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August 17, 2008
Facts on the ground
Updating this periodically as time permits.
Ukraine is to open its missile defense network to "European and other foreign powers".* While I confess I had no idea Europeans had any missile defense other than the one graciously designed, developed, financed and operated by American tax payers, this sounds like a sensible move.
Perhaps in anticipation of hundreds of thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets of Paris and London and San Fransisco, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov explains there is no timetable for withdrawal from the independent, United Nations recognized state of Georgia. Call me cynical but I suspect he need not have bothered. An alphabet soup of so called human rights organizations and so called anti-war activists seem utterly indifferent to reports of slave-taking "forced labour" and continuing Russian military operations in violation of an internationally brokered ceasefire.
The Canadian Jewish Congress no longer stands alone as the World Congress of Russian Jewry accuses the wrong people of genocide. It is difficult to find fault considering Russian society as a whole has decided to fight a meaningless, grubby, bullying little war even as their civilization faces catastrophe from another quarter.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is offering strong support for NATO membership for Georgia. Also for closing the barn door.
Near uniformity in support of Russian imperialism in comments at The Toronto Star. Historical sidebar: Toronto citizens crowd the port to welcome President Jefferson Davis. More recent historical sidebar: Prime Minister Stephen Harper waves a piece of paper. That was a couple years ago and he is even more wrong now. Military force is the only thing that will resolve this dispute.
*Confusing: My impression of the last few days has Al Jazeera leaps and bounds ahead on covering Georgia. Perhaps their derth of Jennifer Love Hewitt weight loss coverage leaves a hole in the schedule they are consequently forced to fill with "the news".
Update: Ukraine offers "Europe" and America access to its missile warning systems involving two satellite tracking stations located at Mukachevo and Sevastopol.
Posted by Ghost of a flea at August 17, 2008 11:54 AM
