ROFL Kitten Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_04

It's interesting to read what the Russian Press is saying about the US and backing Georgia.

http://en.rian.ru/video/20080819/116138262.html

http://www.mnweekly.ru/essay/20080821/55343007.html

http://en.rian.ru/video/20080819/116138649.html

Why America sings the Georgia blues
> print version
I had no intention or desire to write about Georgia's Olympic War for the second week in a row until I stumbled upon the YouTube video of Mikheil Saakashvili chatting on the telephone while munching nervously on his tie just before an interview with the BBC. Thank you, British Broadcasting Corporation, your blatantly biased reporting on the Georgia-Russia conflict for the past two weeks on the side of - guess who? - has just been totally exonerated.

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But enough of Saakashvili already. There is a larger conundrum to consider ever since this jolly little war was air-dropped into our living rooms: What is the real reason that the U.S. is so bitterly enraged over the Russian military kicking up dust down in Georgia? After all, Russia was clearly acting in self-defense, and the defense of its charges, when tiny Tbilisi decided to bombard the South Ossetian capital of Tshkin­vali, a presently smashed town that was once home sweet home to 30,000 people.

There are some obvious reasons for Washington's disproportionate fury: Georgia is insanely "pro-Western" and thus yet another possible outpost for NATO, or the U.S. Army, or - as Poland and the Czech Republic have just discovered to the dismay of about 50 percent of their populations - some U.S. missile technology that is supposed to make Europe safer; Saakashvili, when not chomping on expensive Italian accessories, speaks with a not completely absurd English accent (a very crucial point in these media-saturated days); the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which stretches across the vast expanse of Georgia, pumps 1 million barrels of Caspian crude into the open artery of the junky Western markets. Finally, I am sure it did not go unnoticed in military knitting circles that the Georgian Army seems to have gained little or nothing from riding shotgun with the U.S. cavalry both at home and abroad. Let's face it, Russia boasts a dazzling military history, but routing an enemy in five days does not sound like the traditional script. And so on.

But none of these explanations seemed to warrant Washington's hysterics over Russia's "aggressive" response to being bombed in broad daylight. And the lame argument that Georgia is small, and therefore de facto innocent, is very poor logic. The Sicilian Mafia, for example, is a relatively small outfit, and since I like my little fingers exactly where they are, let's just leave it at that.

Then I watched a round-table session of the American Enterprise Institute, a warmongering horde of balding belligerents if ever there was one, and the reason for America's wrath became a bit clearer. Meet Lt. Col. Ralph Peters - who is, it is important to note, safely retired from military duty. Peters, after referring to the Russian people as "drunk-sodden barbarians," did his best Orwellian standup routine by arguing that Russia "stage managed the conflict on the opening day of the Olym­pics in a calculated, unprovoked aggression." For more sober commentary: http://www.aei.org.

Essentially, in addition to the abovementioned, America is convulsing over Georgia for two reasons: First, only the U.S. has the right to militarily intervene in the world's hotspots. The God-blessed land of baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet is the only nation, it believes, that has the moral authority to convene military operations, or "preempt" suspected attacks, anywhere in the world. Apparently, it even denies other countries the right to act in self-defense, as was clearly the case with Russia in South Ossetia. As for Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, well, do as we say, not as we do. The U.S. National Security Strategy states: "The United States must defend liberty and justice... for all people everywhere." But who will guard us from the guardians? America - or at least the mad dogs now in office - has fallen prey to the white powder of absolute power, and this is glaringly evident in places like Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. What America needs is a 12-step recovery program, maybe Superpowers Anonymous, to deal with its heady hubris.

Here's the second reason for America's pent-up rage: Washing­ton has not had a real, good old fashion enemy since Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Decem­ber 7, 1941, thus dragging Uncle Sam into World War II. Yes, there were the attacks of 9/11, allegedly orchestrated by 19 hijackers brandishing nothing more than brass balls and box cutters. At the very same time (Warning: what follows is so deliciously rich in irony there should be a calorie count included), Osama bin Laden's extended family was being whisked quietly out of Dodge on an airplane (yes, sweet Jesus, on an airplane!) in an otherwise locked-down American sky. But Al-Qaeda, the last time I consulted Wikipedia, is no nation. It doesn't even own a basketball team. So now the U.S. military is left with the vacuous-sounding "War on Terror," as it shoots at shadows across the Middle East, while slashing civil liberties and social spending back home.

