armored brigade over the Caucasus Mountains required extensive preparations. Since then, Russia has sent in the equivalent of almost two divisions - not only in South Ossetia, the scene of the original fighting, but also in separatist Abkhazia on the Black Sea coast.
does mr. peters knows that s. ossetia and Abkhazia are by a long time, since ussr falls(does he know that) a very problematic regions and russia, as any other country that makes frontier with problem zones have troops on his side of border ? or is it illegal ?
The Russians also managed to arrange the instant appearance of a squadron of warships to blockade Georgia. And they launched hundreds of air strikes against preplanned targets.
Every one of these things required careful preparations. In the words of one US officer, "Just to line up the airlift sorties would've taken weeks."
mr. peters is scared because he dont know where those ships came from, from nowhere ? where those ships came from ?
Working through their mercenaries in South Ossetia, Russia staged brutal provocations against Georgia from late July onward. Last Thursday, Georgia's president finally had to act to defend his own people.
But when the mouse stirred, the cat pounced.
another case of biased, rogue statement. call an entire population "mercenaries", those who dont want to be part of georgia, forget or dont know that russia and georgia was in a joint peace mission to reduce the conflicts in the zone since a long time.
and also, dont mention that "georgia defence of his own people" implicated in the death of 1600 s. ossetians ? these dont matter ? maybe because have russian passports...
The Russians know that we know this was a setup. But Moscow's Big Lie propagandists still blame Georgia - even as Russian aircraft bomb Georgian homes and Russian troops seize the vital city of Gori in the country's heart. And Russian troops also grabbed the Georgian city of Zugdidi to the west - invading from Abkhazia on a second axis.
Make no mistake: Moscow intends to dismember Georgia.
once again, distorting fact for his own interests. why blame georgia ? should the ossetians can diverts from georgian bullets "matrix style" ? when a bombing mission in iraq missed a target and hit a house was a mistake. when russians do the same, was intentional ? why russians seize gori ? because there was a georgian army there ready to attack s. ossetia ? or because russians are evil ?
This is the most cynical military operation by a "European" power since Moscow invaded Afghanistan in 1979. (Sad to say, President Bush seems as bewildered now as President Jimmy Carter did then.)
This attack's worse, though. Georgia is an independent, functioning democracy tied to the European Union and striving to join NATO. It also has backed our Iraq efforts with 2,000 troops. (We're airlifting them back home.)
once again, somekind of "racism" and call russia "european", like just geographic near to europe. also he tell about the afghanistan, like soviet union still exists.
again, the only democratic countries are the countries that dont go against the interests of nato. elections are just a figurative aspect.what really matters is support the west.
This invasion recalls Hitler's march into Czechoslovakia - to protect ethnic Germans, he claimed, just as Putin claims to be protecting Russian citizens - complete BS.
yeah, you know what is BS and what is not !
It also resembles Hitler's invasion of Poland - with the difference that, in September '39, European democracies drew the line. (To France's credit, its leaders abandoned their August vacations to call Putin out - only Sen. Barack Obama remains on the beach.)
Yet our media give Putin the benefit of the doubt. Not one major news outlet even bothers to take issue with Putin's wild claim that the Georgians were engaged in genocide.
then he urges the western world for a cruzade in the east, to defend the georgians that wild russians accuses unreasonably making genocyde. how could a free democratic nation(aka nato friend) make such a thing ? we cant tolerate this !
then he repeat in a very boring way all that he talked before...
russia is evil
russia plannet invaded georgia
russia military is a mess depsite the invasion was planned
russia is evil
russia is killing georgia
nobody do nothing
russia is evil
russia bombs inocent citzens
the ossetia is full of mercenaries and russians, wasnt a big deal 1600 deaths so
did i said russia is evil ?