Georgia accuses Russia of provocation

Georgia said on Thursday that Russia had deployed 2,000 additional troops into South Ossetia in the past week and was preparing “provocations” in the breakaway territory. “In the past week, Russia increased the number of troops by 2,000 to 7,000 staff,” Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili told a news conference. “We fear Russia is preparing provocations in South Ossetia,” he said. There was no immediate response from Russian authorities. Utiashvili said dozens of Russian armoured vehicles had been positioned in the disputed Akhalgori region, the southeastern corner of South Ossetia which Georgia insists should be returned to Tbilisi’s control under a French-brokered ceasefire deal. Russia sent troops and tanks into Georgia in August to repel an offensive by the Georgian military to retake pro-Russian South Ossetia, which threw off Tbilisi’s rule in 1991-92. Russia’s powerful counter-strike drove the Georgian Army out of South Ossetia, and Moscow’s troops then pushed further into Georgia, saying they needed to prevent Georgian attacks. The West condemned Russia for a “disproportionate response” and Russian troops have since pulled back from buffer zones around South Ossetia and a second breakaway region, Abkhazia. The Kremlin has recognised both rebel regions as independent states and said it would station 7,600 troops there to provide security. A 225-strong European Union mission is monitoring the ceasefire, patrolling the former buffer zone around South Ossetia up to its de facto border. Russia says the mission will not be allowed to operate inside South Ossetia.

 

News: 15 October

The crisis within the Jet Airways has just begun, it seems. Jet Airways CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schaeur revealed that his airlines will terminate 1,900 out of a total of 13,000 employees in a phased manner. According to Jet CEO, those employees were hired as part of the expansion plan, but it was held back for some reason. He also said that 800 employees have already been served termination notice and 1,100 more will soon get the boot. Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schaeur termed the process of termination of employees as completely legal and maintained that adequate compensation will be given to sacked employees as per the contract. He also said that decision to fire the employees had nothing to with the alliance with Kingfisher Airlines. “It was a tough decision, but we had to take it. We have sacked employees for the first time in 15 years”, said Mr. Wolfgang Prock-Schaeur.

The current turmoil within the Jet Airways, has taken an interesting turn with MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) chief Raj Thackeray deciding to support the sacked Jet Airways employees. Jet Airways has sacked around 1,000 employees today, who were on probation and were supposed to get their confirmation letter on November 1. After getting a snub from Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, the sacked Jet Airways employees decided to approach MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who in return echoed their sentiments. Raj Thackeray warned the Jet Airways of dire consequences if the sacked employees are not reinstated with immediate effect. “No Jet Airways flight will be allowed to take off from Mumbai if needed”, thundered Raj Thackeray. A MNS delegation will meet Jet Airways management tomorrow to discuss the issue.

As the Jet Airways sacked around 1,000 employees without giving any prior notice, the sacked staff went on a rampage outside the Jet Airways office in Mumbai. All sacked employees were on probation and they were supposed to get their confirmation letter on November 1, but they never expected a sudden termination letter as ‘Diwali Gifts’. The employees are now considering legal options, as Jet Airways did not keep its promise of one month termination notice to its employees. The sacked Jet Airways employees included the cabin crew and customer service officers. They are in a state of shock at this latest development. The Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal defended the decision to lay off around 1,000 staff saying they were non-permanent and unconfirmed employees. He also said that his company would do everything possible to reduce costs. The Jet Airways also decided to reduce its flights by 10-12 percent during the coming winter. According to latest reports, Jet Airways will sack more employees in the categories of cabin cockpit crew and management. Kingfisher Airlines also said that it would soon fire a sizable number of employees to reduce costs. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has refused the government intervention on this matter, saying the companies reserve the right to hire/fire their staff. The sacked Jet Airways employees have decided to approach MNS chief Raj Thackeray for his support to their cause.

Alibaba.com is the official website of the Alibaba Group, which is considered as the world’s largest B2B marketing website. Alibaba.com is a big name in the field of B2B e-commerce. Jack Ma, a former English teacher from the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou founded Alibaba.com in 1999 along with 18 other founder members. Today, Alibaba.com has over 32 million registered users from over 240 countries and regions. Alibaba.com has offices in over 30 cities across China as well as in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Europe and the US. The company has around 7,000 full-time employees today. Alibaba.com connects millions of buyers and suppliers through three marketplaces – http://www.alibaba.com/, http://www.alibaba.com.cn/ and http://www.alibaba.com.jp/. Alibaba.com is a certified B2B marketing website is considered as the most trusted among all available e-commerce websites.