And this is what is annoying America the most about Russia's actions in Georgia. Russia got exactly what America - a land that was forged in the fires of war and violence - misses most: a battle with a bona-fide nation that we can observe with our cool satellite equipment: a tangible capital, tangible factories, tangible army. It's almost as if America is crying: ‘Why won't a non-virtual enemy attack us?'

The last thing I want to do is glamorize warfare; all war is insanity. But if America really insists on its War on Terror, is isolating Russia a good idea?


The U.S., which still suffers from a Cold War hangover that even the Russians have shaken off, continues to rely on mean ‘Soviet experts' to deal with Moscow. This strategy means one of two things: the Islamic threat is being intentionally exaggerated, or Russia, in the minds of the present U.S. administration, which could wor­sen should crazy Mr. McCain get the royal nod, is secretly believed to be the real enemy.

This outmoded way of thin­king has even gripped the Euro­pean imagination, which allowed Mr. Rumsfeld (remember him?) to rhetorically carve up Europe into the New and the Old.

Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_25

Check out thier headlines Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_23

Those bastards are boycotting the US and UK Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_31

and they outright say the Ukraine is next... Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_37

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1President's Office: Russia preparing to revenge in Ukraine
21.08.2008 21:04 unian.net
The scales of interference unmatched since the year 2004..."
13/373 Ukraine Politics


2Why does Russia need new aircraft carriers?
30.07.2008 18:32 rusnavy.com
Commander in Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Vladimir Vysotskii, says Russia intends to build five or six new aircraft carriers. The vessels will help Russia become the second most powerful naval power in the world, the commander says.
12/262 Russia State & Community


4Powerful anti-ship weapons successfully tested in Iran
06.08.2008 22:09 news.media-objektiv.com
Iran has test fired new powerful anti-ship weapons capable to hit targets at the range of 300 kilometers, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Mohammad Ali Jaafari told Iranian journalists Monday. This is absolutely new technology; it has
11/82 World Social Life


5Russian witches
15.08.2008 02:51 mnweekly.ru
There are lots of stereotypes about Russian women. The stereotypes' formations are undoubtedly connected with the women's beauty. They may be said to be easygoing or plain easy, sincere or guileful, modest or extravagant. But they are always bright and
8/134 World Social Life


6US missile shield in Poland is really bad news for Russia, Taras Voznyak opines
21.08.2008 23:13 zik.com.ua
The deployment of a US anti-missile defense system in Poland is West's response to the "loose cannon" Russian regime. It will be a hefty deterrent for Russia, as the Kremlyn has no technical muscle to offer an adequate response, political
6/106 Ukraine Politics


7Yushchenko Prohibited Flights of Aircrafts during Parade (updated at 05:46 pm)
20.08.2008 20:45 mignews.com.ua
The President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko prohibited flights of aircrafts during the military parade in Kyiv on August, 24.
5/38 Ukraine Social Life


8Putin's next target will be Ukraine - Richard Holbrooke
12.08.2008 07:07 unian.net
Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State said this in his interview to CNN
5/151 World News Agencies


9Russia won't dare to violate Yushchenko's order - Ohryzko
15.08.2008 08:44 unian.net
He called the document "long-expected"
5/121 World News Agencies


10Yushchenko personally helped unblock Ukraine ships in Georgia - MFA
14.08.2008 00:51 unian.net
Three Ukrainian ships were liberated on Tuesday
4/89 Ukraine Social Life


11Ukraine says Russia should prepare to leave Crimea naval base
21.08.2008 14:44 rusnavy.com
Ukraine's foreign minister has said Russia should start preparing to withdraw its Black Sea Fleet from the Sevastopol base, which it rents in Ukraine's Crimea.
2/35 Russia State & Community


12South Ossetia alleges large-scale Georgian troop border movements
07.08.2008 22:15 rian.ru
TSKHINVALI/TBILISI, August 7 (RIA Novosti) - Georgian troops are heading in large numbers toward South Ossetia, the head of the breakaway republic's Security Council said on Thursday. "Numerous military units are heading toward the [de facto South Ossetian] border," Anatoly
2/7 World News Agencies


