UN "security" council member fucks around with smaller country's sovereignty

[frogwoman]

I'm unaware of the finer details but there shouldn't be any Russian troops in Georgia if the Georgians don't want them there.

The Russians are more than happy to play politics with the breakaway territories as they have very little to lose. It's very unlikely under current circumstances that Georgia would try to retake them.

Russia is of course right to point out the hypocrisy of NATO and especially the US over Kosovo and Serbia.

I agree with you what's happening to me

 

[frogwoman]

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinio...a-is-acting-like-a-colonial-bully-819659.html

That seems a pretty apt way of describing it.

This year tensions have worsened. Russia's diplomatic defeat over independence for Kosovo left Moscow sore, and asking why, if Kosovo could gain international recognition as an independent state, the same could not apply to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia, fearing just this, declined to join the European consensus on Kosovo.

This may be part of the genesis of the present fracas. Loss of empire is another. In smaller, weaker Georgia, Russia has no compunction about playing the colonial bully. Moscow also knows – because the Europeans recently blocked the fast-tracking of Georgia and Ukraine to Nato membership – that the West feels no duty to rush to its aid.

 

[frogwoman]

Here's an article from the transnistrian "tiraspol times"...

SUKHUMI (Tiraspol Times) - In an interview published Wednesday in Spain's El Pais newspaper, Sergei Bagapsh, the president of Abkhazia says that his unrecognized country will eventually achieve international recognition of its independence the same way that Kosovo did in February, when it unilaterally declared that it no longer wanted to be part of Serbia.

The ex-Soviet republic was originally a separate kingdom and then became the Abkhaz SSR in the Soviet Union before Georgia-born dictator Joseph Stalin forced it into the Georgian SSR.

Abkhazia and two other 'de facto' independent states, South Ossetia and Pridnestrovie, have stepped up their drive for freedom and independence since Kosovo's declaration of independence, requesting that Russia, the UN and other organizations recognize their sovereignty.

" - We want a lawful state, independent and democratic... If Kosovo can be independent then so can Abkhazia," Sergei Bagapsh said Wednesday.

Kosovo, with a 90% ethnic-Albanian majority, has been formally recognized as a sovereign state by 40 countries including the U.S., Taiwan and most EU members since it proclaimed its independence.

Russia and China both opposed Kosovo's independence because it was an unilateral decision which had not been negotiated in advance with Serbia. Nearly 160 states still consider Kosovo to be part of Serbia, or either don't care or have not yet made up their mind on the issue.

Already independent, just not recognized
Abkhazia, which has already been 'de facto' independent for nearly twenty years, believes that it has better grounds for independence than Kosovo.

" - We [Abkhazia] do not want Moscow to recognize us in defiance of the United States in order to take revenge for Kosovo. We want independence because we have a right to it. Because we have deserved it," said Bagapsh. He also added that if Abkhazia is granted international recognition of its independence, it would be a demilitarized country with no weapons or military units, but it would need security guarantees from other countries to achieve this. Bagapsh said that Georgia is "a very aggressive country armed to the teeth by Europe," adding that "Greek, Ukrainian, Turkish and American [military] instructors have equipped Georgia."

Like Pridnestrovie (also known as Transnistria), Abkhazia is already independent but just not diplomatically recognized as a state yet. Both of these new and emerging countries already meet the requirements for statehood under international law. (With information from El Pais, RIA Novosti)

 

[frogwoman]

nothing to do with abkhazia but lol ffs ... at the tiraspol times
http://www.tiraspoltimes.com/node/1129

Moldova
Transnistria was never in Moldova during any period of Moldova's history as an independent country since 1359. Could that change in the future?
By Alex Holt, 04/Aug/2007

The Republic of Moldova occupies most of the former MSSR. To the east it borders Pridnestrovie and Ukraine, to the west RomaniaCHISINAU (Tiraspol Times) - Since Moldova first obtained its statehood in 1359, at no time in history has the territory of any independent Moldovan state ever included Transnistria. At is largest, the borders of Moldova and Romania never extended beyond the Dniester river.

