Britannia Radio

There being a major crisis going on, information and opinions flood
in from all sides. The SUN here is extremely robust. The
International Herald Tribune has a story I've heard rumours of before
but hitherto nothing in print! This is escalation indeed.

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THE SUN 27.8.08
1. Russian leader's Cold War boast
By GEORGE PASCOE-WATSON , Political Editor

RUSSIAN bullyboy Dmitry Medvedev last night warned he could plunge
the world into a new Cold War.

The bolshy President received global condemnation as he backed
independence for two states belonging to Georgia.

The move flouted international law and his own pledges to the United
Nations Security Council.

But he refused to back down, vowing: "We are not afraid of anything,
including the prospect of a new Cold War."

And he threatened military attacks if the US goes ahead with plans to
build an anti-missile shield in Poland, close to Russia's borders.
He said: "We will have to react, of course, in a military way,"

Medvedev spoke as Cindy McCain, 54, wife of US presidential candidate
John, visited Georgia to meet refugees caught up in Russia's recent
raids.

The bombings have stopped but the war of words has continued - as
Medvedev signed a decree recognising the independence of rebel states
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, at the centre of recent troubles.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband said: "This further inflames an
already tense situation in the region. It is unacceptable."

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said it was "regrettable".
But Russia hit back by scrapping military cooperation with Nato - and
threatened more action
============
AND
2.
My view

By GEORGE PASCOE WATSON, Political Editor

RUSSIA is desperate to be a superpower again - and must be stopped.

President Dmitry Medvedev - under orders from predecessor Vladimir
Putin - is challenging the West to stand up to him.

The stakes are incredibly high.

Medvedev knows the world's institutions like Nato and the United
Nations have been weakened in recent years.

The Iraq War showed disastrous splits in the UN Security Council and
proved it was becoming a toothless tiger.

Nato's power is also on the wane, as member states leave it to the
United States and Britain to police the globe.

Russia is cruelly exploiting the lack of global resolve needed to put
Moscow firmly back in its place.

Putin began rebuilding the Russian military when he became President,
and the Allies are focused on Iraq and Afghanistan.

But history tells us the West must NOT back down in the face of
Russian aggression.

Gordon Brown must prove he has the resolve to stand up to the Kremlin
in the way that Tony Blair did over Iraq.

The West must build a new coalition to stop Russia in its tracks.

These are dangerous times but the world can never again be locked in
a Cold War.
============
AND -
3.
STAND FIRM (Sun Says)
RUSSIA'S sabre-rattling escalated alarmingly last night as puppet
President Dmitry Medvedev warned of a "new Cold War".

Brussels has condemned Kremlin aggression in neighbouring Georgia and
demanded its withdrawal.

Gordon Brown left it to Foreign Secretary David Miliband to brand the
violence "unacceptable".

But as the world tilts towards a dangerous and unpredictable future,
words seem the only weapon at our disposal.

Medvedev knows Europe is weak, divided and unprepared for a showdown.
Despite lavishing billions on 300 Eurofighters, the EU will never
deploy them in conflict.

Modern Russia is oil-rich, militarily powerful and utterly
contemptuous of Western finger-wagging. And America won't risk more
blood and treasure to defend Europe in a hurry.

Georgia's fate has sent shivers through ex-Soviet states like Poland,
Latvia and Lithuania, who thought they were safe under the EU
umbrella. This, surely, is a golden opportunity for Brussels to
justify its vaunted role as the custodian of peace in post-war Europe.

For the first time, it has a chance to prove it can look after the
welfare of its 27 member states . . .

And dissuade Russia from taking eight of those members back under its
totalitarian wing by force.
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INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE 27.8.08 - EXTRACT
Russian generals see Black Sea buildup
In the meantime, Russian generals questioned the "extreme level" of
NATO naval activity in the Black Sea. "We're bewildered by the
extreme level of activity of NATO naval forces in the Black Sea,
which continue to increase their numbers," General Anatoly Nogovitsyn
told a briefing on the conflict.
"Only yesterday I said there were nine NATO ships in the sea and by
evening another frigate of the US navy passed through the Bosphorus
Straits. We have also learnt that another eight warships from NATO
states are expected shortly. They talk about planned exercises and
you can probably find some legitimacy in that but [...] it's very
hard to believe that all the visits so far have been bringing only
humanitarian aid," said Nogovitsyn.