13Libya says Russia emerging as counterbalance to U.S. dominance
15.08.2008 02:35 rian.ru
MOSCOW, August 14 (RIA Novosti) - Libya said the conflict in Georgia and its breakaway republic of South Ossetia has signaled an end to the dominance of the United States in global affairs, a Russian daily reported on Thursday. "What
2/126 World News Agencies


14Russia to punish Ukraine for its support for Georgia by higher gas prices - Communist Hrach
13.08.2008 15:35 zik.com.ua
If Ukraine leaders push for NATO accession, Crimea will demand its reunion with Russia, Communist lawmaker Leonid Hrach warns. He said, however, that he is against Ukraine's territorial divide, Hrach said in his Aug 13 comments to ZIK.
2/133 Ukraine Politics


15New ships for the Russian Navy
28.07.2008 20:40 rusnavy.com
Russia started the development of a series of new ships for its Navy.
2/339 Russia State & Community


16Russia-NATO naval drill called off after U.S., U.K. boycott
15.08.2008 02:15 rusnavy.com
A Russia-NATO naval exercise in the Sea of Japan has been canceled after the United States and Britain refused to send their warships, a spokesman for Russia's Pacific Fleet said Thursday.
2/26 Russia State & Community


17Ethnic Russian in Crimea give red carpet welcome to returning BSF warships - Mustafa Dzhemilyov
22.08.2008 18:59 zik.com.ua
Ethnic Russians living on the peninsula have enthusiastically hailed Kremlyn's aggressive policy in the Caucasus and gave a red carpet welcome to warships engaged in military operations near Georgia. But Crimean Tatars take a different view of the situation, VR
1/6 Ukraine Politics


18Russian Navy ships approach Georgia's sea border
11.08.2008 04:32 rian.ru
MOSCOW, August 10 (RIA Novosti) - A group of ships from Russia's Black Sea Fleet including the flagship Moskva guided missile cruiser arrived on Sunday in the eastern part of the sea near the Georgian border, a high-ranking navy official
1/72 Russia Social Life


19Russia May Focus on Pro-U.S. Ukraine After Georgia
14.08.2008 00:49 unian.net
Now that Russia has humiliated Georgia with a punishing military offensive, it may shift its attention to reining in pro-Western Ukraine, another American ally in the former Soviet Union...
1/23 World News Agencies


20Polish leader slams French peace plan for Georgia
14.08.2008 00:51 unian.net
Saying it failed to protect Georgia`s territory
1/30 Ukraine Social Life

SUP DURANGO

Sup man, nice moobs! Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_02

THOSE ARE BEEF-WAFFLE TITS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Oh man.... lol.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=66 ... =351020101

"As a matter of policy we do not discuss current or future ship's movements," he added.

His remarks were provoked by speculation prompted by the introduction of House Resolution 362, which "demands" that the US president make strenuous efforts, "prohibiting the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products; imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran".

"This resolution, House Resolution 362 is a virtual war resolution. It is the declaration of tremendous sanctions, and boycotts and embargoes on the Iranians. It is very, very severe," former presidential candidate Ron Paul has said.

"In preparation for any possible act of aggression against the country, Iran has reportedly begun mass production of a high-tech naval weapons system capable of targeting any warship within a range of 300 kilometers from its shores."

"The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps recently tested a naval weapon which is definitely capable of sending any warship within a distance of 300 km to the bottom of the sea," IRGC Commander Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari said on August 4.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080804/wl_ ... _weapon_dc

reports that Israel, believed to be seeking Washington's green light for attacking Iranian nuclear sites, staged a large-scale air maneuver in early June in preparation for the war.

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=6 ... =351020101
and

http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-2 ... 193547.htm

US-Russia-NATO
Russian commanders have said they were growingly alarmed at the number of NATO warships sailing into the Black Sea.

They said that NATO vessels now outnumbered the ships in their fleet anchored off the western coast of Georgia.

As focus turned to the balance of naval power in the sea, the leader of the separatist region of Abkhazia said he would invite Russia to establish a naval base at the deep-water port of Sukhumi.

The Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said he would open negotiations with the authorities in Moscow to raise the rent on the Russian naval base at Sevastopol.