The Republic of Moldova is home to 3,383,332 people according to its latest official census. This number doesn't include the 555,347 people in Transnistria which Moldova has an unresolved territorial claim over, but where Moldova has never exercised any actual sovereignty since its founding as a republic in 1991 - and where Moldova therefore couldn't carry out a census.

Today's Republic of Moldova consists of the rump Moldavian SSR (MSSR) from the Soviet Union which unilaterally declared independence on 27 August 1991. A year earlier, on 2 September 1990, a smaller part of the then-MSSR - Transnistria - had already declared independence and left the MSSR. This, too, was a unilateral independence declaration just like Moldova's. Only one of these two declarations was recognized by the international community, and the other one wasn't.

Transnistria, whose independence was never recognized, is officially called PMR which stands for Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica. The short-form version of its constitutional name is Pridnestrovie.

Moldova wants to join the European Union and NATO, but the unresolved status of Transnistria (Pridnestrovie) prevents it from doing so. Meanwhile, Pridnestrovie has declared that it has no interest in joining the EU or NATO and that it prefers the status of a perpetual neutral state.

The president of Moldova is Vladimir Voronin whose term ends in 2009. He is a former Soviet general who is today also the head of the Communist Party. Under his rule, human rights organizations report increased corruption and low judicial transparency. His son, Oleg Voronin, is considered one of the richest men in Moldova.

Moldova UN membership on 2 March 1992 and start of war
Moldova joined the United Nations 2 March 1992. This emboldened Moldova because it gave a stamp of approval of its borders (or what Transnistria sees as Moldova’s pretensions to borders) and it immediately created a “surge” in the already-simmering conflict with Transnistria.

Serious historians, even on the Moldovan side, generally agree that the confidence created by UN membership was the key element in causing Moldova to attack. Moldova invaded Transnistria on 2 March 1992, the very same day that it was admitted to the United Nations.

That day, an attempt by Moldovan troops to establish control over the Transnistrian city of Dubossary started the war over Transnistria. A number of deaths occurred on that very first day. Moldovan troops seized weapons from a regiment of the 14th Russian army which at the time is stationed in the mostly Moldovan-inhabited village of Cocieri, near Dubossary.

The war ended four months later, on 21 July 1992, when Moldova was forced to sign a cease-fire and retreat to its own side of the Dniester river.

Moldova's eastern-most border: The Dniester river
Throughout its history Moldova has had various forms and shapes, but never once has its borders extended beyond the Dniester river and included what is today Transnistria (Pridnestrovie).

The current Republic of Moldova, founded in 1991, has never in its current history been able to exercise sovereignty or enforce its territorial claim over Transnistria.

In the past, Moldova only existed once as a sovereign country: From 1359 to 1859, as the Principality of Moldavia.

In 1859, it united with Wallachia as the basis of today's Romania. Until 1940 and the creation of the MSSR within the Soviet Union, Moldova was part of Romania.

At various times in its history, the Principality of Moldavia included the regions of Bessarabia (today's Moldova) and much of Bukovina. But never once in its 500 year history did it ever include Transnistria / Pridnestrovie. At its largest extent, its Eastern-most border always ended at the Dniester River. This is also the border today between Moldova proper and the 'de facto' independent republic of Transnistria.

Having lived apart for the past 17 years, the two sides are developing in different directions. Visitor generally agree that Moldova is a failed state. And while living standards in Transnistria are also low, the small and unrecognized country is overall doing better than its larger and more recognized neighbor.

Destination Chisinau
Chisinau, the capital of the Republic of Moldova, is no tourist attraction. Here is how one visitor described it after a visit in mid-2007:

" - A very unspectacular city, with either communist neighborhoods, often crumbling, or old one-storey houses with no decorations or other interesting features. Garbage everywhere, often in a very dry, dusty place," says Gruia Badescu, a Romanian.

