http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/haku.php?action=...rch=ven%E4j%E4*

Otsikko Venäjä kieltää loukanneensa Ahvenanmaan ilmatilaa
Julkaisuaika 21.05.2005 18:05

russia denies 'offending' finnish airspace, says interfax
Venäjä kiistää loukanneensa Ahvenanmaan ilmatilaa, kertoo uutistoimisto Interfax. Ulkoministeriö vahvisti torstai-iltana Venäjän loukanneen toistuvasti Suomen ilmatilaa. Pääministeri Matti Vanhasen mukaan kyse ei kuitenkaan ole ollut Ahvenanmaasta.

Venäjän ilmavoimien edustajan mukaan maalla on valvontatiedot jokaisesta ilmavoimien lennosta Ahvenanmaan saarten alueella. Tiedot myös toimitetaan suomalaisille, jos siihen on tarvetta, hän sanoo.

Ulkoministeriö vahvisti torstai-iltana alun perin MTV3:n uutisten kertoman tiedon ilmatilan loukkauksista. MTV3:n mukaan ilmatilan loukkaamisia on ollut viimeisen puolen vuoden aikana toistakymmentä, viimeisin niistä noin viikko sitten.

Ulkoministeriö ei kertonut, missä kohtaa Suomen ilmatilaa oli loukattu. Tätä ei paljastanut myöskään pääministeri Vanhanen perjantaina. Hän totesi kuitenkin, että Ahvenanmaan alueesta ei ollut kyse.

both foreign ministry and defence forces have notified russians about airspace invasions. the offences have continued without regard for the demands to stop
Sekä ulkoministeriö että puolustusvoimat ovat huomauttaneet ilmatilan loukkauksista Venäjän viranomaisille. Loukkaukset ovat kuitenkin jatkuneet lopettamisvaatimuksista huolimatta.

PM: not all invasions accidental

Vanhanen: Ainakaan kaikki loukkaukset eivät vahinkoja

blahblah according to the newspaper, russia would have been testing finnish and maybe also eu's and even nato's responses..
Pääministeri Matti Vanhanen on kiistänyt, että alueloukkauksista olisi hallituksessa puhuttu tahallisena provokaationa, kuten perjantain Huvudstadsbladet kirjoittaa. Lehden mukaan Venäjä olisi näin testannut Suomen sekä ehkä EU:n ja Natonkin reagointia. Lehti ei nimennyt lähteitään, joiden se kuitenkin mainitsi olevan korkea-arvoisia.

according to pm, airspace invasions happen every now and then, but in recent events, systematic pattern could be detected..tens within a short period of time...
Vanhasen mukaan ilmatilaa loukataan vahingossa aina silloin tällöin, mutta viime aikojen tapahtumissa on havaittavissa systemaattisuutta. - Näitä (ilmatilan loukkauksia) on ollut useita, kymmenkunta kohtalaisen lyhyen ajan sisään, toteaa Vanhanen.

Ulkoministeri Erkki Tuomioja on pääministerin kanssa samoilla linjoilla. Hänen mukaansa nyt on kyse toistuvista tapahtumista. - Heidän on syytä katsoa järjestelmänsä perään, ettei näin pääse tapahtumaan.

the minister of foreign affairs estimates that at least some offences have happened on such planes, that make it hard to believe the offences were known
Tuomioja arvioi ainakin osan ilmatilan loukkauksista tapahtuneen sellaisilla koneilla, että on vaikea uskoa, ettei rajanylityksistä olisi tiedetty.

Presidentti Tarja Halosen mukaan ilmatilan loukkaus on aina vakava asia. Halonen sanoo kuitenkin suhtautuvansa optimistisesti siihen, että tapaus selviää ja luottavansa virkamiesten välisten neuvottelujen johtavan toivottuun lopputulokseen.

Halonen ei ota kantaa siihen, ovatko ilmatilaloukkaukset olleet tahallisia. - Sitä emme osaa sanoa. Olivat ne sitten tahallisia tai tahattomia, niin tietotaidon pitäisi riittää oikealla kohdalla kulkemiseen, hän kommentoi.

Ilmatilan loukkaukset on määrä ottaa esille, kun pääministeri Vanhanen vierailee Moskovassa kesäkuun alussa. Vanhasen Venäjän-vierailua isännöi pääministeri Mihail Fradkov.

STT, YLE24

http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/haku.php?action=...rch=ven%E4j%E4*

Otsikko UM: Ilmatilaa loukattu toistuvasti
Julkaisuaika 21.05.2005 15:21

finnish ministry of foreign affairs confirms that russian air force's planes have repeatedly entered finnish airspace last week
Suomen ulkoministeriö vahvistaa tiedot, joiden mukaan Venäjän ilmavoimien koneet ovat loukanneet Suomen ilmatilaa viime viikkoina toistuvasti.

according to the ministry, planes were going to or coming from kaliningrad. the offences have continued although russian officials have been notified. finland has also requested airspace invasions to be stopped
UM:n mukaan koneet ovat olleet matkalla Kaliningradiin tai sieltä palaamassa. Ilmatilan loukkaukset ovat jatkuneet, vaikka niistä on huomautettu Venäjän viranomaisille. Suomi on myös vaatinut loukkausten lopettamista.

Suomen ilmavoimien koneet ovat tunnistaneet loukkaajat myös näköhavainnoin.

..according to MTV3, thre have been couple of dozens airspace invasions during last six month. the latest incident happened about a week ago
Asiasta kertoi torstaina MTV3:n uutiset. MTV3:n mukaan ilmatilaloukkauksia on ollut puolen vuoden aikana toistakymmentä. Tuorein tapaus sattui noin viikko sitten.

Tasavallan presidentti ja hallituksen ulko- ja turvallisuuspoliittinen valiokunta ovat käsitelleet asiaa. Se otetaan esille Venäjän kanssa myös poliittisella tasolla.

YLE24

http://www.postimees.ee/220505/online_uudised/166629.php

russian oposition protests censorship and lies in tv
Vene opositsioon protestib tsensuuri ja valede vastu TV-s
22.05.2005 19:01
BNS

today near ostankino tv-centre in moscow, a demonstration w about 2000 participants, organized by russian democrats and leftist opposition
Vene demokraadid ja vasakopositsioon korraldasid täna Moskvas Ostankino telekeskuse juures umbes 2000 osavõtjaga meeleavalduse tsensuuri ja valetamise vastu televisioonis.

Miitingule olid kogunenud Jabloko, Kommunistliku Partei, erakonna Meie Valik, Natsionaalbolševike Partei ja mitmete teiste liikumiste esindajad.

Kogunemise avasõnad öelnud Jabloko liider Grigori Javlinski teatas, et Venemaal pole sõnavabadust ning kohaletulnud soovivad «öelda jah sõnavabadusele».

