In time of War the first victim is the Truth that must surrender to propaganda.

[cynical lady]

U.S. citizen was among Georgian commandos - Russian Military

 

/A U.S. passport was found in a building in South Ossetia occupied by

Georgian troops, a Russian military spokesperson revealed on Thursday.

After Russian peacekeepers cleared the heavily defended building, a

passport belonging to a Texan named Michael Lee White was discovered

inside./

 

Deputy Chief of Russia's General Staff Anatoly Nagovitsyn showed

photocopies of the passport to media in a press briefing on Thursday.

 

/“There is a building in Zemonekozi - a settlement to the south of

Tskhinval that was fiercely defended by a Georgian special operations

squad. Upon clearing the building, Russian peacekeepers recovered, among

other documents, an American passport in the name of Michael Lee White

of Texas,"/ said Nagovitsyn.

 

Neither the owner of the passport nor his remains were found at the

scene, despite a thorough search.

 

/"I do not know why he was there, but it is a fact that he was in the

building, among Georgian special forces troops,”/ Nagovitsyn said.

 

The briefing was delivered on the same day Prime Minister Vladimir Putin

told CNN <../../../.. /news/news/ 29626>, /"We have serious reasons to

believe that American citizens were right at the heart of the military

action"/. Putin said the conflict in South Ossetian may have been

planned to benefit one of the U.S. presidential candidates.

 

http://www.russiato day.com/news/ news/29636 <../../../.. /news/news/ 29636>

 

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U.S. may have staged Georgian conflict - Putin

 

/In an interview with CNN Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has

said the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict may have been staged to secure

a victory for one of the presidential candidates in the U.S. He says

preliminary reports show that U.S. citizens may have been present in the

combat zone./

 

/“We have serious reasons to believe that American citizens were right

at the heart of the military action. This would have implications for

American domestic policy. If this is confirmed, we will have grounds to

suspect that somebody in the U.S. has created this conflict to aggravate

the situation and create a competitive advantage for one of the

presidential candidates”./

 

Russia’s Prime Minister also commented on the media coverage of the

recent events.

 

/“As far as the perception of these events by the general public goes,

it depends not only on politicians, but also on how artful they are in

controlling the mass media. And our American colleagues do this much

better than we do and there's a lot we can learn from them”./

 

Putin stressed that Russia did not attack and cannot be portrayed as an

aggressor.

 

/“We didn’t attack anyone, we were attacked and therefore we need

guarantees that we won’t be attacked again, and that our citizens won't

be killed. They are trying to present us as aggressors”./

 

The Prime Minister has given a detailed chronology of the events between

August 7 and 10.

 

/“On 7 August, at 14:42, the Georgian peacekeepers left the headquarters

of the peacekeeping forces under the pretext that they'd received orders

from their commanders to leave their posts, and they never returned.

 

One hour later, heavy artillery shelling began.

 

At 22:35 a massive bombardment of Tsklhinval started. At 22:50 the

transfer of Georgian ground troops started to the combat area. At the

same time Georgian field hospitals were set up.

 

And at 23:30 the Brigadeer General commanding the Georgian peacekeeping

forces announced that Georgia has declared a war against South Ossetia.

They announced this publicly, looking straight into the TV cameras.

 

At that point we tried to contact the Georgian leadership, but everyone

refused to talk to us.

 

At 12:45 AM on the 8th of August the Georgian commander repeated his

statement. So who attacked whom?”/

 

The former Russian president reiterated that the country has ‘no

intention of attacking anyone, or of fighting a war with anyone’.

 

/“For eight years while I was President I often heard one and the same

question – what place does Russia think it should occupy in the world?

We are a peace-loving state and want to co-operate with all our

neighbours and other states. But if someone thinks they can just come in

and kill us, and that our place is in the cemetery, these people should

think of the consequences of such policies”./

 

http://www.russiato day.com/news/ news/29626 <../../../.. /news/news/ 29626>

 

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What change does Obama offer in reality?

 

/One of Barack Obama's key messages during the presidential campaign is

the need for change. And many Americans share the judgment. However, it

seems this need is not reflected in the U.S. presidential hopeful's

approach to Russia./

 

While almost every person living in America would admit that a number of

domestic problems need to be dealt with as soon as possible, many also

have serious concerns when it comes to the foreign policy of the United

States. And with one more day to go before Democrats wrap up their

Convention, a man with decades of foreign policy experience - the one

Barack Obama has chosen as his Vice President - had a chance to woe the

American public.

