Right Truth

Why we need John McCain and Sarah Palin in office

"The purpose was to destabilize democracy --  "They want to destroy us economically."  That's what Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said yesterday after the attacks on the Marriott hotel.  However, that statement is accurate for any of the attacks on the United States and other Western countries.  They want to destabilize our democracy and destroy our economy.  We need a leader who understands this, who is against this, and who will not facilitate this evil intent toward our wonderful America.

I know it's been said before about previous elections in the United States, but ... I do believe the 2008 Presidential elections are extremely important, maybe the most important election we have ever experienced.  Why?   Because this election not only affects Americans, it can and will affect the entire world. 

Sen. Barack Obama wants to turn to the United Nations to make decisions for him.  As Col. Oliver North says in his commentary "U.N.: Home of Anti-Americanism, Haters of Free Enterprise, and True Believers in Global Government":

The U.N. headquarters building in Manhattan has become the venue of choice for “diplomats” and foreign leaders to condemn America, our values and virtues. Since the 1960s, star billing has been promised to any dictator or despot who will take to this “world stage” for the purpose of denigrating the Unied States  and our bounty, wealth and power. When they show up for the annual meeting of theU.N. General Assembly, it is guaranteed that their horrible harangues will be broadcast all around the planet.  [snip]

Just to make sure no one has any doubts as to how things will go in the days ahead, the members of the General Assembly selected Miguel d’Escoto - a prominent America-hater - as their president. When the 63rd UNGA convenes on Tuesday, Mr. d’Escoto will “moderate” this year’s assaults on the United States.

For those too young to remember the portly Mr. d’Escoto, he was one of the original founders of the communist-inspired Sandinista movement that seized control of Nicaragua in 1979. His U.N.-published biography proudly proclaims that he “spearheaded the Nicaraguan Government’s decision, in 1984, to bring to the International Court of Justice a claim against the United States for supporting military and paramilitary actions against the country, with the court subsequently ruling in favor of Nicaragua.”

Notably, the bio makes no mention of Mr. d’Escoto, a Maryknoll priest, being publicly reprimanded by Pope John Paul II during his 1983 visit to Managua. Nor does Mr. d’Escoto’s resume reflect his tenure as a paid asset of the Central Intelligence Agency in Chile. Apparently, the U.S.-haters at the U.N. just missed these facts.

None of this has deterred the utopian Mr. d’Escoto from serving as the “warm-up-act” for this year’s Bash America Fest in the Big Apple. The visibly well-fed Mr. d’Escoto has already announced that this UNGA session should “go down in history as the ‘Assembly of Frankness’ for the sake of world peace and the eradication of poverty and hunger from the Earth.”

Mr. d’Escoto has previously referred to President Ronald Reagan as a “butcher,” called President George W. Bush a “liar” and now promises that under his leadership the UNGA will redress the “sad but undeniable fact that serious breaches of the peace and threats to international peace and security are being perpetrated by some members of the Security Council that seem unable to break what appears like an addiction to war.”

All this is but preamble to what we can expect to hear from the likes of Iran’s Mr. Ahmadinejad and Venezuela’s Mr. Chavez. Both “leaders” will be there representing states that have been accused of supporting terrorism, drug-running, human-rights abuses and in the case of Tehran - pursuing a clandestine nuclear weapons program. Yet, Mr. d’Escoto claims, “No State should appropriate the right to decide on its own which States are terrorists, or sponsors of terrorism, and which are not. Less still should States that are guilty of wars of aggression, the worst form of terrorism imaginable, presume to arrogate that right unto themselves, and further, to unilaterally take action against those it has stigmatized.”

When he goes before this august body next week, President Bush needs to encourage Mr. d’Escoto - and the entire Blame America First crowd gathered in the General Assembly - to read Article 51 of the U.N. Charter: “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.”  (read it all)

This is the type people Obama wants to make decisions for the Unites States of America.  The United Nations is where Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez are invited to come and bash everything we hold dear as Americans. 

If Sen. Barack Obama is elected President of the United States, people should be ready for arm-twisting tactics on every level of his presidency, as witnessed in how he handled the Jewish groups and their dis-invite of Gov. Sarah Palin from the protests against a nuclear Iran.  From YID With LID:

[snip] The Jewish groups that are running the rally WERE THREATENED WITH A LOSS OF THEIR TAX EXEMPT STATUS IF THE KEPT PALIN ON THE ROSTER:

The groups sponsoring the rally against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaking at the UN were reportedly told, "it could jeopardize their tax exempt status" if they had Palin and not Clinton or Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden on hand.

"It's an absolute shame that this has happened," Hikind said. "To threaten organizations … to threaten the Conference of Presidents that if you don't withdraw the invitation to Gov. Palin we're going to look into your tax exempt status … that's McCarthyism (CBS News)

Why is this so serious? On one hand, it shows a total apathy to the cause that we were to be protesting. IF Senator Obama truly cared about a nuclear Iran, Hillary Clinton would not have withdrawn. But even more serious is that the pressure that Obama put on the Jewish organizers is just a dry run of what he want to do to Israel. (continue reading at YID With LID)

These are NOT your father’s Democrats and many life-long Democrats are realizing this fact.

.... it has become increasingly apparent to me that some of the most virulent Bush-haters and far-left-wing Americans supporting Barack Obama, are Jews! Good heavens! Do they have any idea what the real and psychological pressure will be like on Israel if the US administration is put in the hands of Barack Obama, who would embolden Israel’s mortal enemies by making inappropriate moral equivalencies, as he has already done, and recognizing Israel’s enemies as “legitimate” seekers of peace by meeting with them without any pre-conditions? What compromise position do you imagine Obama is going to propose in such a meeting when Ahmadinejad, or Assad or - take your pick - re-iterate their ultimate goal regarding Israel, now further emboldened by Obama’s obsequious presence at the table??

We face many trials in our near future, the first is Islamic terrorism.  I don't recall Obama mentioning the specific threat, but I do know that Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin have named the enemy, and I know that they will not hesitate to defend the United States against that enemy. 

In a video marking the seventh anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, al Qaeda’s top leader in Afghanistan vows more “large-scale” attacks against the United States and its allies. In another segment, the personal adviser to Taliban leader Mullah Omar says al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is alive and well. Al Qaeda leaders featured on the video promise more violence against their enemies.  (CNN)

This is a Clash of Civilizations, it is 'us vs them'.  It is the Muslim world against the Western world.  The United States is the leading country in the world, not because we wanted that, not because we strived for that, but because our form of government has produced that position.  What happens in the USA has an affect on the rest of othe world.  We are not alone in the fight for freedom.  The following is from  Managing Muslim Violence, How to Manage Savagery by Bret Stephens,  Commentary Magazine

Nor is the phenomenon of “Muslim rage” directed against America alone. In Spain, the Netherlands, Great Britain, France and Germany—countries with widely varying foreign policies toward, and colonial histories in, the Muslim world—terrorist plots, terrorist attacks, spectacular murders, and mass rioting have made vivid the gulf that separates embittered and often radicalized Muslim minorities from the societies around them. Even in tiny, inoffensive Belgium, whose government was among the most vocal in opposing the war in Iraq and has bent over backward to respect the sensitivities of the Muslim community, the entire Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek, according to the Flemish newspaper Het Volk, has been turned into a “breeding ground for thousands of jihad candidates.”  [snip]

  ...  the wars that chiefly roil the Islamic world today are no longer at its periphery. They are at the center, and they pit Muslims against other Muslims. The genocide in Darfur is being perpetrated by a regime that is every bit as Muslim—and black—as its victims. The Palestinians went from intifada to civil war: in 2006 and 2007, nearly as many Palestinians died violently at the hands of other Palestinians as at the hands of Israelis. In Lebanon, there have been bloody clashes this year among Shiites, Sunnis, and Druze. Last year, the Lebanese government had to send troops into Palestinian refugee camps to suppress an insurrectionary attempt by a Syrian-sponsored terrorist group.

It does not end there. Saudi Arabia has been under attack by al Qaeda since 2003. In November 2005, Jordan suffered devastating suicide bombings at three Amman hotels in which nearly all the victims were, like their murderers, Sunni Muslims. In Afghanistan, a Muslim government led by Hamid Karzai—a Pashtun—fights an Islamist rebellion by Taliban remnants and their allies, also mostly Pashtun. In Pakistan, the axis of conflict has shifted from the east to the west, where sizable areas are under the control of Islamist militants; in 2007 alone, some 1,500 Pakistanis were killed in terrorist attacks, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto notably among them.

Then there is Iraq. Though Americans naturally focus on the more than 4,000 U.S. servicemen killed so far since the country was liberated in April 2003, that figure pales in comparison with the number of Iraqis killed in inter- and intra-sectarian violence: Sunnis against Shiites and Kurds, Sunnis against Sunnis, Shiites against Sunnis, Shiites against Shiites. Cumulatively, the number of civilian deaths since early 2006, when sectarian fighting got under way in earnest, now stands at just over 100,000 (according to the Brookings Institution).  (continue reading)

The truck bombing in Islamabad Pakistan yesterday killed over 60 people, injured over 250.  Americans were in the hotel.  Several American State Department officials were in the hotel, we do not know if any of them were injured or killed. 

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the bomber had attacked the hotel only after tight security prevented him from reaching Parliament or the prime minister's office, where the president and many dignitaries were gathered for dinner.  The Czech ambassador was killed in the attack.

The Muslims are supposed to be SO religious and devoted followers, yet:

The timing of the attack - during the last 10 nights of Ramadan - could not have been more sacrilegious. Even pre-Islamic Arabs regarded the month of Ramadan as sacred, a time when tribal wars would cease. Yet for Islamist terrorists, no time is too sacred to pursue their ends through bloodshed.  (more)

U.S. Adm. Michael Mullen has made his fifth trip to Pakistan in one year.

The United States is also frustrated the army of the unstable but nuclear-armed Pakistan has not been able to stop extremists in these areas from launching cross-border attacks into Afghanistan against U.S. and NATO troops, the Financial Times reported Friday.

A nuclear Iran is hell-bent on destroying Israel and the West while Obama says that is unacceptable.  Talk is cheap and words from him don't seem to have any meaning.  He cannot make a decision, he's a FENCE SITTER.  He votes 'present', he waits for his 'brain trust' to make decisions and tell him what to say.  We need a president and vice president who can make good decisions and who will act on those decisions the the safety of this country.

A Nuclear North Korea is not a possibility, it is a fact.  With Kim Jon Il incapacitated from a severe stroke and brain surgery, the West has no idea who is running that country.  But whoever it is, they have decided to restart their reactors.

(CNN) -- North Korea is restoring a reactor at the key Yongbyon nuclear complex and no longer wants to be removed from a U.S. list of countries that sponsor terrorism, the South Korean news agency reported Thursday.

A South Korean looks at the demolition of a cooling tower at the North's Yongbyon nuclear complex, June 27, 2008.

