Russia has ended its decade-long "counter-terrorism operation" against separatist rebels in the southern republic of Chechnya, officials say. The move aimed "to create conditions to further normalise the situation", the National Anti-terrorist Committee said. Russian forces have fought two wars in the mainly Muslim republic since 1994. Moscow says Chechnya has stabilised under its pro-Kremlin President, Ramzan Kadyrov, but human rights groups accuse his militias of widespread abuses. "We received the news about cancelling the counter-terrorism operation with great satisfaction," Mr Kadyrov told Russia's Interfax news agency on Thursday.
Russia has ended its decade-long "counter-terrorism operation" against separatist rebels in the southern republic of Chechnya, officials say.
The move aimed "to create conditions to further normalise the situation", the National Anti-terrorist Committee said.
Russian forces have fought two wars in the mainly Muslim republic since 1994.
Moscow says Chechnya has stabilised under its pro-Kremlin President, Ramzan Kadyrov, but human rights groups accuse his militias of widespread abuses.
"We received the news about cancelling the counter-terrorism operation with great satisfaction," Mr Kadyrov told Russia's Interfax news agency on Thursday.
Russia has ordered an end to its counterterrorism regime in Chechnya. That could mean the withdrawal of tens of thousands of troops from the republic which has suffered two separatist wars in the past 15 years. The cancellation was ordered by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and took effect Thursday morning, according to a statement from the National Anti-Terrorist Committee. A spokesman for the Committee, which has responsibility for the region, said the decision is aimed at further normalizing the situation there, and restoring and developing its economic and social infrastructure.
The cancellation was ordered by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and took effect Thursday morning, according to a statement from the National Anti-Terrorist Committee. A spokesman for the Committee, which has responsibility for the region, said the decision is aimed at further normalizing the situation there, and restoring and developing its economic and social infrastructure.
The members of the Sauerland cell who allegedly planned to bomb targets in Germany are about to go on trial. It looks like an open-and-shut case, but federal prosecutors want to prove that the defendants belong to a foreign terrorist organization -- an accusation that is based on dubious witnesses. They won't be allowed to wear Islamic knit caps when they see each other again, that much is clear. They will also not be able to perform all their daily prayers as they are used to doing, at least not at the right times. When Fritz Gelowicz, Daniel Schneider and Adem Yilmaz enter the courtroom on Wednesday next week, it will be the first time that they will have seen each other since that fateful Tuesday in September 2007, when the three young men from the German towns of Ulm, Neunkirchen and Langen became known overnight as the "Sauerland group," an alleged terror cell that investigators say was planning a horrific act: simultaneous car bomb attacks with as many victims as possible. "The world will burn," as one of the defendants reportedly said.
The members of the Sauerland cell who allegedly planned to bomb targets in Germany are about to go on trial. It looks like an open-and-shut case, but federal prosecutors want to prove that the defendants belong to a foreign terrorist organization -- an accusation that is based on dubious witnesses.
They won't be allowed to wear Islamic knit caps when they see each other again, that much is clear. They will also not be able to perform all their daily prayers as they are used to doing, at least not at the right times.
When Fritz Gelowicz, Daniel Schneider and Adem Yilmaz enter the courtroom on Wednesday next week, it will be the first time that they will have seen each other since that fateful Tuesday in September 2007, when the three young men from the German towns of Ulm, Neunkirchen and Langen became known overnight as the "Sauerland group," an alleged terror cell that investigators say was planning a horrific act: simultaneous car bomb attacks with as many victims as possible. "The world will burn," as one of the defendants reportedly said.
Germany's Social Democrats will launch their election campaign Sunday. By steering to the left and attacking Angela Merkel, the party wants to score big with voters. Its strategy will also force the conservatives to inch leftward. In the midst of a global downturn in which stimulus is the buzzword of the day, economic prudence could take a backseat. A woman holds up playing cards with caricatures of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her opponent in this year's election, Foreign Minister Frank-Walther Steinmeier. On Sunday, Germany's center-left Social Democratic Party plans to announce its manifesto for its campaign in the run-up to the country's Sept. 27 national election. Aides of the party's chancellor candidate, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, expect the foreign minister and deputy chancellor to "give a major speech." Like a boxer in the ring, Steinmeier will be standing alone in the middle of a ballroom, surrounded by 2,000 cheering guests, in a scene reminiscent of American presidential campaigns. His campaign managers apparently hope that some of the energy surrounding the 2008 campaign of US President Barack Obama will rub off on Steinmeier.