«Sõnavabadus ei tähenda mitte jäleduste vabadust, vaid probleemi arutamise vabadust,» leidis Javlinski. «Me nõuame avalik-õiguslikku televisiooni. «Jah» meie sõnadele televisioonis, «ei» vägivallale ja valetamisele,» kuulutas Javlinski.

state duma's rep (communist f.) I.M. said: "we didn't gather here, in front of ostankino, incidentally. precisely here are issued orders what, where, and how to show"
Riigiduuma kommunistide fraktsiooni esindaja Ivan Melnikov ütles omakorda: «Me ei kogunenud juhuslikult siia, Ostankino ette. Just siia antakse käske, mida, kus ja kuidas näidata.»

Venemaa kaht riiklikku telekanalit, Pervõi Kanal ja Rossija, on kritiseeritud Kremli-meelsuses ja liiga ametlikus toonis ning parima eetriaja andmises president Vladimir Putini visiitide ja otsuste kajastamiseks.

Eratelekanali NTV ülevõtmine võimude poolt 2001. aastal tähistas sõltumatu ja opositsioonilise meedia mahasurumise algust, tekitades Läänes muret meediavabadusest Venemaal.

there's ONLY ONE INDEPENDENT RADIO STAION IN MOSCOW today, and a handful of small newspapers and internet sites
Moskvas on praegu ainult üks sõltumatu raadiojaam, Ehho Moskvõ, ning käputäis väga väikese tiraažiga päevalehti ja internetisaite, näiteks Gazeta.ru.

http://www.postimees.ee/200505/online_uudised/166501.php

AGAIN, confidential data leaks from russian central bank
-------------------
still eager to do business?

Thanks for this thread, Gabriellemy. Americans are so self centered and we rarely pay attention to what is going on in the rest of the world, unless it somehow directly involves us.

http://www.postimees.ee/200505/online_uudised/166420.php

russian uneversity students avoid mandatory service in russian army

70% of all u.students is willing to use 'all possibilities' to avoid mandatory service in russian army w a bad reputation
70 protsenti Venemaa kõrgkoolide tudengitest on valmis kasutama kõiki võimalusi, et pääseda kohustuslikust ajateenistusest halva mainega Vene armees, kirjutab lenta.ru.

since getting a delay isn't sure, only 23% of those who have received a note will go to <me not know the word>
Kuna ajapikenduse saamine pole sugugi kindel, läheb kutse peale komissariaati kohale vaid 23 protsenti üliõpilastest.

..the def. min. has implied getting a 'leave' for univ. students is too easy, and that the order might be changed in near future
Praegu Venemaa tudengeid õppeajal sõjaväkke ei sunnita, ent kaitseminister Sergei Ivanov teatas jaanuaris, et ajapikenduse saamine on liiga lihtne ning andis mõista, et senist korda võidakse lähiajal muuta.

..research/poll firm: 84% students, 82% teachers against changing current order
Tudengeid ja õppejõude küsitlenud uuringufirma ROMIR Monitoring juht Petr Zalesski rääkis, et ajapikenduste andmise korra muutmisse suhtub negatiivselt või pigem negatiivselt 84 protsenti üliõpilastest ja 82 protsenti ülikoolide õppejõududest.

Zalesski sõnul leiab kolm neljandikku tudengeid ja 60 protsenti õppejõude, et sõjaväeteenistus peab olema vabatahtlik ja arvavad, et ajapikenduste korra muutmine võib põhjustada laialdasi rahutusi.

58% students and about 40% teachers say, they'd participate in demonstrations against changing current mil service order
Sellistel meeleavaldustel oleks nõus osalema 58 protsenti tudengitest ja umbes 40 protsenti õppejõududest.

---------------------------------

thanks, pie. i hope that excepting discussion, i'dmanage to avoid non-related multiple posts that'd make this completely boring...

again - thanks.

i was looking was the cutie-pie lomonov's who display hammer and sicle on nazi-style red-white, and ended up here:



http://www.mosnews.com/interview/2004/08/09/limonov.shtml

NOW PAY ATTN BEFORE ENTERING:


propaganda warning issued

read objectively and secondguess and doublecheck (if you're not familiar with the subject)

if questions are asked in a leading manner, take double care when proceeding

IF - and ONLY IF - you're able to do that - hve fun reading. might prove to be a relatively good source of news, IF you BEAR CONDITIONS IN MIND...

ie, not evry shining word is golden





MY fav:

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/05/18/putinocchio.shtml

etc..

i already posted that. this thread is NOT INTENDED for multiple posts on same subject (unless *i* do that, of course), please refer to other news threads for that



i will post some less relevant topics that make the headlines myself so i'll grant some.
HOWEVER, the idea of this thread was to center on THIS GEOPOLITICAL REGION and MEDIA, and maybe for some analysis or drawing parallels..
just to clarify a point...
ok?

http://www.postimees.ee/250505/online_uudised/166824.php
http://www.newsru.com/russia/24may2005/ivanov.html

Jalakäija tapnud Vene ministri poeg võib karistusest pääseda
24.05.2005 10:16
PM Online

the son of russian defence minister sergei ivanov who ran over and killed an elderly woman will likely escape punishment and the case won't likely even reach the court, writes newsru.com
Eaka naise surnuks sõitnud Venemaa kaitseministri Sergei Ivanovi poeg pääseb ilmselt karistusest, süüdlaseks tehakse hoopis hukkunu ja asi ei jõua isegi kohtusse, kirjutab NEWSru.com.

ivanov's son aleksandr hit with great speed an elderly woman crossing the road on may 20, she died on the scene
Ivanovi poeg Aleksandr sõitis 20. mail suure kiirusega otsa teed ületanud vanemale naisterahvale, kes hukkus sündmuskohal.

according to experts there's no way a son of a high official will be found guilty and sentenced to up to five years in prison according to the law
Ekspertide hinnangul ei saa juttugi olla, et kõrge riigiametniku poeg mõistetakse süüdi ning talle määratakse seadustega ette nähtud kuni viieaastane vanglakaristus.

