Posted on 05/08/2007 4:52:02 AM PDT by vahet pole
Responding to Russia’s bullying of Estonia (see EDM, April 27, May 1, 3) the U.S. White House has invited Estonian President Toomas Ilves to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush on June 25 in Washington. The invitation itself, and the announcement’s timing in May, is the strongest demonstration of support for Estonia against Russia’s escalating threats since April 26. Estonia’s presidential office as well as the ambassador to the United States, Juri Luik, remarked that the invitation validates Estonia’s policy choices: democracy and freedom as Western values at home, participation in NATO-led peacekeeping missions, and assistance to countries in the European Union’s eastern neighborhood.
Bush and Ilves last met in late November 2006 in Tallinn, two months after Ilves’ election as president. The scheduling of another presidential meeting only six months after the first, particularly with a small country, is a highly unusual move by the White House, signaling U.S. backing for Estonia all the more clearly in the present crisis.
Speaking at the May 5 commemoration of a U.S. diplomat killed by the Soviet military while over flying Estonia in 1940, U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns noted that free Estonia’s sovereignty is once again under attack. The entire U.S. government regards Estonia as a friend and ally and respects Estonia’s right to make its decisions independently in a free country, Burns noted. These unprecedently strong statements seem designed to discourage Russian escalation and adventurism in Estonia.
On May 2 the U.S. Senate passed a resolution condemning the riots in Estonia and attacks on Estonian embassies and supporting Estonia’s right to deal with internal matters, such as the relocation of the Red Army monument from Tallinn.
(Excerpt) Read more at jamestown.org ...
You are right about Ansip, he was a member of the Communist Party, but I think he has redeemed himself by moving that ugly statue to the outskirts.==
Do not be shy:). Ancip wasn’t just one member of the Communist Party. He was the member of ELITE of the Estonian Communist party the part of CPSU. He is the walking prove that the “soviet occupation” is a hoax invented just to accquit your own consciousness. His war with the monument just showed that he is just coward too. He fight with monument NOW because he sit tight and eat well BEFORE form hands of soviet bonzes and kept silence during soviet times. NOW he suddently became bold when Soviet union is dead 15 years. He is just a shameless conformist nothing more.
“BUT how about then marches of SS veterans which happen each year?”
So? Soviet veterans march as well. It’s a free country.==
Show me any other free country in teh world which allows the SS veteran marches. In any oother free country the organizers and participants of such march sat in prison instantly. BUT.. Not in Estonia. So I conclude that Estonia is NAZI country.
Do you really think that even for a most patriotic Russian businessman the pride comes before money?
As to dirty tricks I am assuming we are still talking about the statue. If so how to you explain the removal of the Soviet statue in Polish city Katowice? It was approved and accepted by Russian authorities.
Although the replacement monument is not picked yet, one of the candidates is a statue of Ronald Reagan.
Go Poland!!!
Whatever.
There’s no point in arguing with a neo-Bolshevik.
WWII ended 62 years ago. How many NAZIS are left in Estonia today? Estonia is a member of NATO and the EU. It was forced into the Soviet Union in 1940 as a captive nation. It is now a free country. The Estonian collaboration with the Germans was more a function of nationalism than Nazism.
Do you really think that even for a most patriotic Russian businessman the pride comes before money?==
The HONOR comes before money.
As to dirty tricks I am assuming we are still talking about the statue. If so how to you explain the removal of the Soviet statue in Polish city Katowice? It was approved and accepted by Russian authorities.==
Whats the monument in Katowize? If it is the memorial to the dead soldiers then it may end in the cutting all ties with Poland. Russia fed up with such tricks. Better to solve it once and forever.
Although the replacement monument is not picked yet, one of the candidates is a statue of Ronald Reagan.==
Why not John Paul IId?:)
WWII ended 62 years ago. How many NAZIS are left in Estonia today?==
Many. The modern estonian nazies are simply the former estonian communist functioneers like the prime minister Ancip.