Captain GR Gopinath, vice chairman of Kingfisher Airlines, is planning to buy back Air Deccan. He is reportedly unhappy over the alliance between Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways struck a couple of days ago. Gopinath is planning to offer a package to buy back Air Deccan from Kingfisher Airlines. Currently, UB Group Chairman Vijay Mallya has 65% share in Kingfisher Airlines, while Captain Gopinath has only 5.58% stake.

In a shocking development, Father Chellan, the lone eyewitness in the sensational nun rape case in Kandhamal, Orissa, refused to cooperate in the investigation, saying he did not have faith in the system. Father Chellan’s refusal to help the Orissa Police, came as a shocker for all and it provided ammo to critics who have already raised questions on the alleged rape of the nun. In 1999, a similar incident occurred in Baripada, where a nun alleged that she was raped by Hindu extremists. But the later the allegations turned out to be false. Although the state police have arrested eight persons in connections with the nun rape case in Kandhamal, Father Chellan’s refusal to cooperate with the police, raised several questions that remain unanswered.

The Jet Airways has decided to lay off over 800 employees citing reasons of ill health and cost-cutting measures. Jet Airways’ decision to fire over 800 employees sent a panic across the aviation industry. The cabin crew and customer service officials will be fired as part of a cost-cutting exercise. According to sources, Kingfisher Airlines is also planning to lay off a sizeable number of staff soon. According to major Ailrlines in the country, the aviation sector is in a bad shape and it requires a bailout package to move up. Airlines across the world are suffering huge losses due to the steep rise in jet fuel. Aviation Minister Prafulla Patel has expressed concerns over the latest deveopment and assured that he would take up the case with the Finance Minister.

India continued their dominance on the third day of the Commonwealth Youth Games on Tuesday and consolidated their position atop the standings, taking their medals tally to seven golds, five silver and four bronze. England closely follow the hosts with six golds, one silver and two bronze. India bagged four golds, four silvers and four bronze at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi on Tuesday to add to their Mondays tally of three golds and one silver. Meanwhile in girls’ badminton event, Beijing quarter-finalist Saina Nehwal eased past Deborah Godfrey of South Africa to 21-7 21-4 to storm into the pre-quarterfinals, while national champion Guru Sai Dutt beat Joel Debel of Seychelles 21-04 21-02 to move into third round. Not considered as India’s forte, athletics however earned India a gold through Maharashtra’s Dheeraj Mishra who leapt 15.42m to emerge on top in the triple jump. England’s Benjamin Williams (15.41m) finished second, while Boipelo Molahatlhego of South Africa secured the bronze with a distance of 15.20m. Indians also bagged two silver and three bronze medals in athletics. Though the hosts missed a gold in the men’s hammer-throw which was topped by Peter Smith of England with a distance of 68.38m, Indian duo of Narayan Chandrodaya (68.38m) and Ejaj Ahmed (64.97m) took the silver and bronze respectively. The other silver came from Gayathri Govindharaj, who with a timing of 14.00s finished second in 100m hurdles. Kierre Beckles (Barbados) and Australia’s Brianna Beahan took the gold and bronze respectively. The other two bronze medals came through Jasdeep Singh (shot put) and Poonam Rani (women’s javelin). Meanwhile, India shooters continued to shine for the second day in succession with Hyderabad’s Kynan Darius Chenai bagging a gold in the boys trap event and Ankush Bharadwaj clinching his second medal, a bronze in 10m Air Pistol event. Mistake-ridden Darius, however, had a nervous final round where he shot 17, while the eventual bronze medalist Michael McNabb of Australia shot 19. But his earlier rounds scores of 111 was enough for the Hyderabad sharp shooter to finish on top with 128. Having shot a poor 106 in the earlier rounds, Australian McNabb’s splendid comeback in the final round took his tally to 106 and thus a bronze. Malta’s Ryan Bugeja, who shot on par with the Indian with the final round score of 17, had to settle for the silver medal after finishing one point shy of Darius. Monday’s gold medalist in 50m pistol event, Bhardwaj added a bronze to his tally after firing 94.9 in the final round to finish with a total of 645.9. Gold went to James Hendry Matthews of Canada with a final score of 96.1 and a total of 653.1. Singapore’s Chen Christopher finished with the silver with a total score of 650.7 and in the final he shot 95.7. Loss of concentration due to a lighting problem cost Rushad Damania of India a medal, who missed the bronze by a margin of less than two points in the boys 50m rifle prone event. Bad light forced Rushad to change his place and he shot 97.3 in the final to take his total to 679.3. But Rory McAlpine of Scotland with a final round score of 99.4 took his tally to 681.4 en route to a silver, while James Huckle took the gold with 687.6. India had a poor fifth place finish in the girls 50m rifle prone event with Aparajita Tivary totalling 579. Kay Copland (Scotland) clinched the gold with 585, while Nurfarah Afiqah of Malaysia took the silver totalling 582. Sheree Cox of England had to contend with the bronze, finishing one point adrift of the Malaysian. Monday saw shooting earn two gold for India with Bhardwaj emerging winner in a two-way race in the 50m pistol and Rahi Sarnobat in the girls 25m pistol. Taking advantage of the thin participation, India also bagged two gold medals in wrestling event. Ajit Patil opened the medal account in wrestling for the hosts when he emerged on top in the 39- 42kg category which saw representation from four countries. In his first round bout, the Kolhapur lad beat Pakistan’s Salamat Ali 8-0 to ensure a medal for India and then knocked out England’s Jack Longthrone 6-1 in the second bout to finish on top in the round robin. In the gold medal bout, the Bombay Engineering Group (BEG) grappler pinned down Jonathan Babulall of Canada to pocket the gold. In the 46kg category, which saw a three-way race, Delhi’s Deepak Kumar emerged on top. Trained under his father Ramnath, the gold on Tuesday was his third international medal. He has a gold in a Russian meet in 2007, while in Uzbekistan last year he had bagged a bronze. Yukar Sibi and Laxmi N fetched two silvers for India in the men’s 62kg and women’s 53kg categories of weightlifting. The Army Sports Institute’s (ASI) girl Sibi lifted 112kg in snatch and 147kg in the clean and jerk category to finish with a total of 259kg and settle for a silver behind Aricco Jumitih of Malaysia. Uganda’s Charles Ssekyaaya took the bronze. Laxmi, who trains in SAI Bangalore, lifted 149kg (snatch 67kg, jerk 82kg) to finish with 149kg for the silver. Zoe Smith of England took the gold, while Bangladesh’s Fayema Akther had to settle for the bronze. The top two seeded paddlers Neha Aggarwal and Soumi Mondal also maintained their winning streak to make the last eight of the table tennis event.