 

The bar for him was very high, and Biden needed to play big.

 

/”For the last seven years, the administration has failed to face the

biggest forces shaping this century: the emergence of Russia, China and

India as great powers,”/ said Biden.

 

Calling Bush’s foreign policies a ‘catastrophe’, Biden was quick to echo

the Bush administration’s criticism of Russia.

 

/”We will hold Russia accountable for its actions!”/ Biden pledged.

 

But this rhetoric seems to be blowing far from the winds of change that

the Democrats have been calling for.

 

Meanwhile ordinary people believe America needs to reconsider its

foreign policy.

 

/“The U.S. foreign policy today is too imperialistic,” /says one.

Another says America interferes too much in the business of other countries.

 

/“I definitely think we need to change some of our foreign policies,”/

says one woman on the streets.

 

And there are even those who say the US current stance on the situation

in Caucasus is not more than a sign of weakness.

 

/“The US is probably afraid,”/ a man on the street says.

 

http://www.russiato day.com/news/ news/29624 <../../../.. /news/news/ 29624>

 

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Karadzic refuses to enter plea for war crimes

 

/The former Bosnian Serb leader, Radovan Karadzic, has refused to enter

pleas to 11 charges, including genocide and crimes against humanity, as

he appeared at his second court hearing in The Hague. Following the

refusal, the tribunal judge submitted not guilty pleas on Karadzic's

behalf. /

 

Karadzic was Europe's most wanted man for more than a decade before his

capture last month, but many Serbs still regard him as a defender of

their nation and don't believe he will be given a fair trial.

 

A rally has been gathering in the centre of Belgrade every day since

Karadzic’s arrest became known to the public. They have branded as

traitors the Serb authorities who allowed the extradition.

/

“We are protesting against the current regime that extradited Radovan

Karadzic to The Hague,” /says Vladimir Djukanovic, a journalist and

protester. /“Many people support us but their views are ignored - so you

don’t see them here. But if you ask, around 70 per cent would tell you

they are opposed to this shameful extradition. The Hague Tribunal was

created to punish only the Serbs.” /

 

Karadzic was extradited to The Hague after being arrested in July,

having spent 13 years on the run. He'd lived in Belgrade, disguised with

a beard and long hair and working as an alternative healer.

 

He is charged with crimes against humanity and masterminding the

genocide of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995.

 

His brother, Luka, says he could be found not guilty if people listened

to the truth. He believes Karadzic shouldn’t be tried at all. RT caught

up with Luka a day before his brother was due to appear in front of the

Tribunal for the second time.

 

/“I fear for his life,” /he said. /“He said himself he might die there.

I want to remind you of the secret Karadzic-Holbrooke deal, the

agreement with the man representing the U.S. in the Balkans at the time.

Radovan was offered immunity if he disappeared after the war and he

fulfilled his part - from 1998 he became totally anonymous. The

Americans didn’t keep their promise. And the Americans often resolve

their embarrassments by getting rid of problem people such as my brother.”

/

It's the tribunal's second highest profile case since former Yugoslav

president Slobodan Milosevic was prosecuted. He died of a heart attack

in his prison cell in March 2006, before his trial finished. And just

like Milosevic, Karadzic has decided to represent himself in court.

 

General Bozidar Delic, now the Serbian National Assembly’s Deputy

Speaker, spent 96 days in The Hague as a witness for Milosevic’s

defence. He shared with RT his first-hand experience of the tribunal.

 

/“It wasn’t just Milosevic who died in The Hague - his case is just the

most obvious one,”/ he said. / “I was there and my conclusion is that

it's a political court which does not judge a person, but a whole

nation. It is the only system in the world where the rules are

constantly changing depending on who the defendant is.” /

 

Vladimir Krshljanin, a former foreign relations advisor to Milosevic,

agrees.