Hyun Hak-Bong, a chief North Korean negotiator at six-nation talks, told reporters his country is "thoroughly preparing to restart" the reactor and that reporters would "know soon" when his country would do that, the Yonhap news agency said.  (CNN, hat tip Rosemary)

Russia is emerging as a growing threat to small democracies, to the U.S., and to Israel:

Moscow — Russia made clear Saturday that it opposes a Western push for new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.

Russia spoke out against a fourth round of U.N. sanctions against Tehran at a meeting of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany in Washington on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said.  (more)

Who is supplying the military hardware and the logistics for such attacks as those in Pakistan?  A question the next president will have to answer:

 ...  It appears to me that now there are indications of a disturbing possible collaboration between Islamic forces and other ideologies. ...

The Islamic strategy appears to be heading now towards utilizing the existing divisions between the various ethnicities and non-muslim religions or ideologies. There is a strong possibility that various so-called Maoist outfits, ethnic separatists, as well as some proselytizing religious groups could be playing into the hands of the Islamic Jihadi leadership. The Quran, and the Hadiths repeatedly stress, as well as provide examples of how Islam utilizes the conflicts and misunderstandings between various groups of “unbelievers”, to weaken all unbelievers until they are no longer militarily strong to resist Islam when it suddenly reveals its actual Jihadi militant agenda.  (continue reading)

Random comments:

GOP would repair economy

Sen. Barack Obama keeps blaming President Bush for the financial crisis. His blame game is pointing the wrong way.

Congress creates the laws, and the Democrats have controlled both houses of Congress since January 2007. The Democratic Congress – which includes Mr. Obama – has not created any legislation that would fix the problems. Nor, it seems, has the Democratic Congress even tried to fix the problems.

Real change would be to elect McCain-Palin and more Republicans to Congress so the problems will get addressed, instead of ignored.

Steve Stovall, Plano

Places like Fact Check.org are keeping on top of all the lies put out by Barack Obama.

Barack Obama is keeping those researchers over at Fact Check .org pretty busy lately and yesterday they called him out on falsehoods and "rank misrepresentation", in a piece they called "Scaring Seniors" and today they say "Obama personally fed senior citizens another whopper," on Saturday.  (continue reading)

More on the social security lies here. Obama Yelling at and Scaring Senior Citizens:

The media is not innocent in these lies either, "Media Caught Fabricating White Racists?"  Obama even attacks an ABORTION SURVIVOR.

Harvard's propaganda for Obama is clearly stated By Ellis Washington

Professor Cass Sunstein’s defense of Obama’s controversial views on domestic and international policy utilized the technique of moderating his policies by placing Obama to the right of his growing legion of leftist critics in the fringe blogosphere who are angry at his recent surge to the center to counter Sarah Palin’s popularity as McCain’s V.P. candidate. I am not convinced.

Sunstein’s arguments would be plausible if this were 1988 – before the advent of conservative intellectuals like Joseph Farah, Dr. Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Antonin Scalia, FoxNews, the Internet and many others in the so-called “alternative media.”

But it isn’t 1988; it is 2008, and now any rationally minded person can look at Professor Sunstein’s apologetic for Obama and determine almost immediately if it is truth or propaganda.  (continue reading at Western Front America)

Other reading:

Ayoon Wa Azan (Terrorists are Religiously and Mentally Retarded)

500 detained in anti-Islam congress protest in Germany

Violent protests by leftists forced the cancellation of a far-right rally against the influence of Islam in Europe and prompted the detention of 500 people, German authorities said Sunday.

ACLU Wins Case for Lesbian Trapped in Man’s Body

Iraq, Saudi Arabia swap prisoners,Reuters

Denmark: Internal justice in Muslim communities, here

Elon Poll: GOP Holds Edge in Presidential Race

Paul McCartney Tells Islam To Stick Its Death Threats Up Its Bum

USS Mount Whitney in Georgian Port

From Peace and Freedom '08"

A previous trip by American warships was cancelled at the last minute a week ago amid fears that an armed stand off could erupt in the Black Sea port of Poti.

The arrival of the USS Mount Whitney came as Moscow accused Dick Cheney, the hawkish US vice-president, of stoking tensions during a visit to Tbilisi yesterday, in which he vowed to bring Georgia into the Nato alliance. Russia sees any such move as a blatant Western encroachment on its traditional sphere of influence.

Russia’s leadership has already questioned whether previous US warships that docked at the port of Batumi, to the south, were delivering weapons to rearm the smashed Georgian military, something Washington has denied.

While Russia again questioned the deployment of what it described as “the number one ship of its type in the US navy” on the Black Sea, it said it planned no military action in response. The Russian Army has kept a small number of soldiers in Poti, where local Georgian officials accuse them of looting port authority buildings.  (James Hider in Tbilisi, Times (London), continue reading)

A Splendid Diversion, by Michael Travis

We are happy to publish the following article by friend of Right Truth, Michael Travis, originally posted at The Gerard Group:

A Splendid Diversion

While the World Watches the Olympics

By Michael Travis

Overshadowed by the dazzling spectacle of the Olympic games in Beijing, the aftermath of the all out war between Russia and Georgia has received scant coverage and analysis in the North American media. America's enemies however, have forsaken the broadcasts of table-tennis, sprinters in hijabs, and competitive line-dancing, to give their undivided attention to what they view as far better sport; the defeat of "Team America" at the hand of the undisputed champion of international discord, Russia.
Georgia Map

According to the Red Cross, Georgian and Ossetian civilians are seeking safe haven in Turkey, a move that has caused the Turkish government to reassess its stalled bid for NATO membership.

In a week that has seen General David Petraeus pledging more military equipment and specialized training for the Hizballah-dominated Lebanese government, U.S. State Dept. negotiations with the Iranian leadership in Geneva, and Presidential kow-towing to the Communist regime in China, you can bet the bank that Japan, Taiwan, Israel, and Eastern Europe's new NATO members, are becoming very nervous indeed.

Nonetheless, the United States and Poland has signed an agreement to deploy a U.S. missile defence system on their territory, to which Vladimir Putin has responded with threats of military retaliation.PutinGeorgia

Under advisement from the U.S. State Department, and U.S. military advisors on the ground in Tbilisi, the Georgian government has signed a French-U.S. brokered ceasefire agreement.  Russia's response has been to move deeper into Georgian territory, establishing encampments and checkpoints throughout the vanquished nation.

While Russia perceives the United States to be a paper tiger, averse to defending its friends and allies, the Russian bear remains a power without equal, able to impose its will upon any and all foes. The Political Correctness, and subservience to the agenda of a Globalist "International Community" that is the cornerstone of U.S. Foreign policy, has provided fresh stimulus for Russia's quest to reclaim its position as a world power to be accommodated and feared.

Lasha Zhvania, head of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, has likened the Russian war against Georgia to "Tisha B'Av," the historic destruction of the first and second Jewish Temples, and "the saddest day in Jewish history." Tisha B'Av set the stage for almost 2,000 years of expulsions, persecution and genocide against the Jewish people. In an era that sees an ambitious Russian government once again aligned with some of history's most bloodthirsty regimes and Islamic movements, Zhvania's observation should be taken very seriously.

As Jews fasted on this last 9th day of Av (Sunday, 9 August 2008) and the American President joined the "Global Village" in watching a volleyball game, the brutal forces of tyranny and violence consolidated their hold on humanity.

In the Philippines, Islamic fighters with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are fighting pitched battles within Christian villages in the autonomous North Cotabato province.MILF As blood flows across Mindanao, 130,000 Christians have fled their homes, and the MILF are demanding their own, sovereign, Islamic Republic.

At the Olympics, sports fans cheered on their swim teams as American tourists were murdered in the streets of Beijing.  Despite a brutal campaign of repression waged outside the Olympic venues, the "International Community" has managed to bow ever more deeply to the Communist regime in China.

Beirut The de facto Hizballah government in Lebanon can hardly contain their excitement as they await the delivery of more U.S. Military equipment to add to its already burgeoning arsenal of Iranian and Russian weaponry. With surface to surface, surface to air, and anti-ship missile emplacements in operation, Iran's proxy army is prepared to launch devastating attacks against Israeli population centers. The new American weapons can be considered frosting on the Lebanese terrorist's cake.

Iran of course is in the final stages of preparation for a nuclear attack against Israel, and quite likely, the United States as well.

Georgia? It's in flames. And the world stands at the precipice of global conflagration. But, hey! The U.S. Team won over 90 medals as of today!Olympics

At this point in time, the United States lacks clearly stated foreign policy, backed by a determined military command.  Political Correctness and public relations considerations have revealed an Administration in disarray, with undefined priorities. Without a convincing display of solidarity with our allies, America's reputation will be tarnished beyond repair.

With the demise of our perceived credibility and the loss of our traditional sphere of influence, attacks against U.S. interests abroad, and terror operations on American soil seem inevitable. Negotiating with terrorists and enabling despotic regimes under the dubious banner of "Democratization" has put American lives in peril and set the stage for more regional conflicts.

Remember, Russia, Iran and Lebanon are all "vibrant democracies," yet they represent America's deadliest enemies.

Michael Travis is Research/Analyst with Gerard Group.

What Now Pakistan?

After nine years in office, Pakistans President Pervez Musharraf quietly resigned office amid tension in Pakistan's politics, the civilian government and the military.  The question is what next?   Who next?  A suicide attack on a hospital Tuesday in Dera Ismail Khan in northern Pakistan, killed more than two dozen people, a reminder of the challenges facing the country's untested democratic government after Pervez Musharraf resigned as president.  (USA Today)

The government is led by the Pakistan People's Party, now run by Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, but his party governs through a complex coalition of parties. 

The PPP's main antagonist is former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, head of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, who never misses an opportunity to try to pull down the PPP, his longtime rival, rather than working with it to consolidate the few democratic gains the country has made.  [snip]

In the next few days, internal coalition battles will continue as key questions arise, including where Musharraf should live, whether impeachment should proceed, how the senior judges Musharraf dismissed last November should be restored to their offices and who should become president.  (Washington Post)  

Sharif is threatening to pull out of the coalition. (NYT)  All the current world events are causing some to question U.S. President George W. Bush's policy of emphasizing personal relationships with leaders like Musharraf, Putin, Karzai, etc.  (CSM)

 President Bush has long prided himself on his close personal relationships with foreign leaders. But over the last several weeks some of those relationships appear to have gone disastrously awry.  [snip] 

All recent US presidents have forged bonds with fellow heads of state. The question is, did the Bush administration depend too much on personal interaction and miss the broader geopolitical forces at work in Russia and Pakistan? Some critics charge that is exactly what happened.

Question:  Isn't President Bush's policy of befriending leaders, talking to them, the same thing that Barack Obama has been saying he would do if elected president???  Hmmmm?