The move would certainly pique Russia, at a time when tensions over Ukraine's predominantly Russian province of Crimea are already elevated
The Untied States is pursuing a delicate policy of delivering humanitarian aid on military transport planes and ships, to illustrate to the Russians that they do not fully control Georgia's airspace or coastline.

The policy has left American and Russian naval vessels maneuvering in close proximity off the western coast of Georgia, with the Americans sailing near the southern port of Batumi and the Russians the central port of Poti.

and

Georgia turns to U.N. after saying Russia shot down spy plane

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/04 ... nnSTCVideo

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/04 ... ia.russia/


have you ordered your duck tape? Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_06

Well truth to that matter is The Regan is not near the lincoln they relived us already and they are not in the gulf. The Lincoln went back into the gulf to show Iran they cant block the straights off. As you have prob seen drastically put out of proporsion on the news. My strike group fought in both theaters OIF and OEF. And Joe you work on Prowlers lol they dont drop nothing. But either way you wont see much being dropped. I think the whole cruise we have only dropped maby 16 all together for my squadron. And we are at 6 months now. Hopefully the next time I deploy I will be the one flying over the beach cant wait till Oct to see if I got picked up.

http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=65

CERNOBBIO, Italy — Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday denounced Russia’s war against Georgia as evidence of a pattern of “troublesome and unhelpful actions” that threatened peace from Central Asia to the Middle East to Europe.

Mr. Cheney, speaking at an international conference here beside Lake Como, said that Russia now faced a choice between cooperation and isolation, and he urged European nations to join the United States in unambiguously supporting Georgia, Ukraine and other new democracies in Russia’s shadow.

“Does Russia really want to separate itself from the community of values that has fueled so much of its own economic progress?” Mr. Cheney asked an annual gathering of political leaders and business executives organized by the European House-Ambrosetti, a private consultancy. “Does the Russian government really wish to operate in the modern world as an outsider, alienating free countries and trying to rally the world’s dictatorships?”

European leaders have uniformly criticized Russia’s attack in Georgia and its recognition of two separatist regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but no clear agreement over how to respond has emerged.

Mr. Cheney, who visited Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine this week to express American support, offered no new proposals either, but he described the conflict as a new test for NATO that required a unified response.

In Moscow, Russia’s president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, defiantly dismissed criticism like Mr. Cheney’s during remarks to security aides, mocking the inability of the international community to press Russia.

“Russia is a state that from now on must be reckoned with,” Mr. Medvedev said. Then he added a message clearly directed toward critics in the United States and Europe:

“They are trying to put political pressure on us. We, of course, will not simply accept this situation. But they will not be able to do anything. And I would like to state as clearly as possible that this confrontation was not our choice.”


http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=65

Russia is considering increasing its assistance to Iran’s nuclear programme in response to America’s calls for Nato expansion eastwards and the presence of US Navy vessels in the Black Sea delivering aid to Georgia.

The Kremlin is discussing sending teams of Russian nuclear experts to Tehran and inviting Iranian nuclear scientists to Moscow for training, according to sources close to the Russian military.

Moscow has been angered by Washington’s promise to give Georgia £564m in aid following the Russian invasion of parts of the country last month after Tbilisi’s military offensive. Kremlin officials suspect the US is planning to rearm the former Soviet republic and is furious at renewed support for attempts by Georgia and Ukraine to join Nato.

Last week a third US Navy ship entered the Black Sea with aid bound for Georgia. Moscow has accused the Americans of using the vessels to deliver weapons but has failed to provide any evidence.

Vladimir Putin, the prime minister of Russia, who has been the driving force during the crisis, has declared he will take unspecified action in response.

“Everything has changed since the war in Georgia,” said one source. “What seemed impossible before, is more than possible now when our friends become our enemies and our enemies our friends. What are American ships doing off our coast? Do you see Russian warships off the coast of America?

“Russia will respond. A number of possibilities are being considered, including hitting America there where it hurts most – Iran.”

Once again two powers challenge each other for dominance. Nice research Durango. Took a while to read through it. I still have a lot to go.

lolz - Dick Cheney <--- Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_04

http://www.star-telegram.com/468/story/890433.html

Kremlin-watchers warn of direct U.S.-Russia clash

MOSCOW -- In the aftermath of last month's war between Russia and U.S.-backed Georgia, Kremlin-watchers in Moscow are worried that Russia and America are closer to direct confrontation than at any point since the end of the Cold War.