Germany's Social Democrats will launch their election campaign Sunday. By steering to the left and attacking Angela Merkel, the party wants to score big with voters. Its strategy will also force the conservatives to inch leftward. In the midst of a global downturn in which stimulus is the buzzword of the day, economic prudence could take a backseat.
A woman holds up playing cards with caricatures of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her opponent in this year's election, Foreign Minister Frank-Walther Steinmeier.
On Sunday, Germany's center-left Social Democratic Party plans to announce its manifesto for its campaign in the run-up to the country's Sept. 27 national election. Aides of the party's chancellor candidate, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, expect the foreign minister and deputy chancellor to "give a major speech." Like a boxer in the ring, Steinmeier will be standing alone in the middle of a ballroom, surrounded by 2,000 cheering guests, in a scene reminiscent of American presidential campaigns. His campaign managers apparently hope that some of the energy surrounding the 2008 campaign of US President Barack Obama will rub off on Steinmeier.
The EU's anti-fraud body Olaf has welcomed an Italian court ruling on a milk quota scam, which has paved the way for recovering millions of euros. Olaf says Italian dairies have been avoiding paying fines imposed by the EU for exceeding annual milk quotas. But the Italian Supreme Court ruled in January that the seizure of milk producers' assets worth 21m euros (£19m; $28m) was justified. Some dairies had simulated transactions by using fake companies, Olaf says.
The EU's anti-fraud body Olaf has welcomed an Italian court ruling on a milk quota scam, which has paved the way for recovering millions of euros.
Olaf says Italian dairies have been avoiding paying fines imposed by the EU for exceeding annual milk quotas.
But the Italian Supreme Court ruled in January that the seizure of milk producers' assets worth 21m euros (£19m; $28m) was justified.
Some dairies had simulated transactions by using fake companies, Olaf says.
Twenty years ago, Solidarity, Poland's underground trade union, was legalised in a process which ultimately helped lead to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Al Jazeera's Mark Seddon looks at the roots of the organisation and how present-day Poland is weathering the global recession. Two decades on from the legalisation of Solidarity and the fall of Communism, something is stirring in Poland. Those former Eastern-bloc countries who embraced the free market with greatest enthusiasm, such as Hungary, Estonia and Latvia, now face a deepening economic crisis as the cold winds of global recession sweep through their economies. Poland on the other hand, as one of the countries who either have not or could not take on the free market model with such enthusiasm, appears to be bearing up well. While Poland's economy is set to slow next year, it will grow faster than that of the European Union as a whole.
Al Jazeera's Mark Seddon looks at the roots of the organisation and how present-day Poland is weathering the global recession.
Two decades on from the legalisation of Solidarity and the fall of Communism, something is stirring in Poland. Those former Eastern-bloc countries who embraced the free market with greatest enthusiasm, such as Hungary, Estonia and Latvia, now face a deepening economic crisis as the cold winds of global recession sweep through their economies.
Poland on the other hand, as one of the countries who either have not or could not take on the free market model with such enthusiasm, appears to be bearing up well.
While Poland's economy is set to slow next year, it will grow faster than that of the European Union as a whole.
French agriculture and fisheries minister Michel Barnier announced Thursday (16 April) that his government is ready to release some €4 million to appease fishermen whose blockade of English Channel ports has now entered its third day. Early on Thursday morning the minister issued a communique offering the funds after more than four hours of negotiations with the fishermen in Paris, according to French media reports. The blockaders say that small-scale fishing is dying Mr Barnier is also to request that the European commissioner for fisheries, Joe Borg meet with himself and representatives of the French fishermen, according to domestic daily Le Figaro. The fishermen have blocked the ports of Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk to protest EU fishing quotas, notably of cod and sole in the English Channel and the North Sea. They say that the quotas are too low and that small-scale fishing is dying while fish stocks are robust. The French minister however has refused to touch the quotas, despite the offer of compensation.
French agriculture and fisheries minister Michel Barnier announced Thursday (16 April) that his government is ready to release some €4 million to appease fishermen whose blockade of English Channel ports has now entered its third day.
Early on Thursday morning the minister issued a communique offering the funds after more than four hours of negotiations with the fishermen in Paris, according to French media reports.
