Comedian Bernie Mac Dies As A Result of Pneumonia.

SATURDAY: WAR ERUPTS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND GEORGIA-WHY?
And Why Has the Coverage Been So Lame?

The news this morning was dominated by the murder of an American relative of an Olympic coach in Beijing, the images of the impressive opening ceremony, the rather flip and non poor background offered about the many nations taking part (NBC couldn’t wait to cut to commercials) and the disclosure of an extra-marital affair by former Presidential Candidate John Edwards.

The eruption of fighting between Russia and Georgia with a large loss of lives was being blamed on Russia, as in they violated a tradition Olympic cease fire. There is another view that received virtually no attention as the cameras of NBC kept showing us a binocular-toting President Bush and wife Laura smiling in the Birds Nest stadium in Beijing:

You should know about it…..

SEE THE BBC REPORT: I heard a BBC backgrounder on Public radio in Boston on Saturday afternoon. The Russian Foreign Minister was accusing the Georgians of killing Russian peacekeepers and arguing that Georgia never fulfilled its obligations under the agreement that led to the withdrawal of Russian troop from Georgia. He described the Russian military action as “peace enforcement.”

U.S. Attacks Russia Through Client State Georgia
While U.S. media obsesses about John Edwards’ extramarital shenanigans

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet

Georgian forces, trained and equipped by the Pentagon and the U.S.
government, killed 10 Russian peacekeepers early this morning in a
provocation attack that has escalated into military conflict, but the
subsequent corporate media coverage would have us believe that the
U.S. and NATO-backed client state Georgia is a helpless victim, when
in actual fact a far more nuanced geopolitical strategy is being
played out.

Original reports early this morning detailed how Georgian forces had
killed 10 Russian peacekeepers and wounded 30 others, which was the
provocation for Russian forces to begin military operations, but the
fact that Georgian forces were responsible for starting the
conflagration has been completely buried in subsequent media coverage.

“Georgia and the Pentagon cooperate closely,” reports MSNBC, “Georgia
has a 2,000-strong contingent supporting the U.S.-led coalition in
Iraq, and Washington provides training and equipment to the Georgian
military.”

The latest exercise, Immediate Response 2008, which took place last
month, involved no less than one thousand U.S. troops working with
Georgian troops in a war game scenario.

Moreover, the very “Rose Revolution” that brought the Harvard trained
pro-US Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvilli to power in 2003 was
wholly aided and abetted by the Central Intelligence Agency.

Col Sam Gardiner, US Air Force Ret, had this Saturday update to his earlier report.

The major position statement by President Bush and Secretary Rice has been that Russia should respect the territorial integrity of Georgia. That sounds benign, but it is the same kind of wording used the the Georgian leader. It translates into meaning that Russia should permit Georgia to occupy South Ossetia.

The fighting is not just about South Ossetia. This is a major strategic struggle for influence on in the area between Russia and the United States. The United States has been working to bring Georgia into NATO and strengthen the Georgian military by encouraging Israeli military sales. Russia has stated its red line was Georgia’s becoming a member of NATO.

The outcome of this situation will affect how the international community responds to Iran. The Iranians understand the significant and have warned of the possibility of destabilizing the region.

Escalation Continues.

Georgia has declared a state of war and ordered a general mobilization, although the general mobilization is somewhat pathetic. The BBC showed pictures this morning of young and middle aged men lining up to to go war with their blue backpacks.

Russia has extended bombing inside Georgia, to include the port of Poti. It feels like to bombing campaign NATO unleashed on Serbia.

Russia is sending reinforcements into the region. Mentioned this morning is the 76th Airborne Division, which is actually about the size of a brigade. This is very significant because the unit comes from the Moscow region. It is part of the Russian strategic reserve. Its deployment show how serious the Russian are about the situation.

Azerbaijan papers are saying Azeri volunteers find themselves unable to stand by and watch Georgia be attacked.

There are some reports of fighting going on with groups in Abkhazia, the other breakaway republic.

Georgia has asked the United States to help deploying its 2,000 troops from Iraq back to Georgia. In addition, the Secretary of the Georgian National Security Council said Georgia may be asking for “international military assistance.” This would be a very significant step.

Ahead.

Georgian troops will probably be pushed out of South Ossetia by the end of the day. That will bring the parties to a decision point. Will it be a return to the status quo ante with Russian troops enforcing the situation? This would be a major dilemma for the United States

Or, will either Georgia or Russia decide to take the situation farther?