In one of the largest layoffs in Indian aviation sector, Jet Airways hands in the pink slip to more than 800 cabin crew and customer care executives. Earlier CNBC-TV18 had reported that Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines had announced a cost-cutting collaboration on Monday October 13. Meanwhile, sources say that Kingfisher Airlines is also likely to lay off employees. Sources further reported that Jet and Kingfisher would meet to discuss route rationalization in the next two to three days. Here is a verbatim transcript of Karma Paljor’s comments on CNBC-TV18. Also watch the accompanying video. Q: Explain the likely quantum of attrition from a Kingfisher perspective and how important is the alliance factor, considering small players are meeting to form an alliance, which is similar to the Jet Kingfisher pact? A: Yes, this is in line with what the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) have been talking about. Jet Airways said that they were would lay off some 800 odd staff and this is not the confirmed staff, this is the staff which was on probation, which was taken for expansion plan. Sources said that those on probation, those who are taken to fly the new routes that they are going to charter may be dismisses. The US operations has been suspended, due to which a sizeable chunk of around 800 staff would be asked to go off, which means that they will not be confirmed. These staff were essential for expansion. All the experienced staff is going to move to international operations to fly to Europe now.. So as far as Kingfisher is concerned we are expecting the same. The aviation industry is expected to incur a loss of over Rs 4,000 crore. It is a very difficult time for them right now. The CEOs are meeting to discuss this issue with the Aviation Minister in Hyderabad. Q: There are also newspaper reports that Captain Gopinath may be actually vying a Deccan buyback with support from some PE players and that he is unhappy over the Jet alliance and he also looking at meeting Vijay Mallya today. Did you pick up anything from your sources? A: Captain Gopinath said he was going to meet Vijay Mallya, where the Kingfisher Airlines chairman would try and explain the model that they working out with Jet Airways. But he may be very clear that should Vijay Mallya and Naresh Goyal plan to kill the low cost model of Air Deccan or Kingfisher Red which they call it now, then he would certainly try and combat and buy Kingfisher Red back from Vijay Mallya, so that would be a significant move. But the clause being that Captain Gopinath would need the funds to do that and since he has made this Air Deccan dream come true a lot of people would love to back him at this point. Q: Getting back to the labour issue considering that assurances were given to employees post the pact. Do you see a lot of trouble brewing in right now that this news of lay off has come in? A: I don’t think so. As far as the Jet Airways and Kingfisher are concerned, most of the employees that they are going to lay off were on probation and Jet Airways made this statement that they were laying off probationers. So I don’t think there will be any problems. They said that they would give them good compensations. Q: Are you also picking up any news on the small players now forming an alliance of their own, which includes Indigo? A: Possible at this point but we will really have to see how they can get together. The aircraft, fleet size and the make will have to match Boeing. If SpiceJet is flying all Boeing fleets then Indigo would be flying then all the Airbus fleets. So all these factors will have to be taken in to see how they can really come together.