The rhetoric coming from the Bush administration - and presidential hopeful John McCain - suggests that tensions are still on the rise.


http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/news/inter ... 0000&ty=ti

Venezuela to host Russia navy exercise

Several Russian ships and 1,000 soldiers will take part in joint naval manoeuvres with Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea later this year, exercises likely to increase diplomatic tensions with Washington, a pro-government newspaper reported on Saturday.


http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1018591.html

Cheney: Russia supplies terrorist arms

Cheney to Peres: Russia supplies terrorist arms

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney told President Shimon Peres yesterday that Russia is selling arms to Syria and Iran with the clear knowledge that they are being channeled to Hezbollah and terror groups in Iraq.

After meeting Peres on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti forum by Italy's Lake Como, the American vice president later reiterated these remarks in his address at the economic conference, saying that "Russian arms dealing in the Middle East has endangered the prospects for peace and freedom in the region."

Cheney added that the Russian leaders view democracy as a direct threat to their regime. Russia crossed a clear line when it invaded Georgia and attacked democracy and the rights of innocent civilians, Cheney said.


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/b ... cation=rss

The bear is faltering. Fears about a possible new Cold War — along with lower oil prices — have pushed resource-rich Russia's RTS index to its lowest point since 2006.

Where it goes from here is difficult to determine, as experts are mixed on whether the Russian market will fall further or can find a bottom soon.

Not long ago, Russian equities were some of the world's biggest stars, along with the others in the so-called BRIC bloc of fast-growing nations — Brazil, India and China.

A cascade of trouble, though, has triggered a slide since July, since oil prices peaked at $147.27 per barrel on July 11. The two biggest components of the RTS are in the oil and gas business: Gazprom and Lukoil.

Most recently, conflicts in separatist areas of Georgia have ignited tensions between Russia and the U.S. and western Europe. "We are not afraid of anything, including the prospect of a Cold War," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said recently.

The tensions highlight the risk in the region, and investor confidence there "remains at rock bottom," according to JPMorgan strategist Peter Westin.

dude, if we start a war with russia everyone is fucked. those guys have A LOT of crazy technology, including a new jet that can fly circles around our best jets and of course nukes.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hA9m ... QD932QJB01

Russia to send ships, planes to Venezuela
By IAN JAMES – 16 hours ago

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Russia's plan to deploy ships and warplanes to the Caribbean for joint military exercises with Venezuela is allowing President Hugo Chavez to capitalize on tensions between Moscow and the U.S. and showcase a growing military alliance.

Russia announced on Monday that it will send a naval squadron and long-range patrol planes for the exercises later this year — a move that appeared retaliatory after the U.S. sent warships to deliver aid to Georgia following its conflict with Russia.

The deployment is expected to be the largest Russian naval maneuvers in the Caribbean — and perhaps the Western Hemisphere — since the Cold War.

Chavez considers the U.S. a defense threat, and his welcoming of the Russian navy contrasted with his sharp criticism of the recent reactivation of the U.S. Navy's Fourth Fleet for the Caribbean and Latin America. He ridiculed possible U.S. concerns about the Russian deployment on Sunday, saying: "Go ahead and squeal, Yankees."

"This is vintage Chavez. He rarely misses an opportunity to needle and provoke Washington," said Michael Shifter, an analyst at the Washington-based think tank Inter-American Dialogue. "He is taking advantage of the growing chill in U.S.-Russia relations, especially over the situation in Georgia, to poke his finger in (President) Bush's eye. There is nothing he relishes more."

Chavez says the U.S. Fourth Fleet — which was dissolved after World War II — poses a threat to the region. U.S. officials say the fleet will help maintain security while performing humanitarian missions and counter-drug operations.

Anna Gilmour, an analyst at Jane's Intelligence Review, said she believes the exercises will be primarily for the benefit of Venezuela, which has been drawing closer to Russia and buying weapons from Kalashnikov assault rifles to Sukhoi fighter jets. She said the maneuvers also appear to be a response to the relaunch of the U.S. Fourth Fleet.

"By allowing Russian vessels to dock at Venezuelan ports, Chavez is sending the message that the U.S. is not the only major power active in the Caribbean," Gilmour said.

