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? The map is not the territory | Main | The West's mortal enemy ?

August 28, 2008

War and peace

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Captain Robert P. Wagner is welcomed by the people of Georgia as Coast Guard Cutter Dallas arrives at the Black Sea port of Batumi to render humanitarian assistance. To the north, Russian missile cruiser Moskva and two smaller missile boats are anchored at the port in Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia.

* The Black Sea is a very small pond for superpower games.

* Syrian "president" Bashar al-Assad has been on a Russian arms purchasing spree with an aim to buy the Iskander-E tactical missile system, in addition to Pantsyr-S1 and Buk-M2 ground-to-air missile systems and Su-30, MiG-29SMT and MiG-31E fighters. I cannot see more Syrian fast air would make much difference to the balance of power, they require Syrian pilots with the bottle to make use of them.

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed decrees recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. David Rivkin. and Carlos Ramos-Mrosovsky say that while the West's reaction to events has been feeble there is a way to put a sting in soft power response.

(T)he West is in a stronger position than it or Vladimir Putin may realize. A properly managed "soft power" response -- such as a law enforcement campaign targeting Russia's ruling elites -- could be extremely effective in punishing aggression against Georgia and in deterring future misconduct. Indeed, Russia's governing elites place their personal interests ahead of Moscow's raison d'etat. If enough pain is inflicted on them, they will demand foreign policy changes or even seek to replace Putin as the power behind the throne.

* In apparent violation of the Convention of Montreux, NATO warships in the Black Sea now outnumber the Russian fleet (hat tip to AoSHQ).

A spokesman at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe, in Mons, Belgium, said four NATO warships were in the Black Sea on a previously scheduled exercise called Active Endeavor, training in anti-terrorist and anti-pirate maneuvers. Other NATO countries, however, could have ships in the sea not operating under NATO command.

"Obviously, there are other NATO-affiliated nations out doing things," the spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Web Wright, said. "But I can't speak for those nations."

Nuance.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at August 28, 2008 06:37 AM

Comments

Howabout the United Nations and the West suddenly recognize the independence of Chechnya? start supplying small arms to the "freedom fighters" there.

Posted by: dpatten [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 28, 2008 10:32 AM

They should put Harpoon launchers back on the WHEC cutters if they're going into the Black Sea.

Posted by: Chris Taylor [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 28, 2008 02:27 PM

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