Thoughts from a friend in Russia

[grassfed]

From a friend:

Many of you have written me asking my perspective on the South Ossetian situation, especially since I'm living in Russia at the moment. While I feel that there is no simple solution to this problem, I am 100% convinced that the way that the conflict is being portrayed right now in Western news outlets is completely and unfairly biased against the Russian position (on a number of fronts), and I can assure you is only further enraging Russian public opinion against the west and making it harden it's position on a number of issues (and from my point of view, understandably so). The Poles signing the missile deal one day after this whole conflict boiled over was not exactly the best way to convince Russia that the missile stations that are being set up in Europe were aimed at rogue countries like Iran and North Korea and not against Russia (the former which had been the US's justification up until now for wanting the missile stations to begin with, and the latter being the reason that Russia up until now was opposed to such a missile system). It was also not the best way to convince the Russians that NATO expansion actually is not a plot by the US and western governments to encircle Russia.

One other thing that I just wanted to comment about on the whole Georgian conflict which no one is talking about: the key role of the US Ambassador in Georgia prior to the outbreak of hostilities.

In 1990, the US ambassador to Iraq was a woman named April Glaspie. It is known fact (not rumor) that prior to invading Kuwait (literally days before the invasion was launched), Saddam Hussein met with Glaspie in Baghdad:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Glaspie
What happened during that meeting is not known exactly (or if it is, it has already been classified and will not see the light of day in our lifetime), but both Saddam and several sources in the State Department anonymously said that during that meeting Saddam discussed invading Kuwait and that Glaspie gave the "green light". Subsequently, Glaspie was removed from her post, the whole issue was hushed up (aside from a couple of isolated articles that came out afterwards), and the Gulf War subsequently happened and the rest you know.

I bring this up because the way this whole thing in Georgia unfolded makes me very, very suspicious of the role of the US Ambassador in Georgia. I just cannot believe that Georgia would start bombing South Osettia (which they did; not even Western outlets deny that Georgia began this war; they only decide to apportion overall blame for the war and resulting casualties, again unfairly in my opinion, to Russia). I just cannot belive that without him giving the "green light" that this whole thing would have happened to begin with.

Yet no one, and I mean no one, is even talking about this. This would be my first avenue of inquiry if I was an investigative reporter into this whole affair. Something definitely stinks, although as far as I can tell, no one seems to care.

Below you will see a link to a clip (in English) that is very popular amongst Russians at the moment. The clip in their minds is one of countless examples of how western news media outlets are completely biased against Russia in this situation and have no interest in portraying news in an objective fashion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8XI2Chc6uQ

[wtmusic]

1. Kinda makes it look like 1990 was "blood for oil" too

and Saddam was set up. Why didn't the US push on to Baghdad then though? :shrug:

And why the hell would the US want to start something with Russia now? All the pieces are not adding up.

[MarjorieG]

2. I hyperventilate about this daily. McCain boasts of phoning Georgia, has their $800K lobbyist...

and chief Iraq War architect his chief foreign policy advisor, and this done over Obama's vacation when they needed an issue post Iraq (as if it's all solved).

America may need to support Georgia. We created them, gave them military and money, but does that preclude calling those responsible for this out on it?

[annabanana]

3. "no one seems to care"

Please let your friend know that Americans are NOT getting the whole story. We haven't gotten the whole story about ANYTHING for years. Most Americans would need a 5 year remedial course to even understand the most basic information that the rest of the world understands completely.

[bertman]

4. Man, keepin up with all this international politics stuff is WAAYY too much trouble. I'm gonna watch

ICE ROAD TRUCKERS


SURVIVOR


LOST


AMERICA'S MOST WANTED


my neighbor beat the piss out of his brother.


Whatever.


Besides, those Russians ain't nothin but a bunch a damn Commies anyhow.

[warren pease]

5. US mass media is biased? They're lying? They're parroting the Bushies? Who would have thought... n/t