 

He said: /“This is a killing machine - about a dozen Serbs have already

died at The Tribunal, including President Milosevic himself. He was

murdered - he was denied medical treatment when he needed urgent medical

assistance. So anyone who is a Serb and gets there must be afraid for

his life. And especially in Karadzic's case, with the whole controversy

over the Holbrooke deal and the U.S. Administration. It is disgusting

talking about that Tribunal and its behaviour. It should be cut,

abolished as soon as possible - it’s a shame for the whole world.” /

 

The extradition of Radovan Karadzic was one of the conditions for Serbia

to get closer to EU membership. But many in Serbia still think that

their country has nothing to gain from the move and that this trial is

about to become yet another humiliation for their nation.

 

http://www.russiato day.com/news/ news/29678 <../../../.. /news/news/ 29678>

 

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U.S. tells Russia: Give us back our Humvees!

 

/The U.S. military wants Russia to return five Humvees that were

confiscated while being shipped to the Georgian military. The vehicles

were seized earlier this month, with the U.S. claiming the vehicles were

taken at a Georgian port awaiting shipment inland./

 

But the Russian side has suggested the Humvees, which it says were

detained near the Georgian port of Poti during a peace-making operation,

were carrying “interesting” military equipment.

 

Now the U.S. wants the vehicles to be returned or at least get

compensation.

 

On Wednesday, General James Conway, the commandant of the U.S. Marine

Corps, was asked at a Pentagon news conference what he intended to do

about the Russian capture, worth $540,000.

/

"I think we're going to send the Russians a bill and tell them, you

know, 'Either pay up or give us back our vehicles, guys,'"/ he replied.

 

But Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of Russia's General Staff, said he

is not eager to return the five Humvees. He said the Russian military

had closely examined them and found “a lot of interesting stuff”.

 

http://www.russiato day.com/news/ news/29654 <../../../.. /news/news/ 29654>

 

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Obama: I'll cope with Russian aggression

 

/Barack Obama has fired a stern warning to Russia as he accepted the

Democratic Presidential nomination and officially launched his campaign

for the White House./

 

In his speech at the end of the party convention in Denver, Obama

promised tough diplomacy to end what he called "Russian aggression".

 

The presidential nominee told delegates he would reverse George Bush's

failed policies - and be ready to face military conflicts.

 

/“I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also

renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining

nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression.”/

 

http://www.russiato day.com/news/ news/29646 <../../../.. /news/news/ 29646>

 

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Russia: UN hypocritical over Abkhazia and South Ossetia independence

 

/The UN Security Council has double standards over Abkhazia and South

Ossetia’s independence, according to Russia’s Ambassador to the UN.

Vitaly Churkin said members of the Council don’t understand the essence

of the conflicts in the Caucasus./

 

The comments were made when the UN Security Council convened on Thursday

to discuss Russia’s recognition of statehood for Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

 

The meeting, called at the request of Georgia, saw a barrage of

criticism over Moscow's actions.

/

“Russia violated the security zone patrolled by UN peacekeeping forces

deployed by the UN Security Council,”/ said Alejandro Daniel Wolff, U.S.

Representative to the UN. /“In Abkhazia, Russia is violating not only

the territorial integrity of Georgia, but also the integrity of this

Council." /

 

Russia's support for the independence of the two republics was

officially put on record at the UN as Vitaly Churkin read out President

Medvedev's decrees. He also said the discussions could not be complete

without listening to representatives of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

 

In response, Georgia’s Ambassador, Irakli Alasania, called for action.

/

"We believe the Russian side should be delivered a very strong

message,”/ he said./ “Otherwise it would mean that the foreign-sponsored

groups around the world can use violence and ethnic cleansing and be

rewarded with independence. "/

 

But Churkin said the international community had failed to act when

Georgia launched an invasion into South Ossetia, even accusing some

members of fueling the conflict.

/

“The U.S. and some European states promised Mr Saakashvili NATO's

protection and have started supplying him with new weapons. It obviously

invites fresh provocations,”/ Churkin said.

 

He also said that Moscow had called for a ceasefire in the early hours

of the conflict but got no support.

 

When the U.S. argued that Russian troops should never have entered a

sovereign state, Moscow’s Ambassador referred back to the Iraq war,

attacking America’s precarious position on the moral high ground.

 

/“I would like to ask the distinguished representative of the United

States....Weapons of Mass Destruction. Have you found them in Iraq yet

or are you still looking for them?”/ Churkin said.