"in all likelihood that poor woman will take the blame in the accident," said viktor travin, the foreman of russian drivers' rights defence board
«Tõenäoliselt jääb õnnetuses süüdi too õnnetu naisterahvas,» ütles Venemaa autojuhtide õiguste kaitse kolleegiumi president Viktor Travin.

he added that even if the <officials> pretend to 'play a fair game,' the investigation may still be closed in both sides' agreement. this means, he said, that the minister's son will pay a certain amount of money to the deceased's relatives, and they will withdraw the claim(?).
Ta lisas, et isegi kui prokuratuur teeb avariid uurides näo, et «mängitakse ausat mängu», võidakse juurdlus poolte kokkuleppel lõpetada. See tähendab Travini sõnul, et ministri poeg maksab hukkunu sugulastele teatud summa raha ja need võtavad avalduse tagasi.

for the time being, aleksandr ivanov is accused of causing death due to carelessness, and the particulars are still under investigation
Esialgu süüdistatakse Aleksandr Ivanovi ettevaatamatuse tõttu surma põhjustamises ning liiklusõnnetuse täpsed asjaolud on uurijate kinnitusel täpsustamisel.

the offspring of russian ministers have had traffic accidents before, but usually minor ones.
Venemaa ministrite järeltulijad on liiklusõnnetustesse sattunud varemgi, ent üldjuhul on tegemist kergemate avariidega.

most media attention got an incident on march 1, 1999, when a car owned by a businessman aleksey, son of a russian vice prime minister's oleg sostakovitch's, killed three tadzhik workers walking on roadside.
Enim põhjustas meedias vastukaja 1999. aasta 1. märtsil aset leidnud juhtum, kus Venemaa asepeaministri Oleg Soskovitši ärimehest pojale Alekseile kuulunud sõiduautoga sõideti surnuks kolm teepervel kõndinud tadžikist töömeest.

the driver left the scene, but the licence plate fell off
Avarii põhjustaja lahkus sündmuskohalt, ent õnnetuse käigus kukkus autol küljest numbrimärk.

2 hours later aleksey sostakovitch made a statement to the police, declaring his car stolen
Kaks tundi hiljem viis Aleksei Soskovitš miilitsasse avalduse, mille kohaselt ta sõiduauto olevat ärandatud.

minister's son was held in custody for few days and then released. the hit-and-run driver has not been identified
Ministri poega peeti mõned päevad vahi all ja vabastati seejärel. Õnnetuse põhjustajat pole siiani kindlaks tehtud.

http://euobserver.com/?sid=9&aid=19212

British get highest incomes in EU
31.05.2005 - 17:45 CET | By Elitsa Vucheva

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - UK citizens earn the highest incomes within the EU, with average annual earnings of 36,180 euro, statistics show.

The average results for the 25-member-bloc in 2002 were 26,850 euro, according to statistics released by Eurostat on Monday (30 May).

Luxembourg and Germany show respectively the second and third highest earnings, with 35,010 euro and 34,620 euro.

On the other hand, people in Estonia (4,440 euro), Lithuania (3,600 euro) and Latvia (3,240 euro) earn the least, with Lithuanians and Latvians earning over ten times less than the British, according to the EU's statistical agency's figures.

These figures do not reflect purchasing power, however, as they do no take into account the differences in price levels within the EU.

If purchasing power taken into account, people in Luxembourg have the highest average earnings, followed by the Germans and the British, with Estonians, Lithuanians and Latvians still at the bottom of the list.

Gender gap
In all 25 member states, there is a marked difference between average earnings for men and women, with the gap being the largest in the UK, Denmark and Cyprus.

In these countries, women earn about 30 per cent less than men.

The smallest gaps - 20 per cent - were recorded in Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Belgium, Sweden and Finland.

This can be explained by several factors, such as the type of jobs, age, and other employment characteristics, and does not "necessarily reflect a gap in pay between women and men occupying the same job with the same level of seniority", according to Eurostat.

Another factor influencing the gap in average earnings is the level of education.

People with only a lower education earn 20,420 euro per year on average, whereas those who have university education or equivalent, have an average annual income of 41,080 euro within the EU.

And the level of education seems to have a particularly important role in the new member states, where those who have a university diploma sometimes earn twice as much as those only having completed upper secondary education.

Highest incomes in the financial sector
Another common tendency within the EU is that the financial sector records the highest annual earnings, with an average of 43,550 euro.

Annual average salaries in Luxembourg (59,200), the UK (56,710 euro), Germany (45,600 euro), and the Netherlands (44,110) have levels above the average, whereas Slovakia (9,950 euro), Latvia (8,000 euro) and Lithuania (7,360 euro) are lagging far behind.

The services and industry sectors follow in second and third place after the financial sector, with respectively 27,200 euro and 27,050 euro on average.

Hotels and restaurants record the lowest figures (17,510 euro on average), with the best results appearing in Finland (24,700 euro), Sweden (24,330 euro), the Netherlands (23,660 euro) and Luxembourg (21,140 euro).

The Eurostat study does not present data for Greece, Portugal and Malta.

http://www.postimees.ee/070605/online_uudised/168123.php



vladimir zhirinovsky's liberal dem party members have prepared a draft act that would take russian citizenship from women who marry foreigners.

zhirinovsky reported that initiative in his speech "patriotism and citizen responsibility/duty" at duma's round table.

according to him, "the author of that draft act doesn't want that russian women go abroad".

co-signatory said it hasn't been formally submitted yet, but he will, as soon zhirinovsky gives him such a task

----------------------------------------------
gabriellemy's notes:

*zhirinovsky - read: populist, rabble rouser, nationalist...

*lib dem party, russian style - neither liberal nor democratic

the guy'll do ANYTHING to get some attn, incl fist fights and attack women...
but i'd rather not have the dork as the next ruler even so: bit too nationalist and imperialist for my taste, even for a russian

.. and now, gazprom bought izvestiya:

http://www.postimees.ee/040605/esileht/val...ised/167902.php

excerpts:


3 tv channels, 5 radio stations and 6 papers add up to quite an influential propaganda machine in my mind..

http://top.rbc.ru/english/index.shtml?/new...45929_bod.shtml

State-run oil company Rosneft, which bought YUKOS key production unit Yuganskneftegas in December, has not yet disclosed how it financed the acquisition. But Russian newspaper Vedomosti has gained insight using the latest leak from the Central Bank’s transaction database.

On December 19, 2004, surprise bidder Baikalfinancegroup won the auction for a 76.79 percent stake in Yuganskneftegas. It had deposited $1.7 billion, promising to pay a total of $9.35 billion for the former subsidiary of YUKOS. Shortly after the auction, Rosneft purchased Baikalfinancegroup for RUR10,000. On December 30, Baikalfinancegroup paid for Yuganskneftegas. It remained unclear where the money had come from. Vedomosti says part of the funds could have come from the state budget.

Little was known about the Yuganskneftegas acquisition, except that Rosneft had received $1.7 billion in December from its merger with Gazprom, and Rosneft’s subsidiaries were going to lend about $5.5 billion to the parent company. Finance minister Alexei Kudrin, to some extent, lifted the veil of secrecy in February, announcing that state-owned Vnesheconombank had borrowed $6 billion from Chinese banks to fund the acquisition. But both Rosneft and the bank strongly denied having spent the money on Yuganskneftegas.

Payments fitting within the framework of the deal were found in a database allegedly reflecting the Central Bank’s transactions for the fourth quarter of last year.

On December 30, when Rosneft paid for Yuganskneftegas, RUR147.068 billion ($5.3 billion) was transferred to Vnesheconombank’s foreign currency account. The purpose of payment and the name of the payer were not indicated, but the taxpayer identification number of the payer coincides with that of the federal treasury. Vnesheconombank spent the same amount of money - RUR147 billion - to buy foreign currency denominated promissory notes, reflected on its balance sheet on January 1, 2005. Experts assumed from the beginning that those were promissory notes of Rosneft’s subsidiaries.