" - Dirty, very dirty, mountains of garbage, people throwing everything everywhere. The Piata Centrala, a total nightmare, with thousands of rather poorly dressed people, scheming taxi drivers, old and horrible buses and minivans going apparently to every village of this Republic, a lot of pollution, weird merchandise, dust, scary looking dogs."

Along with a group of other Romanian visitors, Gruia Badescu subsequently went on to visit Tiraspol, the capital of neighboring Transnistria. This visit also took place in July of 2007 and the contrast with the mismanagement of Moldova was an eye-opener for the group.

" - And then, Tiraspol. Great surprise. Nice socialist-realist buildings, even some older buildings, all renovated, well kept, flowers everywhere, well dressed people. Stores, bars, restaurants, a general impression of prosperity. Big surprise," repeated Badescu.

" - The place looked too well. Much better than any town I've seen in Moldova, better than even Chisinau. No sign of garbage."

Moldova as U.S. vassal state
For most of its history, the Principality of Moldova was a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire. After the Turks left, it came into the fold of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Now, some say that is has turned into a vassal state of militaristic/imperial U.S. ambitions for expanding its influence.

The United States has for years been Moldova’s largest bilateral aid donor. Its Embassy in Chisinau is the largest of all foreign embassies in the country, and it has a section which actively provides aid and financial grants to groups that work to end Pridnestrovie's statehood. This work was increased after Donald Rumsfeld (as US Defense Secretary) personally visited Chisinau in 2004.

Moldova has tight military cooperation with the United States. In 2003, Moldova and the US European Command signed a memorandum to establish a US Bureau for Military Cooperation in Moldova.

" - The bureau complements the bilateral military cooperation already in place between the United States and Moldova," said Moldova's former ambassador to the United States, Mihail Manoli.

The United States has trained and providing technical assistance to the Moldovan army. In return, Moldova has fully supported the US invasion of Iraq and continues to support it even after many other former allies have left. Moldova has sent soldiers to Iraq as part of the US-led coalition and Moldovan troops are still in Iraq at the current time.

Since 1993 Moldova has been a closely collaborating member country of NATO's Partnership for Peace program. NATO holds annual training exercises in Moldova which are financed entirely with American money. The United States pays Moldova to upgrade its army to NATO standards.

Limited voice for voters in Moldova
Moldova's Constitution was made behind closed doors by a political elite which did not consult with the population.

In contrast, Transnistria's Constitution was. approved in popular referendum. It is among one of the few constitutions in the world to have been ratified by its people in a democratic referendum.

Pridnestrovie is also one of the few states in the world whose existence as created as the result of a popular referendum among its people before the declaration of independence. Moldova never held such a referendum.

Before independence, Mikhail Gorbachev wanted the Soviet Union to hold an all-union referendum on its continued existence under the new winds of Glasnost and Perestroika. Both Moldova and Transnistria were still part of the Soviet Union at the time, and had to follow the decisions from the center. But Moldova was afraid of letting the people decide and didn't allow the referendum to be held. It only went forward in Transnistria, which already governed itself independently of Chisinau (then: Kishinev) at the time.

Moldova and Romania - shared history, shared future
Of the real Moldova, a lot of it lies in today's Romania. Even the original Moldovan capitals - Suceava and Iasi - are now Romanian cities.

Chisinau was a little village on the swampy Bac river in the original, historical Moldova and only started to grow with the arrival of Russians and Jews in 1812.
(continued)

oh man ...

 

[gorski]

Palestine, Kurdistan, Serbistan.... NEXT!!!!!!

 

[frogwoman]

you looked around that tiraspol times website gorski? talk about wishful thinking ...

 

[gorski]

Look up for GUUAM and see NATO and Russia at loggerheads...

As far as this is concerned:

Limited voice for voters in Moldova
Moldova's Constitution was made behind closed doors by a political elite which did not consult with the population.