In Afghanistan, Taliban insurgents mounted their most serious attacks in six years of fighting in Afghanistan over the last two days, including a coordinated assault by at least 10 suicide bombers against one of the largest American military bases in the country, and another by about 100 insurgents who killed 10 elite French paratroopers. (NYT)

President Hamid Karzai said he would seek re-election next year, saying "So I have a job to do, a job to complete. In that sense, yes, I would like to run,..."

"I have begun a task to rebuild Afghanistan into a peaceful prosperous country, into a democratic country, a country where the Afghan people will have a voice and their rights respected, a country that will be producing on its own and living off its own means," said Karzai.

The world is indeed a dangerous place, and keeping track of who our friends or enemies are may change from day to day, as Russia proved to many by invading Georgia.  Robin Oakley at CNN asks "What do you do with an angry bear? Growl back at him, face him down or threaten to take away his honey? It is a debate the NATO countries are patently having trouble resolving."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, currently in the chair of the EU,promised "serious consequences" if Russia does not meet its promise to pull out its troops -- while U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wanted "concrete measures" to punish Russia and insisted that the West must "deprive Russia of any strategic victory."  (CNN)  That's a lot of growling, but I don't see any actions yet to take any actions.

Now there are reports of ethnic cleansing from both Georgia and South Ossetia.

I'm wondering what Barack Obama would do differently?  If Condi Rice and Bush cannot get NATO or Europe to act on Russia and Georgia;  if they cannot get a peace deal in Israel; and on and on ...  what makes Obama think he can get the job done?

Russia and the Real World Order

Thomas Sowell reflects 'then and now', everything old is new again, -- "Georgia is all too reminiscent of what happened back in 1956, when Russian tanks rolled into Hungary-- and the West did nothing."

But there was bitterness, then as now, that the West may have encouraged people to risk their lives, relying on us, when we knew from the outset that we were not about to risk armed conflict with a nuclear superpower over Hungary then or Georgia now.

The West has a long history of doing nothing, utilizing the United Nations, and before that the League of Nations, to create the illusion that they are doing something, when they make speeches and pass resolutions.

Neither speeches nor resolutions are going to make any difference to the Russians, to the Iranians or to any other belligerent nation. We know it, they know it and the world knows it.  (continue reading at Townhall.com)

Let's pray that Mr. Sowell is wrong this time.  However, I have a feeling he is 100% correct.  Condi Rice is talking tough.  She has gone to meet with NATO, as President George W. Bush made a very strong statement.  Americans are voicing their disapproval of Russia's continued control in Georgia and military presence.  Ceasefire agreement?  Like I said, it wasn't worth the paper it was written on.  Russia is controlling even the Western press, telling them they must have Russian papers before they can continue in Georgia.  (Fox News)

Now we hear that Russia's Novolipetsk Steel is to buy John Maneely Company from Carlyle Group.

MOSCOW

-(Dow Jones)- Russia's Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK.RS) said Wednesday it has signed a definitive agreement to buy U.S. steel pipe and tube manufacturer John Maneely Company, or JMC, from the private equity firm Carlyle Group and the Zekelman family.  (CNNMoney, hat tip Michael)

Just business and nothing to worry about OR another American company in a long line, being purchased by another country?

 Novolipetsk agreed to pay

$3.53 billion

for JMC, acquiring the company on a debt- and cash-free basis. Carlyle said it expects the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2008, subject to customary regulatory approvals.

As for Russia and Georgia, Michael sends this picture with the title "Every picture, ... has a story  ..."

Analysis from StratFor:, THE REAL WORLD ORDER, by George Friedman, (published in it's entirety with permission

On Sept. 11, 1990, U.S. President George H. W. Bush addressed Congress. He spoke in the wake of the end of Communism in Eastern Europe, the weakening of the Soviet Union, and the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein. He argued that a New World Order was emerging: “A hundred generations have searched for this elusive path to peace, while a thousand wars raged across the span of human endeavor, and today that new world is struggling to be born. A world quite different from the one we’ve known. A world where the rule of law supplants the rule of the jungle. A world in which nations recognize the shared responsibility for freedom and justice. A world where the strong respect the rights of the weak.”

After every major, systemic war, there is the hope that this will be the war to end all wars. The idea driving it is simple. Wars are usually won by grand coalitions. The idea is that the coalition that won the war by working together will continue to work together to make the peace. Indeed, the idea is that the defeated will join the coalition and work with them to ensure the peace. This was the dream behind the Congress of Vienna, the League of Nations, the United Nations and, after the Cold War, NATO. The idea was that there would be no major issues that couldn’t be handled by the victors, now joined with the defeated. That was the idea that drove George H. W. Bush as the Cold War was coming to its end.

Those with the dream are always disappointed. The victorious coalition breaks apart. The defeated refuse to play the role assigned to them. New powers emerge that were not part of the coalition. Anyone may have ideals and visions. The reality of the world order is that there are profound divergences of interest in a world where distrust is a natural and reasonable response to reality. In the end, ideals and visions vanish in a new round of geopolitical conflict.

The post-Cold War world, the New World Order, ended with authority on Aug. 8, 2008, when Russia and Georgia went to war. Certainly, this war was not in itself of major significance, and a very good case can be made that the New World Order actually started coming apart on Sept. 11, 2001. But it was on Aug. 8 that a nation-state, Russia, attacked another nation-state, Georgia, out of fear of the intentions of a third nation-state, the United States. This causes us to begin thinking about the Real World Order.

The global system is suffering from two imbalances. First, one nation-state, the United States, remains overwhelmingly powerful, and no combination of powers are in a position to control its behavior. We are aware of all the economic problems besetting the United States, but the reality is that the American economy is larger than the next three economies combined (Japan, Germany and China). The U.S. military controls all the world’s oceans and effectively dominates space. Because of these factors, the United States remains politically powerful — not liked and perhaps not admired, but enormously powerful.

The second imbalance is within the United States itself. Its ground forces and the bulk of its logistical capability are committed to the Middle East, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan. The United States also is threatening on occasion to go to war with Iran, which would tie down most of its air power, and it is facing a destabilizing Pakistan. Therefore, there is this paradox: The United States is so powerful that, in the long run, it has created an imbalance in the global system. In the short run, however, it is so off balance that it has few, if any, military resources to deal with challenges elsewhere. That means that the United States remains the dominant power in the long run but it cannot exercise that power in the short run. This creates a window of opportunity for other countries to act. 

The outcome of the Iraq war can be seen emerging. The United States has succeeded in creating the foundations for a political settlement among the main Iraqi factions that will create a relatively stable government. In that sense, U.S. policy has succeeded. But the problem the United States has is the length of time it took to achieve this success. Had it occurred in 2003, the United States would not suffer its current imbalance. But this is 2008, more than five years after the invasion. The United States never expected a war of this duration, nor did it plan for it. In order to fight the war, it had to inject a major portion of its ground fighting capability into it. The length of the war was the problem. U.S. ground forces are either in Iraq, recovering from a tour or preparing for a deployment. What strategic reserves are available are tasked into Afghanistan. Little is left over.

As Iraq pulled in the bulk of available forces, the United States did not shift its foreign policy elsewhere. For example, it remained committed to the expansion of democracy in the former Soviet Union and the expansion of NATO, to include Ukraine and Georgia. From the fall of the former Soviet Union, the United States saw itself as having a dominant role in reshaping post-Soviet social and political orders, including influencing the emergence of democratic institutions and free markets. The United States saw this almost in the same light as it saw the democratization of Germany and Japan after World War II. Having defeated the Soviet Union, it now fell to the United States to reshape the societies of the successor states.

Through the 1990s, the successor states, particularly Russia, were inert. Undergoing painful internal upheaval — which foreigners saw as reform but which many Russians viewed as a foreign-inspired national catastrophe — Russia could not resist American and European involvement in regional and internal affairs. From the American point of view, the reshaping of the region — from the Kosovo war to the expansion of NATO to the deployment of U.S. Air Force bases to Central Asia — was simply a logical expansion of the collapse of the Soviet Union. It was a benign attempt to stabilize the region, enhance its prosperity and security and integrate it into the global system.

As Russia regained its balance from the chaos of the 1990s, it began to see the American and European presence in a less benign light. It was not clear to the Russians that the United States was trying to stabilize the region. Rather, it appeared to the Russians that the United States was trying to take advantage of Russian weakness to impose a new politico-military reality in which Russia was to be surrounded with nations controlled by the United States and its military system, NATO. In spite of the promise made by Bill Clinton that NATO would not expand into the former Soviet Union, the three Baltic states were admitted. The promise was not addressed. NATO was expanded because it could and Russia could do nothing about it.

From the Russian point of view, the strategic break point was Ukraine. When the Orange Revolution came to Ukraine, the American and European impression was that this was a spontaneous democratic rising. The Russian perception was that it was a well-financed CIA operation to foment an anti-Russian and pro-American uprising in Ukraine. When the United States quickly began discussing the inclusion of Ukraine in NATO, the Russians came to the conclusion that the United States intended to surround and crush the Russian Federation. In their view, if NATO expanded into Ukraine, the Western military alliance would place Russia in a strategically untenable position. Russia would be indefensible. The American response was that it had no intention of threatening Russia. The Russian question was returned: Then why are you trying to take control of Ukraine? What other purpose would you have? The United States dismissed these Russian concerns as absurd. The Russians, not regarding them as absurd at all, began planning on the assumption of a hostile United States.

If the United States had intended to break the Russian Federation once and for all, the time for that was in the 1990s, before Yeltsin was replaced by Putin and before 9/11. There was, however, no clear policy on this, because the United States felt it had all the time in the world. Superficially this was true, but only superficially. First, the United States did not understand that the Yeltsin years were a temporary aberration and that a new government intending to stabilize Russia was inevitable. If not Putin, it would have been someone else. Second, the United States did not appreciate that it did not control the international agenda. Sept. 11, 2001, took away American options in the former Soviet Union. No only did it need Russian help in Afghanistan, but it was going to spend the next decade tied up in the Middle East. The United States had lost its room for maneuver and therefore had run out of time.

And now we come to the key point. In spite of diminishing military options outside of the Middle East, the United States did not modify its policy in the former Soviet Union. It continued to aggressively attempt to influence countries in the region, and it became particularly committed to integrating Ukraine and Georgia into NATO, in spite of the fact that both were of overwhelming strategic interest to the Russians. Ukraine dominated Russia’s southwestern flank, without any natural boundaries protecting them. Georgia was seen as a constant irritant in Chechnya as well as a barrier to Russian interests in the Caucasus.

Moving rapidly to consolidate U.S. control over these and other countries in the former Soviet Union made strategic sense. Russia was weak, divided and poorly governed. It could make no response. Continuing this policy in the 2000s, when the Russians were getting stronger, more united and better governed and while U.S. forces were no longer available, made much less sense. The United States continued to irritate the Russians without having, in the short run, the forces needed to act decisively.

The American calculation was that the Russian government would not confront American interests in the region. The Russian calculation was that it could not wait to confront these interests because the United States was concluding the Iraq war and would return to its pre-eminent position in a few short years. Therefore, it made no sense for Russia to wait and it made every sense for Russia to act as quickly as possible.

