“US Economic Pressure On Russia Would Crash US Economy”

FTA:
“If America were to try to limit Russian trade or otherwise restrict commerce, the Kremlin could launch countermeasures that would pull the rug out from under the entire U.S. economy.

First, by restricting the export of its oil or natural gas, Russia has the ability to throw the global energy markets into crisis, and to cause an upward price shock. For Americans and Europeans already struggling with crippling energy costs, such a development may be hard to endure.

Second, Russia is in possession of hundreds of billions of dollar reserves, which it can sell into the market at any time. Such a move could spark a global run on the dollar, which would crush the currency and send commodity prices into the stratosphere.”

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“US Risks Confrontation With Russia In Poti, Georgia”

FTA:
“Russia has voiced suspicion of the arrival of the Mount Whitney and other U.S. warships carrying aid. It says U.S. military assistance in the past encouraged Georgia to launch its offensive in South Ossetia and argues the new shipments could be a cover for weapons deliveries.

U.S. officials dismiss those accusations, saying the ships are carrying only humanitarian supplies such as blankets and powered milk.

“There are absolutely no weapons of any sort on these ships,” said Capt. John Moore, commander of the Navy task force bringing aid to Georgia.

In an apparent reference to a $1 billion aid package for Georgia announced by Washington on Wednesday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sternly warned against providing more assistance to Georgia.

“We don’t want that Georgia, which acted as the aggressor, continues to arm itself in an uncontrolled way and with unknown aims and completely unclear consequences,” he said.

“It seems to me this is a lesson for the entire world community, including for those who make decisions to provide Georgia with extra financing and technical military cooperation,” Medvedev added, without specifying any nation.”

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“Mikheil Saakashvili: War Criminal?”

FTA:
“The place that has suffered most is South Ossetia which is home to both ethnic Ossetians and Georgians, the latter accounting for about a third of the population. The destruction there has been appalling and it looks as though many hundreds of civilians have died, in the first place as a result of the initial Georgian assault of August 7-8. Gosha Tselekhayev, an Ossetian interpreter in Tskhinvali with whom I spoke by telephone on August 10 said, ‘I am standing in the city center, but there’s no city left.’

“Ossetians fleeing the conflict zone talk of Georgian atrocities and the indiscriminate killing of civilians.”

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“Ukraine Coalition Collapses Under Georgian Pressure”

FTA:
“Ukraine, like Georgia, has risked the Kremlin’s wrath by applying to join Nato. But while Mr Yushchenko flew to Tbilisi to show his support for Georgia, Mrs Tymoshenko refused to criticise Russia’s actions.

Instead, she formed an alliance with the man he replaced as president in 2004 – Victor Yanukovich and his former Communist allies.

In the run-up to that election, Mr Yushchenko was maimed after suffering dioxin poisoning – an attack attributed to Kremlin agents.

“The new coalition formed by Tymoshenko, Yanukovich and the Communists will not serve Ukraine’s interests,” he said. “Citizens will see that their policies will not protect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, its independence and its European integration course.”

For her part, Mrs Tymoshenko has accused the president of recklessly antagonising Russia and said there was no justification for the crisis. “A democratic coalition was ruined yesterday on his instructions,” she told the weekly cabinet meeting. “This is panic. A democratic coalition has to work.

“The president and his office have used every means to ruin the coalition. It is a pity that the president is behaving irresponsibly.”

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“Georgia And Russia Used Cluster Bombs?”

FTA:
“Georgia has admitted dropping cluster bombs during its attempt to regain control of its breakaway province of South Ossetia, a human rights group said today.

Human Rights Watch said it had received a letter from the Georgian defence ministry acknowledging the use of M85 cluster bombs near the Roki tunnel that connects South Ossetia with Russia.

Georgia launched its ill-fated campaign to retake South Ossetia last month, prompting Russia to invade Georgia and occupy Georgian territory. Human Rights Watch has accused Russia of using cluster bombs in populated areas in Georgia, killing at least 11 civilians and injuring dozens.”

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“OSCE Report Points Finger At Georgia For S. Ossetia Crisis”

FTA:
“The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has accumulated evidence pointing to “numerous wrong decisions” made by Georgian leaders that led to a military crisis with Russia, Der Spiegel said on Saturday.

In a report to be published in its Monday edition, OSCE military observers in the Caucasus described detailed planning by Georgia to move into South Ossetia which contributed to the crisis, the German magazine said.”

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“Pushing Russia Into the Cold”

FTA:
“Mikheil Saakashvili started this war with his barrage attack and occupation of South Ossetia. Russia’s war of retribution was far less violent or excessive than the U.S. bombing of Serbia for 78 days over Kosovo, or our unprovoked war on Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, which has brought death to scores of thousands, or Israel’s 35 days of bombing of Lebanon.”

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“Russia To Respond Militarily To U.S. Missile Shield”

Missile defense systems and anti-ballistic missiles enable the nation possessing these weapons to initiate a “first strike” without fear of retaliation, thus destroying the deterrent of “mutually assured destruction”. If Russia militarily destroys the missile defense systems in Poland and elsewhere that would be a justifiable act in the interests of their national security, as I see it.

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“Nuclear Chicken In Poland: Putin Can’t Afford To Back Down”

(FTA)
Putin recently responded to these developments saying:

“Some people have the illusion that you can do everything just as you want, regardless of the interests of other people. Of course it is for precisely this reason that the international situation gets worse and eventually results in an arms race. But we are not the instigators. We do not want it. Why would we want to divert resources to this? And we are not jeopardizing our relations with anyone. But we must respond. Name even one step that we have taken or one action of ours designed to worsen the situation. There are none. We are not interested in that. We are interested in maintaining a good atmosphere.” Putin added exasperated, “So what should we do?” The present situation has brought us “the brink of disaster!”

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