In contrast, Transnistria's Constitution was. approved in popular referendum. It is among one of the few constitutions in the world to have been ratified by its people in a democratic referendum.

Pridnestrovie is also one of the few states in the world whose existence as created as the result of a popular referendum among its people before the declaration of independence. Moldova never held such a referendum.

Before independence, Mikhail Gorbachev wanted the Soviet Union to hold an all-union referendum on its continued existence under the new winds of Glasnost and Perestroika. Both Moldova and Transnistria were still part of the Soviet Union at the time, and had to follow the decisions from the center. But Moldova was afraid of letting the people decide and didn't allow the referendum to be held. It only went forward in Transnistria, which already governed itself independently of Chisinau (then: Kishinev) at the time.

Something very similar happened in ex-YU but the referenda/elections were held on the levels of republics, rather than the federation, and the war ensued, as that "legitimized" separatism and... Well, the rest is histery...

Idiots and/or sociopaths. The lot of them who pushed for such outcomes. What we got was decentralization and no proper democratization!!!

Hatred/prejudices, greed/will for power of the lowliest kind and no capacity to think strategically and carefully...

 

[frogwoman]

cheers mate, that's very useful for my dissertation ...

 

[gorski]

What are you writing on?

 

[Poi E]

Something very similar happened in ex-YU but the referenda/elections were held on the levels of republics, rather than the federation, and the war ensued, as that "legitimized" separatism :

Well, the separation "legitimized" war in the eyes of some, duplicitous foreign governments included.

 

[gorski]

Obviously way too many...

 

[frogwoman]

What are you writing on?

Russia and how its relationship with former Soviet states (like Georgia, Moldova etc) is affected by Nato.

 

[gorski]

GUUAM + Kosovo, then, sure...

 

[frogwoman]

the "tiraspol times" is absolutely ridiculous

 

[frogwoman]

GUUAM + Kosovo, then, sure...

yep. fascinating (but depressing) stuff.

 

[gorski]

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=EEhgwdJldeU&feature=related

 

[gorski]

This is disturbing!!!!

 

[gorski]

Part [4? &] 5 on the UK media etc. Yayks!!!!

 

[HackneyE9]

It's also surely odds-on likely, with the Russian and Georgian forces eyeball to eyeball at the moment after NATO refused to let Georgia in, that the new Russian President Medvedev will be looking around for a convenient little war to "prove" himself, no?

Especially since he wasn't part of the military/KGB elite and so feels the need to overcompensate...

 

[frogwoman]

This is disturbing!!!!

yep.



oh and what he says about how opponents of it are demonised is very true. i tried to talk about it to someone i know who's like, massively into politics (although quite right wing, tbf) and knows an awful lot about most things, and got accused of "hating albanians" and wanting them all to die! oh well..i was quite insulted actually, because im not racist in the slightest, and i don't see the fact i'm opposed to this stuff as being racist at all, when the media comes out with all sorts of crap about serbia - and muslims - all the time ... but so many people don't have a problem with that (including him) and see it as normal...when they are intelligent enough to know better ...

 

[frogwoman]

It's also surely odds-on likely, with the Russian and Georgian forces eyeball to eyeball at the moment after NATO refused to let Georgia in, that the new Russian President Medvedev will be looking around for a convenient little war to "prove" himself, no?

Especially since he wasn't part of the military/KGB elite and so feels the need to overcompensate...

you mean do a blair in 1998??

Its possible ... given that he seems quite "liberal" and "modern" (in comparison to putin) he might want to prove to anyone with an interest in these things - ie ex-kgb tough guys ... that he can play the tough guy ... and also safeguard his own position ... make people scared of him, after all politics in russia is fucking dodgy at the best of times ...!!!!!!!1

 

[frogwoman]

look at georgia's geographic location as well. far more isolated, few friendly countries around it and much easier to attack than Moldova and its ridiculous "Pridnestrovie" lol.

i managed to talk about transnistria in my exam today

 

[frogwoman]

you mean do a blair in 1998??

