Rally in front of Russian Embassy in Minsk disbanded by policemen with machine guns (Photo, video)16:20

Activists of the Young Front organization tried to hold the rally in support of Georgia in front of the Russian Embassy in Minsk.

15 activists of the organisation gathered near the Embassy with slogans: “Stop aggression”, “Russia-Georgia: war with peacekeeping intent?”, “One sixth part of land – is it not enough?”

As the great powers seek energy security, Turkmenistan is at the center of a number of pipeline proposals.

After years of isolation, Turkmenistan has been host to hundreds of official delegations from the world’s great powers, as Europe, Russia, China, and India pursue energy security with an eye toward the country's gas deposits. President Berdymukhamedov has forsaken at least some of his predecessor’s inward focus, in favor of a “multi-vector” natural resource strategy. The strategy relies on multiple hydrocarbon export routes, and the various gas importers each have a route in mind.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Turkmenistan-map.png">

It is believed that a small human population of at most a few thousand may have survived the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Glacial_Maximum - last ice age in Beringia, isolated from its ancestor populations in Asia for at least 5,000 years, before expanding to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Models_of_migration_to_the_New_World - populate the Americas sometime after 16,500 years ago, as the American glaciers blocking the way southward melted.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/BeringBridge.jpg">

  http://unomig.org/media/headlines/?id=11211&y=2008&m=8&d=19 - http://unomig.org/media/headlines/?id=11211&y=2008&m=8&d=19

GEO FOREIGN MINISTRY COMMENTS ON RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia made a statement on 18 August on recent developments in the country. "As it was indicated in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia dated 13 August 2008,

THESE NEWS ITEMS
DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OR POSITION OF THE UN

Published on Tiraspol Times & Weekly Review ( http://www.tiraspoltimes.com/ - http://www.TiraspolTimes.com )

Sukhumi, the capital of the 'de facto' independent country Abkhazia on the Black Sea coast (file photo)

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Source URL:
http://www.tiraspoltimes.com/photos/sukhumi_the_capital_of_the_de_facto_independent_country_abkhazia_on_the_black_sea_coast_file_photo.html - http://www.TiraspolTimes.com/photos/sukhumi_the_capital_of_the_de_facto_independent_country_abkhazia_on_the_black_sea_coast_file_photo.html

The conflict between Georgia and Abkhazia following the disintegration of the Soviet Union was characterized by both sides’ use of landmines.  Between 1992 and 1993, both forces laid tens of thousands of mines.  12 new landmine casualties were reported in 2002, but this data is believed to be an underestimate.  Lack of resources impedes the proper functioning of health care facilities, creating a compelling need for support in survivor assistance operations.

Survivor Assistance Partner

ABK-SA-AIS01

The Association of Inva (AIS), through "Project Vika" is providing physical and psychological rehabilitation for landmine survivors and other disabled people in Abkhazia, formerly part of the Soviet Union.   Abkhazia’s limited capacity to provide rehabilitative services, coupled with its population of over 700 amputees, creates a need for this type of project.  "Project  Vika" is providing services to disabled people with the greatest need.  The program is supplying clients with mobility devices and access to a prosthetic clinic as well as employment training classes at their computer center. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Ukraine.svg">

Read here-

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Trutovskyi_U_kolodiazia.jpg">

Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine

In view of the mortal danger surrounding Ukraine in connection with the state coup in the USSR on August 19, 1991,

Continuing the thousand-year tradition of state development in Ukraine,

Proceeding from the right of a nation to self-determination in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other international legal documents, and

Implementing the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic solemnly declares

Independence of Ukraine and creation of the independent Ukrainian state - UKRAINE.

The territory of Ukraine is indivisible and inviolable.

From this day forward, the Constitution and laws of Ukraine only are valid on the territory of Ukraine.

This act comes into force upon its approval.

VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE
August 24, 1991

source-

http://gska2.rada.gov.ua:7777/site/postanova_eng/Rres_Declaration_Independence_rev12.htm - http://gska2.rada.gov.ua:7777/site/postanova_eng/Rres_Declaration_Independence_rev12.htm

 

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Sunday, August 24, 2008

Ukraine Vows To Speed Up Bid To Join NATO

 

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has called for stronger efforts to join NATO, saying Ukraine shares Georgia's "pain" in its conflict with Russia.

