What's Miliband playing at..?

Domo

Domo

Domo

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"UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has called on the EU and Nato to initiate "hard-headed engagement" with Russia in response to its actions in Georgia." Src: BBC

Bit of a dangerous stage to make a name for yourself. Why doesn't he keep his nose out of it? Leave the rhetoric to the experts (US) rather than embarrass us all! I can imagine the Russians asking who the hell he is.

Not as bad as Cameron visiting Georgia mind.
 
prob trying to create the illusion of being good at foreign affairs.

I dont think its wrong of us to stand up to russia. Invading Europe is not something we should sit back on.
 
When will Britain realise that it's a tiny little insignificant country with no clout in the international community anymore, hell that's what NATO and the EU are for, a way to exert power as a group that will be listened to.
 
Can someone clear up this whole thing for me? As I understand it, South Ossetia is a part of Georgia which has essentially been under control of rebels for 10 years, and the Georgian govt sent in tanks to sort it out. However, there were some Russian citizens there so Russia invaded? :confused:
 
bam0 said:
When will Britain realise that it's a tiny little insignificant country with no clout in the international community anymore, hell that's what NATO and the EU are for, a way to exert power as a group that will be listened to.
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We're the fourth richest with the world's 2nd most potent military, we're a permanant member of the UN Security Council, on the G8 etc etc etc

Hardly insignificant!
 
Over Clocker said:
He comes the sit down and let them do what they want brigade......
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Whether we like it or not Russia is a global superpower up there with the US and China. Admittedly they imploded 10 years ago but now they are back on form and there's not a lot we can really do about it.
 
Beansprout said:
Can someone clear up this whole thing for me? As I understand it, South Ossetia is a part of Georgia which has essentially been under control of rebels for 10 years, and the Georgian govt sent in tanks to sort it out. However, there were some Russian citizens there so Russia invaded? :confused:
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As far as I understand it's been disputed terrotary for a very long time. After the collapse of communism Georgia got the land because Moscow weren't in a position to barter.

Because 90% of the citizens there hold russian passports, Georgia by bombing the area had essentialy started bombing Russian citizens and gave Moscow the authority to go in occupy/retake the land.
 
Over Clocker said:
We're the fourth richest with the world's 2nd most potent military, we're a permanant member of the UN Security Council, on the G8 etc etc etc

Hardly insignificant!
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2nd most potent? Yet spread so thin across Iraq and Afghanistan and can't even provide its troops with the equipment they need. The economy is powered by service industries and supported by the sheer amount of money that flows through London. As for the security council, that's a remnant of being involved in it's creation after WW2. A G8 that doesn't include India or China, not that interesting or useful to me.
 
Beansprout said:
Can someone clear up this whole thing for me? As I understand it, South Ossetia is a part of Georgia which has essentially been under control of rebels for 10 years, and the Georgian govt sent in tanks to sort it out. However, there were some Russian citizens there so Russia invaded? :confused:
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South Ossetia has been a conflict zone for years; Russia has had peacekeepers there for years, and given Russian citizenship to half its population. Georgia responded to some border skirmishing by aerially bombarding its capitol city with a casual disregard to its citizen.

Russia (probably legitimately) responded with military force to stop the Georgian attacks and then (quite unreasonably) by bombing two shades out of several Georgian cities and occupying parts of Georgia.

The west responded by pretending that this was entirely an act of Russian agression and that Georgia was all innocent. Then, when Russia recognised Ossetia (and the other one whos name I've forgotten how to spell) as independent we prattled on about how that was totally illegal and didn't even bother to explain why it was different to Kosovo.

Georgia has been incredibly dim; poking Russia with a stick is just plain dumb. Russia has been overly aggressive (presumably to make a point) and we, the west, have been depressingly willing to dance to an adversarial zero-sum tune.
 
bam0 said:
2nd most potent? Yet spread so thin across Iraq and Afghanistan and can't even provide its troops with the equipment they need. The economy is powered by service industries and supported by the sheer amount of money that flows through London. As for the security council, that's a remnant of being involved in it's creation after WW2. A G8 that doesn't include India or China, not that interesting or useful to me.
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Can I have what your smoking please?
 
Mr Jack said:
South Ossetia has been a conflict zone for years; Russia has had peacekeepers there for years, and given Russian citizenship to half its population. Georgia responded to some border skirmishing by aerially bombarding its capitol city with a casual disregard to its citizen.

Russia (probably legitimately) responded with military force to stop the Georgian attacks and then (quite unreasonably) by bombing two shades out of several Georgian cities and occupying parts of Georgia.

The west responded by pretending that this was entirely an act of Russian agression and that Georgia was all innocent. Then, when Russia recognised Ossetia (and the other one whos name I've forgotten how to spell) as independent we prattled on about how that was totally illegal and didn't even bother to explain why it was different to Kosovo.

Georgia has been incredibly dim; poking Russia with a stick is just plain dumb. Russia has been overly aggressive (presumably to make a point) and we, the west, have been depressingly willing to dance to an adversarial zero-sum tune.
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Thanks for the excellent summary. It's a shame most news sources can't write so objectively.
 
I'm still irritated at the West's 'hey you can't recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia (oh heya there Kosovo how ya doing)'.

Recognizing Kosovo then saying Russia can't do the same for S.O and Abkhazia just makes world leaders look like huge, giant idiots of the highest magnitude, who seemingly forget anything and everything they've ever done in the last 5 seconds and beyond.
 
KNiVES said:
I'm still irritated at the West's 'hey you can't recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia (oh heya there Kosovo how ya doing)'.

Recognizing Kosovo then saying Russia can't do the same for S.O and Abkhazia just makes world leaders look like huge, giant idiots of the highest magnitude, who seemingly forget anything and everything they've ever done in the last 5 seconds and beyond.
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wanna tell me what happened with kosovo? Im welsh I dont look into these things. I just nit wool and play in the snow.
 
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