The blockaders say that small-scale fishing is dying
Mr Barnier is also to request that the European commissioner for fisheries, Joe Borg meet with himself and representatives of the French fishermen, according to domestic daily Le Figaro.
The fishermen have blocked the ports of Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk to protest EU fishing quotas, notably of cod and sole in the English Channel and the North Sea. They say that the quotas are too low and that small-scale fishing is dying while fish stocks are robust.
The French minister however has refused to touch the quotas, despite the offer of compensation.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A special gathering of MEPs together with the Romanian foreign minister in Brussels on Wednesday (15 April) said Moldova should be invited to an EU summit for eastern partners, despite recent violence. "The EU will defend the rights of the democratic opposition, NGOs, those detained and killed in prison. On that we shall not compromise. But it is not through isolation that we can run our eastern policy," Polish centre-right MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski said. The 7 April protests: MEPs said a police crackdown should not see Moldova excluded from the summit "The Eastern Partnership should project stability, the norms and values of the EU to its eastern vicinity. We don't see why it shouldn't include [problematic] countries," the Romanian minister, Cristian Diaconescu, added. The European Parliament is likely to re-iterate the stance at its plenary session next week, in what could come as a blow to young opposition activists in Moldova who believe the EU has been too soft on Chisinau so far. The Eastern Partnership summit in Prague on 7 May will see the EU upgrade relations with Moldova and five other post-Soviet countries, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A special gathering of MEPs together with the Romanian foreign minister in Brussels on Wednesday (15 April) said Moldova should be invited to an EU summit for eastern partners, despite recent violence.
"The EU will defend the rights of the democratic opposition, NGOs, those detained and killed in prison. On that we shall not compromise. But it is not through isolation that we can run our eastern policy," Polish centre-right MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski said.
The 7 April protests: MEPs said a police crackdown should not see Moldova excluded from the summit
"The Eastern Partnership should project stability, the norms and values of the EU to its eastern vicinity. We don't see why it shouldn't include [problematic] countries," the Romanian minister, Cristian Diaconescu, added.
The European Parliament is likely to re-iterate the stance at its plenary session next week, in what could come as a blow to young opposition activists in Moldova who believe the EU has been too soft on Chisinau so far.
The Eastern Partnership summit in Prague on 7 May will see the EU upgrade relations with Moldova and five other post-Soviet countries, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's president, has added fuel to suggestions of a rift between himself and the country's prime minister by giving an interview to a newspaper that has been fiercely critical of Vladimir Putin. Medvedev spoke to Novaya Gazeta, an opposition paper which has lost a number of staff in suspicious deaths, in his first newspaper interview since taking office in May last year. In a clear contrast to the stance taken by Putin, Medvedev told the paper, in an interview published on Wednesday, that Russia did not need to restrict democracy to ensure stability. "Stability and a prosperous life cannot in any way be set off against a set of political rights and freedoms," he said. Putin had previously said democracy must be adapted to Russian political conditions.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's president, has added fuel to suggestions of a rift between himself and the country's prime minister by giving an interview to a newspaper that has been fiercely critical of Vladimir Putin.
Medvedev spoke to Novaya Gazeta, an opposition paper which has lost a number of staff in suspicious deaths, in his first newspaper interview since taking office in May last year.
In a clear contrast to the stance taken by Putin, Medvedev told the paper, in an interview published on Wednesday, that Russia did not need to restrict democracy to ensure stability.
"Stability and a prosperous life cannot in any way be set off against a set of political rights and freedoms," he said.
Putin had previously said democracy must be adapted to Russian political conditions.
A German ban on genetically modified corn has found broad support in the German public, and protests against a patent on a strain of pig made headlines on Wednesday. German commentators wonder if this is just European technophobia or whether genes are a natural resource which no patent should restrain. It's been a tough week in Germany for proponents of genetically engineered farm products. First Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner announced a ban on cultivating a strain of genetically modified (GM) corn. Then on Wednesday, demonstrations were held in the Bavarian capital of Munich and the Hessian capital of Wiesbaden against a patent on a breed of pig.
A German ban on genetically modified corn has found broad support in the German public, and protests against a patent on a strain of pig made headlines on Wednesday. German commentators wonder if this is just European technophobia or whether genes are a natural resource which no patent should restrain.