The Russians were partly influenced in their timing by the success of the American surge in Iraq. If the United States continued its policy and had force to back it up, the Russians would lose their window of opportunity. Moreover, the Russians had an additional lever for use on the Americans: Iran.

The United States had been playing a complex game with Iran for years, threatening to attack while trying to negotiate. The Americans needed the Russians. Sanctions against Iran would have no meaning if the Russians did not participate, and the United States did not want Russia selling advance air defense systems to Iran. (Such systems, which American analysts had warned were quite capable, were not present in Syria on Sept. 6, 2007, when the Israelis struck a nuclear facility there.) As the United States re-evaluates the Russian military, it does not want to be surprised by Russian technology. Therefore, the more aggressive the United States becomes toward Russia, the greater the difficulties it will have in Iran. This further encouraged the Russians to act sooner rather than later.

The Russians have now proven two things. First, contrary to the reality of the 1990s, they can execute a competent military operation. Second, contrary to regional perception, the United States cannot intervene. The Russian message was directed against Ukraine most of all, but the Baltics, Central Asia and Belarus are all listening. The Russians will not act precipitously. They expect all of these countries to adjust their foreign policies away from the United States and toward Russia. They are looking to see if the lesson is absorbed. At first, there will be mighty speeches and resistance. But the reality on the ground is the reality on the ground.

We would expect the Russians to get traction. But if they don’t, the Russians are aware that they are, in the long run, much weaker than the Americans, and that they will retain their regional position of strength only while the United States is off balance in Iraq. If the lesson isn’t absorbed, the Russians are capable of more direct action, and they will not let this chance slip away. This is their chance to redefine their sphere of influence. They will not get another.

The other country that is watching and thinking is Iran. Iran had accepted the idea that it had lost the chance to dominate Iraq. It had also accepted the idea that it would have to bargain away its nuclear capability or lose it. The Iranians are now wondering if this is still true and are undoubtedly pinging the Russians about the situation. Meanwhile, the Russians are waiting for the Americans to calm down and get serious. If the Americans plan to take meaningful action against them, they will respond in Iran. But the Americans have no meaningful actions they can take; they need to get out of Iraq and they need help against Iran. The quid pro quo here is obvious. The United States acquiesces to Russian actions (which it can’t do anything about), while the Russians cooperate with the Unit ed States against Iran getting nuclear weapons (something Russia does not want to see).

One of the interesting concepts of the New World Order was that all serious countries would want to participate in it and that the only threat would come from rogue states and nonstate actors such as North Korea and al Qaeda. Serious analysts argued that conflict between nation-states would not be important in the 21st century. There will certainly be rogue states and nonstate actors, but the 21st century will be no different than any other century. On Aug. 8, the Russians invited us all to the Real World Order.

Housekeeping...

A little housekeeping here at Right Truth.  Changes to the blogroll, link corrections, articles you may have missed, clearing out the In-Box: 

China confiscates Bibles from American;Christians, Peace and Freedom '08

BEIJING - A group of American Christians who had more than 300 Bibles confiscated by Chinese officials when they arrived in China is refusing to leave the airport until they get the books back, their leader said Monday. 

Messianic Obama: “I Will Win!”; Pelosi: “God Has Blessed us With Him….”  (Politico.com)

A confident Barack Obama raised an extraordinary $7.8 million Sunday at three California fundraisers, most if it in large checks to a Democratic Party committee.

“I will win. Don’t worry about that,” he said to the crowd of about 1,300 at his third event of the evening, according to the pool report.

He was warmly received by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called him “a leader that God has blessed us with at this time.”

Obama echoed some of the themes he discussed when he described Pennsylvanians as “bitter” and stoked controversy three months ago, but did so much more adroitly.

Georgia Bombed by Russian Jets, images and more, at Georgia.inf.ge .

Georgia: Terror Fears Over Whereabouts Of Region’s Nuclear Material, Telegraph UK

When the breakaway region of Abkhazia split from Georgia in 1993, the world’s only known case of enriched uranium going missing was reported after up to 2kg of the potentially devastating material was stolen from a laboratory.

There are now fears that the organized criminal gangs that are rife in the region could exploit the confusion of the current conflict to loot other stocks.

Security services are worried that terrorist organizations such as al-Qa’eda could purchase weapons grade uranium and mix it with a detonator as basic as fertilizer to make a deadly device. While an estimated 15kg of uranium is needed to make a nuclear bomb just a small amount is needed for an unconventional device.

“There is no fear of a nuclear bomb coming out of this region but the bigger danger is that a small amount of uranium combined with conventional explosive terrorists could make a dirty bomb that would make an area the size of the City’s Square Mile unusable for 30 or 40 years,” said a security source. “The economic impact would be catastrophic.”

Malaysia bans books on Islam,YNET

Malaysia's state censors banned two books on Islam saying they gave a misleading view of the religion – a move slammed Friday by a group of Muslim women activists who published one of them.

The Home Ministry of Muslim-majority Malaysia banned the books because they might undermine people's faith, national news agency Bernama reported Friday.

The books were identified as the English-language "Muslim Women and the Challenge of Islamic Extremism" and the Malay-language "Strange but True in Prayers."

RUSSIA AND IRAN: AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE, The Midnight Sun

The eyes and ears of all who are reading the writing on the wall must now be trained in the direction of Iran and Russia. It is this unholy alliance which has the potential to draw half the planet into a massive clash which could send rivers of blood and tongues of fire on a biblical scale through the streets of whole regions of the world. Forget the hapless Medvedev. Putin is the one whose grand vision of Russia as a world superpower will brook no opposition. America and her traitorous allies in the region are standing in the way: ...

Who’s Planning Our Next War?, Muslim Media Network

Ehud Olmert came home from a June meeting with Bush to tell Israelis: “We reached agreement on the need to take care of the Iranian threat. … I left with a lot less question marks regarding the means, the timetable restrictions and American resoluteness. …

Islamic Coke Cans?, thanks to Bob McCarty Writes:

Will Cross Adorn Coca-Cola Cans This Christmas?

The crescent moon and star — yes, the same symbol featured on the flags of so many Muslim countries — is an internationally-recognized symbol of the Islamic faith in much the same way as the cross represents Christianity and the star of David Judaism.  When I learned the symbol of the Islamic faith will appear on Coca-Cola packaging during Ramadan 2008, I found myself wondering whether or not the Atlanta-based soft drink maker will soon include the Christian cross and Jewish star of David in future holiday packaging designs targeting people of those faiths.

The firm selected by Coca-Cola to help interpret its brand across a number of events is ATTIK, according according to Brand Republic.  Notable among those events are Ramadan, a Muslim religious observance that runs from Sept. 1-30, and Christmas 2008. [Note: I've found no evidence that the company plans to focus any efforts on Hannukah or any other Jewish holiday.]  (continue reading)

Salute to the “Great Journalists” In Dark Corners of the Globe, Peace and Freedom '08

Good journalists watch, see, write, report, and comment.

Great journalists go where they are totally unwanted and do those things exceptionally well.

I consider Muhammad Khurshid a great journalist.  He went home to Pakistan’s tribal areas, an area of the world crawling with any number of al Qaeda and Taliban militants that could have killed him at any time, and he brilliantly kept many in the West informed of the situation.

Drug Subs Pose Terror Threat To U.S., National Terror Alert

Internet Radio Network
now has a new address:  http://www.the-irn.com/ .  Be sure to change your link and go check it out if you are not already familiar with this site.  Steve suggests the following Investors Business Daily articles:

Russia's Big Lie 

The New Warsaw Pact 

Palin's Gas Pipeline Isn't Hot Air

New to the blogroll is Ted Pibil.com
  Go check out his brand new site and leave some words of encouragement. 

Dumbo (Disney 1941), is the latest post at Edge's

[snip]  As we all know too well, some individuals look to the government for "help" way too much these days. And when they don't receive that "help", they almost instantly blame the society that surrounds them.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that that our government shouldn't provide assistance to Americans in need, but you know every once in a while a person will break out of a dark and hopeless situation and find their true potential without Uncle Sam's so called "help! "... (continue reading, you won't be sorry)

i hate typepad.  I hate typePad.  I hate TypePad.  When I posted this first, I lost all formatting, I lost all links,, I HATE IT.

A NEW WARSAW PACT: DEFENDING POLAND FROM THE OLD SOVIET PUTIN

A NEW WARSAW PACT: DEFENDING POLAND FROM THE OLD SOVIET PUTIN

By R.J. Godlewski

© August 17, 2008, All Rights Reserved

    It should come as no surprise to my readers that I hail from proud Polish stock. When all four sets of grandparents were Polish and the paternal pair emigrated here from that land in 1912 (though they were, in fact, ‘occupied’ by the very Russians we shall discuss in a moment), you would have to agree that I am basically 100% Polish in heart. It also should come as no surprise that I am a proud American patriot; that the very land of my birth is the land that I love dearly and I have served and will continue to serve in whichever way, shape, or form God and the United States Government permit me to do so.

    Because, in life’s unique little way, I am at once both Polish and American, I take exception at Russia’s recent statement that Poland is under risk of attack for any basing of American defensive missiles in that nation. As an individual, I deeply resent large bullies making threats against peaceful bodies and I often find the need to voice my opinion, irrespective of whether others want to hear it or I may find myself in some form of trouble through uttering these views. As to whether that results from being Polish or American – well, I’ll leave that to the reader to decide.

    What is not arguable is that with the recent and fully unprovoked invasion of peaceful Georgia by the belligerent Russian government (hereinafter referred to as the Putin Union of Soviet Socialist Executioners – or PUSSE, pronounced “pussies”), the civilized world has entered a very nasty and uncertain era. The world could, perhaps, understand the hijacking of a religious faith for matters of absolute mayhem as orchestrated by the likes of Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda swine, but the emergence of an aggressive Russia delves beyond the manners of peaceful and cooperative industry. That is, Russia needs to be included amongst the rank and file of the industrial world if it is to regain any of the glory that the communists had spent the better part of a century destroying. The Russian people had a chance; they survived the constraints of Soviet socialism, learned that it bankrupted their society, and forged into the new century emulating the West – the civilization that offered the best of what worked. Vladimir Putin (nee Opportunistic President, nee KGB Thug) sacrificed all of this.

    Vlad Emir Putin could’ve done the honorable thing; he could’ve comfortably retired to the lecture circuit and made millions teaching gullible young university students (primarily here within the West) how he had championed Mother Russia out of a post-Yeltsin decline. Instead, he could not leave well enough alone and manipulated his way into office as Russian prime minister. Regardless of who now occupies the office of the presidency, it is Putin himself who calls the shots and it is Putin who I’ll discuss in this commentary.