One of the banks servicing Rosneft transferred the same sum of RUR147.068 billion to the oil company’s account in Sberbank, the database shows. Baikalfinancegroup, which paid RUR211.403 billion for Yuganskneftegas on December 30, also had an account in the bank.

Citing comments by bank analysts, Vedomosti proposes the following scheme: the treasury sent $5.3 billion to Vnesheconombank for the acquisition of promissory notes from Rosneft’s subsidiaries, and the latter lent the money to Rosneft to finance the Yuganskneftegas acquisition. Through a friendly bank, Rosneft exchanged the $5.3 billion for rubles, which landed in Sberbank, where Baikalfinancegroup had an account. The deal was not completed by the end of the year, and Baikalfinancegroup showed the promissory notes on its balance sheet - the money it owed to the treasury. The operation was completed in January, when Rosneft, acting through Vnesheconombank, borrowed $6 billion from Chinese banks.

In other words, the leaked database suggests that Rosneft used budget money - sent to Vnesheconombank from the federal treasury - to finance the acquisition of Yuganskneftegas, which means that the budget allocation was used for a wrong purpose.

This information can be useful for YUKOS, which lodged an appeal on Tuesday at the Moscow arbitration court challenging the sale of a 76.79 percent stake in Yuganskneftegaz, also seeking more than RUR 324 billion in damages.

The case was filed against Russia’s federal property fund, companies Baikalfinancegroup, Rosneft, Gazpromneft, Gazprom and the finance ministry. Third parties are the main Moscow department of Russia’s justice ministry, the main Moscow department of the federal court bailiffs service, the federal antimonopoly service and Yuganskneftegaz. YUKOS asked the court to freeze Yuganskneftegaz shares as a measure to secure the claim.

----------------------------
http://top.rbc.ru/english/index.shtml?/new...30750_bod.shtml

Russia’s federal property agency said it had transferred 100 percent of state-owned oil company Rosneft to Rosneftegaz, as part of Rosneft’s merger with gas giant Gazprom. The plan of the merger, which will give the government a controlling stake in Gazprom, was approved by economy minister German Gref.

http://top.rbc.ru/english/index.shtml?/new...30041_bod.shtml

“We have more cases in store. This case is not the last,” Kolesnikov warned. Asked why other oligarchs were still at large, he said: “Unfortunately, some of them fled. We were too humane, and they managed to escape.”

He said new legal proceedings would be initiated shortly, similar to the case against YUKOS security chief Alexei Pichugin, convicted of organizing several contract killings.

Mikhail Gorbachev, ex-President of the Soviet Union, in this weekend’s interview with the British Sunday Times, expressed surprise that Khodorkovsky was seen as a hero in the West. If Khodorkovsky, with his gift to evade taxes, had operated in the United States, he would have been jailed long ago, Gorbachev remarked. According to some estimates, Russian businessmen had evaded about $1 trillion in tax, the former president added.

http://www.postimees.ee/080605/online_uudised/168309.php

russian newspaper calls for boycott on estonian produce
Vene ajaleht kutsub Eesti tooteid eirama
08.06.2005 07:18
PM Online

Komsomolskaya Pravda has called not to wait, until russia imposes sanctions on "unfriendly" countries, but to boycott their products
Ajaleht Komsomolskja Pravda kutsus 2. juuni numbris üles mitte ootama, kuni Venemaa kehtestab «ebasõbralike» riikide suhtes sanktsioonid, vaid boikoteerima nende kaupu, kirjutab Eesti Päevaleht.

"when buying baltic >smoked sprats?>, you support SS-veterans" heralded the biggest newspaper in russia, reaching 6,3 million readers daily
«Ostes Balti sprotte, aitate SS-veterane,» kuulutas Venemaa enimloetud päevaleht, mida loeb iga päev 6,3 miljoni inimest.

besides baltic countries, the paper also lists ukraine, moldova, georgia and poland as "unfriendly"
Ebasõbralike maadena nimetab leht lisaks Balti riikidele Ukrainat, Moldovat, Gruusiat ning Poolat.

director of cis institute kz told in the interview that such a boycott would paralyze whole industrial branches in baltics, agriculture in moldova, and wine production in georgia
SRÜ Instituudi direktor Konstantin Zatulin kõneles ajalehele, et niisugune boikott halvaks terved tööstusharud Baltimaades, põllumajandussektori Moldovas ning veinitootmise Gruusias.

the paper also published a list of countries to support by buying their products: besides russia, belorus, armenia, serbia and montenegro, and cuba
Ajaleht avaldas ka nimekirja maadest, keda toetada, kui nende kaupa osta: peale Venemaa enda Valgevene, Armeenia, Serbia ja Montenegro ning Kuuba.

-----------------------------------

TOLD YOU SO!!!!!!!!!!


IS IT ANYWAY POSSIBLE TO LABEL ALL NUCLEAR MATERIAL GONE AWOL FROM FORMER SOVIET UNION TERRITORY AS "RETURN TO SENDER"?

PLEASE????

AIRMAIL?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4600619.stm

Russian children and teenagers are less healthy today than at any stage since World War II, the country's interior minister has said.

Homelessness, drugs, alcoholism and illiteracy among young Russians, threaten future development, Rashid Nurgaliyev told a Moscow conference.

Russia's improving economy is having little impact on unhealthy lifestyles and an epidemic of ill-health, he said.

Some 700,000 children are orphaned or homeless, and 4m use drugs, he added.

As high as these figures already sound, Mr Nurgaliyev said they represent just the tip of an iceberg, with the real numbers likely to be much higher.

Even more seriously, those who had become addicted were starting to use hard drugs at an ever-younger age.

Damaged country

In turn, health officials say the large number of injecting drug users is helping fuel one of the world's fastest growing rates of HIV infection.

Mr Nurgaliyev said social problems were affecting not just young people's health, but also their education.

He suggested that around two million Russian teenagers are unable to read and write - in a country that, during the Soviet years, prided itself on almost 100% literacy.

In sum, Mr Nurgaliyev said, the condition of Russian children and teenagers is comparable with that after the bloody civil war of the 1920s or World War II, when much of the country lay in ruins.

This reflects just how deep - and often, how damaging - the impact of the transformations in Russia over the last two decades has been. The minister acknowledged that the state could do little on its own to improve the situation, and called on officials to work much more closely with human rights organisations and other public bodies.

------------------------------------

when you're having internal problems, the easiest solution to cope with it is to blame it on outsiders...

trouble aboard - war abroad

and who cares about illiteracy anyway when you can have a strong govt?
it's not like you're like one of them jews or fashists, right?

http://www.postimees.ee/070605/esileht/val...ised/168221.php

russian pm fradkov admits russian planes have invaded finnish airspace and says that these incidents will stop happening

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wo...stv8jun08.story

Russia Will Air Its View of the World

http://www.postimees.ee/090605/online_uudised/168436.php

estonian honorary consul in us san francisco john newmeyer, has resigned after <>letter calling him a pedophile
Eesti aukonsul USAs San Franciscos John Newmeyer lahkus ametist pärast laimukirja, mis tembeldas ta pedofiiliks, kirjutab Eesti Ekspress.

