Posted on 06/06/2006 11:22:15 PM PDT by vertolet
Relations between the US and Russia are deteriorating badly and there is a danger of conflict in the flashpoints of the south Caucasus, according to senior former officials and corporate leaders advising the EastWest Institute (EWI).
EWI board members at the think-tank's annual meeting in Charleston were almost unanimous in calling for moves to prevent what one called an emerging "cold peace" between the US and Russia.
John Mroz, founder and president of EWI, called the deterioration worrisome. He placed the trend in the context of growing distrust between the major powers, including China, with the world in a state of transition between globalised and marginalised societies "no longer on automatic pilot moving towards a market-centric world".
This had resulted in the rise of ethnic and nationalist identities, with growing numbers seeing globalisation threatening their cultures and religion.
Western societies were also losing their moral authority, he said, citing the example of the reported massacre of Iraqi civilians by US troops in Haditha which would inflict "enormous damage" on the US.
Several speakers - who under EWU guidelines spoke on condition of anonymity - expressed concerns that "populist" presidents in Taiwan and Georgia risked overplaying their nationalist hands and triggering military incidents or conflict between the US and China, and the US and Russia.
With Montenegro newly independent, and Kosovo on the way to statehood, the dangers of domino-style conflict were rising in the breakaway, Russian-backed enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia.
"Georgia is an alarming situation and worse than thought," said one former official.
"The mood is ugly and getting uglier," said a corporate executive on the state of US-Russia ties.
Noting that every declared US presidential candidate was "bashing Russia", one speaker predicted a worsening trend as both countries headed towards elections in 2008.
Established in 1980, EWI describes itself as a "do-tank", working mostly behind the scenes directly with governments to address global security concerns. In the mid-80s it arranged "non-meetings" of senior US and Soviet defence officials in Budapest to discuss confidence-building measures.
Under a new initiative, Germany has seconded Ortwin Hennig, a senior official dealing in conflict prevention, to EWI to head a task force on US-Russia relations. Washington and Moscow are also each appointing a senior diplomat to focus on the south Caucasus. EWI is working with diplomats from all sides preparing for the G8 summit in St Petersburg next month.
""How dare you compare elections in the US with Russian election fraud in Russia.""
"Why not - it's very similar..."
That hole you're digging is getting deeper.
Not really spanalot - shall we bring up the numerous times your Democrat Party has committed fraud in order to "win" elections? The only hole being dug here is the hole of hypocrisy colored in your usual "tint" of false patriotism. Don't think for one moment you can label my description of YOUR Democrat Party and their numerous documented cases of fraud during elections throughout the years as some sort of defense of any election fraud in any part of the world. Sure, you'll try - but all in vain.
See, spanalot, Americans can recognize when we have problems, and then we resolve them. That gives us the "upper hand" when addressing such issues - sure people can say, "It happened in America" but we can answer, "And we're working on it (or we've eliminated that problem)"
Since you don't actually believe in a strong America you actually make us look weak by your panicked hissy fits you have whenever the topic of Eastern Europe comes up.
And as I recall, it was FR member "Spanalot" and not "Romanov" who made the statement that he thought "Putin is an honest man..." Shall I dig up that quote of yours again?
"It happened in America" but we can answer, "And we're working on it (or we've eliminated that problem)"
Youre talking out of both sides of your mouth again - first you deflect attention from Russian despotism by saying American elections are just as bad - and now youre wrapping yourself in MY American flag - you cant have it both ways.
And as you can't substantiate the absurd slander that Im a democrat, stop lieing.
HA! Now that's funny. Talk about slander - You claim I'm saying American elections are just as bad. That's not what I said. And you know it. Come back to the debate when you learn a little about honesty and integrity.
"The only thing Russia exports to the U.S. is slutty, manipulative ex-prostitutes who find a sucker to marry them and bring them into the country."
Hmmm.. Sounds like the musings of one of their victims. Most of those "men" who find the few "manipulative ex-prostitutes" bring the pain on themselves. There are plenty of warning signs they choose to ignore, instead blinding themselves in search of that "trophy" wife.
"Comparisions of vote-rigging and election fraud in the US are quite relevant"
"You claim I'm saying American elections are just as bad. That's not what I said."
I smell a troll - time for major zotage.
"My wife is the classiest Proverbs 31 lady in my church."
"She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks."
Proverbs 31
Whole world see that Putin is just clown. /heavy Russian accent
"I smell a troll - time for major zotage"
Sure, I'm a "troll" (/sarcasm). Yep, been a troll since the "Impeach Clinton" Freep at the Washington Monument in the '90s.
This is a tried and true tactic with you. Someone destroys you on the issues and shows your hypocrisy and frequent lies - then you "ping" in the Admin Moderator OR Jim Robinson in an attempt to get the person who disagrees with you banned. Usually after you selectively quote the person - using the tactics you Democrats are good at using when trying to lie your way through life.
What this shows is you are NO different than your Soviet brothers who would "inform" on their neighbors after a disagreement. They'd inform with the hopes that the neighbor would be "banished" to the GULags. It's not a surprise at all that you would be a fan of such techniques.
Coward.
When a man will insult another man's wife it shows the depths they will sink to in order to get the other person banned.
"I would imagine that the work she did for Putin was vigorous and warmly welcomed."
I'm more interested in knowing why your parents were able to keep "thousands" of acres in Western Ukraine AFTER the famine. Sounds to me like some sort of reward from the Soviets. Or was the "thousands" claim another of your frequent lies?
Georgia is too small to be independent between two or three strong states. The US shouldn't be involved in the region for long, and is there only because of the collapse of the USSR's influence in the region. As Russia regains its health to whatever degree it may, the US should back out.
"I'm more interested in knowing why your parents were able to keep "thousands" of acres in Western Ukraine AFTER the famine"
Look at a post WWI map - the area was not under soviet control ----yet.
"When a man will insult another man's wife"
Did I ever mention my gender?
Also, i only alluded to the assignment your wife did for Putin. You posted a glowing comment about it.
"The US shouldn't be involved in the region for long, and is there only because of the collapse of the USSR's influence in the region. As Russia regains its health to whatever degree it may, the US should back out."
I see that you use Russia and the USSR interchangeably.
Good for You!
The russians and chinese could give a fat rat's ass how many "civilians" our troops kill.
I don't have a problem with that political jazz. It's the same people, maybe the same piece of brass on their office doors.
Wrong. They sent us a hell of a lot of criminals.
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