    Like a grumbling bear awoken from a long hibernation, the Russian government is now set to begin gobbling up a much needed food supply – the former satellites of the Soviet Empire. It has already fully disregarded the sovereignty of tiny Georgia by thumbing its nose at the West. It had previously attempted to freeze Ukraine into submission by cutting off natural gas supplies to that equally peaceful country. Now, word has been released that Poland “risks attack” if they install an American missile defense system within that nation.  What nobody seems to consider, however, is that Poland does not border Russia. That means for Putin and his pussies to attack the Warsaw government they would have to violate several other nations’ – Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, or Ukraine – sovereignty in order to carry out the threat. That is, of course, unless red-coated Moscow decided to attack from the sea (where have I heard that before?).

    Whichever form of attack Putin’s cohorts (or is it concubines?) would have to take to carry out their threat, they would have signaled to the entire planet that national sovereignty means squat when it stands in the way of Vlad’s grandiose ambitions.  The man is simply mad – stark raving, certifiably, ungraciously mad. Lord knows that I would get into serious trouble if I were to utter some crude remark such as Putin deserves nothing better than a bullet between his eyes, so I won’t do so. You are, as they like to say in court, hereby instructed to ignore the previous comment. There are other – if less effective – ways in which to deal with the Power That Be inside the Kremlin.

    First, the world needs to draw a firm line in the sand that basically represents the pre-Russo-Georgian Conflict boundaries of Russia. Any movement of Russian troops beyond these boundaries should be considered nothing short of a severe violation of international peace and tranquility. The Cold War is over, communism is dead, and we allowed the perpetrators of global mayhem to get away with being held responsible for their deeds. It was as if General Ulysses S. Grant came back to life to replay his terms of surrender to the Russian Lee – “take your troops and your guns and go home.” The only thing that we did was to give Russia an opportunity to regroup, to place their team into a “rebuilding” season while Western competition was distracted with the economic orgy that was the Clinton 1990’s.

    I hold within my hands an old 1982 National Geographic map of Poland. At that time on the Western border of Poland rested nineteen Soviet divisions. Towards the south were another five and towards the East were an amazing thirty-four divisions. All were positioned to keep the growing anti-communist Solidarity movement (among others) from transforming the nation into an independent democracy. I served within the Navy during this period. In fact, I even took a U.S. Navy course on studying the Warsaw Pact a year later. I knew the threat then-communist Russia represented, but I also know there are many, many readers out there for whom the height of the Cold War is merely an archaic history lesson best left for those with more time on their hands.  The West has its hands full trying to exterminate radical Islam; God forbid should you have to deal with a nation that maintains the capability of blasting the planet into pebbles.

    It is my opinion that Vladimir Putin is simply Adolf Hitler or Josef Stalin clean-shaved and a bit more cowardly. Both of his predecessors raped and purged the best of sovereign nations under the auspices of protecting their “own kind.” Both also orchestrated their mayhem upon neighboring Poland – forcing that nation to lose tens of thousands of its civic and military leaders in secretive massacres. I couldn’t do anything about the “old country” then, but you can bet your sweet fanny that I’ll do whatever I can to support Poland should Putin’s pussies decide to venture out of their den again.

    Many of my fans reside within Poland; I guess that it goes with the name if nothing else. Every week, I am privileged to find new readers visiting my Website from that beautiful and historic nation in central Europe. I am proud to be so honored by so many Poles. For matters of equality and fairness, I also have many Russian friends and readers who visit nearly as often. I hold no grievances against the Russian people – in my opinion, they simply haven’t beheld democracy long enough to understand that it takes responsibility to vote for leaders. They may simply be suffering from Post-Soviet Stress Syndrome. I forgive them. I won’t forgive their leaders – especially Vladimir Putin.

    I will use whatever resources are at my disposal, whatever talents God has bestowed upon me, whatever life I have remaining within my soul to do whatever I can to protect my friends in Poland. Whether I am considered to be simply an irritant flea or a contagious bacterium makes very little difference – I am unstoppable. My actions and beliefs encompass my very existence. I consume notoriety and swell with pride over attempted ridicule. Not even the radical Islamists have more ‘faith’ than I do concerning my purpose in life.  So for a start, I simply call you too to action.

    Russia must be stopped and stopped quickly before the whole of Europe is aflame. Our political leaders must stand together firmly in support of our allies, both large and small. We must not defeat the Russian people but we must vanquish their hostile government led by prime sinister Vladimir Putin. Call, write, email; whatever it takes to get your elected representative to ignore their pet projects and devote attention to matters of urgent national security. I have made my pact with Warsaw and the Polish people. Are you their friend or just another PUSSE?
 

See "Infidel My Ass An Independent Crusade Against Islam"  (pdf at R.J. Godlewski.com)

Latest on Georgia, Ukraine, Russia

The crazies are really coming out of the woodwork concerning the Georgia - Russia situation.  Some are now accusing Fox News of cutting off a 12 year girl because she said 'thank you' to the Russian troops (video here).  The site is called Revolutionary Politics if that tells you anything.  On to the serious issues:

A Georgian reporter was shot on live TV.  The Sun UK has the video and story:

THIS is the dramatic moment a Georgian TV reporter is shot by a sniper on LIVE television.

News girl Tamara Urushadze suddenly disappears from view in this live report on public television in Georgia. 

After scenes of panic and commotion, Urashadze reappears with her arm bleeding.

Unbelievably she tries to continue her report as colleagues bandage her up.

In the dramatic footage she says that her arm had been grazed by a sniper bullet.

The incident was close to Gori, a city on Georgia’s main east-west highway, the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting.

Randy Echo at Above Top Secret says America needs to grow a set:

 ...  we are looking like complete wimps right now because we have the men, the tools, the reason, and world opinion on our side right now to do it, we pushed the Iraqis out of Kuwait and we could push the Russians out of Georgia, I think now is the time we grow some resolve and get the invaders out of our allied country, sure they need medicine and tents and towels, which we're supplying but what they really need is there big brother to do a little bully removal work, come on America , we need to fight for them as they have fought for us, side by side in Iraq.

Russian troops are still entrenched in Georgia in spite of tough talk from Europe and the US.

Russian forces built ramparts around tanks and posted sentries on a hill in central Georgia on Saturday, digging in despite Western pressure for Moscow to withdraw its forces under a cease-fire deal signed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The United States and France said it appeared Russia was defying the truce already. Russian troops still controlled two Georgian cities and the key east-west highway between them Saturday, cities well outside the breakaway provinces where earlier fighting was focused.

In a slap in the face to Georgians, Russian troops and their armed allies forced Georgian men to clean the streets of South Ossetia's bombed-out capital Saturday.

 Three teams of ethnic Georgian men in their 40s and 50s were seen hauling debris from the streets of Tskhinvali. When approached, one of them confirmed he was being forced to work.

"Labor even turns monkeys into humans," said a Russian officer, who along with armed Ossetians escorted one group of about two dozen Georgians through the streets of the capital.

Not only has Poland  offered assistance but now the Ukraine is offering satellite defense cooperation with Europe and the United States.  "Ukraine inflamed mounting East-West tensions yesterday by offering up a Soviet-built satellite facility as part of the European missile defence system."

The proposal, made amid growing outrage among Russia's neighbours over its military campaign in Georgia, could see Ukraine added to Moscow's nuclear hitlist. A Russian general declared Poland a target for its arsenal after Warsaw signed a deal with Washington to host interceptor missiles for America's anti-nuclear shield.  [snip]

Ukraine said it was ready to give both Europe and America access to its missile warning systems after Russia earlier annulled a 1992 cooperation agreement involving two satellite tracking stations. Previously, the stations were part of Russia's early-warning system for missiles coming from Europe.

"The fact that Ukraine is no longer a party to the 1992 agreement allows it to launch active cooperation with European countries to integrate its information," a statement from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

Report from the Georgian Front
By Ilana Freedman at The Gerard Group

As we continue to follow the war in Georgia, and make no mistake, the war is still on; our exclusive sources on the ground have been filling in some of the gaps. A team went out on reconnaissance last night to assess the damage and came back with stories you won't see on the news. Their trip took them well into the next day, and they returned with much to tell about what they had seen.

The first thing our source told me was that in spite of all the stories of Russians continuing to move throughout Georgia, the team saw few signs of movement. The Russians seem to be staying in place for the moment. But the team met a group of Russian soldiers, with whom they stopped to talk.  The soldiers were angry and bitter because they had clearly outrun their supply chain and were forced to forage for food and clothing.

"This is not right," one said, "The Georgians live like kings, while we are forced to live like beggars."

Another soldier was particularly angry. "I was told we were going on a training mission, but here I am in Georgia, fighting my brothers!" he told our source.

[Editor's comment: These soldiers were duped by their own leaders. They forgot, perhaps, (or maybe he never knew) that Georgia had been a thriving capitalist society for some time (until the Russian Bear descended in all its fury last week), and the fruits of democracy have been reflected in a higher standard of living than he has probably ever seen.

Considering that it was these very soldiers who overran this country with such massive and brutal force, a warm welcome should not have been expected. It seems that the Russian government has left its own soldiers to fend for themselves, most probably in order to create as much chaos and destruction as possible.]

Our source said that along on their way, his group also met a Georgian grandmother, weeping over the deaths of her two grandchildren, 12 and 14 years old. She told them that the children had gone out to fetch water, but were stopped by Russian soldiers who shot and killed them both.

Our source also reported that on Saturday, the Russians set fire to one of Georgia's national forests at the Borjomi Gorge, a scenic canyon located in central Georgia's Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. According to other corroborating reports, the Russians started the fires by dropping incendiary devices from military helicopters. The park is one of Europe's largest, and the springs that produce Georgia's popular mineral water are located there.

Russian military helicopters were reported to have bombed the nearby city of Borjomi and settlement of Tsemi, using the same method.  The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has asked Turkey for assistance to combat the fires, but reported that Russian air patrols refused to allow the firefighters access to the park. The only reason for such actions would be to ensure that as much damage is inflicted on Georgia as possible.

The Russian helicopters were also reported to have destroyed a key railway bridge, a major link between Tbilisi and Georgian port of Poti, which the Russians have also largely destroyed. The destruction of the bridge essentially broke the railway links between the eastern and western parts of the country, and also severed one of the escape routes being used by Georgian refugees fleeing from the Russian-occupied territories to safer places.

Georgia's Interior Ministry has also accused the Russian-backed militia members of seizing thirteen Georgian villages and a power plant. Our source told us that these irregulars are not local, but came through the Roki Tunnel from Russia with the Russian troops. The tunnel runs under the Caucasus Mountains, between Russia and Georgia, and provided the open access that Russia needed to send her forces into Georgia so efficiently.

These irregulars have been accused of ferocious acts of looting and of committing atrocities on the local population wherever they have gone. Their job, it seems, is to run amok in the wake of the Russian troops, do their worst, but give deniability to the official Russian military. All these activities are in violation of a new cease-fire agreement that Russia and Georgia signed on Friday.

While the agreement called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops, the Russians refused to set a date and withdrawal seems unlikely in the foreseeable future. When US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was asked about these reports on Saturday, she responded limply, "The Russians perhaps are already not honoring their word."

