A European dictatorship

Washington Times ^ | January 20, 2006 | Frederick W. Stakelbeck Jr.

[Tailgunner Joe]

U.S. and European security experts have become increasingly alarmed by the actions of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko -- in particular, his growing diplomatic, economic and military ties to global antagonists China, Iran and Russia. With the support of this new "axis of evil," Mr. Lukashenko -- Europe's last remaining dictator -- has initiated a Cold War campaign against the West and the United States

Over the past year, Mr. Lukashenko has made a determined effort to strengthen his contacts with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, an avowed anti-Semite and self-proclaimed enemy of the West. Since 1993, Iran has been a key recipient of Belarusian military and technology exports, receiving Soviet-made T-72 tanks and artillery, II-76 transport planes and conventional weapons from Minsk.

Mr. Lukashenko personally ordered Soviet-trained Belarusian chemists, scientists and technicians to work closely with Iran's mullahs on the deadly Shahab missile system -- designed to strike Europe and Israel -- as well as on the country's uranium enrichment and chemical warfare programs.

"Military cooperation with Iran will be carried out without danger to the world or security in the region," Mr. Lukashenko has said. ...

Bilateral relations between Belarus and China have also grown substantially over the past several years. Visiting Beijing in December, Mr. Lukashenko signed a declaration outlining further economic and political cooperation between Beijing and Minsk. ...

In early 2005, both countries signed a joint "Declaration for the 21st Century" document, agreeing to cooperate in the fields of economy, trade, science and military affairs. In addition, Wu Guansheng, a member of the Communist Party of China, and Chinese DefenseMinisterCao Gangchuan both visited Minsk last May. Not long after their visit, Belarusian Defense Minister Leonid Maltsev arrived in Beijing, where he signed documents allowing Chinese military personnel to train in Belarus.

[spanalot]

"Mr. Lukashenko personally ordered Soviet-trained Belarusian chemists, scientists and technicians to work closely with Iran's mullahs on the deadly Shahab missile system -- designed to strike Europe and Israel -- as well as on the country's uranium enrichment and chemical warfare programs. "

Puties lap dog is doing the Kremlin's behest.

Hey all you Russophile, retired US military spin masters - this looks like a tough row to hoe - pls explain why this is good for "our" USA

[Paleo Conservative]

Someone needs to take out the trash.

[Brian Allen]

<< "Bilateral relations" between Belarus and "china" have also grown substantially over the past several years. >>

Of course.

Wherever there is an as-hesperophobic-as-itself fellow-predator-posing-as-a-politician to patronize there'll be Peking's pack of psychopaths squandering its serfdom's confiscated wealth on enslaving the subjects of yet another sorry fascissocialistic surrogate.

[RusIvan]

"Mr. Lukashenko personally ordered Soviet-trained Belarusian chemists, scientists and technicians to work closely with Iran's mullahs on the deadly Shahab missile system -- designed to strike Europe and Israel -- as well as on the country's uranium enrichment and chemical warfare programs. " ==

It is just article. But I'm for one interesting to see solid proves of it. Everyone may flap his tongue in sake of propaganda agenda.

[spanalot]

"It is just article"

BWAHAHAHAHA - The last dictator in Europe continues the despotic tradition of the last century and you dismiss the fact so cavalierly.

Soviet Stink Thought at its worst.

[Paul C. Jesup]

It seems that Iranian mulhals are getting their ducks in a row for a war with the west. Talks with Lukashenko, and also with Hamas. Moving money out of Europe. Buying ground to air missles from Russia.

This is going to get very ugly.

[humint]

Poland, a strong U.S. ally, should be approached to help pressure the authoritarian government in Minsk. The EUandUnitedNations should also use their combined influence to deter the erosion of human rights and political freedoms that has become synonymous with the Lukashenko regime. Unified action is necessary to remove the growing cancer that is Mr. Lukashenko from Europe's belly; otherwise, the disease will spread.

Gas wars with Russia

For years Belarus was getting gas paying internal Russian gas price ($25 per 1000 cubic m instead of market $80). Correspondingly Belarus held the transit tariff of transporting Russian gas to Western Europe some 2.5 times lower than neighboring Ukraine. This lead to continuous blames of who is owing who. Well it's about to end now. Putin forced Lukashenka to accept market prices on Russian gas starting January 2004. Lukashenka threatened to raise transit tariff for Russian Gas to Western Europe. This measure is viewed as means of forcing Lukashenka to give up Belarus sovereignty and become part of Russia.

Belarus Democracy Act - HR 854

Another version of the Belarus Democracy appeared in March 2003, when it called for $40 million over the 2004-05 fiscal year to promote democracy and civil society in Belarus. It also projected an additional $5 million to support Voice of America and RFE/RL broadcasts into Belarus. The 2004 Belarus Democracy Act is "meeker" than its 2003 predecessor -- it does not contain provisions about the travel ban on Belarusian officials and the prohibition of U.S. strategic exports to Belarus. It also remains noncommittal about the volume of necessary assistance to democracy advocates in Belarus. And, notably, it leaves out a reference, enclosed in the 2003 version, about Russia's role in promoting democracy in Belarus.