It's been a tough week in Germany for proponents of genetically engineered farm products. First Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner announced a ban on cultivating a strain of genetically modified (GM) corn. Then on Wednesday, demonstrations were held in the Bavarian capital of Munich and the Hessian capital of Wiesbaden against a patent on a breed of pig.
ATHENS, Apr 16 (IPS) - The government of the right-wing New Democracy has announced massive security measures that legal experts warn can corrode social and political rights.The explosion of politically motivated violence since the riots last December, and an increased criminality mostly provoked by social decline show how the character of Greek society has changed. As media emphasises increased violence and insecurity, political leaders seem unable to maintain a stable, efficient and liberal system of social control. Last month deputy interior minister Christos Markoyiannakis, who is responsible for public security, established a special police unit to coordinate anti-crime efforts. The ministry invited experts from the UK's Scotland Yard to advise local police on battling street violence and cracking down on radical leftist groups. Earlier this month minister for justice Nikos Dendias announced further security measures. These include penalties for insulting state officials on duty, in view of the swearing police have had to put up with during riots. Wearing a hood while breaking the law will now invite increased penalties. The police will now make greater use surveillance equipment.
Since the riots began, the governing party has dropped like a rock, and in the coming elections it will lose, and lose badly.
A groundbreaking plan to give Britain's burgeoning community of expatriate French people its own MP has been unveiled in Paris. President Nicolas Sarkozy's government wants to see a United Kingdom deputy take a seat in the National Assembly, along with 10 other directly-elected representatives for other key geographical areas including Germany, the US and Latin America.Britain has up to 400,000 resident French nationals and Mr Sarkozy travelled to London during the last election campaign having described it as "one of the great French cities".
President Nicolas Sarkozy's government wants to see a United Kingdom deputy take a seat in the National Assembly, along with 10 other directly-elected representatives for other key geographical areas including Germany, the US and Latin America.
Britain has up to 400,000 resident French nationals and Mr Sarkozy travelled to London during the last election campaign having described it as "one of the great French cities".
MOSCOW -- Dmitry Medvedev gave his first interview to a Russian newspaper as president, choosing a sharply critical publication whose staff has been targeted with murders and harassment. Mr. Medvedev spoke with Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov on Monday for more than an hour at the president's residence outside Moscow. Topics ranged from democracy in Russia to the latest criminal trial of jailed oil and banking tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Mr. Medvedev's choice of Novaya Gazeta -- a paper that specializes in investigative journalism and has criticized the growth of Kremlin control over politics and media -- contrasts with the practice of Vladimir Putin, who generally blacklisted critical publications in his eight years as president. It appears to be Mr. Medvedev's latest effort to strike a liberal pose in the rarefied world of Kremlin politics. Kremlin spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said Mr. Medvedev chose to meet with Novaya Gazeta because after the deaths of journalists on its staff, "the president wanted to express his moral support. It was his initiative." She said Mr. Medvedev has decided to meet with newspapers more in the future. (...) Four of Novaya Gazeta's reporters have been murdered or died under mysterious circumstances over the past nine years, with the latest death in January. In 2006, Mr. Putin called the shooting death of the newspaper's reporter Anna Politkovskaya an "unacceptable crime that cannot go unpunished," but famously added that "her ability to influence political life in Russia was extremely insignificant."
Mr. Medvedev spoke with Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov on Monday for more than an hour at the president's residence outside Moscow. Topics ranged from democracy in Russia to the latest criminal trial of jailed oil and banking tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Mr. Medvedev's choice of Novaya Gazeta -- a paper that specializes in investigative journalism and has criticized the growth of Kremlin control over politics and media -- contrasts with the practice of Vladimir Putin, who generally blacklisted critical publications in his eight years as president. It appears to be Mr. Medvedev's latest effort to strike a liberal pose in the rarefied world of Kremlin politics.
Kremlin spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said Mr. Medvedev chose to meet with Novaya Gazeta because after the deaths of journalists on its staff, "the president wanted to express his moral support. It was his initiative." She said Mr. Medvedev has decided to meet with newspapers more in the future.
(...)
Four of Novaya Gazeta's reporters have been murdered or died under mysterious circumstances over the past nine years, with the latest death in January. In 2006, Mr. Putin called the shooting death of the newspaper's reporter Anna Politkovskaya an "unacceptable crime that cannot go unpunished," but famously added that "her ability to influence political life in Russia was extremely insignificant."