While Russia's Vladimir Putin claims that 'only' dozens have been killed in the fighting, some reports from Georgia put the death toll as high as 2,000. Considering the magnitude and ferociousness of the Russian onslaught, the higher number seems far more likely. To put it in perspective for a Western reader, that death toll in a week's time is equivalent to half the American death toll in Iraq over a five year period.

Putin has called Georgia's aggression in South Ossetia as "complete genocide". Putin, a graduate of the KGB, and now de facto ruler of 21st century Russia, is wrong. The damage from Georgia's attack on South Ossetia pales in comparison to the utter devastation of the entire country of Georgia by Putin's army.

[Editor's comment: Why is Russia inflicting so much destruction on Georgia? All that was needed to stop Georgia's attack on South Ossetia was a small response. Yet Russia put the full might of its military into this war and moved its forces from one end of Georgia to the other, on the ground, in the air, and from the sea.

 I have been told that Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who served for over fifteen years in the KGB, never forgets a slight. It has also been reported in the international press that Georgia's president, Mikheil Saakashvili, who is known for his flamboyant and often impulsive rhetoric, once called the Russian "Lilli-Putin", an insult that Putin has placed on file for retribution.

Is this devastating destruction of Saakashvili's country payback for the insult? (I am told that this is altogether possible. In Moscow, Putin has called Saakashvili a lunatic and a pariah, and Putin is known as a dangerous opponent.) Is it part of a larger plan for a greater Russia? Is it a bold statement to the Western world that Russia is now prepared to be a major force in the global arena and will use whatever force is necessary to make its point?

Quite possibly it is all of these and more. No simple answers will suffice in this very public show of force. But force against democratic society requires a forceful response, one which we have not given. Just as Georgians stood beside America in Iraq, we must now stand beside them in this grave hour of their imminent demise. Weak statements of support no longer suffice. They will make us all vulnerable in the face of power-hungry opponents, which Putin has now declared Russia to be.]

All local images are the property of Gerard Group International exclusive sources and are protected by copywrite laws.

© Gerard Group International, Inc. 2008All rights reserved.

 

Russia Continues Demolishing Georgia

The video, news reports and first hand testimony of what is happening in Georgia should be an eye-opener to the West. Georgia, a friend of the United States, is being demolished by Russian military. They are systematically destroying the Georgian military, installations, equipment, navy, ships, and anything else they that gets in their path.

A ceasefire? Please, give me a break. Not only is Russia not ceasing their attacks, they are moving further into Georgia. And even if a cease fire is agreed upon and signed, Russia is demanding on leaving "peace-keeping forces" in Georgia. Does anyone believe that these are peace-keepers? Now another friend of the United States has put herself in the line of fire: "Poland has made itself a nuclear target for Russia’s military by hosting elements of a US anti-missile system, a senior Russian general said as Condoleezza Rice arrived in Georgia to finalize a peace deal." (Peace and Freedom '08)

“By hosting these, Poland is making itself a target. This is 100 percent” certain, Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted General Anatoly Nogovitsyn as saying.

[Fox News reported at 0917 Eastern time in the USA that General Nogovitsyn also said, "This missile defense system in Poland cannot go unpunished."]

“It becomes a target for attack. Such targets are destroyed as a first priority,” Gen Nogovitsy was quoted as saying. Russian Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the General ...

 

Above: Russian Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces

It seems that Russia isn't interested in what Condi Rice, President George W. Bush, or anyone else from the West has to say. It also seems that French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit wasn't as successful as the news reports indicated. President Saakashvili is a brave man and he needs our strong support.

The Oil Drum says "Russia has won in the conflict in Georgia, and we are in the process of sorting out what happens next. Various ones have written what they see happening."

GEORGIA-RUSSIA CONFLICT SHOWS EU'S ENERGY VULNERABILITY

But this week's offensive, during which British Petroleum shut down an oil pipeline and temporarily stopped pumping gas through Georgia, has called into question plans for a Eurasian corridor free from Russian interference.

"The Caspian region is wondering what this means for the future," says Giorgi Vashakmadze, an energy executive in Georgia. "Russia is showing it controls this corridor."

Continue reading the above article at The Oil Drum.

BREAKING NEWS
Events in Georgia Escalate Even as Rice Steps in to Mediate
By Ilana Freedman

This morning Gerard Group received a comprehensive report from its multiple sources on the ground in Georgia. The report has brought into high relief the massive force that Russia has brought against this sovereign nation of Georgia, and the reality that Georgia now stands at the brink of destruction.

The attack last week against Georgia by the Russian military was not a spontaneous response to Georgian activities in South Ossetia. According to our sources on the ground in Tblisi, thousands of Russian tanks have been massing on the Russian border with Georgia since the last days of June. They were simply waiting for an excuse to cross the border, and they were armed for conquest.

Their first attack came by air on Friday, August 8, delivered by two SU-44s, whose first bomb hit a cafeteria in the Vasiani Air Force Base, near Georgia's capital, Tblisi. According to our sources, the base was slated to become a part of the system of US military bases providing support in Central Asia, once Georgia joined NATO.

By Saturday, Russian tanks were pouring into the country and only five days later, President Mikheil Saakashvili reported that Russia currently occupies one-third of his country. He accused the world of standing by and watching the murder of his country on live television.

 Today, Georgian dreams are in disarray. Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti has been destroyed, according to our sources. The city of Gori has also been destroyed, and the destruction has been followed by reports of looting and atrocities by irregular soldiers. Tskhinvali, the capital of the Georgian Province of South Ossetia, has also met with heavy damage. Georgia's newest military base, built to NATO specifications to prepare the country for NATO membership, has been totally destroyed.

Russia is also reported to have dropped cluster bombs in Ossetia. During this past week, there were over 100 jets in the airspace over Georgia, 'matched' against Georgia's meager air force of 7 military planes. For the time being, Tblisi has been spared, although much of the infrastructure around Tblisi has been destroyed. The Russians are currently content to keep their line of tanks about 15 miles outside of Tblisi.

Our source reports that a deal was struck under Russian threat that the capital would be spared if Saakashvili would keep his troops from blowing up the strategic Roki tunnel that runs through the Caucasus Mountain range which marks the border between Russia and Georgia. The Russians are using this tunnel to supply troops and provide ground access to Georgia.

The conflict began ten days ago when Saakashvili sent four brigades of poorly trained troops into South Ossetia on an ill-advised offensive to seize control over the breakaway region, which Georgia claims as part of its territory. Russia was prepared to respond quickly. Their massive over-reaction to Georgia's poor attempt to secure South Ossetia has demonstrated to the world that Russia's dreams of world domination go far beyond the country to its south.

Putin's quest for international power extends beyond political aspirations. Dominance in oil and gas will be greatly enhanced by Russia's occupation of Georgia, which lies in a corridor between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, that commands distribution pipelines from Azerbaijan, which controls vast oil and gas reserves in the Caspian Sea.

It exports these resources to Georgia, Turkey, and Europe through three pipelines - Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan via Georgia to Turkey (which carried 1.2 million barrels of oil to Turkey a day); Baku-Novorossiisk, which links the Azeri capital with the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk; and Baku-Supsa to Georgia. Acquisition of these lines would be a major coup for the Russians.

But as of August 9, two days after the start of the conflict, Azerbaijan halted all of its oil export to Georgia via Baku.

No less important to Putin, is the message that Russian power is now emerging, and that the weakness of the West will have to give way to the dominance of a powerful, new Russia.

The mortifications associated with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 will be redeemed by an emerging Russia as a new global force with which to be reckoned. The Russian Bear is determined to show its claws, and demonstrate to the whole world that the "Paper Tiger" they know as the United States, cannot withstand the power of its military and political forces.

Not insignificantly, there are rumors that Russian Special Forces have been inserted into Georgia with a target hit list. This strategy is not unknown to those who are familiar with Soviet history and have been following Russia's descent from quasi-democratic process and return to the basic principles of Soviet "might over right".

It should surprise no one that only last Monday, August 4, Russia's deputy chief of General Staff Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn assured Georgia that, "We are not planning any offensive." His duplicity is reminiscent of old Soviet policies of disinformation and lies.

Now the world has finally gotten involved. Condoleeza Rice arrived in Tblisi today, for the purpose of, in the words of President Bush, "conferring with President Saakashvili and expressing America's wholehearted support for Georgia's democracy".

She came talking softly and carrying a big stick. But the target of her political thrust was Georgia, not Russia, whose overwhelming military presence in Georgia today continues to pose a monstrous threat to the Georgian people.

Following her arrival, Saakashvili has signed a cease fire, for the second time this week. He signed it under extreme pressure from Rice. The Russians blatantly ignored the first cease fire, and, although Rice has called for total Russian withdrawal, we do not anticipate their cooperation this time either.

America seems determined to replace the big stick with appeasement to every country that raises its voice against us, either directly or indirectly. This has led us to a situation where America is perceived as weak, unable or unwilling to defend its allies. It renders us helpless in the face of agression against our friends and allies.

© Gerard Group International, Inc. 2008 All rights reserved.

From Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs:

The Russian-Georgian War: Implications for the Middle East
Ariel Cohen

* Moscow formulated far-reaching goals when it carefully prepared - over a period of at least two and a half years - for a land invasion of Georgia. These goals included: expelling Georgian troops and effectively terminating Georgian sovereignty in South Ossetia and Abkhazia; bringing down President Mikheil Saakashvili and installing a more pro-Russian leadership in Tbilisi; and preventing Georgia from joining NATO.

* Russia's long-term strategic goals include increasing its control of the Caucasus, especially over strategic energy pipelines. If a pro-Russian regime is established in Georgia, it will bring the strategic Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Erzurum (Turkey) gas pipeline under Moscow's control.

* In recent years, Moscow granted the majority of Abkhazs and South Ossetians Russian citizenship. Use of Russian citizenship to create a "protected" population residing in a neighboring state to undermine its sovereignty is a slippery slope which is now leading to a redrawing of the former Soviet borders.

* Russian continental power is on the rise. Israel should understand it and not provoke Moscow unnecessarily, while defending its own national security interests staunchly. Small states need to treat nuclear armed great powers with respect.

* U.S. intelligence-gathering and analysis on the Russian threat to Georgia failed. So did U.S. military assistance to Georgia, worth around $2 billion over the last 15 years. This is something to remember when looking at recent American intelligence assessments of the Iranian nuclear threat or the unsuccessful training of Palestinian Authority security forces against Hamas. The long-term outcomes of the current Russian-Georgian war will be felt far and wide, from Afghanistan to Iran, and from the Caspian to the Mediterranean. The war is a mid-sized earthquake which indicates that the geopolitical tectonic plates are shifting, and nations in the Middle East, including Israel, need to take notice.

What would Obama do about Russia and Georgia? (Stop the ACLU and Powerline)

How about...disarm the U.S.? Check out this disaster video of Obama's nuclear philosophy.