India’s Arvind Adiga created history by winning the Man Booker Prize 2008 for his much-publicized debut novel “The White Tiger”. Arvind Adiga’s book “The White Tiger” is all about the poverty in India and the wealth gap between the rich and the poor. The Chairman of the judges described Arvind Adiga’s “The White Tiger” as a revelation of “the dark side of India”. The Booker Awards ceremony was held in London’s Guildhall. “The White Tiger” narrates the story of a village boy Balram Halwai, who became an entrepreneur through villainous means. According to Arvind Adiga, most of the poor people in India can make it to the top either through crime or politics. It’s a dream came true for Arvind Adiga, who beat five other competitors including India’s Amitabh Ghosh (Sea of Poppies), Steve Toltz of Australia (A Fraction of the Whole), Sebastian Barry of Ireland (The Secret Scripture), and British writers Linda Grant (The Clothes on Their Backs), and Philip Hensher (The Northern Clemency). Arvind Adiga is the third writer to win the prestigious Man Booker Prize on debut after Arundhati Roy (1997) and DBC Pierer (2003). He is the fifth Indian-origin writer to win the coveted award after V.S. Naipul, Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy and Kiran Desai. Arvind Adiga, who was born in Chennai, dedicated his award to New Delhi, where he has lived for many years.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has decided to take heads on Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati. Sonia defied the prohibitory orders (Section 144) imposed by Mayawati government and entered Rae Bareli amid a huge welcome crowd. People defied Section 144 to welcome Sonia Gandhi and shouted slogans against Mayawati. “Rai Bareli is my Karmabhoomi. No one can stop me from coming to my home. I am ready to go to jail on this issue if required”, thundered Sonia Gandhi. Earlier Sonia Gandhi had cancelled her public rally in the wake of prohibitory orders imposed in the area. Although Mayawati had diverted Sonia Gandhi’s route to Rae Bareli, a defiant Sonia took the same route and snubbed Mayawati and her administration. The UP police was pain to explain why they could not stop Sonia from entering Rae Bareli and meeting with the public despite the prohibitory orders. Sonia did not comment on the cancellation of land allotment for the Rail Coach Factory, terming it “sub-judice”. Meanwhile, Congress legislator Ashok Singh and eight of his supporters were booked by the UP government for vandalism against the state government. Manuwadi Sonia breaks the law so every indian can break law as pr their comfort.

 

Testing for a new ‘Cold War’ in Crimea

Testing for a new ‘Cold War’ in Crimea

By Paul Reynolds World affairs correspondent, BBC News website

Cheers for a Russian warship as it enters Sevastopol

The Russian military operation against Georgia and its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have led to concerns amounting at times to near panic about whether a new Cold War is under way. The Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said that he does not want a new Cold War but is not afraid of one either. So is the conflict a turning-point heralding a new age of confrontation or just a limited Russian action to resolve two border disputes left over from the Soviet era? Or something in between, a sign of uncertainty on both sides which will mean tension but not the kind of ideological struggle and military stand-off that was the Cold War itself? New test A good test of Russian intentions could come in Crimea, the territory jutting out in the Black Sea. It is part of Ukraine.