The U.S. government, however, appeared unconcerned.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack poked fun at Russia's navy, saying if Russia really intends to send ships to the Caribbean, "then they found a few ships that can make it that far."

Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_04

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gBd ... KcqeKTPI1g

Bush freezes nuclear pact with Russia over Georgia tension

US President George W. Bush on Monday froze a much vaunted US-Russian civilian nuclear pact in protest at Moscow's military moves in Georgia.

The first casualty in recently touted cooperation among the former Cold War foes, the US-Russian deal to establish joint ventures and share peaceful nuclear technology has been pulled from consideration for now.

In formally notifying the Congress of his decision, Bush wrote that the Russian government had taken actions that are "incompatible with peaceful relations with its sovereign and democratic neighbor Georgia."

Russian troops poured into Georgia last month to repel an attack by the Georgian army aimed at retaking South Ossetia. They have remained deep inside Georgian territory in what Moscow calls "security zones."

Both Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was the first to announce the decision, said the pact could be resubmitted to Congress if circumstances change.

"We make this decision with regret," Rice said in a statement read by her spokesman Sean McCormack. "Unfortunately, given the current environment, the time is not right for this agreement."



http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/space/5984694.html

NASA may extend shuttle use to 2015
More flights are risky, but Russia's fight in Georgia may curtail Soyuz


http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYN ... RUBZ_Yclvg

Cheney warned Russia for selling arms to Iran

He also accused Russia of selling "advanced weapons" to Syria and Iran.

"Some of the Russian weapons sold to Damascus have been channeled to terrorist fighters in Lebanon and Iraq," he said, warning that Russian arms deals in the Middle East "has endangered the prospects for peace and freedom in the region."


http://www.iran.mojahedin.org/pagesen/d ... ewsid=3216

Sarkozy: We are at a catastrophic cross road, Iranian bomb or bomb Iran

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,420785,00.html

Report: Bush Secretly Approved Pakistan Raids, Furthering Country's Harsh Rebuke of U.S.

Pakistani protesters burn U.S. flag and an effigy of U.S. President George Bush to condemn alleged strikes in Pakistani tribal areas.

"Reckless actions" which kill civilians "only help the militants and further fuel the militancy in the area," he said.

"The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country will be defended at all cost and no external force is allowed to conduct operations inside Pakistan," he said in the Wednesday statement.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,421381,00.html

Chavez Orders U.S. Ambassador to Leave Venezuela

President Hugo Chavez ordered the U.S. ambassador to leave Venezuela within 72 hours on Thursday, accusing the diplomat of conspiring against his government and saying he would also withdraw his own envoy from Washington immediately.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/ ... index.html

Deadly clashes strike Bolivia's east
Story Highlights

Clashes come as Bolivia's four eastern provinces seek greater autonomy
U.S. kicks out ambassador after Bolivia expelled U.S. diplomat
Bolivia accused U.S. of encouraging overthrow of president
Pro-autonomy supporters damaged natural gas pipeline, officials say


http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... index.html

North Korea's Kim Jong Il had brain surgery after a stroke last month and could have partial paralysis on one side, media reports said Thursday, after the South Korean government said the communist leader remained in control of his country.

Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_38

durango are you a reported? cause this is more writing than ive done in 3 years of college. all the words make my hea hurt

ctrl c ctrl v duh Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_25

Pakistan Orders Troops to Open Fire on U.S. Forces to Stop Raids

Pakistan's army spokesman says its forces have orders to open fire if U.S. troops launch another raid across the Afghan border.

Pakistani officials issued sharp protests to Washington after helicopters ferried U.S. commandos into Pakistan's South Waziristan region on Sept. 3 for a highly unusual ground attack into a militant stronghold.

Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas told The Associated Press that, after the raid, the military told its field commanders to prevent any similar raids.

Abbas said that if it was clear that troops had crossed the ill-defined border into Pakistani territory, either on the ground or in the air, that troops should "open fire."

He said, "No incursion is to be tolerated."


http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=65


Georgia Offers Fresh Evidence on War’s Start

new intelligence, inconclusive on its own, that nonetheless paints a more complicated picture of the critical last hours before war broke out.

Georgia has released intercepted telephone calls purporting to show that part of a Russian armored regiment crossed into the separatist enclave of South Ossetia nearly a full day before Georgia’s attack on the capital, Tskhinvali, late on Aug. 7.