Russia could decide to annex South Ossetia. Russian citizenship has already been granted to 90% of the citizens there. South Ossetia has appealed for membership in the Russian Federation. North Ossetia, inside Russia, has voted to welcome a union with South Ossetia. This would be a major dilemma for the United States.

The Georgian decision will be whether or not to launch another attack into South Osstetia. This would probably only happen if they received or assumed they would receive U.S. or Israeli military assistance. The decision to support Georgia is a major dilemma for the United States and could have very serious consequences.

U.S. television network coverage of this very serious situation continues to be pathetic. CNN was breathless last night over the Edward’s sex story with only passing mention of the Caucus fighting. Thank heavens the cables now carry the BBC.

This was a second bad day.

MORE ON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE US AND ISRAELI ROLE

This was his report Friday morning. I saw nothing like it at the time in Lamestream media.

WAR IN THE EAST ERUPTS, US DEEPLY INVOLVED

Sam Gardiner goes behind the news:

Last night Georgia launched an attack to take back the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. The attack is being led by the 4th Motorized Brigade which has been the focus of U.S. training and support effort over the past few years. The attack is most likely being supported by reconnaissance troops that have been trained by Israel since October and drones purchased by Georgia from Israel.

The oil pipeline that runs from Baku, Azerbaijan to Chehan, Turkey is very close to where the fighting is taking place. That pipeline was cut earlier in the week by the Iraq-based PKK, and the Ossetians had threatened to cut it if Georgia launched an offensive. This pipeline was heavily supported by the U.S. in order to cut the vulnerability of oil flows from the Gulf. Approximately 1% of the world supply of oil comes through this route.

Since last night, the situation has escalated at a very rapid pace. At first volunteers from Russia were reported to be flowing into South Ossetia. Within the last hour, Russian units have been reported moving into the area. Russia reported seven minutes ago that 10 Russian peacekeepers have been killed and 30 wounded. Putin warned from Beijing that he will not tolerate the killing of Russians.

The situation is made more delicate for the United States because the 4th Brigade is the unit that has supplied troops for Iraq and Afghanistan. Also 1,200 U.S. troops have also just completed a joint exercise with the 4th Brigade in the past few days in Georgia.

READER COMMENTS:

Nikki Oldaker writes: “I was at the car repair shop and met a guy there from Georgia (Russia) who told me that this attack is Georgia’s leaders doing and they are invading this section of Russia to go after their GOLD…He said that Bush and cronies are behind this attack …that Georgia is nothing but farmers and wine country… he said that Georgians are using American Hummers and Tanks to fight with…He said that yesterday Putin approached Bush and grabbed him by the arm and spun him around at the Olympics…he said the cameras were on them when it happened…but were pushed away when the two started to talk… he said that none of this was supposed to happen that there is supposed to be no war at all going on (a worldwide truce) during the Olympic games…

How is it that our media is not getting the real story behind these attacks?”

Steve Zuckerman writes: “thank you for your dissecting russia/georgia; yes, american media covering edwards, olympics.
as if that is what really mattered. my God. maybe we can dig up Harry Truman.”

I WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE OVER THE WEEKEND…..

And now Gardiner’s earlier uopdate on the Iranian Guns Of August:

Earlier this week the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard announced the test of a new anti-ship cruise missile. According to the Iranian news agency, this new missile has a range of 300km (~180 miles).

I am normally skeptical of Iranian technology claims. I’m particularly skeptical of their claims about range and capabilities of the Shaab missiles. Just by looking at the parade pictures of the Shaabs, one gets the impression of a hobby-shop for missiles rather than a serious military production. Almost every missile is different, different fins, different connectors, different nose guards and different launchers. The Iranians exaggerate, and the United States exaggerates the Iranian exaggeration. The truth serves the objective of neither country.

The new anti-ship missile got my attention, however. Recall in 2006 Hezbollah struck an Iranian ship that was shelling Beirut airport with a C-802 missile. Even before that eye-opening shot, there were reports the Iranians were working on an extended range of the missile. My guess is the new missile is a version of the C-802.

I think in this case, the Iranian claims have to be taken seriously. Two reason for that. First, they have proven the technology. Second, with a range of 180 miles, the Gulf equation changes significantly.

The Iranians might now be able to reach tankers as they are loading and unloading on the western side of the Gulf. In addition, it means the U.S. capability to defend tankers almost evaporates. During the Tanker War, 1984-1987, it was possible to use U.S. Navy ships to convoy tankers out of the Gulf because the threat was short range weapons.

