The US and its semi-detached corporate cohorts have driven a horse and cart through most international conventions; the Iraq war remains despite being illegal while the Geneva convention is deemed "quaint". Surely torture is now the true moral choice of nations.
So does the US think it can just ignore other conventions and allow mercenaries to wage war as it will ? Why not ? Although I suspect they didn't expect the muscular response from Russia. Anyway, the UK already does; after all you can't convince me some shadowy part of the government didn't give the plan for the Simon Mann led coup in Equatorial New guinea the once-over to check it didn't conflict iwth "other plans". Although that was in Africa nad no-one really cares about rules and regulations in designated bongo-bongo land. Are the CIA and its stooges not engaged in sometimes open warfare in their bid to create "regime change" ? Cos I really thought they were.
Is it right ? No Can anyone do anything about it ? Probably not. Will the russians do anything ? Yes, but we'll never hear about it. Probably a back-channel warning to Blackwater and others that bad things can happen. After all, they don't want any polonium in their coffee do they ? keep to the Fen Causeway
Who's paying the bills?
Is it the Georgian government thinking that this gives them a cheap one time boost in military power?
Is it the American government thinking that this is a clever way to aid the Georgians without involving the US?
Is it oil companies trying to help the Georgians take out a threat to the BTC pipeline once and for all? And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
I very much doubt it's the oil companies. The russians would be damaging their own strategic interest with western europe if they did they were to do that and have, no doubt, made very clear that the oil pipeline is not a target. Besides, the mercs were in S Ossetia and therefore conducting offensive operations as the pipeline very definitely is in undisputed Georgian territory.
Each of the other two is plausible, time will tell which it is. Tho' if it's the US paying, it'll be a "plausiable deniability" black operation out of the VP's dungeon. keep to the Fen Causeway
If Blackwater is in Georgia, it's because the Bush government wants Blackwater in Georgia. And that's not good either.
Considering the bizarre objects spinning off from the rumour windmill - because really, nobody knows anything - it's probably best to wait until someone has hard facts that can be confirmed reliably.
because really, nobody knows anything - it's probably best to wait until someone has hard facts that can be confirmed reliably.
gah !! You're no fun keep to the Fen Causeway