I will cut investments in unproven missile defense systems… …

I will not weaponize space… …

I will slow development of future combat systems… …and I will institute an independent "Defense Priorities Board" to ensure the quadrennial defense review is not used to justify unnecessary spending… …

I will set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons… …and to seek that goal, I will not develop nuclear weapons… …

I will seek a global ban on the production of fissile material… …and I will negotiate with Russia to take our ICBMs off hair-trigger alert… …and to achieve deep cuts in our nuclear arsenals…

It MATTERS WHO IS IN THE WHITE HOUSE my friends. It matters what the leader of the free world thinks, says and how he acts and how quickly he acts when disaster strikes in the world. A leader doesn't have time to lick his finger, stick it in the air and see which way the wind is blowing. Nor does he have time to take a poll of his campaign supporters to see what they want him to do.

A President of the United States must have moral clarity, he must be knowledgeable of world events, history, current political situation around the world. And he must be able to make decisions. Barack Obama is ,,, NOT. THAT. MAN.

In other news: Al-Qaeda Training Terrorists For New Attacks On The West

Playtime is over...

From John E. Carey at Peace and Freedom '08

Barack Obama: The Vacation Is Over

For Barack Obama, finally and thankfully, the vacation is over.

It is time Senator Obama connects with the American people and earns his place in the arena: and wins our respect, our confidence and our votes.

This cannot be done through high oratory with lofty goals.  We need to know where he stands on the issues: all the issues.  And with the bark off.  No bull.

Today Barack Obama returns from his Hawaiian Holiday.  Time to get to work.
.
When we first heard that Barack Obama was headed off to a Hawaiian holiday in the middle of his campaign to win our hearts and minds (and votes) we didn’t believe it.  Many journalists said he needed a vacation.

We objected.

And so did at least one journalist that we respect and admire.

On the August 10 edition of ABC’s This Week, ABC News political analyst Cokie Roberts criticized Sen. Barack Obama — who was born in Hawaii — for “going off this week to a vacation in Hawaii,” which she said “does not make any sense whatsoever.” Roberts stated: “I know his grandmother lives in Hawaii and I know Hawaii is a state, but it has the look of him going off to some sort of foreign, exotic place.” Roberts continued: “He should be in Myrtle Beach, and, you know, if he’s going to take a vacation at this time.”

I have heard the words “deserve it” or “deserves it” and “entitled’ too many times from important Democrats lately.

When I challenged the notion that Barack Obama go on a summer holiday to Hawaii during the run for the White House, I was deluged with on line comments and email telling me “he deserves it” and he was “entitled.”

When the Democrat Party and, presumably, Barack Obama himself agreed to allow a roll call vote on Hillary Clinton’s candidacy during the Democrat convention, delegates and ’spokespeople’ rushed to the microphones to say, “She deserves it.”

Well…. I object.

Nobody in America or anywhere else in life, it seems to me, deserves anything.

Especially in America, I was always instructed and I certainly believe, people earn what they get.

As for Hillary’s convention poll, who cares?  She lost.  She didn’t “win” over enough delegates.  Get over it.  She doesn’t “deserve” anything. Except another shot next time if she earns it.

For Mr. Obama’s vacation, I find it in bad taste and a way of escaping from earning the White House by spending time with the people he supposes to lead: American voters. He wants to lead all the American people but his biggest crowd so far has been in Germany and the most time he has spent in any state in over a year was spent in Hawaii.  Sleeping, playing golf and sucking down Slurpys.

Since Mr. Obama defeated Hillary Clinton to win the Democrat primary season, he has done two memorable things: he went on a world whirlwind tour (bypassing the opportunity to visit war wounded U.S. troops in Germany, volunteers all) and he has gone on vacation in Hawaii.
 
Mr. Obama in Hawaii

Well, I wish I could take my wife to Hawaii for a holiday but we don’t have the money.  And if we did have the money we’d have to close two businesses and deprive ourselves of the income they produce to go on a vacation.  Meanwhile the meter that keeps track of all our business expenses (rent, internet fees, telephone, electricity, etc) will keep on ticking and adding up new expenses.

And then there are taxes.  If Mr. Obama adds to our tax burden my wife and all the people she hired will lose their jobs.  One lady in her business already had a stroke and didn’t want me to call 911 because, she said, as she could have been taking her last breath, “No money.”

We are in economic hard times and the guy many people want to see as their president is on holiday — not listening to our economic woes and not providing leadership and not earning our votes.

He even turned down John McCain’s invitation to get close to the American people in the “Town Hall” format debate.  We thought he agreed to that previously, or is this one of those democratic “I was for it before I was against it” deals?

And when Russia invaded South Ossetia and then plunged into Georgia proper, pillaging, looting and killing as they went in, John McCain made some tough statements and even phoned the President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili. 
 
Above: Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili 

Mr. Saakashvilli even mentioned Mr. McCain as he discussed the situation with the media.Mr. Obama was on vacation.         

Yup.  The man that wants us to trust him on foreign policy matters, the man who said he’d meet with Iran’s President ”Wipe Israel Off The Map” Ahmadinejad, Barack Obama, was on holiday.

Above: Senator Obama at play.

George W. Bush decided to give up golf after 9-11.  He said he though it was unbecoming and in bad taste to play golf while Americans were fighting and dying in combat.

Mr. Obama doesn’t care about that and he even doesn’t care about the voters who want to get to know him better.

He is in Hawaii playing golf during the campaign: a time set aside for the candidate to get to know us and a time we need to get to know the candidate.

We, the American people, deserve better.

By John E. Carey
Peace and Freedom
http://johnibiii.wordpress.com/

Please visit Peace and Freedom '08 for more articles by John E. Carey

Pounding Putin - America's Survival Guide to Cold War Redux

POUNDING PUTIN

America’s Survival Guide to Cold War Redux

By R.J. Godlewski

©August 14, 2008, All Rights Reserved

There are few absolutes within our world. However, unlike most people who probably work for NBC News, for example, I view Russia’s diabolical invasion of neighboring Georgia as an absolute outrage. Emperor pro tem Vladimir “Vlad the Appaller” Putin and his cronies have orchestrated his career and the future of his nation for selfish, tyrannical, and totalitarian aims. I would argue that the whole “collapse of the Soviet block” episode of the early 1990’s was nothing more than a belligerent nation stalling for more time in which to replenish the Kremlin’s coffers before they called due on their ‘loan’ of freedom to their outlying colonies.

If there were any visual argument left for the United States to repeal Executive Order #12333 banning assassination as a means to achieve foreign policy, it would have to be Duelin’ Putin himself. The man is, has been, and will always be a vile enemy of the United States and democracy-loving citizens everywhere. Therefore, as an honest citizen whose free speech is guaranteed by the United States Constitution, I will not hold back on my desire to witness an early demise of Mr. Putin and his global deadbeat pals (including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez just to name a few…). I personally view them as I would a child rapist…Annie, where’s my gun???

Only the fact that Mr. Putin’s Russia has never been an ally of America prevents me from joining the bandwagon of naysayer ‘theorists’ who espouse the idea of a new Cold War. Like the Korean Conflict which began in 1950, the Cold War has never successfully been extinguished. We’ve merely had a brief truce while such luminaries as “Boris the Guzzler” Yeltsin charmed the West into believing that the Bear had become nothing more than a Buffoon. Today we realize that the gloves are still off.

Still, this ain’t your grandfather’s (or my) Cold War. Global economics and 21st Century technology ensure us of this. Furthermore, the United States maintains its highest ever budget deficit in relation to the needs of the Global War on Terror and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. All is not lost, however, and we – the United States and whichever allies are bold enough to make a stand for the little guy – can soundly defeat the Putin forces in Russia. We can do much through the following:

• Although the United States’ deficit is at records levels, we can accomplish much by totally eliminating bogus entitlements and expenses. U.S. income taxes should be used solely for national interests – namely national security. Let states figure out how to pay for “bridges to nowhere” and other social welfare programs. People who live in one state should not have to support the luxuries of another and vice versa. I’m certain that we could beef and equip our militaries simply by tightening our purse strings for things unnecessary to the national security of the United States. After all, the citizens of this great nation endure such sacrifices during the Second World War and that peace ushered in a prosperous and relatively beneficial period.

• More so than the period following the conclusion of the Second World War, what the future offers is a decidedly “special ops” field of battle. Therefore, we need to concentrate less on “fighting generals” and “battalions of tanks” and focus on getting recon patrols and Special Forces personnel into key regions which will stump the Russian Army. Every nation that was a former satellite of the Soviet Union represents a vast reservoir of trainees and operatives which need to be utilized by the United States. Putin’s government may feel comfortable scrutinizing our carrier movements and troop logistics, but if we have squads deployed everywhere, they can instantaneously call in air support with laser- and GPS-guided munitions. You don’t need to wrestle someone down to the ground if you kick them in the nuts.

• From Poland to Ukraine, the U.S. needs to build a missile defense net that has the capability of shooting down anything that flies over indigenous airspace. Equally important, we need to maintain 24/7 airborne surveillance aircraft (manned or otherwise) that can follow the movements of all vehicles coming even close to the borders of our allied nations. Adding such a system in Far East Asia will box in Putin’s regime and signal that whatever they undertake, we’ll possess the ability to snuff it out well before they even begin reading travel brochures.

• Let Israel handle Iran. Putin is Tehran’s number one ally – as evidenced by their invasion of Georgia. Moscow wants to possess complete control over the pipelines running from the Middle East. If accomplished, this gives Russia the ability to withstand attacks in the Persian Gulf. In Contrast, the United States/Europe is highly susceptible to any closing of the maritime crude routes. By allowing Israel a freehand in dealing with Iran, the U.S. can concentrate on Moscow and both actions support one another well.

• We need to accelerate membership of Georgia and Ukraine into NATO. Putin’s actions should show reluctant Europe that he cannot be trusted. His ‘elevation’ to prime minister parallels that of Hitler’s rising to chancellor prior to his dispatch of the pre-Nazi German government. We need to learn from history before Putin emulates Stalin’s purging of challengers from the Kremlin.

• The U.S. Navy is the most powerful in the world – bar none. We can isolate Russia’s maritime routes with ease. Certain products cannot be shipped by air or land and Russia has only a few open water ports during the warmer months. We can isolate that country and their decrepit naval forces would not be able to challenge our blockade.

• We need to turn the CIA loose on both Cuba and Venezuela. Effective democracies in those two nations will eliminate Russian influence in the Western Hemisphere. Neither administration would be difficult to topple and freeing of Venezuela’s commercial petroleum industry would distance our reliance upon Russia’s Middle Eastern allies.

• We need to place our strategic nuclear forces back on alert a la the old Strategic Air Command days. We don’t need ‘waves’ of B-52s as we did during the 1950’s/1960’s but enough aircraft airborne at any given moment would provide the Kremlin with something to think about.