[hinckley buzzard]

It seems that Iranian mulhals are getting their ducks in a row for a war with the west

If Iran wants "war with the west," it's going to need a lot more than Belarus and Hamas. They will also find China and Russia to be unreliable allies who will turn out to have previously scheduled engagements elsewhere on those days.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Quick, give him a couple of billion dollars so he will like us.

[Thunder90]

<< "Bilateral relations" between Belarus and "china" have also grown substantially over the past several years. >>

Of course.

Wherever there is an as-hesperophobic-as-itself fellow-predator-posing-as-a-politician to patronize there'll be Peking's pack of psychopaths squandering its serfdom's confiscated wealth on enslaving the subjects of yet another sorry fascissocialistic surrogate.

Belarus is now an observing power in the SCO and BRIC, and may merge with Russia if threatened enough.

[Jaysun]

We need to pay Egor the bodyguard $5 million to leave the back door open one, send in some jacked up cyberninja to blow his damed head off.

[Romanov]

Yawn. You're pathetic. Nothing worse than an immigrant calling American veterans names. Perhaps its time for you to give a long hard look at where your actual loyalties lie. You defame American military members just because they aren't jumping on the western Ukraine fascist band-wagon like you desire. Shame on you.

Are you not ashamed of slandering and libeling men who defended this country? Or are your loyalties really back in your "former" communist country or worse - in the fascist area of that "former" communist country. You know the area and you know exactly what they are doing that is fascist. Come clean spanalot. Your anti-semitic, anti-West, anti-U.S. military ways are shining through. Are you going to continue to quote and post messages from the leading anti-American, anti-semitic, anti-capitalist Russian newspaper? How can you explain this away? "Mr. I-consider-"Zavtra"-a-legitimate-source-of-news"?

Frankly, I'm surprised FR is allowing you access to this forum after you spend 90% of your time on here slamming U.S. military members/veterans. What's a matter - Code Pink's website load too slow for you?

For the Record on Belarus': You called Lukashenko "Putie's lapdog" - How would you explain that? They are hardly friends and Lukashenko has "bucked his so-called master" on several ocassions. What is it you actually think Belarus' has to offer to anyone? Carbon copy clones of John Deere tractors, cheap refridgerators and televisions. Lukashenko is a typical despot with nothing left to do except make threats he cannot back up.

BTW, the whole Lukashenko rise to power is a perfect example of how we botched a perfect opportunity to influence the area. We defended his predecessor way too long. The guy was corrupt and we still backed him because he publically called himself a "democrat." That meant we ignored a true reformer, alienated ourselves from the Belarusian people, and allowed a dumb Sovkhoz leader named Lukashenko to point out time and time again that the US was backing the guy who reduced pensions and allowed "businessmen" to abscond with what little wealth Belarus had. Gee, guess who won that battle?

I don't fear Lukashenko. He's an idiot. And his power is generational based. His support comes from the older dying generation - the old vets and old pensioners whose ranks dwindle with each day. His policies continue to alienate him from the younger generations. One day a smarter Belarusian will figure out a way to depose him and he will. It's all a matter of time.

Lastly and read this carefully. FreeRepublic is NOT a forum where one goes to further extremism and xenophobic rascist views. You must have wandered over here after reading the lies on leftist websites about us.

[Fintan]

---

"Military cooperation with Iran will be carried out without danger to the world or security in the region," Mr. Lukashenko has said. ...

 

He has a bright future with CNN should he decide to quit that dictator job.

---

Communist Goals 1963 Congressional Record

[spanalot]

Romanov,

We KNOW what you are.

[Romanov]

Really? Might I suggest that we KNOW who you are: a person trying to influence US foreign policy in favor of far right wing, anti-semitic, neo-nazi groups residing in Western Ukraine... You try in vain to turn Americans against Americans as you peddle the Western Ukraine propaganda - the offspring of those who allied with the Nazis.. Shame.

[jb6]

In a typical leftist manner he tried to accuse me (just like TGJ) of being an anti-semite....best he could come up is a quote from me where I was listing a few Jews who served Hitler and then said that in every nationality there is a 1-3% group who are scum and will betray their own people. Yup, a nice leftist tactic of his, but then again, fascists are also an off shot of Marx.

[jb6]

While your Third Way Shill Yushchenko sent his Defense Minister to work with the Iranians while he and the mullahs worked out a plan to run Mullah gas to Europe. Keep shilling, you'll still loose your elections and hopefully you socialists will never again recover.

[Mazepa]

.. trying to influence US foreign policy in favor of far right wing, anti-semitic, neo-nazi groups residing in Western Ukraine...the offspring of those who allied with the Nazis..

Kudos to you for making such a generalization of W. Ukraine.

[Romanov]

Not a generalization. I've spent considerable time working there. There is daily evidence of such behavior. Heck, they even named a street in honor of a Chechen terrorist - why, you might ask? Because he killed Russians. Jewish cemetaries vandalized. People with dark complexion stabbed. Ethnic Russian children beaten in school. All happened in just one week last October in Lvov.