The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said: “It’s very dangerous. There are other objectives that one can suppose are the objectives of Russia, in particular Crimea, Ukraine and Moldova.” The problem over Crimea is this. Crimea was handed over to Ukraine from the Russian Soviet Republic by Nikita Khrushchev in 1954. However ethnic Russians still make up the majority of its nearly 2 million inhabitants. It is also home to the Russian navy’s Black Sea Fleet at Sevastopol, on which Russia has a lease until 2017. Sevastopol has resonance in Russian history, from the siege by the British and French in 1854-55. There have been small demonstrations there recently calling for Crimea to be returned to Russia. Valery Podyachy, head of the Sevastopol-Crimea-Russia Popular Front, said: “While Russia sent aid to flood-hit Ukrainian regions, Ukraine failed to help Russia to force Georgia to peace, and took an openly hostile stance.” There is the potential therefore for trouble. If Russia started to agitate on behalf of its “brothers” in Crimea and argued that it must have Sevastopol (even though it is building another base), Crimea could provide certainly a test of Russian ambitions and possibly a flashpoint. Western worries This fear of future Russian actions partly explains the Western worries. The British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has gone to Ukraine talking of forming “the widest possible coalition against Russian aggression in Georgia”. Mr Miliband is positioning himself at the hawkish end of the Western response. He said in a speech in Kiev that events in Georgia had been a “rude awakening” and that a “hard-headed engagement” with Russia was needed. But he added: “The Russian President says he is not afraid of a new Cold War. We don’t want one. He has a big responsibility not to start one.” The US Vice President Dick Cheney is going to Georgia. Nato has met to declare that there can be no “business as usual” with Russia. People are looking up the principles laid down by US diplomat George Kennan after World War II that called for the “containment” of an aggressive Soviet union. The other view There is another view, though, and this holds that while Russian intentions are not to be trusted, it cannot be wholly blamed for what happened in South Ossetia. The former British ambassador to Yugoslavia, Sir Ivor Roberts, said: “Moscow has acted brutally in Georgia. But when the United States and Britain backed the independence of Kosovo without UN approval, they paved the way for Russia’s ‘defence’ of South Ossetia, and for the current Western humiliation. “What is sauce for the Kosovo goose is sauce for the South Ossetian gander.” The borders issue Behind all this also lies the problem of European borders. During and after the Cold War, it was held (and still is) that borders, however unreasonable to the inhabitants, could not be changed without agreement. This has given governments a veto. Serbia tried to veto the break-up of Yugoslavia. Georgia has not allowed Abkhazia and South Ossetia to secede. Ukraine holds on to Crimea etc. The potential for a clash between the competing interests of local people and central governments is obvious. The fear that borders may unravel also helps explain why the Russian recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has upset Western governments so much. Their problem, however, is that they offer no solutions to those disputes beyond best intentions and a status quo policed by peacekeepers, a status quo that can easily be upset.   September 24, 2008 Russian drone ‘hit over Georgia’ Georgia says its military has shot down a Russian reconnaissance drone that was flying over Georgian territory – a claim denied by Russia. The unmanned plane was downed south of the de facto border with breakaway South Ossetia, the Georgian government said, though no evidence was provided. Russia dismissed the claim as “another media provocation by Georgia”. Russia recognised the independence of South Ossetia after a short war broke out over the territory last month. Russia has been withdrawing from Georgia proper under a ceasefire deal. European Union monitors have been deploying in Georgia, to verify the Russian withdrawal and oversee the ceasefire. They are due to start patrolling on 1 October. Georgia accused separatists from Abkhazia, a second breakaway region also recognised by Moscow, of breaching the ceasefire and shooting dead a Georgian police officer on Sunday. Drone claims Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said the drone was shot down on Monday near the town of Gori, some 30 km (20 miles) from South Ossetia. “It was flying over the territory between the villages of Khurvaleti and Tsitelubani,” Mr Utiashvili said. “We believe it was patrolling the territory where the Baku-Supsa [oil] pipeline runs.” Reconnaissance flights played a role in escalating tensions between Georgia and Russia in the build-up to the war that broke out on 7 August. In May Georgia released video pictures of what it said was a Russian jet shooting down a Georgian drone over Abkhazia. Georgia said the jet had breached its territorial integrity – which was at that stage still recognised by Russia. Russia denied its jet was involved, though UN monitors backed the Georgian claim. Earlier in the month Abkhaz fighters said they had shot down two Georgian drones over Abkhazia – a claim denied by Georgia. In July Russia admitted its jets had flown over South Ossetia. The conflict in the region began when Georgia tried to retake South Ossetia by force after a series of lower-level clashes. Russia launched a counter-attack and the Georgian troops were ejected from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.   