• We need to fully modernize our nuclear weapons programs, particularly those involving miniature tactical weapons. High-flying strategic bombers are easy to locate and land-based missiles don’t readily travel around. Small, elite tactical squads (anyone see Starship Troopers lately?) equipped with small nuclear weapons is nearly as scary as terrorists toting such devices and would provide any tyrant with a healthy dose of reality.

• Issue a ‘blanket warning’ to any and all ‘friends’ of Moscow telling the world that no matter who attacks us (Russia, terrorist, etc.), there’ll be hell to pay for all. And, might I add, back this statement up with a Reaganesque show of audacity (Remember 1983?).

• Eliminate the U.S. military from responsibility for ‘occupations.’ Western commercial enterprise is much better adapted to installing security and developing infrastructures. Our forces need to strike hard, strike quickly, and return home before there’s a chance for the enemy to regroup and counterattack. As long as our forces are moving, there can be no fixed target to attack.

Many consider me to be rather hawkish. I do not desire war upon anyone, especially our brave men and women within the military. However, I deeply love this great nation of ours and I respect our friends and allies in the recently freed portions of Eastern Europe. After all, my entire family hails from Eastern Europe and I would be a hypocrite if I did not consider their welfare. Having said all of that, I feel that there’s only one way to deal with opportunistic tyrants – hang ‘em by the balls until their brethren run away in fear. Sadly, this approach might not work with Vladimir Putin – anyone who bullies a small, peaceful, democratic nation has no balls with which to hang… Владимир Путин - евнух и угроза миру во всем мире.

________________________________________________________________________

Trackposted to Blog @ MoreWhat.com, The Virtuous Republic, Perri Nelson's Website, Rosemary's Thoughts, Shadowscope, , Cao's Blog, , Democrat=Socialist, Conservative Cat, Pet's Garden Blog, third world county, Allie is Wired, Political Byline, DragonLady's World, Walls of the City, , The Pink Flamingo, , , Dumb Ox Daily News, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

The Consequences of Russian Aggression in Georgia

Thanks to the Gerard Group

The Consequences of Russian Aggression in Georgia

By Gerard Group Staff Russia's use of brute force to blast into Georgia over the last week is more than just another local skirmish on the other side of the world; it threatens to shift the balance of global power, and that has unquestionably been Putin's underlying goal for a long time. Georgia is a small former Soviet republic on the Black Sea, with a strongly pro-western government and ambitions to join NATO. The country has also been one of America's strongest allies in Iraq. Last year, the Georgians showed their support for American efforts in Iraq by raising the number of their troops there from 850 to 2,000, at a time when most non-American contingents were removing their forces. This move underscored Georgia's commitment to the US and strengthened the alliance between the two countries. To see Russia's attack on Georgia as a local skirmish between two bordering states, misses the point entirely. This assault was a bold statement by Russia that went far beyond the borders of Georgia and Ossetia. It was a sharp challenge to the United States to demonstrate that America is a "Paper Tiger" that will be unable to take a stand in the face of Russian military might.  In the beginning, when the force of that military swooped down on Georgia and South Ossetio last week, it almost looked like they were right. Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili immediately looked to the US for support, and expressed deep disappointment when American help did not appear to be forthcoming. After a slow start, however, President George W. Bush rose to the occasion this morning and said,  "I've just met with my national security team to discuss the crisis in Georgia. I've spoken with President Saakashvili of Georgia, and President Sarkozy of France this morning. The United States strongly supports France's efforts, as President of the European Union, to broker an agreement that will end this conflict. ...The United States of America stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia. We insist that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected. " To back up his words, the President announced, "A U.S. C-17 aircraft with humanitarian supplies is on its way. And in the days ahead we will use U.S. aircraft, as well as naval forces, to deliver humanitarian and medical supplies. "We expect Russia to honor its commitment to let in all forms of humanitarian assistance. We expect Russia to ensure that all lines of communication and transport, including seaports, airports, roads, and airspace, remain open for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and for civilian transit. We expect Russia to meet its commitment to cease all military activities in Georgia. And we expect all Russian forces that entered Georgia in recent days to withdraw from that country." There is no way to over-estimate the extent of Putin's hubris. Promises to cease and desist military operations in Georgia and Ossetia are arrogantly broken as Russian soldiers continue to pour into Georgia. When asked about their continuing incursions, Putin claims that his forces are there to "demilitarize the region". Meanwhile, the slaughter and looting by Russian troops and irregular forces in South Ossetia has increased. The firmness of President Bush's words must now be backed up by strong action. America can no more stand by in the face of Russian aggression than it can against the terrorist threat. In both cases, only strong actions will have influence with those who respect only the strength of force. Russia must leave Georgia, and refrain from repeating this adventure with the other breakaway republics from the former Soviet Union, which are now free nations.   Events are moving very fast. Tomorrow's news will cast new shadows and alter our perception of what is happening. But one thing is absolutely clear:  Putin's show of force must not be allowed to go unchecked. And his dream of a greater Russia, modeled on the old Soviet Union, must be stopped before it starts.

Georgia, You're On My Mind...

Georgia, you’re on my mind…

By R.J. Godlewski

©August 11, 2008, All Rights Reserved

I don’t have anything personal against the Russian people. Many of my friends are Russian and a great deal of my professional associates are Russian as well. I, myself, may even have Russian blood flowing throughout my veins. Technically speaking,  my paternal grandparents were born within Russian territory (in what is now modern-day Poland). However, despite this strong affinity with the Russian people, I cannot accept their historical inability to choose reputable leaders. Therefore, this message is partially based upon my love of the Russian people and partially upon my hatred of their leaders. Fair and balanced, as they say…

My grandmother grew up in contemporary Russia and used to tell me about the horrors of living underneath an occupying power. How they used to treat their ‘subjects’ with absolute brutality and contempt. Even education was denied to the proud people who once soundly defeated these very same aggressors in ages past. That was before the communists came and ushered in a whole new pantheon of despicable characters. Many nations fell under their evil plans, nations in which I have many fans and loyal readers. Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, and tiny Georgia.

My heart aches for that tiny and independent nation that’s currently struggling in a major war with its behemoth neighbor towards the north. One has to ask, what did Georgia do to deserve Russian’s invasion? Did they, like Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, embark upon an uncontrolled quest for weapons of mass destruction or publicly promote the assassination of a former American President? Did they embark upon a national will to exterminate an entire ethnic class of global citizens? I’ve scrutinized my entire data bank of sources and all that I’ve come up with is that Georgia simply wanted to be free and a friend of the West. For that egregious infraction, their former overlords have decided that termination of their existence was justified.

Like the Poland of my ancestry; the brave and proud Georgians are not giving up without a fight. I wish that I could aid them. Truly, I do. If I wanted to, I could make life a living hell for the Russian government and their cronies led by the likes of acting emperor, er, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Sadly, the world has not come to the defense of tiny Georgia but of Monstrous Moscow. The United Nations is trying to come to gripes with its own asinine heritage knowing full well that permanent member of the Security Council Russia can defeat any “unified” opposition with a simple Nyet.

The global media – only slightly less impotent than the United Nations – is distracted by the twin revelations of Beijing’s Olympic Games and John Edwards’ admission that he lied all through his presidential campaign. Imagine that; the world will do battle on the sands of the beach volley ball court and a politician was less than truthful on the campaign trail. In other words, the West will do whatever it takes to win at anything that doesn’t involve defeating tyrants. In that case, they will simply capitulate at the drop of a hat.

The French haven’t won a war since World War I and only then because the Americans and British came to their aid. The Germans haven’t won a war since the nineteenth century and only then because they fought the French. The British did marginally better – they knew they didn’t stand a chance without America’s help. As for the United Nations as a whole – well, let’s just say that their only war, the one in Korea, still isn’t officially settled as of yet. And what of my beloved United States? We kicked ass in World War II and then immediately lost interest in all things military. As recently as the 1980’s our military and political leaders were pushing for a new era of “battleship warfare” when the rest of the world was rapidly descending into “special operations mode.”

Despite this track record of global chaos, one group of people did manage to shatter the expectations of the terminally complacent: the former nations of the Soviet Union. From the Baltic to the Black Sea and within every nation surrounding Mother Russia, the proud and patriotic citizens of these former colonies had uttered a resounding “Трахните себя, жопы!” to the Kremlin [My Russian is a bit rusty, but if you don’t know what I meant to say – you don’t want to know what I meant to say. ;o) ].

Like I said, I truly wish that I could offer my services to tiny Georgia in its current battle against the sabotaged democracy of Greater Russia. Vladimir Putin and his ex—KGB henchmen certainly desire to show the world that they are still in charge; that communism hadn’t been defeated – it just changed cloaks for an as-yet-to-be-named ism. Although U.S. Neutrality laws were decidedly silent during the glory days of the Flying Tigers, Eagle Squadron, and American volunteerism in Nicaragua, and that former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy stated clearly regarding these laws:

“Clearly, they were not designed for the kind of situation which exists in the world today…Nor is an individual prohibited from departing from the United States, with others of like belief, to join still others in a second country for an expedition against a third country. There is nothing criminal in an individual leaving the United States with the intent of joining an insurgent group. There is nothing criminal in his urging others to do so.”

Of course Mr. Kennedy didn’t have the audacity of either a Ms. Pelosi or a Mr. Reid and I’m almost positive the latter two pions would have exception to my aiding democratic allies around the world. Their crime is that they wish to extract our problems at the expense of those actually fighting for their lives. Our Legislature is ill-equipped to deal with tyrants, rogues, or even garden variety criminals. Hell, they can’t even accomplish their jobs without worrying about running off on vacation. In fact, their pre-ordained minister of global respect is now vacationing in my old stomping grounds of Hawaii while our ally is being devoured by an enemy. That’s leadership for you.

For equality and fairness, I also accept my share of blame. I might just as easily say “To hell with Pelosi and Reid! I’m coming, my good friend Georgia!” I could very easily do what I’ve been longing to do for months now – show to the world that my efforts aren’t “pseudo” shit; that I have enough contacts around the planet to put into motion a plan to deal with the aggression of Russia. Their economy is fragile; their military (outside of Spetsnaz) is weak; and their popular support transitory. All of this suggests that the time for action is ripe.

Yet, if I did do anything, the world would probably never know. My pride is that just as someone believes that they have me figured out, I can do something quite unexpected. If I cannot be defined; I cannot be predicted – unlike the tyrants and rogues. One never knows what action I’ll undertake or what effort I’ll be involved in. No way, no how. But that’s not the purpose of this article.

I merely offer a challenge to the world: do what you can to aid small nations like Georgia. You had been pathetically quiet on such matters as Iraq and Iran. Now, it’s literally your neighbors (Europe, I speaking to you!) who are suffering at the hands of your incompetence. If you don’t do something to punish opportunistic aggressors like Vladimir Putin then you may discover that ultimately it will boil down to individuals like me to carry the torch for democracy around the planet. I wouldn’t take prisoners…

Лидеры Кремля - боятся теней, скрывающихся по вашему плечу. Это - я, правосудие.