Russians Outfox U.S. in Latest Great Game

[nodular]

Wall Street Journal
JUNE 11, 2009
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124467909278604353.html


"'The president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, has steered Kyrgyzstan sharply back into the orbit of Moscow. In January, Mr. Bakiyev jolted Washington by announcing he was evicting the U.S. from an air base that has been crucial to the supply of troops fighting in Afghanistan. And political freedom here, as in Russia, is in decline. The Kyrgyz and Russian governments deny any link to the attacks on Kyrgyz critics.

"'In the West, hopes were high that the global financial crisis would rein in Vladimir Putin's assertive foreign policy. But here, as in other parts of the former Soviet Union, hard times have had the opposite effect: The Russians are coming back.

"'Russia has been hit by the crisis, but remains far richer than its former satellites, and it has used its largess to regain clout near its borders, in what President Dmitry Medvedev calls the "zone of privileged interests."

"Basically Russia sees the crisis as an opportunity to increase its influence in the post-Soviet space," said Nikolai Zlobin, analyst for the Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, D.C., who meets regularly with Russian officials. "They think this is the right time to act."'

for more info, see my blog at http://random-potpourri.blogspot.com/

[bemildred]

1. No offense to the Russians, but it's more like we outfoxed ourselves.

And the Russians were observant enough to exploit the opportunity we thus provided.

[Klubov]

2. Whence is this fear of Russia?

The Soviet union and Warsaw Treaty Organization is not present more. Putin's assertive foreign policy is a response to actions of the NATO and first of all on its constant expansion. Russia is not going to come back in the former borders, and, it seems to me, this fear is unreasonable.

[psychopomp]

5. Quite the contrary

Putin's aim is to restore the former satellites to Russian control. A good documentary: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D49CVOlkpQI "The Putin System"

[pgarrison]

3. We're lagging behind

We need to pick up the pace.

[Keystonecops]

4. ditto that

[JackRiddler]

6. Who are "we"?

My "we" would be busy building solar plants and rail lines, instead of playing this nonsensical and murderous "game" on the far side of the planet.

And since the 90s the US corporate media view of rights in these countries has been based on how well they play into US imperialist