INTERESTING_____________
0128 GMT, 000128 – The Consequences of Kosovo

Both Greece and Italy appear to be distancing themselves from both the United States and Western Europe. Recent decisions in Athens and Rome suggest that neither government has reconciled the rift that opened in NATO during its war against Yugoslavia last year.

Despite Western sanctions against Serbia, a new Italian business consortium, Consorzio Europeo Italia, announced Jan. 21 plans to open a trading center near Belgrade, Yugoslavia, reported the Albanian Daily News. The consortium, which includes several French companies, consists of businesses such as food and metal processors, telecommunications and the car and furniture industries. This move directly defies Western sanctions against Yugoslavia.

Further, while Western disapproval of Russia mounts over the Chechen war, Italy’s relations with Moscow are growing friendlier. In Moscow on Jan. 20, Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini promised to allocate $8.3 million to Russia for the destruction of chemical weapons. Several days later, on Jan. 27, Italian Deputy Defense Minister Gianni Rivera and Russian First Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Mikhailov signed a military agreement that will enable Italy to buy Russian military products and develop further security cooperation between the two. Greece has also begun to turn to Russia for arms, recently taking delivery of 21 Tor-M1 anti-aircraft missile units.

The governments in both Rome and Athens went along with NATO’s three-month bombing campaign but harbored deep doubts over the wisdom of the war. Now, both governments appear worried by the war’s consequences. Turkey is lending support to Albania, which raises hackles in Greece. Italy is still wrestling with the problems of ethnic Albanian refugees and immigrants. The private split within NATO has not been mended and since the war, the alliance has allowed the situation in Kosovo to deteriorate, increasingly threatening the nations of its own southern flank.

The Balkan Stability Pact – a Western offer following the war – is a good example. The Pact, agreed upon by Washington and the EU, was to channel several billion dollars worth of economic aid to the region, excluding Serbia. Instead, Western powers have virtually deserted the pact. Greece and Italy, realizing that they must deal with the war’s consequences appear to be taking matters into their own hands.

Warnings should be sent to sponsers of Chechen terrorists ,that if they attack any place in Russia proper then there will be consequencs .If anything like this occurs Russia has the right to bomb sponser countries..The time to sit back and watch is over. It is time for ACTION.

He proposed a Turkish Commonwealth uniting Turkey, "the Ottoman Empire successor," Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.
* If true, then - another attempt to "cut" RF and enforce foreign will on it by using Az.,Kz., Kyr. and Tu. as leverage. + Kaspian basin oil dreams + the Kazakh rocket facility + Tu. natural gas .. + Unified currency dream (Ottoman Euro-Tenge?;o)) + Military pact dream
Why doesn't Turkey want Albania in it's "Commonwealth"?
Warnings should be sent to sponsers of Chechen terrorists ,that if they attack any place in Russia proper then there will be consequencs .If anything like this occurs Russia has the right to bomb sponser countries..The time to sit back and watch is over. It is time for ACTION.
* You're serious? Where's that from?

Did you know that Russia has the highest death rate in all of Europe? Another sick fact from America's ideological/economical expansion.

L'menexe,

I strongly support the idea that America continues to seek Russia's weakness even after its fallen to such embarrasing figures. It totally disregards Russia. Why i ask, does America justify everything it does. Is it because they are the Democratic/wealthiest nation in the world. So they can do what they want?

Washington says it wants the missile defense to protect the country from "rogue" states, not to neutralize the deterrent effect of a massive nuclear attack by Russia.

But wouldn't the Missle Defense system be capable of defense against a Russian Nuclear attack as well? Yes of course it can!

U R N...wow thats it just blame America for all of Russias problems don't take any responsabilty for yourselves. It is so much easier to blame than to admit ones own failures. Couls it be after so many years of following a flawed communist ideas that Russia is simply not prepaired to compete with the modern world.

A nice Picture of modern "Katyusha" for EVERYONE:

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/p/nm/20000128/ts/mdf42937.html

"By Gonzo ( - 208.23.220.30) on Friday, January 28, 2000 - 12:09 pm:
U R N...wow thats it just blame America for all of Russias problems don't take any responsabilty for yourselves. It is so much easier to blame than to admit ones own failures. Couls it be after so many years of following a flawed communist ideas that Russia is simply not prepaired to compete with the modern world."