Newmeyeri nördimuseks ei asunud välisministeerium teda pärast laimukirja saamist jõuliselt kaitsma.

"i don't think that my being homosexual played a big part in that," he said. "i am sure the foreign ministry understood that. i am still a single man, who has lived most of his life in san francisco."
«Ma arvan, et minu homoseksuaalsus ei olnud seejuures eriti oluline,» arvab Newmeyer. «Ma olen kindel, et välisministeerium sai sellest aru. Ma olen ikkagi vallaline mees, kes on elanud enamiku oma elust San Franciscos.»

since there was no expected support from the foreign ministry, newmeyer saw it as a matter of honour to resign in may
Kuna oodatud toetus välisministeeriumist jäi tulemata, pidas Newmeyer auasjaks aukonsuli amet mais maha panna.

----------------------------------------------

gabriellemy's notes:

*sorry to hear, i do suppose they knew... but the foreign ministry is either stillborn or doing better than most playing it. an institution we could do better without.

what you need to shop in estonia - besides money?

answer: foreign languages


in beginning of nineties, russian bazaar sellers learned finnish language almost overnight, and tried to talk to everyone in finnish.
last tuesday, tv news reporter walked into some shop in a shopping mall, and... tried to talk to the clerk.
she didn't understand a word. literally. her most understable uttered sentence: "i not accept your interview!"
she was in a mood for a phone conversation, though... in chinese or similar

so, put russian, finnish and english on recommended list..

something i just heard:

in 1997, there was a 'huge' forest fire in estonia. minuscule, if compared to the rest of the world's huge crisises, but virtually every estonia's firefighter, soldier, military rescue team member was there and, naturally, loads of defence league's volunteers and civilians. for weeks.

that's no news.

what i didn't know was: WE didn't discover the fire.

FINNISH did.

with their satellites.

contacted estonia and said, look, you have something weird going on there...

http://www.etv.ee/index.php?0525453
14. 06.2005
round table in european parliament on totalitarian communism, initiated by Aldis Kushkis from Latvia, Tunne Kelam from Estonia, Vytautas Landsbergis from Lithuania and Christopher Beazley Great Britain. the round table is led by Toomas Hendrik Ilves (estonia) and Beazley, all members are invited.

in this event, a book compiled by a team of historians working along Latvian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga, "The Hidden and Forbidden History of Latvia During Soviet and German Occupation Years 1940-1941", is also introduced. it is planned to give a copy of the book to every EU Parliament .

http://www.greengate.ee/index.php?page=1&id1=10207

on 4th and 5th june, crowded prayer meetings took place in Mari holy basswood/linden groves.

after prayers, in one grove, II emergency mari congress took place, with approximately 70 participants from 9.region of Mari El and the capital Yoshkar-Ola.

in fear of persecution and violence the congress was held in countryside, because the last emergency congress in last year's december had to be held due to authorities' compulsion on the street in freezing weather, in militias' and special forces' gunpoints

to avoid attacks and any other obstructions the congress' preparations were kept secret. although the event took place in the middle of a forest, guests and foreign journalists were still present.

the congress condemned Mari El's president Leonid Markelov's policies and called for holding him responsible for crumbling republic, breaking up the society, and creating tensions between nationalities. the congress also thanked all progressive forces in russia and europe for supporting mari

---------------------------------
missing above:

last line - 'eu parliament delegate'

http://www.postimees.ee/150605/online_uudised/168882.php

a document found in moscow's archives allows to assume that soviet leaderhip turned down nazi-germany's proposal in 1940 to deport jews living on german-occupied areas to soviet union

russian historian working in germany, pavel polyan, published an article in Süddeutsche Zeitung about a letter that according to him, proved the possibilities(??) of relocating jews to ukraine and siberia

according to polyan, a soviet official working on translocations yevgeni tchekmenyo, wrote a letter dated feb 9, 1940 and addressed to then soviet foreign minister, vyatcheslav

the letter, partially published on tuesday's Berliner Zeitung, discusses germany's proposal to moscow to deport more than 2 million polish, austrian and czechoslovakkian jews to soviet

there is no data on german proposal, but polyan believes it was written by adolf eichmann and alois brunner, who led nazi-germany's jews emigration centres in vienna and berlin

he says that russia rejected the proposal almost immediately

"we can't take those jews. we have awfully lot of our own," writes tchekmenyov to molotov

/.../

http://www.etv.ee/index.php?0525608

16.06.2005 12:18

in a tver district near moscowin yesterday evening, a mazut(?) train was derailed, estimate of 300 tonnes flowed out and is flowing to a river belonging to moscow's water catcment system

preliminary investigation ruled out terrorist act, according to the railroad governing board, the accident was caused by a sinking road dam due to excess humidity. so far they've managed to avoid mazut caching fire. the rescue service tries to prevent naphta products that get into vazuzu river from ending up in volga with dams and floating barriers

recently, 2 t diesel spillage near moscow's vostochnaya railway station left one third of moscow without drinking water

http://www.postimees.ee/140705/online_uudised/171348.php

russian duma makes military basic teaching again a mandatory subject in schools, according to federal law, every russian citizen must have basic military knowledge

https://www.riigiteataja.ee/ert/act.jsp?id=918302

security police publishes a list with names of people from former soviet intelligence/counterintelligence service

besides date of birth and service history, also current occupation is revealed

as to estonian names - note that many aren't estonian born (like leningrad 'county')

http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/for...=0&#entry338260

fenno-ugrian conspiracy to steal russian oil

http://savonsanomat.fi/index.php3?Depa=sah...=55786&head=LUE

bc of especially restless situation in iraq, eu will provide police, justice/legal control (?) and prison officials training abroad. intended to incl 750 in training. particulars yet to be worked out.

http://www.postimees.ee/160805/online_uudised/174242.php

Moskva toetatava Tšetšeenia Riiginõukogu tippametniku teatel on kahes Tšetšeenia sõjas hukkunud 160.000 võitlejat ja tsiviilisikut, vahendab AFP.

Nõukogu juhi Taus Džabrailovi sõnul kajastab antud arv nii esimest sõda, mis toimus aastatel 1994-1996 kui ka teist sõda, mis algas 1999. aastal ja kestab tänaseni.

Džabrailovi sõnul on 160.000st hukkunust umbes 100.000 Vene sõjaväelased ja tsiviilisikud, Tšetšeeni võitlejaid ja tavakodanikke on ametlikel andmetel hukkunud 30.000 – 40.000.

Džabrailov ei selgitanud aga ajakirjanike ees esinedes, kes olid ülejäänud 20.000 hukkunut.