 

 

source-http://blog.kievukraine.info/

 

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flag_of_Ukraine.svg">

Said Tsarnayev stumbled into a war.

A Chechen freelance photographer with the Reuters news agency, Tsarnayev arrived in the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, during the day on August 7. Traveling together with a colleague, Tsarnayev said he planned to take photographs of the environment and natural surroundings in the area for a project he was working on.

Once in Tskhinvali, he discovered a virtual army of Russian journalists at his hotel.

Speaking to RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service, Tsarnayev, a resident of the Chechen capital, Grozny, said the Moscow-based reporters had been sent from various Russian media outlets days earlier, and were preparing to cover something big.

"At the hotel we discovered that there were already 48 Russian journalists there. Together with us, there were 50 people," Tsarnayev said. "I was the only one representing a foreign news agency. The rest were from Russian media and they arrived three days before we did, as if they knew that something was going to happen. Earlier at the border crossing, we met one man who was taking his wife and children from Tskhinvali."

Late that night, armed conflict broke out between Russia and Georgia.

'No Relationship To Reality'

Tsarnayev's account could not be independently confirmed. But it is consistent with mounting indications that Russia had been planning an attack on Georgia in advance, and was just waiting for a pretext to carry it out.

Russia's state-controlled media seemed extremely well-prepared to cover the outbreak of armed conflict in Georgia. Television networks immediately presented elaborate graphics with news anchors and commentators appearing to stick to disciplined talking points accusing Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili of aggression, and the Georgian armed forces of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

The country's best English-speaking officials were made readily available to Western media, where they relentlessly pushed Moscow's line on the conflict: Russia was simply protecting its citizens and peacekeepers in South Ossetia from atrocities at the hands of Georgia's military.

In an interview with RFE/RL in the early days of the conflict, Steven Pifer, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who is now a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, said Moscow's rhetoric and media narrative suggests they were preparing a large-scale operation.

"The rhetoric that is coming out of Moscow, ethnic cleansing and genocide, is just way over the top," Pifer said. "It's almost approaching the point where there is just no relationship to reality. But again, certainly the rhetoric is appropriate to a larger operation against Georgia to just stop and reverse whatever military gains the Georgians made in South Ossetia on [August 7]."

The apparently well-prepared media narrative is only part of the picture.

On August 3, authorities in Georgia's Moscow-backed separatist province of South Ossetia began evacuating hundreds of children to Russia. At the time, Georgian officials said the move could be a signal that separatist authorities, and their patrons in Russia, were preparing an offensive.

South Ossetian authorities said at the time that the evacuations were a precaution in case Georgia attempted to retake the province by force -- something Moscow and Tskhinvali had been accusing Tbilisi of plotting to do.

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow on August 21, the deputy head of Russia's General Staff, Colonel General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, reiterated Moscow's claims that the Georgian side was preparing to use force.

"We have complaints against the OSCE regarding the initial stage of the conflict -- they were informed by the Georgian side that there would be an invasion, but they didn't warn the Russian peacekeepers," Nogovitsyn said.

In remarks reported by "The Washington Post," Georgian Defense Minister Davit Kezerashvili said he gave the order for Georgian forces to "go out from their bases" at 6 p.m. local time on August 7, just one hour before Saakashvili announced a unilateral cease-fire.

Months In The Works

Kezerashvili said the Georgian troop movement was designed to deter South Ossetian separatists, who were firing across the de facto border into Georgian-controlled villages.

But observers say the march toward war on Moscow's side began months earlier.

In fact, hostilities began escalating soon after NATO delayed granting Membership Action Plans -- a key phase before full membership -- to Georgia and Ukraine at its summit in early April.

Less than two weeks later, Vladimir Putin, who was in the last month of his presidency, signed a decree authorizing direct relations with and assistance for Georgia's two pro-Moscow separatist provinces, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Later in April, Russia deployed 1,500 additional troops, some of them heavily armed, to its "peacekeeping" contingent in Abkhazia without Georgia's consent  -- an express violation of the 1994 cease-fire agreement.

