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McCain and The Evil Empire
Pepe Escobar: McCain insists on demonizing Russia - he's not even listening to his own heroes.
At the second US presidential debate, Senator John McCain once again raised the specter of a renewed Cold War, displaying a very confrontational position towards Russia. Even Senator Barack Obama accused Russia of promoting "mischief around the world". McCain don't seem to be listening to his own heroes - certified Cold Warrior Henry Kissinger, who advises him, and counterinsurgency ace Gen. David Petraeus.
Pepe Escobar, born in Brazil is the roving correspondent for Asia Times and an analyst for The Real News Network. He's been a foreign correspondent since 1985, based in London, Milan, Los Angeles, Paris, Singapore, and Bangkok. Since the late 1990s, he has specialized in covering the arc from the Middle East to Central Asia, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has made frequent visits to Iran and is the author of Globalistan and also Red Zone Blues: A Snapshot of Baghdad During the Surge both published by Nimble Books in 2007. Pepe Escobar: McCain insists on demonizing Russia - he's not even listening to his own heroes. ... more -
Poland Proposes Energy Pact for the EU
Poland is proposing an EU energy solidarity pact. PM Donald Tusk wants the EU to be obliged to react if gas supplies to even a single member state were under threat.
Energy security is Poland's specialty in the EU. We started talking about it three years ago, when few in Europe noticed that Russia had been using gas supplies as an instrument for achieving its political objectives.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk's current proposal has a lot in common with the energy 'Musketeer Pact' promoted by the Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz (PiS) cabinet in late 2005. Like in that package, the goals again include the EU's energy solidarity, mutual assistance in emergency situations (e.g. if the gas tap has been turned off), and the creation of mechanisms that will enable the EU to become independent of a single supplier - meaning Russia. Mr Marcinkiewicz's conception provided for the EU member states to adopt a new energy policy treaty and invite other countries, such as Norway, to join it. It was rejected as too revolutionary and anti-Russian.
Mr Tusk and the author of the current proposal, Mikołaj Dowgielewicz, head of the European Integration Committee Office (UKIE), have drawn conclusions from their predecessors' failure and drawn up a less revolutionary package. The annex to the proposal that Gazeta has seen does not go beyond amending existing European regulations and contains a list of proposed changes in specific directives. Such a proposal should be hard to reject just like that, especially when - like the Polish government - you have the sympathy of the Commission and Parliament.
The key proposal concerns the definition of a crisis situation that triggers off energy solidarity mechanisms. Today, one of the directives says that the EU has to react if 'significant supply disruptions' have occurred, that is, when over 20 percent of EU-wide gas supplies are under threat.
Mr Tusk wants this definition to be amended so that the solidarity clause would be activated if over 50 percent of supplies for any member state, even the smallest one, had been disrupted. Poland is proposing an EU energy solidarity pact. PM Donald Tusk wants the EU to be obliged to react if gas supplies to even a single ... more -
Sergey Lavrov: Follow Russia's Example and Acknowledge the Realities
Controversial artical, written by Russian FM Sergey Lavrov for Polish daily "Gazeta Wyborcza", claimed to make demands of creating a new Iron Curtain in Europe
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If the US and Poland are really interested in guaranteeing that the anti-missile base won't be directed against Russia, we are ready to consider their specific proposals. But we should be talking about guarantees, not about cosmetic political gestures, writes Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Yes, we do differ on many current international issues. We regret that the Polish government has agreed to host elements of the US strategic anti-missile system near Russia's borders. We disagree with the view, shared by many Polish politicians, of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict. An aggression launched by the Saakashvili regime forced Russia to undertake adequate military and political steps. Their purpose was to resist the aggression, protect soldier-peacekeepers and the civilian population, and prevent a potential genocide of the South Ossetian people. In conducting our foreign policy, we invariably observe principles formulated by President Dmitri Medvedev, including paying particular attention to regions where Russia has its privileged interests.
(continues) Controversial artical, written by Russian FM Sergey Lavrov for Polish daily "Gazeta Wyborcza", claimed to make demands of cr... more -
It's You Only Live Twice for Polish Shipyards
José Manuel Barroso is thinking about re-election, and the Commission chief is elected by member state governments. So if this Commission has no mercy for Polish shipyards, Mr Tusk's cabinet doesn't have to have understanding for its president's personal ambitions.
One can hardly resist a bitter feeling. One day the European Commission is willing to bend the rules to authorise tens of billions of euros for intervention in the banking sector, claiming this is not 'unlawful public aid', but a 'market operation'. On the next day the same competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes of the Netherlands, announces that there will be no leniency towards Polish shipyards. They have to give back the public aid they've received, even though in their case it was a much smaller figure and distributed over a number of years.
