You learn something new every day. (Thanks to MDL.)
Paw Prints
The WaPo has dusted the crime scene in Kyrgyzstan and lifted paw prints from a large and ravenous bear: “Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has denied that Moscow played any role in the uprising, and leaders of the movement to oust Bakiyev insist they received only moral support. But the Kremlin had made no secret of its growing displeasure with Bakiyev, and over the past few months it steadily ratcheted up the pressure on his government while reaching out to the opposition. “The strategy was a sharp departure from Russia’s traditional support for autocratic leaders in its neighborhood. It paid [...]
Trouble in Kyrgyzstan
Trouble has boiled up and over and in the never-easy-to-spell Kyrgyzstan. “BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) — An opposition coalition proclaimed a new interim government Thursday after a violent uprising in Kyrgyzstan and said it would rule until elections are held in six months. But a respected private news agency said the president had proclaimed in an e-mail that he would not relinquish power. “Resistance from President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who has fled the northern capital for the south, would raise the prospect of continued instability in the impoverished Central Asian nation, home to both a U.S. air base key to the Afghan [...]
A Timely Reminder
Every time I glance around me at NATO afield, I wonder about the future of the alliance. However, we can always count on our old pals the Russians to chime in with a timely reminder of why there is a NATO in the first place. Will someone please take the car keys from them? They’re not fit to drive.
A Golden Oldie, A Blast From the Past; Now Appearing on the World Stage Russia (aka the former Soviet Union)
I found this referenced on Tom Barnett’s Website and then visited the article at the Wall Street Journal Website. The author of the article, a true student of Russian/Soviet History put much of what is happening today in context but also offered some sage advice. His summation of Russian History is very insightful. The solution of the puzzle lies in the fact that during their 1,000-year old history of statehood, the Russians have virtually never been given the opportunity to elect their government or to influence its actions. As a result of this experience, they have become thoroughly depoliticized. They [...]
Breaking News from 1962
Russia-Cuba ties worry U.S. WASHINGTON — Amid rising tensions over Georgia, U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that Russia is moving to rebuild one of the most dangerous features of the old Soviet Union’s security structure — its alliance with Cuba. Moscow has been signaling that it wants to restore a long relationship with Havana that included not only economic ties, but also military and intelligence cooperation. The relationship brought the world to the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, when Russia secretly installed nuclear missiles on the island. An interesting story on today of all [...]
Russia's next attempt to reassert itself ?
First its satellites with Georgia, now in Latin America? A great column at the WSJ pokes some holes in this: As two Russian Tu-160 bombers landed in Venezuela last week on a training mission, President Hugo Chávez took to his nation’s airwaves to celebrate. It was the first time since the Cold War that military jets sent from Moscow touched down in the Western Hemisphere. “Yankee hegemony is finished,” Mr. Chávez declared. What the Venezuelan did not mention was the fact that, according to a State Department official, “the U.S. Air Force picked up the Russian aircraft just west of [...]
The Arctic
Came upon this discussion yesterday, by accident almost. Although it unintentionally reveals much about the commenters and their odd notions– I looked in vain for Skippy-san, perhaps he was using an alias– it brings up a good point. An interesting briefing by the Northcom Commander General Victor Renuart has flagged cyber and arctic threats as priorities for the next President. Reportedly, the National Security Council is debating drafting a new strategy document on the Arctic. We have already discussed cyber threats a couple of times, but not the Arctic. Ironically, Russia’s behavior in Georgia may have ripple effects of national [...]
Missile Defense suddenly popular…
…In Europe! As we dust off the Russia analysts from various think-tank basements, we seem to be seeing a replay of many Cold War Soviet vs US conflicts. First up: STAR WARS. From the Economist: THE east Europeans have little reason to fear a strike from Iran. So why are they eagerly signing up to America’s system to intercept Iranian missiles? Because they are scared of Russia. Within days of Russia’s invasion of Georgia, Poland had agreed to host ten American interceptors. Ukraine offered to link up its early-warning radars and contribute to surveillance in space. The Czech Republic had [...]
Dug In
All indications are that Imperial Russia the Soviet Union modern Russia’s seizure of a good part of Georgia is taking on an air of permanence. Even if we grant the nine-tenths of the law (!) that is possession, and accept Russian hegemony over Abkhazia and greater Ossetia, their occupation of Georgia proper is ugly, unacceptable, and at the moment unanswerable. Even if they pull back completely, their ability to dominate the scene has been established. Unfortunately, it’s also unsurprising. This crisis has had me asking, like Ted Nugent grasping a bloody arrow, “Where have we seen this before?” This is [...]