Enne esimese sõja algust elas Tšetšeenias umbes 1,2 miljonit inimest ning suur osa pealinna Groznõi 450.000 elanikust olid etnilised venelased.

Linn hävis Venemaa korraldatud pommirünnakutes.

Inimõiguslased on hukkunute andmete õigsuse suhtes kahtlust avaldatud.

http://www.postimees.ee/220805/online_uudised/174807.php

russia to ground all IL-96-300 due to multiple recent technical problems (brake sys)


http://www.postimees.ee/220805/online_uudised/174795.php

Tallinn Technical University first to test computer mouse accuracy. no other similar experiment is known to have been done, likely due to extreme difficulty and huge amount of data. research took about a year, needed new soft and showed that the accuracies of a cheap 'office mouse' and one of an expensive new models differed more than ten times. different surfaces further widened the gap.
Razor Diamondback Plasma mouse was the winner, Logitech MX518 was the runner-up.

http://www.postimees.ee/220805/online_uudised/174691.php

the commander of polish air forces, Jacek Bartoszcze, died on saturday in a plane crash

http://www.postimees.ee/220805/esileht/174785.php

crashed heli's black box revealed that pilots tried to send 3 maydays. why these were never received is for the investigation to determine.

http://www.postimees.ee/260805/online_uudised/175184.php

approx 20 russian mil planes practiced attacks on estonian and latvian direction, spurting west in battle formations and turning away couple of km before border

second and third wave followed the first, all accelerating in tha same manner toward estonian border, changing the course just before the border. 15-20 planes were counted on course towards estonia
/../
the attack exercise reportedly took place last week's thursday, aug 18, russian planes approaching estonian border over lake peipus. according to unofficial sources, russians had similar excercises carried out near latvian border aimed at riga.

/.../
estonian defence forces' people have commented before that russian planes accelerating toward estonia and then changing course before the border is quite common behaviour

http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/for...showtopic=36212

russia practising aerial attacks toward estonia, lithuania...

http://www.postimees.ee/260805/online_uudised/175196.php

process to continue in Saare county on sept 6 over 2 men accused of deporting <locals> to siberia

security police accuses both, stepan nikeyev, aged 80, and albert kolga, aged 81, of a crime against humanity

kolga is charged of participating in deporting operation "priboi" on march 25, 1949 and deporting 27 residents of Salme borough(?), stepan nikayev of deporting 12 residents of kaarma borough

http://www.etv.ee/index.php?0530326

why end a 15-year-old saga, when you might be able to exploit it another 15???

doh...

Walker's World: Kremlin Buys Back Power
http://www.spacewar.com/news/russia-05zo.html

Washington (UPI) Sep 28, 2005 - Just nine years ago, the Russian state sold off half of its most-productive Siberian oil operation for a paltry $100 million, a fire-sale price because President Boris Yeltsin had to reward Russia's new capitalist tycoons for the campaign funds and media time he so desperately needed to get re-elected.

Russia Test-Launches Ballistic Missile
(Associated Press)
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wo...world-headlines

Tuesday, September 2005
Russia successfully test-launched a newly-developed intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday, the navy said. The Bulava, a solid fuel missile, blasted off from the nuclear submarine Dmitry Donskoy in the White Sea and hit its designated target in the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, chief naval spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said in a statement.

Russia's navy is to get two newly equipped nuclear submarines in 2006, armed with the new Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles, the navy commander said in April. The missiles have a range of 5,000 miles and are in the midst of a three-year testing program.

Policy Watch: Putin's Quest For Asia
http://www.spacewar.com/news/russia-05zp.html

Washington (UPI) Oct 03, 2005 - Increasingly at odds with the United States and even the European Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been seeking allies in Asia, where governments seem less concerned about his record on democratization and human rights.

Bulava Tests Boost Russia's Confidence Against BMD
http://www.spacewar.com/news/abm-05zb.html

Washington (UPI) Oct 04, 2005 - The Kremlin hopes that new weapons systems, including a sea-launched intercontinental ballistic missile successfully tested last week, will help restore Russia's geopolitical prominence, Cybercast News Service reported.

Moscow Arms Assad with a Top-Flight Surface Missile

From DEBKA-Net-Weekly Sept 30 Updated by DEBKAfile

October 10, 2005, 12:29 PM (GMT+02:00)


Iskander SS-26: Too fast and flexible for known electronic defenses to stop


You too can read DEBKA-Net-Weekly’s Exclusives when they are first published

To subscribe to DEBKA-Net-Weekly click HERE .

Two generals were in Moscow on the same day, September 26: the head of Israel’s National Security Council Maj.-Gen (Res.) Giora Eiland and the Syrian chief of staff General Ali Habib. Both also called on the Russian chief of staff, Gen. Yuri Baluyevski. The Syrian general came out of his meeting with a brilliant contract for the sale of the advanced Iskander SS-26 surface missile. The Israeli general ran into a blank wall when he tried to persuade the Russian to withhold the missile from the Assad regime. Last January, when the deal was first broached, the Bush administration stepped in and obtained a promise from president Vladimir Putin to call off the sale, as did Israel’s Ariel Sharon during the Russian president’s visit in May.

Putin has broken those pledges.

DEBKA-Net-Weekly 224 revealed in its detailed report on September 30 -

For a speedy delivery in the first quarter of 2006, the Syrians paid cash.

The value of the transaction is unknown but it certainly runs into hundreds of million dollars, given that Syria has purchased 26 of the most advanced missile of its kind in use anywhere in the world.

The United States and NATO have code-named the Iskander SS-26 “Stone.” They have nothing in their missile arsenal to match its unique attributes.

With a 400-km range and a 480-kilo warhead composed of 54 elements, the missile hits a target within a 20-meter radius. Two missiles with a range of 280km are mounted on each launch pad. The system can be used against small and large targets alike, easily overcoming air defenses. It is almost impossible for existing electronic weapons systems to prevent the Iskander’s launch because of its speed and high flexibility. Its targets are found in mid-flight by satellites, accompanying airplanes, conventional intelligence centers or a lone soldier directing artillery fire. Targets may also be found by feeding photos into the missile’s computer by means of a scanner.

The self-direction device functions even in fog, darkness or storms. The name Iskander is Alexander (the Great) in the Turkoman language. Weighing 3,800 kilos it is operated by a crew of three. It comes in two versions: the 500-kilo version provided the Russian Army and the 280-kilo missile sold to Syria.

So impressive is the Russian “Stone”, that in 2004, the Americans sought to include it in various treaties signed with Russia for precluding the manufacture and sale of certain weapons. Moscow balked. A Western missile expert says: “Even a small quantity of these missiles is capable of radically changing the balance of strength in local conflicts.” It is a strategic weapon for countries with a small area like Syria.

Nine months ago, on January 12, 2005, Moscow “leaked” the news of a big new arms deal with Syria that included the following missiles: the Iskander SS-26, SA-10 Grumble ground-to-air, and SA-18 Grouse (Igla 9K38) shoulder-launched anti-air missiles capable of hitting objects at an altitude of 3,600 meters and range of 5,200 meters.