Unfortunately, the Commission is acting legitimately. The brutal truth is that when a powerful bank connected with half the European economy is shaken to the foundations, one Sunday afternoon is enough to give green light for a help package. When at issue are shipyards somewhere in Europe's peripheries, the EU laws can be applied to the letter. The decision when the rules should be bent and when not is utterly discretional.
(continues) José Manuel Barroso is thinking about re-election, and the Commission chief is elected by member state governments. So if this Commiss... more -
European governments scramble to save failing banks
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- Governments across Europe scrambled to save failing banks on Sunday, working largely on their own a day after leaders of the continent's four biggest economies called for tighter regulation and coordinated response to the global meltdown.
In Berlin, the German government held crisis talks after the collapse of a ballyhooed euro35 billion (US$48.4 billion) bailout of Hypo Real Estate AG, the country's second biggest property lender.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Europe's biggest economy would "not allow the distress of one financial institution to distress the entire system."
In Iceland - particularly hard-hit by the credit crunch - government officials and banking chiefs were discussing a possible rescue plan for the country's overstretched commercial banks.
Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme said he aims to find a new owner for troubled bank Fortis NV to restore confidence in the company before the opening of markets on Monday.
The bank's Dutch operations were nationalized amid fears they could go insolvent.
British treasury chief Alistair Darling said that he was ready to take "pretty big steps that we wouldn't take in ordinary times" to help the country in weather the credit crunch.
Darling told the BBC that the government, which has provided billions of pounds (dollars) in support to the banking sector, that it was "important to take generalized action as well as being ready to take particular action if you get a particular problem with an individual bank."
In the past year the government has acted to nationalize struggling mortgage lenders Northern Rock and Bradford & Bingley.
On Saturday, the leaders of Germany, France, Britain and Italy met to discuss the growing meltdown which has leapfrogged across the Atlantic from the U.S. to Europe, but shied away from the massive US$700 billion (euro506 billion) bailout passed by the U.S. Congress a day earlier that President Bush signed into law.
While Europe's four largest economies pledged to coordinate national responses to help banks in distress, their failure to agree an EU-wide plan showcased the divisions in Europe on how to deal with the crisis STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- Governments across Europe scrambled to save failing banks on Sunday, working largely on their own a day afte... more -
Water, Business & Sustainability
With water supplies under growing strain due to intensive use and climate change, the EU has introduced pricing policies to persuade users – farmers, industries and households – to save the precious resource. Meanwhile, pressure is growing to recognise access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a basic human right. With water supplies under growing strain due to intensive use and climate change, the EU has introduced pricing policies to persuade u... more
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EU water policies in the developing world
As water shortages in developing countries become more acute due to climate change, the EU is backing policies to manage the demands of all sectors, prioritising health, sanitation and cooperation between states. As water shortages in developing countries become more acute due to climate change, the EU is backing policies to manage the demands o... more
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Romania defies Commission by lifting alcohol duties
The lower chamber of the Romanian Parliament has unanimously voted to eliminate excise duty on traditional home-brewed hard drinks, despite the very fact that it is required to collect excise on home-brewed alcohol under the terms of its EU accession treaty. The lower chamber of the Romanian Parliament has unanimously voted to eliminate excise duty on traditional home-brewed hard drinks, de... more
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EU ups efficiency standards for lights, televisions
EU member states have endorsed two Commission proposals aimed at slashing the electricity consumption of electronic goods as part of the bloc's efforts to reduce energy wastage. EU member states have endorsed two Commission proposals aimed at slashing the electricity consumption of electronic goods as part of t... more
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France pushes for leniency on car CO2 caps
The French Presidency is upping the pressure on EU governments to water down controversial proposals requiring car manufacturers to curb the CO2 emissions of new vehicles by 18% by 2012, according to a document seen by EurActiv. The French Presidency is upping the pressure on EU governments to water down controversial proposals requiring car manufacturers to cu... more
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Crisis boosts urge to regulate in Europe
PARIS (AP) -- In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy says the death knell has rung for freewheeling, U.S.-style capitalism. German's finance minister calls it downright "dangerous." Even the leader of more Wall Street-friendly Britain says financiers need closer watching, maybe on a global scale.
What Europeans call, often with a hint of derision, the "Anglo-Saxon" model of capitalism - with less rules, less government and, for years, more growth - is now being called fatally flawed as the financial crisis strengthens advocates of tighter regulation of banks and financial markets in Europe.
It's a political shift that could recalibrate the economic direction of Europe as it braces and tries to survive the financial aftershocks from the earthquake that has rocked and destroyed financial institutions across the Atlantic.
