Free Republic

When Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp reopened his state for business last month, he was derided as a coronavirus-denier and a veritable murderer. Amid broad concern among public health officials that it was too soon and risked a resurgence of COVID-19 cases and deaths, the Atlantic branded the move “Georgia’s experiment in human sacrifice.” So far at least, that hasn’t happened. While no one can pinpoint why and some think the verdict still under deliberation, the confident predictions that Mr. Kemp, a Republican, had unleashed a calamity on the Peach State appear to be wrong. The novel coronavirus that originated last...

(Washington, DC) — Judicial Watch today announced it received 756 pages of newly uncovered emails that were among the materials former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to delete or destroy, several of which were classified and were transmitted over her unsecure, non-“state.gov” email system. Hillary Clinton repeatedly stated that the 55,000 pages of documents she turned over to the State Department in December 2014 included all of her work-related emails. In response to a court order in another Judicial Watch case, she declared under penalty of perjury in 2015 that she had “directed that all my emails on clintonemail.com...

We Don't Wanna Put In - Georgia's Eurovision mockery of Russia Tony Halpin in Moscow Georgia has chosen a song that mocks Vladimir Putin as its entry for this year's Eurovision contest in Moscow. We Don't Wanna Put In includes a play on the Russia Prime Minister's name in a Seventies-style performance that is unlikely to get Russian organisers of the contest dancing in the aisles. The cheesy disco number, sung in English by Stephane and 3G, contains the chorus: "We don't wanna put in/The negative move/It's killin' the groove" before urging "You better change your perspective". It also features...

South Ossetia May Intend to Join RF South Ossetia intends to become part of Russia, the republic’s president, Eduard Kokoity, told the international Valdai Club. “We do not intend to make an independent Ossetia,” Kokoity said. Rather, he explained, South Ossetia will unite with North Ossetia. Kokoity stated that the West promised to recognize an independent Tskhinvali, if an independent Ossetia was created from the North, which is part of Russia, and the South. “Western experts, political scientists, proposed that we convince North Ossetia to secede from Russia. They promised recognition before Kosovo,” Kokoity said. He did not answer a...

8. While negotiations between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides remained stalemated, a combination of developments brought about a dangerous dynamic in the situation around Abkhazia, Georgia. One month after the decision of the Russian Federation to withdraw from the 1996 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) restrictions on Abkhazia, Georgia (see S/2008/219, para. 14), on 16 April the President of the Russian Federation issued an instruction authorizing direct relations with the Abkhaz and South Ossetian de facto authorities in a number of fields. The Russian Federation stated that the decision was aimed at supporting Russian citizens and the local population and...

In any community – a school class, a workshop, an army unit or a prison cell – laymen are tested for strength. Tests may be different: a special procedure of "initiation", a provocation, a physical contest or psychological pressure. In the same way, a goalkeeper in a soccer game is tested at the start with long-distance and precarious blows. Global policy follows similar rules. During recent decades, the West has been systematically testing Moscow leaders for strength. Yury Andropov was tested by a South Korean aircraft illegitimately entering the air territory of the USSR. Mikhail Gorbachev's personal psychological and political...

/begin my translation Using N. Korea as a leverage, Russia wins concession from U.S. on Georgia (Moscow = Yonhap News) Kim Byung-ho = Russia obtained a concession from U.S. regarding Georgia situation, using UNSC N. Korea resolution as a leverage. According to Russian media, prior to scheduled UNSC adoption of sanction against N. Korea on Oct. 14, they will adopt resolution on Georgia on Oct. 13. Russia submitted the draft of Georgia resolution on Oct.3, but was rebuffed by U.S., and not adopted. However, Vitaly Churkin, UN Ambassador to Russia, said on Oct. 12, "U.S. is ready to back our...

Georgian TV Says Russian Soldier Held Over Grenade Attack on Bush MosNews Georgian authorities may accuse a Russian military servicemen of throwing a hand grenade at U.S. President George W. Bush during his visit to Tbilisi on May 10, Georgian TV station Rustavi-2 reported. Georgian and U.S. investigators brought to a conclusion the criminal case launched in connection with the attack. Although they have not commented on the case, two theories have emerged. According to the first theory, the counter-intelligence service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has a photograph of the suspect. Law enforcers are searching for him and...

Moscow stands firm on Korean standoff By Sergei Blagov MOSCOW - Speculation that a second intra-Korean summit could take place on the sidelines of Russia's World War II victory celebrations is swirling, with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il both reportedly invited to the event. The May 9 celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory, to be held in Moscow, is to be a major event in Russia. In all, the Kremlin has invited the leaders of 55 nations of World War II, including victors such as the United States, Britain and France;...

When Republicans are advised to choose the black rather than the white in the 8th Congressional District runoff, a perfectly legitimate question arises: Isn't a preference that takes account of race affirmative action politics? That's a question conservatives debate as a result of Dylan Glenn's endorsements from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp. Both think Glenn's success would draw other blacks into the Republican Party, which is essential to building a stable governing majority. The difference between racial preferences/affirmative action, as commonly practiced, and the Glenn endorsement is that both Glenn and his runoff...

He was elected president of Georgia with a Soviet-sized majority, his party just enjoyed a landslide victory in parliamentary elections and he now dominates the legislative process. He recently amended the Constitution to beef up the presidency, and there are few - if any - checks on his executive power. Human rights organizations and observers are warning of his autocratic tendencies, while the opposition is even accusing him of "revolutionary terror." There are probably half a dozen CIS presidents who fit the bill, but in this case the man in question is Mikheil Saakashvili, hero of the "Rose Revolution," darling...