Estonia is a member of NATO and the EU. ==
That is tell alloquantly WHAT is NATO and EU. The organizations which accepted the new countries like Estonia are definitely dangerous for Russia.
“Show me any other free country in teh world which allows the SS veteran marches.”
You’re kidding, right?
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“A neo-Nazi march in Berlin was stopped by thousands of anti-fascist demonstrators on Sunday after a tense standoff that overshadowed Germany’s ceremonies marking the end of World War II in Europe 60 years ago.
Berlin police said 6,000 demonstrators opposed to the far-right National Democratic Party crowded into streets around Alexanderplatz square where 3,300 right-wing extremists gathered to protest what they called a German “cult of guilt”.
Eager to prevent the violence that flares when leftists try to stop far-right marches, authorities ordered the NPD to stay at Alexanderplatz behind a buffer zone of barricades and police. Two hours later the NPD decided to abandon the march.” Reuters 3/1/2007
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“Rioters in Toledo, Ohio have attacked police and set fire to property and overturned cars, apparently in protest at a planned neo-Nazi march.
Police in the US city have made at least 20 arrests, and local officials have declared a state of emergency and issued an all-night curfew.
Reports say a crowd of at least 500 people was involved in the violence.
A small neo-Nazi group of around 20 had gathered in a park to hold a march escorted by police.
The group dispersed when the violence broke out, and the march was cancelled.” BBC, 16/10/2005
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“Seven arrests were made Saturday as about 20 members of the National Socialist Movement stage a march through a part of Columbia to protest what the Nazis say is the teaching of Marxist ideology at the University of Missouri. All seven arrested were counter-protesters, part of an estimated group of four-hundred showing up to jeer the Nazis during their march.
As the Nazis left a parking garage to begin their march around a quarter mile route, they began chanting racist slogans. A number of the marchers wore what some would consider the stereotypical Nazi uniform - brown shirts with armbands bearing Swastikas. Some carried flags and signs with racially charged slogans.” Missourinet, 3/10/2007
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Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t praise the nazis. I am simply responding to your statement.
“Show me any other free country in teh world which allows the SS veteran marches.”
You’re kidding, right?
*****************
“A neo-Nazi march in Berlin was stopped by thousands of anti-fascist demonstrators on Sunday after a tense standoff that overshadowed Germany’s ceremonies marking the end of World War II in Europe 60 years ago.===
You are quite cunny:). But not that cunny.
I tell you about the former SS-men marches. You answer me about “neo-nazies”’s. It is the change of subject but very obvious:)).
Ansip is 50 years old. He was born 11 years after the end of WWII and the defeat of the Nazis. You can put whatever label you want on him. That doesn't make it true. Your are entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts. Hell, Russia is being governed by a former KGB officer.
That is tell alloquantly WHAT is NATO and EU. The organizations which accepted the new countries like Estonia are definitely dangerous for Russia.
NATO and the EU are "dangerous" to Russia. And what kind of danger do they pose? And what kind of threat is Estonia, a small nation of 1.3 million people, to Russia?
Many. The modern estonian nazies are simply the former estonian communist functioneers like the prime minister Ancip.
Ansip is 50 years old. He was born 11 years after the end of WWII and the defeat of the Nazis. You can put whatever label you want on him. That doesn’t make it true. ==
The label? SO you refuse the fact that Ancip was the instructor (means a functioneer) of Tartu town Commitee of The Communist party of Estonia?
Your are entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts. Hell, Russia is being governed by a former KGB officer. ==
Putin was the KGB spy somewhat like the father of the today president of USA.
NATO and the EU are “dangerous” to Russia. And what kind of danger do they pose? ==
They accept the strict naonalistic states like Estonia where SSmen openly demonstrate thier flags and ranks, where the state policy is the strict language discrimination against Russians. SO they support the nationalistic discrimination when it is against Russians on thier own territories now. But what if in future they will support such discrimination on Russia nation in whole? Russia should worry NOW when it is not too late.