In an interview arranged by the Kremlin, the Russian military played down the significance of the intercepted conversations, saying troop movements to the enclave before the war erupted were part of the normal rotation and replenishment of longstanding peacekeeping forces there.

But at a minimum, the intercepted calls, which senior American officials have reviewed and described as credible if not conclusive, suggest there were Russian military movements earlier than had previously been acknowledged, whether routine or hostile, into Georgian territory as tensions accelerated toward war.


http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/ ... 74027.html

Russia shows off the spoils of war in Georgia

The display, at The Central Museum of Armed Forces, displays weapons, uniforms and personal possessions belonging to Georgian soldiers killed or wounded during the fighting along with graphic photographs of the burnt and mutilated bodies of dead Georgian soldiers.


A museum guide, who was showing a group of Russians around the exhibit, paused at a display showing the personal photos of a dead Georgian soldier. One of them showed him having dinner with relatives, another had him in a comradely pose with a black man.

"Look, here's one of the Georgian soldiers with a black-skinned man, an African," said the guide. "We all know that there are a lot of Africans in the US Army, this was probably one of his instructors." Also on display are a set of textbooks entitled American Language Course, Level IV. The museum claims they were taken from a Georgian soldier in South Ossetia, though it might seem improbable that the soldier would take the bulky books with him to the battleground of Tskhinvali.


http://www.workers.org/2008/world/iran_0619/

U.S. behind Israel’s war threats on Iran

An Israeli minister has said an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites will be “unavoidable” if Tehran refuses to halt its alleged weapons programme.

In the most explicit threat yet by a member of Ehud Olmert’s government, Shaul Mofaz, a deputy prime minister, said the hardline Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, “would disappear before Israel does”.

“If Iran continues with its programme for developing nuclear weapons, we will attack it. The sanctions are ineffective,” Mofaz, who is also Israel’s transport minister, said in comments published [Friday] by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.



http://www.middleeast.org/launch/redire ... =78&num=41

Iran ready to strike at Israel’s nuclear heart

Iran has moved ballistic missiles into launch positions, with Israel’s Dimona nuclear plant among the possible targets, defence sources said last week.

The movement of Shahab-3B missiles, which have an estimated range of more than 1,250 miles, followed a large-scale exercise earlier this month in which the Israeli air force flew en masse over the Mediterranean in an apparent rehearsal for a threatened attack on Iran’s nuclear installations. Israel believes Iran’s nuclear programme is aimed at acquiring nuclear weapons.

oh shit.... that's no bueno man

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080917/ap_ ... s_pakistan

Suspected US missile strike kills 6 in Pakistan

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan - A suspected U.S. missile strike killed at least six people Wednesday, hours after the top U.S. military officer told Pakistani leaders that America respected Pakistan's sovereignty amid a furor over American strikes into Pakistan's northwest.

Two Pakistani intelligence officials told The Associated Press that several missiles hit a compound in the South Waziristan tribal region early Wednesday evening. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak openly to the media.

The officials said the target was a base for Taliban militants and Hezb-i-Islami, another group fighting U.S. and government troops in neighboring Afghanistan.

They said informants in the area had reported that six people were dead and three more injured. Their identities were not immediately clear.

The officials said an unmanned drone of the type used by the CIA and U.S. forces in Afghanistan was heard in the area shortly before the attack.



http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=65

Russian Emergency Funding Fails to Halt Stock Rout
September 17, 2008
By Alex Nicholson and William Mauldin

September 17, 2008

Russia poured $44 billion into its three largest banks and halted stock trading for a second day in a bid to stem the most severe financial crisis since its devaluation and debt default a decade ago.

The Finance Ministry extended the repayment period on loans available to OAO Sberbank, VTB Group and OAO Gazprombank to three months from one week. The benchmark Micex stock index plunged as much as 10 percent, taking its three-day decline to 25 percent, and brokerage KIT Finance said it's in talks with investors to sell a stake after failing to meet some obligations.

Russia's markets are facing the biggest test since the government defaulted in 1998. The decade-long economic boom is fading, foreign investors have pulled at least $35 billion from the nation's stocks and bonds since the five-day war in Georgia last month, and the collapse this week of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and American International Group Inc. prompted a flight from emerging markets.