Israeli raised the ceiling over this transaction as radically shifting the balance of strength between the Jewish state and Syria. Washington embarked on a quiet diplomatic dialogue to deter Damascus from acquiring the new hardware, maintaining it posed a threat to the US army in Iraq.

After weeks of palaver and pressure, president Vladimir Putin and defense minister Sergei Ivanov relented and promised Washington and Jerusalem to withhold the Iskander SS-26 from Syria. The other items would have their aggressive options “neutered” and rendered fit for defensive use alone.

It is now clear that Putin’s promise to the Americans and Israelis to withhold the missile’s sale was no more than a time-winning ploy until an opportunity presented itself to go through with the transaction.

DEBKAfile’s military experts add four points:

1. Assad had need of a sop to his armed forces if he intends to go through with the exercise DEBKA revealed earlier, to follow in Muammar Qaddafi’s footsteps and make his peace with Washington. The Syrian ruler will demonstrated that he is the only Middle East leader capable of providing his army with a weapons system as sophisticated Iskander SS-22. This may divert the generals from plotting to overthrow him if he throws some of his top security officers to the wolves over the Hariri assassination.

2. Putin’s motivation in breaking his promises to Bush and Sharon is his fundamental urge to show Washington and Paris they are not the only players in the Middle East and Syrian-Lebanese arena. He hopes by the missile sale to prevent the Assad regime from collapsing.

3. The Bush administration refrained from interceding in the deal this because, as DEBKA revealed before, the White House has not yet decided finally whether to finally topple Assad or let him survive. Washington’s silence on the missile sale points to the latter option.

4. Israel’s failure to stop the delivery even after the kudos Sharon collected over the pullout from Gaza means that the country’s basic security situation and international influence remain unchanged by the sacrifice of its strategic presence in Gaza

Many killed in southern Russia clash:

"As a result of the operation, 12 police were killed and 12 civilians, and also about 20 fighters. Additionally, 12 fighters were detained," The firefight on Thursday is still going in Nalchik.
http://tinyurl.com/7eyw8

Chechnya: Four Russian soldiers killed:

Four Russian soldiers and two Chechen policemen have been killed in the latest fighting in Chechnya, an official from the Moscow-backed government says.
http://tinyurl.com/74v2z

http://www.postimees.ee/121205/esileht/185769.php

Leo Kunnas, back from Iraq: war's name is war.
dec 12, 2005
Enno Tammer, journalist

Today I will talk toLeo Kunnas about why Estonia participates in the war in Iraq.

Which one of two fresh news - the one about Russian warplane invaded Estonian airspace or the one about parliament extending the Iraq mission for a year - is more important to you as an Estonian officer and a member of army?

The news about the Russian warplane. I have prioritized these kinds of different news to myself according to the main goal of army - the army has been created to protect the state of Estonia.

For some reason I presumed that as one just returned from Iraq, you'll immediately start talking about the importance of the mission in Iraq. I, too, deem the news of the Russian plane to be the more important one. Because although we are already in NATO russians still do as they please. Persevering, intentionally - as not to say with highest pleasure they test our nerves and readiness, also NATO. As if laying groundworks for something. How much do you share my opinion?

I'll share it as such, of course, that when a Russian warplane comes down in Lithuania

NATO planes didn't even succeed in taking off.

It is regrettable that this incident has been deemed minor in both Baltic states and in NATO. A warplane of a foreign country simply enters and flies on a NATO state territory. And then crashes, too. Now, that should have some clear meaning.

When speaking about dangers, one has to clarify how that danger is estimated. Of course someone can say that threat to state in the next 50 years is 100% or 0,001%. But claims like that belong to the spheres of astrology. I'm not an astrologist.

As a member of the army I can judge a threat only from a single point of view - what consequences will the actual materializing of that particular threat will bring to our country.

A military aggression to state would, in any case, bring along consecuences so hard that the army must constantly and inevitably take these into account. If a threat is judged like that, there is no longer astrology but a real correlation point.

Meaning - the threat of russian attack doesn't dissappear anywhere, whether we're in NATO or not. One cannot forget that when russians want, they can send planes or simply march in.

Estonia has no enemies. Our national defence is not targeted against anyone. Estonian state defence, like the military strategy concept of NATO, is based on two main postulates: military presence and discouraging. When military presence is missing, military vacuum comes into being. When there's a military vacuum, it induces temptations. We do not need a military vacuum to evoke temptations in our neighbouring states.

I began the interview exactly like that because conditionally you can connect those news. In addition to the knowledge about extending the Iraq mission, there's the knowledge about the increasing number of both international operations and participating members of Estonian army. That is why sometimes maybe a silly enough but nevertheless a frighteningly painful question comes to my mind - if the best sons of our country are spread around the world protecting someone else and foreign, who will defend the homeland?

I would not make such contradictions. The so-called working period of army members taking part in international operations abroad is relatively short. I was in Iraq for 3 months, the average time is 6 months. The participants return after gaining good experience.

But the news of extending the mission in Iraq is a positive one. To understand why it is so, one has to analyze the mistakes that were done in Iraq.

The political leadership of coalition forces has made two mistakes in Iraq. Firstly, they disbanded Iraq's army right after the end of intensive warfare. But that means a 2-year shift in the country's development, because there is the need to build up an army anyway. Currently, all are working hard to build up an army of the same cadre's officers' and NCOs' anew.

The other mistake was to let Iraq create 3 armys - besides the main one, there's another for the ministry of internal affairs and one more for the oil ministry. Whereby those units are in a lot based on ethnic principle, ie the siites and sunnis are separated.

Alongside the 3 major ones there are also 3 semi-legal armed groups. That is as if there are 6 armies in a state. That is not normal for a single country.

While you were talking I had an itchy question on my tongue - so, who cares?

I was heading to why the news about extending the mission is positive. Like i said, the political leadership of coalition forces has made two mistakes. All it takes now is to make one more mistake serious enough.

And it would be that mistake should coalition draw out it's forces before the new Iraqi army being remade is capable of completely controlling the situatin in the country. The rushed withdrawal of forces would itself create prerequisites for serious problems up to the point where the different governmental armies turn into conflict.

Luckily, the guerillas have made bigger mistakes. It is estimated that of 30 000 civilian casualties, 26 000 can be attributed to sunni guerillas' account.

A war is a chain of errors of both sides. Eventually, the winner is the one who makes less mistakes. Although there are some exceptions, the general experience of the world shows that a guerilla movement that killed more civilians than government's forces, can never establish a stable government. But it is clear that the key to solve conflicts is not in the hands of coalition forces but in those of iraqis. But the iraqis need time to get even with lost time.

When you were on the mission in Iraq, where were you? I do not mean in geographical sense, but whether in a war, and even in a foreign one? Or on a peacekeeping mission? Or fighting terrorism? Or where? And who were you? A soldier? An occupant?