Are you blind to see what is happening? So you think Russia deserves a war in Chechnya? Civilians in their sleeps deserved to be slaughtered? Russian voice in European committee deserves to be ignored? You are right, it is easier to blame than admit, so stop blaming Russia for America's actions. Admit what you did to Russia and to other countries (Afghanistan, Cuba, Yugoslavia, Iraq, Iran and so many more.)
Because im sure they would all blame U.S., but isnt it interesting? The more witnesses you gather, the more that share the same fate and opinion as you do, often tend to be the victors. Its only a matter of time until America runs out of people they can screw.

Very interesting posts Igor. Thank you.

U R N ...uh no come on do you really believe the USA is building or plans to build a missle defense system just so it can make Russia glow and then relly on some type of high tec system to shot down all of Russias in coming missles (which would be impossible) you are paranoid. Think about it America is a capitolistic country we would rather have Russia have a strong economy so we could sell more Big Macs. By the way could the life expectency of Russians be low due to things like well enviromental problems due to polution from falled communist policies and too much vodka.

Dimitri, very nice looking picture. I like how one of the grad missles is frozen in mid air. I would like to see a frozen picture of one of thos exploding next to a platoon of Chechens and see its shrapnel sink into their flesh like razor sharp teeth. LOL

Gonzo, i dont know how limited your intelligence is, but, America is capable of building such a system. Just like Russia is capable of shooting nuclear warheads from sattelites and U.S. is capable of targeting those sattelites with lasers from american sattelites. The life expectancy, if you live to reach 57, is caused by all sorts of factors, might i add are all the results of American intervention/tampering in foreign Govt.

RFE correspondent arrested by Russians in Chechnya
MOSCOW, Jan 28 (AFP) -
A Radio Free Europe correspondent reported missing in Chechnya has been arrested by Russian forces and charged with siding with the rebels in the offensive, Interfax cited security sources as saying Friday.

The RFE correspondent, Andrei Babitsky, is being kept "in normal conditions in a holding cell, where they are conducting all of the procedures that are necessary in such a case," the Federal Security Service (FSB) source told the news agency.

The report failed to specify where the journalist was being held.

The sources said Babitsky has been charged with participating in an unlawful, armed resistance group. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Babitsky last made contact with RFE, where he has worked for 10 years, from Grozny some two weeks ago, shortly before Russian soldiers began storming the city.

US President Bill Clinton on Thursday expressed his concern for the fate of Babitsky, who has filed highly critical reports of Russia's Chechen campaign.

Basically Babitsky is a spy and Clinton is interested in what he knows.

U R N I see you have master the use of big letters...any way "does Russia deserve the war in Chechnya?" Uh Chechens have been fighting for there independence for what a couple hundred years. Didn't Stalin send the whole population to siberia. America didn't say hey Russia go fight in Chechnya and russia said yes sir off we go. The war in Chechnya is by Russias choice on how it decided to react to problems it faced from the Chechens and susposed bombing of buildings by Chechens. Where did I blame Russia for Americas actions? (in other words what are you talking about)Now as far as Americas actions in the countrites you posted . First Afganastan. Russia put in a puppet government which most Afgans regected in which a civil war resulted...which resulted in Russian troops moving in. Yes the US supplied Afgans with weapons. Hell both sides did stuff like that during the cold war. Now the afgans gained there freedom from Russia , of course the Taliban who now rule are a nasty bunch. Why does Cuba face so many problems today because Russia no longer sends heaps of cash to prop up the Cuban economy (hence another failed communist economy) You would like to blame US santions on Cuba for their failed economy but hey they did fine when Russia was proping their economy up so maybe you guys can start sending some cash again. Yugoslavia is such a mess with so many factors that one can simply not blame the US. Iraq...one word sadam. If you would rather side with a guy who gasses his own people and doesn't let food and medical supplies sent via the food for oil program be my guest. Iran. relations are warming between the two countries but what the hell has America done to Iran recently.

Casualty List