European Breakfast - October 2 | 59 comments (59 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

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Guardian: Furious Moscow orders 'shoot to kill' as Georgia crisis escalates

· High alert as four officers are held on spying charge
· Putin accuses leadership of act of state terrorism
Infuriated by the arrests of four Russian officers on spying charges, Moscow has put its troops in Georgia on high alert and ordered them to "shoot to kill" to defend their bases in the former Soviet republic.
In his first public comments on the escalating crisis, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, yesterday accused Georgia of "state terrorism" and compared the arrests to the repressions of Stalin's secret police chief, Lavrenty Beria.
The commander of Russian military forces in Georgia, General Andrei Popov, said Russian law authorises the use of force to defend bases abroad from aggression. "We are ready to thwart any possible attempts to penetrate our facilities using all means, including shoot to kill," he said. Mr Putin held an urgent meeting with armed forces chiefs, top ministers and the heads of intelligence services to discuss Russia's response to the arrests.

by Fran on Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 at 01:11:44 AM EST
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Anyone know how bad this is? I can't judge it.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 at 05:11:51 AM EST
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Foreign Minister to Georgia

Sun 1/10/06 - The Belgian Foreign Minister, Karel De Gucht (Flemish liberal), is flying to the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Monday. Mr De Gucht, the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe), hopes to mediate in the conflict between Russia and Georgia.
On Sunday Mr De Gucht confirmed that he was in close contact with the Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, the Georgian Foreign Minister, Gela Bezhuashvili, and the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.
"I appeal to all concerned parties to abide by the principles of international law, to abstain from provocations, to establish direct dialogue and to find a quick solution. I will remain in contact with all the relevant parties and work towards this end," Mr De Gucht added.

The struggle of man against tyranny is the struggle of memory against forgetting.(Kundera)

by Elco B (elcob at scarlet dot be) on Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 at 05:30:08 AM EST
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This

the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, yesterday accused Georgia of "state terrorism"

is bad. See South Ossetia. This

Infuriated by the arrests of four Russian officers on spying charges, Moscow has put its troops in Georgia on high alert and ordered them to "shoot to kill" to defend their bases in the former Soviet republic.

is bad, too.

Those whom the Gods wish to destroy They first make mad. -- Euripides

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 at 05:31:58 AM EST
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I know it's bad, I just can't assess how bad.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 at 05:33:12 AM EST
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Neither can I, which is why I've avoided writing anything about it... I was hoping to hear something from one our people in that part of the world.

Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire

by p------- on Mon Oct 2nd, 2006 at 12:27:02 PM EST
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European Breakfast - October 2 | 59 comments (59 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)