I was in a war. In a low intensity war, to be more precise. War's name is war. There is no point in inventing any other verbal fig leaf to war. That would not seem credible. In this war i was a soldier of coalition forces. One of 150 000 soldiers.

By terminology the activities of coalition forces in Iraq are defined that it is a large-scale anti-guerilla operation. There's no link to peace-keeping even in terminological sense. Peace-keeping in general means a situation where some one steps inbetween two hostile opposing sides to guarantee peace or force them to peace.

In Iraq, we support one fighting side, the army of Iraq republic and other government forces. We are there, because the legal government of Iraq asked the coalition forces to come to their assistance.

By chance i made a biographical interview for a book "Biographies of Estonian Peole III" 3 years ago with a friend of yours, the commander of Pärnu Single Infantry Battalion, cpt Margus Rebane, with whom you did quite a few manly deeds in the beginning of 90ties. For example, when buying weapons from Russian forces for Estonian defence forces. Rebane, who had been in the Afghan war as a member of the red army in the end of 80ties, talked in length about that war and then submitted a discourse that one wouldn'tve expected of him as of an officer of Estonian Republic. That discussion ate into my mind and for you and also for the reader I'll quote it in length.

Captain Margus Rebane in december 2002:

"Afghanistan taught me in another odd way that i feel exactly now, when there are new political breezes in the air. It is my conviction that if I have been there once already, then for certain I will not go there again a second time with a blue helmet.

That is: my motive to be a military is not that I'd wish to go and that I would go as a military to somewhere in Serbia-Croatia or Madgagascar or anywhere. To those places I want to go as a tourist only, but not as an Estonian military.

This does in no way mean anti-NATO stance, but I see my mission and function here in my own country for that country and tiny piece of people. And i try as much as it is possible to aid in raising young boys."

I understood his point of view three years ago the same way i do today - that he does not want to be in any country as an occupant, with a gun in his hand.

His trail of thought is completely understandable. The people of Estonian army, myself included, have thought it through very well, the reasons why we do anything.

We have one political and one military motive to participate in the war in Iraq. The political motive stems from knowing USA did not recognize the occupation of Estonia by Soviet forces. Now, we support USA, hoping americans will help us war at home, should there ever arise such a need.

That motive is very clear and can be understood in only one way. I will not look for other artificial moral foundations for our participation in the Iraq war. Any attempt to explain the participation of Estonian army in any other way with the aid of high-flying sentences or artificial constructions will seem a propagandist spin. And people will not buy that.

All other political motives have no bearing for us. Like democratic Iraq and all the accompanying rhetorics around what is or isn't their governing model. That's the concern of iraqis and we canot influence that in any way.

The military motive, to say it straight up and simply, is to see and feel what the modern war is like.

If we don't know that, the link to world's reality will disappear. We'll never reach the exact and right decisions behind the table in the superior's office what exactly the modern war is. Our soldiers risk their lives in Iraq only to gain experience so we could further develop our army through that experience.

We have suffered losses. The price we pay with the losses of our soldiers has to come back to us in the way of us improving the equipment, organization, training of our defence forces and that our officers and NCO's understand the reality of current warfare.

(to be continued - i'm out of time)

http://www.postimees.ee/140206/online_uudised/191983.php

14.02.2006 10:15

after another incident gone public about rampant vilence in russian army, the numbers of russians who prefer changing to mercenary military: 50% for pros vs 45% for regular service.

virtually everyone polled had heard of the pvt andrey syotsev incident, whose legs and genitalia wete amputated as the result of severe beating by fellow servicemen.

the majority of those young men trying to evade their drafting see the flourishing violence as the main issue to do so.

human rights orgs say tens die and hundreds try to commit suicide every year in the million-headed russian army every year.

according to russian ministry of defence, 1064 died in non-combat situations and 276 committed suicide in 2005.

--------------------------------------------

the importance of the story: the russian army has incredible percentage of former criminals (and i mean rape, assault etc), and even a bigger one of those completely beaten into submission who are also looking for a chance to let out some of their desperation and anger

when with the wolves, you have to cry with the wolves - in this case you'll be beaten or you will become a beater to improve your personal well-being

now, imagine these guys with a LOTS of experience in human abuse released on civilians lacking such experience in both the abuse and ways to do anything about the situation

the only thing to wonder about - how come there's been only one 'beslan'?

sheesh, those people have patience bigger than the famous estonian-finnish combined...

http://www.postimees.ee/130206/online_uudised/191682.php

historian ott sandrak to pass on eagle cross nomination by president for his contributions in restoring estonian independence 15 years ago - sees the system as devalved and bureucratic

enn tarto, a freedom fighter and a politian (and slightly more known - my note) to consider that as well

http://www.postimees.ee/160206/online_uudised/192148.php

committee investigating the crash of a sikorsky helicopter in estonian waters that resulted in the death of 14 people is for now remaining on the position that it was the result of an uncontrolled streching out (???no idea how to be exact here) of a part of a main rotor's hydraulic amplifier (don't kill me....).
finns and estonians came together to form the statement, american 'ntsb' sent their summary.

a link to the summary(or something):

http://faa.gov/aircraft/safety/alerts/saib...ia/SW-06-15.pdf

excerpts:



and:



et cetera. well... i suppose you all are capable of reading all the rest

there was this 'why i don't care about olympics thrad...)

us womens' skateboarders were quite ok, i think...

well, winning medals is quite a big deal here and of course - gold medals above the rest.

kristiina šmigun got 2. skiers are about all we have in winter olympics and the attention's huge - veerpalu, mae...

even the ones not expected to rise beyond 2nd half of the list.

but we like the medals most, though. partly a small-country thing - we get less (if any) for more than one olympics than some bigger country in one. they're more valued.

and above all i like our skiers performing best under bad conditions: the harder the trail, the harder the snow, weather conditions, slopes etc - the worse the conditions, the better our competitors perform. that has also resulted in national hope for bad trail conditions... (funny, but an obvious thing)

interesting trait and i like it... some national pride issue, i believe... :snowflake:

continuing on a traditional note:

http://www.postimees.ee/170206/online_uudised/192309.php

3 illegal crossings at 200m height over lake peipus check line by russian mi-8 helicopter.

11.24-11.25 for 300m, 11.27-11.40 (approx) for 3km, 11.42 for nearly 10min further than 4km.

russian border service representative has passed info to estonian side saying the helicopter belonged to customs service.

-------------------------------------

there's enough material to start a blog with russian border violations as the single posting theme.

if you're so stupid you can't tell one country from another i doubt even russians let you fly anything.

if you're unreliable, you won't be stationed near estonian border.

if you can't read the data from your board, you won't get off the ground.

etc.

so, how come russians constantly violate borders by kilometres??

mh, ah?

you won't find a paper trail, of course



just in: veerpalu gold, mae 5th