Here's the interview, in English: http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/speeches/2009/04/13/2258_type82916_215119.shtml "Talking nonsense is the sole privilege mankind possesses over the other organisms." -Dostoevsky
President of Russia
MURATOV): I wanted to start with general issues, but some are more urgent. It might be better to cancel the election in Sochi rather than to imitate it Imitation is more cynical than abolition. Candidate Lebedev was barred from the election by a court, and candidate Nemtsov is kept away from campaigning. PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: I do not yet know who was expelled and how, but in any case a full-fledged political struggle is taking place in Sochi. It is good that different political forces are participating in it. In my opinion, many municipal elections suffer from monotony, a lack of interesting candidates, and as a result are uninteresting. It is true that people almost always vote for intelligible politicians rather than popular stars, but the more striking these events are the better it is for our electoral system, for democracy in Russia. Now regarding the specific circumstances: in every election there will always be candidates who lose, candidates that are taken off the ballot, and this is the case everywhere in the world. But in general I believe that such public campaigns are good for democracy. NOVAYA GAZETA: On April 15 you will host the Presidential Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights Council. I was glad to see that the members list includes intelligent and decent people. Alexander Auzan, Alexey Simonov, Svetlana Sorokina, Elena Panfilova, Igor Yurgens, Irina Yasina, and I have not listed them all. Do I understand that today civil society is more important to you then that of "plainclothes men"? DMITRY MEDVEDEV: You know, civil society is a category that we have not fully absorbed in Russia. Throughout the world civil society is the flip side of the state. The state is not only a political machine, it is also a form of organising life in society, one that is based on state power and relies on the law, while civil society is the human dimension of any state. Though its members are governed by state legislation they often act according to human laws that, incidentally, do not always have a legal form. Still quite recently, many people did not understand the words civil society. A state is more or less clear. But what is civil society? A society of citizens? So we are all citizens of our country. And now there is the understanding that civil society is an integral non-governmental institution in any state. An institution that provides feedback. The organisations of people who do not hold office, but are nevertheless actively involved in the life of their country. Therefore meetings and contacts between the President and representatives of civil society are indispensable. Let me emphasise: these relations are not easy for any authority, because all members of civil society and representatives of human rights organisations have a huge number of issues to raise with the government and leaders. They have a lot of questions, and these are questions the authorities do not always want to answer. But that is why such contacts must be systematic, including contacts within the framework of the Council you mentioned. I expect that this will be an interesting conversation. It will likely be hard, but therein lies its value. NOVAYA GAZETA: For a few years now there has been an unspoken contract between state and society (or, more precisely, the majority of society): the state provides a given level of comfort and well-being, and in exchange society remains loyal to the state. DMITRY MEDVEDEV: You mean "democracy in exchange for prosperity" or, say, "sausages in exchange for freedom"?
MURATOV): I wanted to start with general issues, but some are more urgent. It might be better to cancel the election in Sochi rather than to imitate it Imitation is more cynical than abolition. Candidate Lebedev was barred from the election by a court, and candidate Nemtsov is kept away from campaigning.
PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: I do not yet know who was expelled and how, but in any case a full-fledged political struggle is taking place in Sochi. It is good that different political forces are participating in it. In my opinion, many municipal elections suffer from monotony, a lack of interesting candidates, and as a result are uninteresting.
It is true that people almost always vote for intelligible politicians rather than popular stars, but the more striking these events are the better it is for our electoral system, for democracy in Russia.
Now regarding the specific circumstances: in every election there will always be candidates who lose, candidates that are taken off the ballot, and this is the case everywhere in the world.
But in general I believe that such public campaigns are good for democracy.
NOVAYA GAZETA: On April 15 you will host the Presidential Civil Society Institutions and Human Rights Council. I was glad to see that the members list includes intelligent and decent people. Alexander Auzan, Alexey Simonov, Svetlana Sorokina, Elena Panfilova, Igor Yurgens, Irina Yasina, and I have not listed them all. Do I understand that today civil society is more important to you then that of "plainclothes men"?
DMITRY MEDVEDEV: You know, civil society is a category that we have not fully absorbed in Russia. Throughout the world civil society is the flip side of the state. The state is not only a political machine, it is also a form of organising life in society, one that is based on state power and relies on the law, while civil society is the human dimension of any state. Though its members are governed by state legislation they often act according to human laws that, incidentally, do not always have a legal form. Still quite recently, many people did not understand the words civil society. A state is more or less clear. But what is civil society? A society of citizens? So we are all citizens of our country. And now there is the understanding that civil society is an integral non-governmental institution in any state. An institution that provides feedback. The organisations of people who do not hold office, but are nevertheless actively involved in the life of their country.
