Russian threat to Nato supply route in Afghanistan

TimesOnline ^ | August, 26, 2008 | Jeremy Page (in Kabul)

[F-117A]

Russia played a trump card in its strategic poker game with the West yesterday by threatening to suspend an agreement allowing Nato (sic) to take supplies and equipment to Afghanistan through Russia and Central Asia.

The agreement was struck at a Nato (sic) summit in April to provide an alternative supply route to the road between the Afghan capital and the Pakistani border, which has come under attack from militants on both sides of the frontier this year.
...
Mr Kabulov also suggested that the stand-off over Georgia could lead Russia to review agreements allowing Nato (sic) members to use Russian airspace and to maintain bases in the former Soviet Central Asian states of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

[F-117A]

Our recognition of Kosovo pays another dividend!

[1rudeboy]

I've asked this question to deafening silence (for obvious reasons): if the U.S. had not attacked Kosovo, would Russia have not attacked Georgia?

Goes to show how silly your argument is.

[reefdiver]

I sure hope the right guys are listening to what’s going on here. The noise of the Olympics, the DNC convention, the medias love of Obama, seem to be louder than what could be a real slug fest thats heating up here.

[mamelukesabre]

Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

What authority does russia have in these countries? These are independent sovereign nations that do not answer to russia(yet).

[F-117A]

if the U.S. had not attacked Kosovo, would Russia have not attacked Georgia?

Stick it here!

[jagusafr]

Cinch up, stealth boy - this will get rougher before it blows up completely.

Colonel, USAFR

[1rudeboy]

It was just a simple question. Maybe one day a Serb will be able to answer it.

[LeGrande]

I've asked this question to deafening silence (for obvious reasons): if the U.S. had not attacked Kosovo, would Russia have not attacked Georgia?

I assume you mean the US's attacking of Serbia. Yes it does give Russian cover for their attack of Georgia.

Russia would have attacked anyway in my opinion, but now they can do it with little fear of condemnation, thanks to Clinton.

[F-117A]

Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan br>
What authority does russia have in these countries? These are independent sovereign nations that do not answer to russia(yet).

Don't know off hand. This might have something to do with it. Or in might just be old fashion arm twisting.

[F-117A]

Although the CIS has few supranational powers, it is more than a purely symbolic organization, possessing coordinating powers in the realm of trade, finance, lawmaking, and security.

CIS

[F-117A]

if the U.S. had not attacked Kosovo, would Russia have not attacked Georgia? That, unfortunately, is something we will never know!

[mamelukesabre]

I’m with you on that one.

[mamelukesabre]

oh crap

moldava and armenia are members too.

I think we better get ukraine into NATO toot sweet.

[F-117A]

Looks like Plan B just went out the window!

I guess we could always ask China or Iran to help out! /s

Isn't it the old axiom... if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging?

[onedoug]

...listening....

[F-117A]

Could Asif Ali Zardari be the new ruler of Pakistan?

[LjubivojeRadosavljevic]

I've asked this question to deafening silence (for obvious reasons): if the U.S. had not attacked Kosovo, would Russia have not attacked Georgia?

Maybe one day a Serb will be able to answer it.

If you posed your interrogative in an appropriate manner then I would think some people would answer.

[F-117A]

SCO might come into play too. And I ain't talking about Santa Cruz.

[rmlew]

You are correct. People don't get it or want to . Russia and China are
1) functionally aligned with Iran
2) Divying up Caspian and Central asian energy reserves
3) Either promoting instability to raise the price of oil (Russia and Iran) or working with other nasty regimes (Sudan, Cuba, and Venezuela) to grab oil
4) Helping associate members (Cuba, Venezuala) both drill literally on shared-US energy reserves, but also to promote communist insurgencies in South America
5) Working with insurgent groups and Islamisc terrorists to kill Americans.

The new Cold War started with the formation of the Shanghai Co-operation Organization. We've been to intellectually shallow (hello Jorge Arbusto) to pay attention. Now wait for Pakistan, another SCO junior member to bleed us in Afghanistan.

[rmlew]

I wrote about this 3 years ago
http://nycright.blogspot.com/2005/10/eurasian-geo-political-earthquake.html