September 24, 2008 Russian drone ‘hit over Georgia’ Georgia says its military has shot down a Russian reconnaissance drone that was flying over Georgian territory – a claim denied by Russia. The unmanned plane was downed south of the de facto border with breakaway South Ossetia, the Georgian government said, though no evidence was provided. Russia dismissed the claim as “another media provocation by Georgia”. Russia recognised the independence of South Ossetia after a short war broke out over the territory last month. Russia has been withdrawing from Georgia proper under a ceasefire deal. European Union monitors have been deploying in Georgia, to verify the Russian withdrawal and oversee the ceasefire. They are due to start patrolling on 1 October. Georgia accused separatists from Abkhazia, a second breakaway region also recognised by Moscow, of breaching the ceasefire and shooting dead a Georgian police officer on Sunday. Drone claims Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said the drone was shot down on Monday near the town of Gori, some 30 km (20 miles) from South Ossetia. “It was flying over the territory between the villages of Khurvaleti and Tsitelubani,” Mr Utiashvili said. “We believe it was patrolling the territory where the Baku-Supsa [oil] pipeline runs.” Reconnaissance flights played a role in escalating tensions between Georgia and Russia in the build-up to the war that broke out on 7 August. In May Georgia released video pictures of what it said was a Russian jet shooting down a Georgian drone over Abkhazia. Georgia said the jet had breached its territorial integrity – which was at that stage still recognised by Russia. Russia denied its jet was involved, though UN monitors backed the Georgian claim. Earlier in the month Abkhaz fighters said they had shot down two Georgian drones over Abkhazia – a claim denied by Georgia. In July Russia admitted its jets had flown over South Ossetia. The conflict in the region began when Georgia tried to retake South Ossetia by force after a series of lower-level clashes. Russia launched a counter-attack and the Georgian troops were ejected from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.   September 18, 2008 Georgia and Ukraine ‘shouldn’t join Nato’ By Paul Reynolds World affairs correspondent, BBC News website Russian armour in South Ossetia: who started the war? In a potentially significant swing of expert Western opinion, a leading British think tank has urged that Nato membership should not be granted to Georgia or Ukraine. “The policy of Nato enlargement now would be a strategic error,” said Dr John Chipman, Director General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). “There is no case for accelerating membership for Georgia and Ukraine. There is a strong case for a pause,” he said in remarks introducing the IISS’s annual review of world affairs, the Strategic Survey. Current Nato policy, decided at a summit meeting in Bucharest in April, is that both countries should become members eventually but no timetable has been set. Who started the war? The IISS intervention shows that following the war in Georgia, a debate is growing about whether a confrontational approach to Russia is the best one. The IISS is critical of Georgia’s actions during the conflict The IISS is highly critical of Georgian actions – in contrast to the support Georgia has received from the US and some European countries, notably Britain. Naturally, if Georgia is faulted, then less blame can be put on Russia, whatever its reaction or, as some hold, its over-reaction. Dr Chipman said that the “balance of evidence suggests that Georgia started this war”. Georgia has claimed that Russian forces had already started to enter South Ossetia by the time it acted. Russia has said that it responded to a Georgian attack. Pressure seems to be growing for an international inquiry into the actual sequence of events. The IISS position will undermine sympathy for Georgia and its leader President Mikhail Saakashvili. Its analysis is that Georgia ignored American warnings not to go into South Ossetia and is therefore an unreliable partner at present. ‘No give and take’ But the importance of the intervention goes beyond that, as it calls for a calmer approach to relations with Russia. “There have been major errors of presentation of policy towards Russia. The US and Nato have in the past told Russia to accept whatever was happening. There was no give and take. We are disappointed at the way some Western leaders pushed the Cold War button after Georgia,” said Dr Chipman. “We should not over-inflate the crisis.” He added: “The events of August 2008 do not signify fresh steps towards a new Cold War, because neither side wants one and the stakes are too low to warrant one.” Role for EU Another IISS expert, Oksana Antonenko, reflected the IISS view that with a