Therefore meetings and contacts between the President and representatives of civil society are indispensable. Let me emphasise: these relations are not easy for any authority, because all members of civil society and representatives of human rights organisations have a huge number of issues to raise with the government and leaders. They have a lot of questions, and these are questions the authorities do not always want to answer. But that is why such contacts must be systematic, including contacts within the framework of the Council you mentioned. I expect that this will be an interesting conversation. It will likely be hard, but therein lies its value.
NOVAYA GAZETA: For a few years now there has been an unspoken contract between state and society (or, more precisely, the majority of society): the state provides a given level of comfort and well-being, and in exchange society remains loyal to the state.
DMITRY MEDVEDEV: You mean "democracy in exchange for prosperity" or, say, "sausages in exchange for freedom"?
i can see why he and obama liked each other. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
Obama sent Clinton to Russia to Geneva present a 'reset' to the Russian foreign minister button where the Russian text, not even in Cyrillic letters, did not says 'reset' but 'overcharge'. It now seems to me that this was not a gaffe or a mistake, but the real message:Russia demanded on Thursday that NATO call off planned military exercises in Georgia, saying they could undermine its efforts to rebuild ties with the Western alliance.
Obama sent Clinton to Russia to Geneva present a 'reset' to the Russian foreign minister button where the Russian text, not even in Cyrillic letters, did not says 'reset' but 'overcharge'.
It now seems to me that this was not a gaffe or a mistake, but the real message:
Russia demanded on Thursday that NATO call off planned military exercises in Georgia, saying they could undermine its efforts to rebuild ties with the Western alliance.
This [NATO military exercises in Georgia] is stupid for several reasons. Russia will not sit still and let NATO snub its nose a few miles from its borders. There will be a diplomatic price to pay for this and it will not be a small one. "You're sure your logistic lines to Afghanistan are safe?" The pro-western opposition in Georgia today took to street for the eight day to oust the egomaniac and undemocratic Saakashvili. The EU is trying moderate a compromise solution. Holding the NATO exercise during this time will look like NATO is taking sides in the interior Georgian conflict, as future NATO membership is mainly a Saakashvili project. This renews the false impression of backing from NATO for Georgia's and other small players adventures. A backing that as last year little war showed is in reality not there at all. So who had this very great idea? If Clinton and Obama are serious about 'reset' it is now time to press the speed dial button to NATO and call this stupidity off.
Russia will not sit still and let NATO snub its nose a few miles from its borders. There will be a diplomatic price to pay for this and it will not be a small one. "You're sure your logistic lines to Afghanistan are safe?"
The pro-western opposition in Georgia today took to street for the eight day to oust the egomaniac and undemocratic Saakashvili. The EU is trying moderate a compromise solution. Holding the NATO exercise during this time will look like NATO is taking sides in the interior Georgian conflict, as future NATO membership is mainly a Saakashvili project.
This renews the false impression of backing from NATO for Georgia's and other small players adventures. A backing that as last year little war showed is in reality not there at all.
So who had this very great idea? If Clinton and Obama are serious about 'reset' it is now time to press the speed dial button to NATO and call this stupidity off.
Sorry if I broke rules. I found your selection of text didn't exactly capture the point of the post. But that's just because you were constrained by Rules and could not post more.
Problem with soundbites... "Talking nonsense is the sole privilege mankind possesses over the other organisms." -Dostoevsky
A court in Sweden has jailed four men behind The Pirate Bay (TPB), the world's most high-profile file-sharing website, in a landmark case. Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde were found guilty of breaking copyright law and were sentenced to a year in jail. They were also ordered to pay $4.5m (£3m) in damages.
Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde were found guilty of breaking copyright law and were sentenced to a year in jail.
They were also ordered to pay $4.5m (£3m) in damages.
As I understand it, after much reading, only a severe misinterpretation of Swedish Law could lead to these sentences. The Pirates will surely appeal and keep the issue in the media. The cowardly political appeasement toward the Global Entertainment Combines will come back to haunt the politicians. You can't be me, I'm taken