Russia also began shooting down Georgia's unmanned drone aircraft that were conducting reconnaissance over Abkhazia. Russian military aircraft also began regularly violating Georgian airspace near the separatist territory.

In June, Russia deployed unarmed troops to Abkhazia to rebuild a rail link between Sukhumi and Ochamchira. At the time, Moscow presented the move as a humanitarian gesture to improve Abkhazia's transportation infrastructure. But U.S. and Georgian officials later pointed out that the railway was used to transport military equipment and munitions into Georgia during the conflict.

Then, with everybody watching Abkhazia, the focus abruptly shifted to South Ossetia.

In July, Russia's armed forces began massive military training exercises in the North Caucasus involving 8,000 servicemen and 700 pieces of military hardware. Russia's 58th Army, which would later spearhead the incursion into Georgia on August 8, was the key unit in those maneuvers.

The 58th Army remained in the North Caucasus after the exercises. Shortly thereafter, Georgian and South Ossetian separatist forces began exchanging artillery, mortar, and sniper fire across the de facto border. Georgian officials accuse the separatists of instigating the exchanges, but South Ossetian authorities deny the allegation.

Pifer said is appears that Russia laid a well-prepared trap for the Georgians, and Tbilisi took the bait.

"The Georgian leadership made a mistake on [August 7]. They should have understood from what they have seen from the Russians that the Russians were looking for a pretext. They [the Georgians] gave them that pretext when they decided to go in a fairly large way into South Ossetia," Pifer said. "The speed of the Russian response suggests that the Russians were ready, they were just waiting for the reason and they took that as the reason."

Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The SCO was formed in 2001, It's membership includes, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The SCO accepted Mongolia as observer to the organization in 04. SCO offered observer status to Pakistan, Iran and India in 05.

News from Russia on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
.....................................................................................................................

(The)Dushanbe summit concluded the work of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In the final declaration of SCO Member States expressed concern about the heated conflict over South Ossetia and called on the parties to solve the problem through peaceful dialogue. Continents, without the recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, they still stood on the side of Russia.

Source
http://www.rg.ru/gazeta/svezh.html - http://www.rg.ru/gazeta/svezh.html
translation by Google

Monday, September 1, 2008

Source: Reuters
 

TBILISI, Aug 9 (Reuters) -

Russian fighter jets targeted the the major Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline which carries oil to the West from Asia but missed,

Pipeline capacities are more than 100 percent overbooked by potential shippers on a non binding basis

• In preparation of the Open Season Process the Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH undertook an actual market survey amongst potential shippers on a non binding basis last month.
• Nabucco capacities are more than 100 Percent overbooked by potential shippers from day one in 2013 on a long term basis.
• Strong request for transport of natural gas from various gas sources in Central Asia and Middle Eeast.
• Open Season Process will start, when the legal framework - Exemption Process and Intergovermnental Agreement - is finally established.

August 18th, 2008: Reinhard Mitschek, Managing Director of Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH stated: "This result is a strong positive signal from the European gas market and potential shippers to Nabucco. More than 100 Percent overbooking from day one in 2013 shows huge demand for the provided Nabucco capacities on a strong growing gas market."
The current market sounding last month addressed potential shippers to deliver their interests in Nabucco capacities on a non binding basis. So far Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH has already signed various Letters of Interests with potential shippers. The result of the recent market survey underlines this interest.
"The Open Season Process itself will start after the legal framework for Nabucco - Exemption Process and Intergovernmental Agreement - is finally established. This is an important prerequisition for the project", said Mitschek.
Pioneer project for securing Europe's gas supply

The Nabucco project is one of Europe´s most important energy infrastructure projects to strengthen Europe's security of supply for natural gas, as it contributes substantially to diversifying existing supply routes. The 3,300 km long pipeline connects the large gas deposits in the Caspian region, the Middle East and Egypt with Europe. The investment costs will amount to approximately EUR 7.9 bn. When completed, the pipeline's annual capacity will be 31 bcm. Shareholders nowadays are OMV, MOL, Transgaz, Bulgargaz Holding, BOTAS and RWE.