``I will tell my clients today to continue to abstain from buying Russian assets'' until economic problems are solved, said Zina Psiola, who manages a $1 billion Russian equities fund at Clariden Leu AG in Zurich.

The cost of lending has soared to a record, with the MosPrime overnight rate reaching 11.1 percent today, deterring speculative bets in equities. Russian stocks have lost more than $425 billion in value since reaching an all-time high May 17.

`Effectively Closed'

``The bond market remains effectively closed and banks are reluctant to lend to one another,'' said Julian Rimmer, head of sales trading at UralSib Financial Corp. in London. ``The problems experienced by KIT Finance have heightened counterparty risk and reduced liquidity further.''

Moscow-based KIT today said it is seeking to sell a stake after failing to meet some financial obligations related to repurchase agreements.

``Every day Russia falls due to people not being able to meet margin calls,'' said Marina Akopian manager of the Hexam EMEA Absolute Return Fund in London.




http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=65

Georgia Says Cellphone Records Are Evidence Russia Started War

TBILISI, Georgia, Sept. 16 -- Georgian authorities on Tuesday released recordings of cellphone calls they say are evidence that significant numbers of Russian troops began moving into the breakaway region of South Ossetia on Aug. 6, a day before war with Russia started.

Earlier, Georgian authorities had said Russian forces came through a tunnel from Russia late on Aug. 7, which the Georgians describe as the act of aggression that triggered their decision to order their own forces into South Ossetia. Russia says its troops came through the tunnel on the evening of Aug. 7, but only after Georgia launched an attack on Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital.

Who started the war, and when, has become the subject of heated debate here and in Moscow. Both Russia and Georgia have struggled to portray themselves as acting in self-defense or, in Russia's case, in defense of its smaller neighbor.

The timing of the Russians' entry into the tunnel is significant because it could clarify whether the troop movement was an act of aggression or a reaction.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 00633.html

Pro-Western Government Disintegrates in Ukraine

MOSCOW, Sept. 16 -- The pro-Western government in Ukraine that took power in the Orange Revolution in 2004 fell apart again Tuesday, setting the stage for the former Soviet republic's third parliamentary election in as many years, with the nation's policies toward NATO and Russia hanging once more in the balance.

After only nine months in power, the on-again, off-again ruling coalition between President Viktor Yushchenko and his Orange Revolution partner, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, formally collapsed after weeks of infighting over charges of corruption and treason. If the parliament cannot form a new government within 30 days, the president can call for fresh elections.

The collapse came less than two weeks after Vice President Cheney traveled to the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, in the aftermath of Russia's five-day war with Georgia and urged the two leaders to unite in the face of what he called Russian aggression.

Yushchenko has accused his prime minister of trying to curry favor with Moscow instead of fully condemning the war, and his allies have asked for a probe into allegations that she committed treason by secretly offering to soften her policies toward the Kremlin in exchange for its support in the next election.

Yellow_Flash_Colorz_PDT_23

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The Washington Times, September 14, 2008 (excerpts) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should deny the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahamdinejad, entry to the United States. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I am asking Miss Rice to ban Mr. Ahamdinejad, a major sponsor of fundamentalist Islam and an enemy of the United States, from entering our country.
The United Nations General Assembly will open its 63rd session in New York this month. The president of Iran is scheduled to take his seat at the U.N. table and address the chamber.
For Mr. Ahamdinejad to enter the United States, the administration is required to waive section 212(a)3(b) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act. The act stipulates that individuals with terrorist ties not be granted visas to enter the United States. The Iranian president fits squarely into this category. Mr. Ahamdinejad’s visit to the U.S. will be permitted under an agreement that allows world leaders access to the United Nations Headquarters.


U.S. to Sell Israel Bunker-Busters, May Be Used in Strike on Iran

The Associated Press, September 15, 2008 - The U.S. has agreed to sell 1,000 buster-bunker bombs to Israel - a deal that could significantly improve Israel’s ability to strike at Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Military experts say an Israeli strike would require bombs that could blast through underground bunkers where some of the Iranian nuclear facilities are located.
Last week, the U.S. Defense Department notified Congress that it has agreed to sell Israel small diameter bombs that are capable of doing that.

am i the only one reading and appreciating this shit?? wow! ♥ durango :)