Its possible ... given that he seems quite "liberal" and "modern" (in comparison to putin) he might want to prove to anyone with an interest in these things - ie ex-kgb tough guys ... that he can play the tough guy ... and also safeguard his own position ... make people scared of him, after all politics in russia is fucking dodgy at the best of times ...!!!!!!!1

I don't think Nato will lift a finger to help georgia either. this shit has been going on for years.

 

[zoltan]

look at georgia's geographic location as well. far more isolated, few friendly countries around it and much easier to attack than Moldova and its ridiculous "Pridnestrovie" lol.

i managed to talk about transnistria in my exam today

Good.

Did you mention the " sheriff" ?

 

[frogwoman]

Haha! No i didn't ... got an exam on russian politics tomorrow though so i could fit mr smirnov and his sons in there ...

 

[gorski]

Comic satire, about a time when all wars are outsourced, cuts too close to the realities of America's corporate-fueled occupation of Iraq to breathe with the dark humor that the filmmakers intend.

Sergej Trifunovic and co.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0884224/

Torrent:
http://www.mininova.org/tor/1395165

War, Inc. (2008 )
# Director: Joshua Seftel
# Cast: John Cusack,Joan Cusack,Marisa Tomei,Hilary Duff,Ben Kingsley
# Genre: Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller
# Year of Production: 11 September 2008 (Netherlands)
# Country: USA
http://www.us.imdb.com/title/tt0884224/

# Plot: A political satire set in Turaqistan, a country occupied by an American
private corporation run by a former US Vice-President (Aykroyd). In an effort to
monopolize the opportunities the war-torn nation offers, the corporation\'s CEO
hires a troubled hit man (Cusack), to kill a Middle East oil minister. Now, struggling
with his own growing demons, the assassin must pose as the corporation\'s Trade
Show Producer in order to pull off this latest hit, while maintaining his cover by
organizing the high-profile wedding of Yonica Babyyeah (Duff) an outrageous Middle
Eastern pop star, and keeping a sexy left wing reporter (Tomei) in check

 

[gorski]

Here's another angle, too [more "Shadows" and "Drakh" characters in Babylon5 terms ]:

The caption in S-C says:

- Čuj, usvojila, hihihihi...

- Čuj, vlada, ha,ha,ha,ha!!!

A loose translation would be something like:

"Oh, look, as if they [Gov] "adopted those measures", hehehe..."

"Jeez, as if they ARE a Gov, hahahahaha!!!"

 

[frogwoman]

hahaha

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7395826.stm

The Ukrainian authorities have barred Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov from entering the country after he said the port of Sevastopol did not belong to Ukraine.

Ukraine's security service said Mr Luzhkov had ignored its warning against "actions that damage Ukraine's national interests and territorial integrity".

Speaking in Sevastopol on Sunday, Mr Luzhkov said the city "was not among" areas transferred to Ukraine in 1954.

The Russian-majority Crimean city is the base of the Black Sea Fleet.

Crimea was transferred to Ukraine by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1954, when Russia and Ukraine formed part of the Soviet Union.

Mr Luzhkov said that in 1948, Sevastopol "was set apart as a city subordinated to the state" - in other words, governed from Moscow, not Kiev.

umm ...

im sure ukraine would rather it stayed part of their country but who cares. they should stop being so arrogant and let the people decide!
the ones in russia that is.

 

[gorski]

BREAKING NEWS: EARTHQUAKE IN ALBANIA......4000 DEAD......USA SENT MONEY......FRANCE MEDICAL HELP.....GERMANY FOOD.....ITALY DRINKS......UK CLOTHES......GREECE SENT 4000 ALBANIANS TO REPLACE THEM!!

http://www.mlahanas.de/Greece/History/Arvanites.html

 

[frogwoman]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7420130.stm