TBILISI (Reuters) - Russia agreed on Monday to completely withdraw its troops from Georgia's heartland within a month, but there was no commitment to scale back its military presence in two Georgian separatist regions.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080908/wl_nm/georgia_ossetia_dc

Russia recently sold 24 advanced multi-role Su-30MK2 fighter planes to Venezuela, similar to those acquired by India, as well as
dozens of helicopters, and other weapons. Washington bitterly protested the deals.

I wonder, Could we fit all that on the Mount Whitney?

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Russia plans 7,600 force in Georgia rebel regions

Meanwhile, the U.S. has provided Georgia with a billion dollars of economic and military aid. This includes NATO sending technicians and equipment to link Georgia's air defense radars with the NATO system. That means anything the Russian Air Force does over Georgia, will immediately show up in NATO air defense command centers.

 Please read entire interview here-

http://www.cfr.org/publication/17093/hunter.html?breadcrumb=%2Fpublication%2Fpublication_list%3Ftype%3Dinterview - http://www.cfr.org/publication/17093/hunter.html?breadcrumb=%2Fpublication%2Fpublication_list%3Ftype%3Dinterview

Hunter: Russia is Long Run 'Loser' in Georgia Conflict

September 3, 2008

Igor Ivanovich Sechin

........................................... 

...born September 7, 1960, Leningrad, Soviet Union) is a Russian politician and businessman, who is considered a close ally of Vladimir Putin.

...Igor Sechin graduated from Leningrad State University in 1984 as a linguist fluent in Portuguese and French languages. In the 1980s Igor Sechin worked in Mozambique and in Angola, officially as an interpreter with Soviet trade and diplomatic missions there. According to a number of allegations he was a KGB resident in these African countries. [1]

...Between December 31, 1999 and May 2008 he was Deputy Chief of Putin's administration.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Sechin - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Sechin

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Sechin calls for stronger Russia-Opec ties

News wires

Russian troops leave west, but remain in Georgia

Syrian commandos invade seven N. Lebanese villages outside Tripoli

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

September 13, 2008, 10:21 PM (GMT+02:00)

The Israeli Government prescribe businessmen to cease military trade with Georgia

rg.ru from September 10, 2008

 The Israeli Government has decided to renounce all military contacts with Georgia.

Израильское правительство приняло решение отказаться от любых военных контактов с Грузией.

Read here-
http://www.rg.ru/2008/09/12/prava.html - http://www.rg.ru/2008/09/12/prava.html

Georgia: Civilians Killed by Russian Cluster Bomb Duds

Read article, video here-
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/08/20/georgi19660.htm#nolink - http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/08/20/georgi19660.htm#nolink

Ukraine Prez: Russia Wants To Destabilize Ukraine

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Northwest_passage.jpg">

en.wikipedia.com

RESOLUTE BAY, Nunavut - It's one of the most celebrated and mythic areas on the Arctic map, but in the parlance of the Canadian military the Northwest Passage is no more.

"We're calling it the Canadian Internal Waters now," says Lt.-Col. Drew Artus, the chief of staff for Joint Task Force North, whose mandate includes protecting Canadian sovereignty over the vast area north of the 60th parallel.

Russia defines its slice of Arctic

Medvedev said the country needs "a firm normative-legal base regulating Russia's activity in the Arctic"

Read article here-

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Arctic_Ocean.png">

March 20, 2008

Ben Saunders: share his 30-day journey to the North Pole

http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2008/03/ben-saunders-sh.html

N.Korea back on nuclear track

A Korean Foreign Ministry official, Hyun Hak Bong, told reporters the country is now undertaking "thorough preparations" to restart the nuclear plant, reports the Associated Press news agency.

Russia says it does not want new Iron Curtain

Ukraine Between The West And The East

Russia jilts six-power sanctions front against Iran's nuclear defiance

DEBKAfile Special Report

September 24, 2008, 12:00 AM (GMT+02:00)

Moscow's actions spoke louder than the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's anti-Semitic, anti-American rantings at the UN General Assembly Tuesday, Sept. 23  despite the applause he won in the chamber.