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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia | |
| Russosphere rising | |
| 2008-08-14 | |
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| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #7 Forgot to add. Decrease Eastern Europe's dependence on Russian energy by offering to help finance or trade the building of several dozen nuclear power plants. From where I have seen them locate power plants, even the 2-3gW of waste heat per reactor would be used for heating and cooling their cities. Every BTU is one they won't have to buy from the Russians. It will be a much more effective and cheaper way to add to democratic nations' security than trying to reform muslim tribes. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-08-14 10:47 |
| #6 Georgia took the brunt of Putin's animosity, but let not minmize the fact that by design Bush, and by extension America, lost big time face. Wonder what lies Putin told Bush in the Olympic stadium huddle where Bush is seen hugging Putin, and why would the leader of the USA believe a word of anything said by a KGB man. While Putin was seen commanding troops from North Ossetia, Bush on the otherhand was seen cavorting with bikini clad volleyball players. Fiddling while Rome burns, indeed. Bush has undone 60 years of cultivating the captive populations of the Russian Empire. Instead of scoring major points with current and future allies, Bush has displayed for the world that a US alliance isn't worth a pair of 2s when the cards are down. The key key to salvaging this fiasco is to make sure Vlad Putin and his merry band of KGB thieves are put at a further strategic disadvantage than when this episode of engineered provovations leading to this little war began. Gotta give the Russians credit, they timed it well while Bush was out of the country and way from national security advisors for a sustained period of time. Making clear to the Russians that they made a mistake means a robust deployment of heavily armed American (and NATO) peacekeepers to Georgia, right on Putin's posterior. Arming Georgian troops w/ US weapons. Redeploying brigades to new NATO members bordering the NeoSSR and who are now feeling threatened and abandoned. Close down US bases in Germany and Italy once and for all and station troops where they can do some good. Next, would be to engineer a huge drop is Russian export earnings. It may take 10 years, but the US kept up the pressure for 40 years in spite of German and French opposition. No integration into the world trade system. Georgia, Ukraine and former Waraw Pact countries will take of that for now. 30% of Russian gas exports is really Turkmenistan gas that the Putin's KGB buddies pay 30-40 cents on the dollar and export it to Europe for full price. Make damn sure the Nabucco pipeline, and more, across the Caspian gets built, all that gas bypasses Russia and Turkmens get market prices for their resource. The Caspian is still largely untapped. This also applies to Kazhak energy resources. Make sure they also connect to the pipeline. Every MCF and barrel going directly west is a one that Putin's buddies will not supply. A drop of 40% in Russian gas export money will ripple through their whole economy since the 20% of GDP derived from energy exports drives most of the Russian economy. But most important of all, never, ever let Ukraine fall to the Russians again. If Germany and France keep insisting on appeasing Putin's Russia, then offer Ukraine and Georgia a mutual defense treaty with a subset of NATO. They are the ones who would do the fighting anyway. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-08-14 10:31 |
| #5 One thing can be sure, Vladimir Putin is in charge in Russia. Medvedev is simply a media figurehead and as Ralph Peters writes, "A Czar is born." Any pretence of democracy in Russia has been vaporized. While other countries sent their presidents to the Olympics, Russia sent Putin who notified "W" of the pending action in Georgia and then flew back to visit troops in the field. How the West deals with these events will determine the future of the Ukrain, Poland, and the rest of the former soviet states. Hat tip to Sarko for cutting short his Olympic visit, basketball, womens beach volley venues, etc, and flying to Moscow. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-08-14 09:11 |
| #4 Of course they WANT to. But the question is will the former republics Let them. Economic containment would be well used here. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-08-14 09:07 |
| #3 Like what, Joe? "There can be only one"? Pooty's got the jihadi competitor. He's a bit disadvantaged--demographics and so far he's been unable to transform Russian nationalism into a death cult. But he's a great mafioso. |
| Posted by: Spike Uniter 2008-08-14 05:26 |
| #2 I can be wrong, but my guts are telling me RUSSIA has covert, alterior intentions beyond that of war wid Georgia or reconstit the Russo-SOviet Empire??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-08-14 02:57 |
| #1 Russia sees NATO-EU on one side includ former SSRS, NUCLEAR ISLAM in the middle, + CHINA on the end [read - that other bigger already nukularized JAPAN]. It just may be possible Russia's milaction agz Georgia is in fact a disguise/cover for Russ-perceived strategic weakness, + that RUSS IS ACTUALLY HEDGING ON THE FUTURE DAY IT MAY NEED TO FORMALLY INTEGRATE WID NATO + EUROPE TO PROTECT ITSELF AGZ POTENT NUCLEAR ISLAM + CHINA??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-08-14 02:55 |