decline in US influence, the EU should be more active in formulating policy initiatives – but it lacked the means to do so. She said it was good timing that France – a major, influential country -held EU presidency during the Georgia crisis. “It highlighted the fact that EU institutions are highly incapable ones,” she said. “We urgently need a mechanism to stop the presidency from fluctuating between different member states.” We are disappointed at the way some Western leaders pushed the Cold War button after Georgia John Chipman, IISS The Lisbon Treaty does provide for a permanent presidency and a strengthened foreign policy representative, but it has not been ratified. The IISS report came on a day when Nato defence ministers were meeting in London. There is some feeling in Nato that its priority should be to do more to reassure its existing members, especially those close to Russia, rather than rushing to bring in new members. And that is a view supported in the IISS report. A great deal will depend on the views of the next American president. The Bush administration is all for pushing on with membership for Ukraine and Georgia, and the issue will be taken up again at Nato meetings in December. A British official predicted that there would be no slowing of support for Georgia and no disposition to reward Russia. But no quick decisions are likely in the current uncertain state of affairs. Paul.Reynolds-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk   September 4, 2008 US wary of punishing Russia for conflict with Georgia New York, Sep 4 (ANI): The Bush administration does not plan to draw up a “mindless list” of penalties that could alienate Russia because of its recent conflict with Georgia. Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Daniel Fried said Washington is keen to know how much Russia would like to isolate itself from the world. We don’t want to have a bad relationship with Russia. We’ve never wanted that,” the New York Times quoted Fried, as saying. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has asked her advisers to “think this (stand-off with Russia) through in a serious way,” as the Bush Administration is nearing its end. With the European Union failing to reach an agreement Monday on imposing sanctions for Moscow’s invasion of Georgia, Fried has been consulting with EU officials on “next steps,” to be taken, if any, against Moscow. Meanwhile, Vice-President Dick Cheney is on a visit to Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan to assess the fall out of the conflict. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has ordered a review of military cooperation agreements with Russia as part of a wider evaluation of relations in response to the continued presence of Russian troops in parts of Georgia. The review, a Pentagon spokesman said, encompasses the Pentagon’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), a program to combat the proliferation of nuclear, biological, chemical and other weapons of mass destruction. However, the most prominent program administered by the agency – known as Nunn-Lugar – will not be affected, said Mark Hayes, a spokesman for Sen. Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, the senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Georgia sent troops into the enclave of South Ossetia on Aug. 7 in an attempt to regain control of the republic, which had declared independence from Georgia on several occasions. Russia retaliated by sending troops into South Ossetia; another disputed enclave, Abkhazia; and Georgia. Despite agreeing to a cease-fire brokered by France last month, Russian troops remain in parts of Georgia. Before the Russian incursion, Gates said, the United States thought it could have a “long-term strategic dialogue” with Russia. But the invasion has called into question the entire premise of U.S.-Russia talks, he said, adding that ties could be negatively affected for years. Other activities subject to review include: Partnership for Peace exercises, several bilateral military exercises, several naval exercises and tabletop exercises, in which participants study strategy around a table or in a classroom. The Bush administration also is putting off implementation of an Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation, or the so-called “123 Agreement,” which was approved in May. A senior U.S. official said there should have been “a clear high-level warning to the Russians,” but the Bush administration did not issue one because it “didn’t think they would invade Georgia proper.” Mr. Fried echoed other U.S. and European calls on Moscow to fully respect a cease-fire and to pull all its troops out of Georgia, and said the West is struggling to figure out how to “make clear that [the Russians’] acts against Georgia and threats against other neighbors are unacceptable” without antagonizing the Russian people. (ANI)   Search for: Donation Pages About Us Contact Us! Feedback Feedback My Album My Resume Services Bihar Chhath Puja Culture! Economy! Flood Folksongs & music! Folksongs & music! Geography & climate! Government ! Government ! History: Ancient! History: Modern! Hot News! Maoist Letter Moaists New Face Police Vs. Naxals Politics of Bihar! Religion! thawewaalimaa Timeline for Bihar! Transport & travel! Continents ASIA Afghanistan Afghanistan India 1993 Bombay bombings 1993 Bombay bombings A poem for Madame President Assassination! Bangalore Blast Co-Ordinates! COI COI Criminal organizations Districts of India Diwali Enemies of India Government Growth of Indian Population Hindus on Target History Indian Ministries, Departments Literacy rate Population Density Sex Ratio State wise population Terrorism in India South Asia! Country profile: Afghanistan Country profile: Afghanistan Country profile: Australia Country profile: Bangladesh Country profile: Bhutan Country profile: China Country profile: China Country profile: France Country Profile: Georgia Country Profile: Georgia Country profile: Germany Country profile: India Country profile: Japan Country profile: Japan Country profile: Nepal Country profile: North Korea Country profile: North Korea Country profile: Pakistan Country profile: Pakistan Country profile: Russia Country profile: South Korea Country profile: Sri Lanka Country profile: The Maldives Country profile: The Maldives Country profile: United Kingdom Country profile: United Kingdom Country profile: United States of America Country profile: United States of America Internet TLDs Profile: Nato Profile: Nato Profile: The Commonwealth Profile: The Commonwealth Russia News Russia Timeline: The Commonwealth Linux Linux Commands Full List acpi Linux cmd Page 2 Linux cmd Page 3 Linux cmd Page 4 Linux cmd start with “a” Linux Commands List Linux vs Windows News News from Europe Europien Country! Europien Country! Prisoners in UK Serbia: Karadzic! Serbia: Karadzic! News from US. Guantanamo 9/11. Obama-Clinton talks Politics Indian Politics Spiritual Chhath Puja Christians Are The Worst Different Forms of Maa Durga Durga Puja Jaimaathawewali Lead the world! Maa Kali Maa Lakshmi Poems Of Kabir What is Islam? Sports Cricket! EURO 2008 Schedule Olympics Athens 2004 Atlanta 1996 Beijing 2008 Indian Olympic Heros Olympic Events Records 2008 Schedule Sydney 2000 Sydney 2000 Technology C / C++ Basic of C If statements Dos Commands Dos Commands JavaScript Alarm clock MySQL OOPs in PHP PHP Difference: session & Cookie PHP Function List PHP MySQL Interview Questions PHP: Functions PHP Functions 1 PHP Functions 2 PHP Functions 2 PHP Functions 3 PHP Functions 4 Power Shell Protect PC Protect PC. Protect PC. Protect PC: Firewall Rotate Image SDLC Shutdown commands Silicon Valley Top 100 In USA Top 100 IT Co. Trace an IP Worlds Top 20 Worlds Top 20 Terrible Osama Bin Laden Private armies in Bihar Ranvir Sena Ashok Kamte Diwali Poems Durga Puja Hemant Karkare Lakshmi Pooja Maa Lakshmi Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan Mohan Chand Sharma Vijay Salaskar Ya devi sarva bhuteshu May 2024 M T W T F S S   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31   Bloggers unite Playing chess with Aarav Ji Hey Ram Hey Ram Chris Gayle: West Indies सुभाष चन्द्र बोस Missel Paw 7 Tips for DevOps Security Angular vs React: Which to Choose for Your Front End in 2023? Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, Vettuvan Koil Temple Diamond jewelry : अगर हीरे के आभूषण खरीदना चाहते हैं तो रखें इन बातों का ख्याल मणिपुर हिंसा पर कठघरे में आए सीएम बीरेन सिंह Archives December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 Recent Posts ‘आतंकवादी हवाई हमलों की योजना’ मुंबई में प्रदर्शन धोनी बल्लेबाज़ों की रैंकिंग में शीर्ष पर विलासराव देशमुख का इस्तीफ़ा स्वीकार Give a tribute to our heres Afghanistan AFP Ahmedabad al-Qaeda America Andhra Pradesh Assam Australia Bajrang Dal Baliguda block Batla House BBc Beijing Beijing Olympic Bihar BJP blasts Chief Minister china Christian Maoists Christians congress Delhi France French georgia government Gujarat Guwahati hospital image India Islamabad japan Kandhamal Maharashtra Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Manmohan Singh Maoists medal tally MNS Mumbai Muslims New Delhi News New York north Indians nuclear obama Olympic olympic 2008 Orissa Pakistan php Police praful prafulkr president Prime Minister Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Raj Thackeray Russia Russian South Ossetia Sports Technology Terrorists UK United States UPA government US USA VHP Washington. Welcome Categories BBc CMS Database google HINDI Interview mysql News Olympic php Rediff Security Software Songs Sports Uncategorized Welcome windows Recent Comments srisuraj1089 on LTTE Basant Rai on Chhat Puja 2008 BlackMaster on Apple’s Greatest Innovat… wordpress blog desig… on top News nitin bali on Maa Durga BBc CMS Database google HINDI Interview mysql News Olympic php Rediff Security Software Songs Sports Uncategorized Welcome windows Top Clicks None Top Posts 'आतंकवादी हवाई हमलों की योजना' मुंबई में प्रदर्शन धोनी बल्लेबाज़ों की रैंकिंग में शीर्ष पर विलासराव देशमुख का इस्तीफ़ा स्वीकार Give a tribute to our heres RDX found in CST My remarks were misinterpreted: CM Mohan Chand Sharma Hemant Karkare Vijay Salaskar Flickr Photos More Photos Support Joomla support Gadgets Guru Blog at WordPress.com. Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy Subscribe Subscribed Voice of Bihar Sign me up Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now. Voice of Bihar Customize Subscribe Subscribed Sign up Log in Report this content View site in Reader Manage subscriptions Collapse this bar