SO we in Russia is very very disappointed in EU last days. We thought they are friends. But now we see clear that they are just 2-tong sobs. We will learn that lesson.
IMO Russian business in West is almost over now. We should turn to East. They are not so sophisticated as westerners but at least they are more honest.
“Whats the monument in Katowize? If it is the memorial to the dead soldiers then it may end in the cutting all ties with Poland. Russia fed up with such tricks. Better to solve it once and forever.”
That got you all upset.
Here is more on it in your native tongue.
http://www.gazeta.ru/news/lastnews/2007/05/08/n_1066550.shtml
I find 80 year old veterans far less offensive than skinheads and they don’t march with swastikas and yelling racial slogans.
The “marches” you are referring to in Estonia are quiet gatherings of handful of war survivors.
You make it sound like there are nazi flags flying in Tallinn every year.
“SSmen openly demonstrate thier flags and ranks”
Nazi symbols as well as Soviet symbols are illegal in Estonia.
Violating this law is subject to $1,500 fine and/or 3 years in prison.
There are plenty former Communists in power in Eastern Europe and Russia. Kurt Waldheim was a former Nazi and so were many German officials after the war. What's your point?
Putin was the KGB spy somewhat like the father of the today president of USA.
The KGB did more than just spy. Bush's father was a political appointee who was in charge of the CIA for one year. He was also our ambassador to the UN and to China, a Congressman, Vice President, and President. Putin was a career KGB officer.
They accept the strict naonalistic states like Estonia where SSmen openly demonstrate thier flags and ranks, where the state policy is the strict language discrimination against Russians. SO they support the nationalistic discrimination when it is against Russians on thier own territories now. But what if in future they will support such discrimination on Russia nation in whole? Russia should worry NOW
The Soviet Union tried to destroy the Baltic countries by sending Russians in to become a majority of the country to supress any nationalistic feelings. The Chinese are doing the same thing to Tibet.
IMO Russian business in West is almost over now. We should turn to East. They are not so sophisticated as westerners but at least they are more honest.
China is still a communist state so perhaps Russia will find a more kindred spirit in terms of their political system. Democracy has had a hard time taking root in Russia, which seems to prefer a strong, despotic ruler, whether they be Czars or Communists. Pity the poor Russian people who deserve better.
You are disappointed in the EU because they condemned the violation of the Vienna Convention in Moscow? If those Kremlin activists hadn’t attacked the Estonian embassy, the EU would have kept quiet about this whole thing. Lucky for us, the Kremlin overplayed itself. You brought it on yourselves!
You make it sound like there are nazi flags flying in Tallinn every year.==
Last year there were the march of the SS veterans. Year before too. You tell me “are nazi flags flying in Tallinn every year”?
You are disappointed in the EU because they condemned the violation of the Vienna Convention in Moscow? If those Kremlin activists hadn’t attacked the Estonian embassy, the EU would have kept quiet about this whole thing. ==
Those activists didn’t attack Embassy but they indeed demostrated outside of Embassy. They followed estonian ambassador and obstruct her but they didn’t touch her. It were her guards who attacked them with tear gas.
EU should know all these facts. The fact that EU knowing all facts supported Estonia means that EU functioneers are 2-tong sobs. Again we in Russia well-noted that and will make our conclusions.
The Russians will sell weapons to anyone who asks and you turn around and pretend Russians are all honorable business men and don’t do business with people you do not like. Pathetic.
Hopefully the Estonians melt the statue and all like rememberances of Russian occupation. As to the Russians in Estonia facing discrimination, payback is a bitch. Why doesn’t Putin tell them to emigate to mother Russia where they will be free from discrimination?
Putin was the KGB spy somewhat like the father of the today president of USA.
The KGB did more than just spy. ==
Agreed. But Putin was just spy.
Bush’s father was a political appointee who was in charge of the CIA for one year. He was also our ambassador to the UN and to China, a Congressman, Vice President, and President. Putin was a career KGB officer.==
Putin was a lawyer who graduated from law school and got employed in KGB. He didn’t attend no military institution of KGB.
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