With a new weapon of this range, the U.S. would be forced to go after the missiles offensively, attacking missile locations in Iran. A little Google Earth analysis shows how difficult that would be. The Iranians have all their anti-ship missiles in covered shelters and probably in other locations. It would be a problem similar to the Scud hunting during Gulf I.

The threat to the flow of oil has just gone up a couple notches.

RE: JOHN EDWARDS ADMISSION—STATEMENT BY ELIZABETH EDWARDS (DAILY KOS VIA JAYNE STAHL)

Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 04:40:51 PM PDT

Our family has been through a lot. Some caused by nature, some caused by human weakness, and some – most recently – caused by the desire for sensationalism and profit without any regard for the human consequences. None of these has been easy. But we have stood with one another through them all. Although John believes he should stand alone and take the consequences of his action now, when the door closes behind him, he has his family waiting for him.

John made a terrible mistake in 2006. The fact that it is a mistake that many others have made before him did not make it any easier for me to hear when he told me what he had done. But he did tell me. And we began a long and painful process in 2006, a process oddly made somewhat easier with my diagnosis in March of 2007. This was our private matter, and I frankly wanted it to be private because as painful as it was I did not want to have to play it out on a public stage as well. Because of a recent string of hurtful and absurd lies in a tabloid publication, because of a picture falsely suggesting that John was spending time with a child it wrongly alleged he had fathered outside our marriage, our private matter could no longer be wholly private.

The pain of the long journey since 2006 was about to be renewed.

John has spoken in a long on-camera interview I hope you watch. Admitting one’s mistakes is a hard thing for anyone to do, and I am proud of the courage John showed by his honesty in the face of shame. The toll on our family of news helicopters over our house and reporters in our driveway is yet unknown. But now the truth is out, and the repair work that began in 2006 will continue. I ask that the public, who expressed concern about the harm John’s conduct has done to us, think also about the real harm that the present voyeurism does and give me and my family the privacy we need at this time.

RICE WILL NOT RULE OUT ISRAELI RAID

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday in an interview:

Q: Since we’re such a close ally of Israel, do you worry that if Israel were to act against Iran, that we [the U.S.] would be blamed?
Rice: We don’t say yes or no to Israeli military operations. Israel is a sovereign country. But we are in very close contact with the Israelis and we talk about the diplomatic track that we’re on. I think they believe that diplomacy - they’ve said that diplomacy can work here. And I know they’re doing their part to talk to all of the countries with which they have good relations to explain why it’s important to have a tough edge to our diplomacy.
Q: Twenty percent of the world’s oil goes through water controlled by Iran. Is oil Iran’s secret weapon?
Rice: I don’t know what the Iranians would do without the revenue that they receive from selling oil. And so the idea that they would somehow deprive the world of Iranian oil exports would have to have a pretty devastating effect on Iran itself. (State Department)

OLYMPICS OPEN TODAY (FRI) IN BEIJING

“To borrow a phrase from the sportswriters: ‘How about those Olympics, huh?’ As the gaudy opening ceremony finally arrives tomorrow, the constantly shifting global image of China ever since this Olympiad’s locale was first chosen, so controversially, might just about come to some kind of rest …”

WATCH: FINANCIAL TIMES ARTICLE ON OLYMPICS AS A BRAND BUILDING EXERCISE FOR CHINA INC.

AND THE WINNER IS….

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A day before the Olympics kick off in Beijing, NBC Universal announced it has garnered more than $1 billion in advertising revenue for the event for which it spent $894 million to acquire the U.S. broadcast and digital rights.
The network is planning 3,600 hours of TV and Internet coverage of the 17-day event, which begins with the opening ceremony Friday.

NBC says it has made significant profits from the Olympics since the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.
The network has owned the U.S. broadcast rights for every Games since then, except for the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, which were bought by CBS for $375 million.

NBC spent a total of $2 billion for the rights to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2012 Summer Games in London.

IFJ: MEDIA CONCERNS IN CHINA

In early August, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called on the Chinese authorities to unblock certain Internet sites that have become unavailable for foreign journalists arriving in Beijing to cover the Olympic Games .

“We learn with dismay from the Chinese government that some Internet sites are blocked”, said Aidan White, General Secretary of the IFJ. “This is a serious breach of the promise given that all journalists, particularly those in the Main Press Centre for the Games, would have unfettered access to the Internet. We demand that all restrictions are lifted so that our colleagues can work freely and search access to the information they need.”

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman who admitted the Internet restrictions said they concerned the Falun Gong spiritual movement, but reporters working already in that country are also unable to seek information from sites such as those related to Tibet or Amnesty International.