 

So, the meeting ended with the Security Council no closer to finding a

way forward in the dispute.

 

http://www.russiato day.com/news/ news/29648 <../../../.. /news/news/ 29648>

 

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Russia tests intercontinental missile in Kamchatka

 

/Russia// has successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The country's Defence Ministry has reported that it hit the target on

the testing ground in the far eastern region of Kamchatka./

 

The Ministry claims the weapon is capable of bypassing the most advanced

missile defence systems.

 

Although it has been on stand-by for 21 years, the Ministry said the

weapon has shown it can effectively hit high-security facilities.

 

http://www.russiato day.com/news/ news/29622 <../../../.. /news/news/ 29622>

 

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Death toll in South Ossetia still not known - European watchdog

 

/A leading European watchdog says the death toll from the conflict in

South Ossetia is probably more than estimates suggest./

 

On a visit to Moscow, Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe's Human

Rights Commissioner, said: /“The figures given by such organisations as

America’s Human Rights Watch are based on the number of identified

bodies. Now the exact death toll is not known.” /

 

He said that the Russian side estimates the human losses at about 2,000

people while the Georgian side claims the figure is much lower.

 

/“But the whereabouts of many people is currently not known and it’s not

clear whether they are dead or not. Many may be still hiding,”/ he said.

/“Moreover, not all burial places have been detected.”/

 

He added he didn’t want to politicise the issue.

 

The Commissioner said the international community must take part in

collecting evidence of the cases of genocide and ethnic cleansing in the

Georgia-Ossetia conflict zone.

 

/“I believe it is necessary to guarantee depoliticisation and the

maximum objectiveness of the process,” /he said.

 

Hammarberg also said it is very important to have an unofficial

Georgian-Ossetian mechanism for exchanging information about missing and

captive people on both sides.

 

http://www.russiato day.com/news/ news/29662 <../../../.. /news/news/ 29662>

 

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South Ossetia to host Russian military bases

 

/South Ossetia has announced it’s to strike a deal with Moscow agreeing

to host Russia’s military bases. According to Tskhinval, it could take

place as early as September./

 

South Ossetian acting parliament chairman, Tarzan Kokoity, said: "We

will sign with Russia a treaty on interstate cooperation and the

placement of Russian military bases on the territory of South Ossetia.

It will happen on September 2."

 

Meanwhile, it’s been reported that two Russian military bases may be

deployed on the sites of the former Soviet army bases in Abkhazia.

 

http://www.russiato day.com/news/ news/29656 <../../../.. /news/news/ 29656>

 

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Georgian parliament declares Russian peacekeepers ‘occupiers’

 

/All Russian troops in the conflict zone are “occupiers”, according to a

resolution in the Georgian parliament. It said that all military units,

except those allowed by the Georgian constitution, are illegal.

Thursday’s sitting of parliament has also instructed the country’s

government to sever diplomatic relations with Russia./

 

Earlier this week, Tbilisi recalled most of its embassy staff from Moscow.

 

The parliament has also called on the government to cancel all

agreements which allow Russian peacekeepers to remain in the disputed

republics. These include the UN-backed ceasefire deals of the 1990s.

 

The Georgian military launched *an attack against South Ossetia*

<../../../.. /news/news/ 29460> on August 8, 2008.

 

Shortly afterwards, Russia called an emergency session of the UN

Security Council in an attempt to end the Georgian aggression, but it

didn’t bring any results.

 

Taking into consideration that many in South Ossetia had Russian

passports, President Dmitry Medvedev ordered elements of Russia’s 58th

Army to enter the conflict zone – the move Georgia called an invasion.

 

On Tuesday Russia recognised the independence of the republics of

Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

 

Moscow says the decision to break off ties will not have a negative

impact on Russia.

 

Konstantin Kosachev, Head of the Russian State Duma Foreign Affairs

Committee, said: /“Of course it will be a regrettable step. Even though

we may have different views on the conflict, Russia and Georgia are

still neighbours. I’m sure both are equally interested in developing

partnership and co-operation. Our relationship is not built around this

conflict only. I’m deeply convinced that even now the relationship

between the two nations still remains normal.”/

 

http://www.russiato day.com/news/ news/29632 <../../../.. /news/news/ 29632>