Several thousand journalists are already in Beijing and they are complaining about the way certain sites are censored, either because they are unavailable or they prompt suspiciously slow download rates when attempting access.

“This is a bad start for journalism,” said White. “We call on the All China Journalists Association and the Chinese authorities to keep their promise and open the Internet to access by all journalists. Censorship has no place at the Olympic Games.”

At the same time, the IFJ has called on the International Olympic Committee to put pressure on China to ensure that it keeps the Internet open to all by reminding the Chinese government about their undertakings to grant unrestricted access for the period of the Games.

BUSH MAKES HUMAN RIGHTS REMARKS IN SPEECH IN BANGKOK, NOT BEIJING; WARMLY WELCOMED TO CHINA

TIBETANS PROTESTING

Thousands of angry Tibetans staged anti-China protests in the capitals of India and Nepal on Thursday, with hundreds detained by baton-wielding police in Kathmandu, a day before the Olympic Games open in Beijing.

In one of the biggest rallies in recent months, nearly 4,000 Tibetans, including maroon-robed nuns and monks, took to New Delhi’s streets, saying China had no right to hold the Games.

PROTESTERS FACE FEDERAL CHANGES IN SAN FRANCISO

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Two anti-China activists are facing federal criminal charges for climbing onto the roof of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco to protest human rights abuses in Tibet.

Nyendak Wangden and Brihannala Morgan appeared in court Thursday to be advised of the charges of a law that prohibits infringing diplomatic properties “with intent to intimidate, coerce, threaten or harass.”
If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of six months in prison. They were released on $25,000 bonds with orders to stay away from the consulate.

On Wednesday, the two women staged a mock hanging off the consulate’s roof. Morgan held a rope and Wangden dangled from it until her rope snapped and she fell to a balcony about 15 feet below. Morgan has alleged consular personnel cut the rope.

ASHVILLE GLOBAL REPORT: To provoke war, Cheney considered proposal to dress up Navy Seals as Iranians and shoot at them

Speaking at the Campus Progress journalism conference earlier this month, Seymour Hersh — a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist for The New Yorker — revealed that Bush administration officials held a meeting recently in the Vice President’s office to discuss ways to provoke a war with Iran.

In Hersh’s most recent article, he reports that this meeting occurred in the wake of the overblown incident in the Strait of Hormuz, when a US carrier almost shot at a few small Iranian speedboats. The “meeting took place in the Vice-President’s office. ‘The subject was how to create a casus belli between Tehran and Washington,’” according to one of Hersh’s sources.

IRIN-MYANMAR: Food shortages “significant”

AYEYARWADY DELTA, 4 August 2008 (IRIN) - Three months after Cyclone Nargis hit southern Myanmar, hundreds of thousands of people are still not back on their feet.

“The situation in Myanmar remains dire,” Chris Kaye, World Food Programme (WFP) country director, said. “The vast majority of families simply don’t have enough to eat.”

According to the recent Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA), 42 percent of all food stocks were destroyed and 55 percent of families only had stocks for one day or less.

Moreover, 924,000 people will need food assistance until the November harvest this year, while around 300,000 will need relief until April 2009.

NEW SCANDAL IN SOUTH AFRICA: CHARGE THAT PRESIDENT TOOK $30 MILLION IN ARMS DEAL; PRESIDENCY DENIES IT

MORE DESPAIR IN PALESTINE REPORTS ISRAELI PEACE ACTIVIST GERSHON BASKIN:

By: Gershon Baskin

A Palestinian friend who is a senior official in the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah spoke with me this morning. Usually optimistic and positive, this morning she said to me “We lost it all; it is just a matter of time before the West Bank turns into Gaza”. That is the overall mood and sense of reality held by most Palestinians today. Over the past month I have participated in international conferences with senior Palestinian leaders at the European Parliament, in a regional meeting in Athens, in several Israeli-Palestinian Track II meetings held in Israel – all of the Palestinian participants, officials and non-officials voiced expressions of pessimism and despair. The same message can be heard on the grass-roots as well throughout the West Bank and even East Jerusalem.

There is no known progress in the peace process. Despite ongoing negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, since President Bush’s Annapolis summit in November 2007, no noticeable change can be felt or seen in Palestine. In fact, there is a growing sense that the Israeli occupation is becoming harsher and that the hopes and promises of President Bush and Tony Blair for stability, prosperity and peace have once again blown away with the shifting sands of the Middle East.

Israel’s settlements continues to expand instead of removing unauthorized outposts and freezing all settlement growth, as Prime Minister Olmert promised to President Bush.