The crisis has put new momentum behind measures to be unveiled by the European Commission on Oct. 1 that include plans to strengthen rules on the capital that banks must hold back and the way credit rating agencies are overseen. Other measures being pushed by some European leaders in response to the crisis include bans on short selling of securities and tighter controls on executive compensation. The European Parliament called this week for tighter controls on hedge funds and private equity investors, an idea so far rejected by top EU officials. PARIS (AP) -- In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy says the death knell has rung for freewheeling, U.S.-style capitalism. German'... more -
Russia proposes summit on collective European security
Russia will make its case this week for a new collective security treaty under which European governments would act as independent states rather than members of blocs and alliances.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will address Moscow's vision of a new European security alignment at the UN General Assembly in New York on Saturday, Russian officials said Tuesday.
No details were available about Lavrov's speech, and a ministry spokesman said Tuesday that he could not provide immediate comment.
But the idea of establishing a new, legally binding European security treaty was first proposed in June by President Dmitry Medvedev, who said the new arrangement should be based not on ideology, but rather "purely" on national interests.
The previous major European security pact, the Helsinki accords of 1975, divided the continent between NATO countries and countries in the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.
With disintegration of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia -- and the emergence of new European states -- existing structures such as NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have failed to ensure security on the continent, Medvedev has argued.
This, he said, necessitates the creation of new European security arrangements.
Russia's envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, had been scheduled to discuss the proposed treaty with NATO ambassadors Wednesday in Brussels at a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council.
But NATO and Russia drastically reduced cooperation in the wake of Russia's war last month with Georgia over the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia, and the planned NATO-Russia Council session was scrapped.
There may have been few concrete details for Rogozin to discuss with his NATO counterparts anyway.
An official with Russia's delegation to NATO said by telephone from Brussels on Tuesday that no document outlining the proposed new treaty exists.
"We need first to collect different proposals from the governments and then hold an all-European summit, where these proposals would be integrated into a single document," he said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
So far, nine countries have expressed interest in the idea, the official said: Germany, Italy, Belgium and six members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization -- a Russia-led alliance comprised of former Soviet republics. Russia will make its case this week for a new collective security treaty under which European governments would act as independent sta... more -
LHC a sure sign that Europe is the center of science community
The successful start-up of the Large Hadron Collider represents not just a huge victory for particle physics but also a victory for Europe. Once upon a time there was a brain drain from Europe to the U.S. – not only Albert Einstein in the 30s but also Wehrner von Braun in the 40s (”Once the rockets are up who cares where they come down? That’s not my department, says Wehrner von Braun”) and all the way through the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
But today? There’s no doubt that Europe – especially CERN — is the center of the science world. The Europeans took the lead in building the LHC, kicking in $6 billion. The US contribution? Just over $500 million, Alan Boyle reports at MSNBC.
Besides the LHC, there’s the ITER fusion research center in southern France and potentially another fusion project, the HiPER laser-fusion facility.
Meanwhile, in Washington, politicians yanked support for ITER and ripped $94 million out of physics research. Some of the funding has been restored but many positions were lost.
Michio Kaku points to the cancellation of the planned Superconducting Super Collider in 1994.
“Let’s be blunt about this: There could be a brain drain of some of our finest minds to Europe, beause that’s where the action is,” Kaku said. “We had our chance, but Congress canceled our supercollider back in 1994. We’re out of the picture. We can basically tag along after the Europeans, begging them for time on their machine — but really, the action is in Europe now.”
What will the US role be for the next major project, the International Linear Collider? The US is supposedly interested but it will have to compete with newly rich nations like China and India that boast serious scientific minds of their own. Beijing just hosted an exploratory meeting on hosting the ILC. The successful start-up of the Large Hadron Collider represents not just a huge victory for particle physics but also a victory for Eu... more -
EU backs Georgia peace monitoring mission
The European Union agreed on Saturday to send "an autonomous mission" to Georgia to monitor Russia's withdrawal from territory occupied during last month's war over South Ossetia, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said.
He accused Moscow of failing to respect several points in a French-brokered plan that put an end to the fighting and said French President Nicolas Sarkozy and EU officials would demand on Monday that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stick to his commitments.
"Let him first respect his own signature. Of the six points, only two or let's say two-and-a-half, perhaps three, have been implemented," Kouchner told a news conference after a two-day informal meeting of EU foreign ministers.
EU observers to ensure that Russia withdrew to the lines it held on Aug. 7 before fighting erupted would initially join an existing monitoring force of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
"We expressed our support for the deployment of an autonomous ESDP (European Security and Defence Policy) mission as part of the OSCE presence in the first instance," he said.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said details of the deployment of European monitors remained to be worked out. (reporting by Francois Murphy, writing by Paul Taylor) The European Union agreed on Saturday to send "an autonomous mission" to Georgia to monitor Russia's withdrawal from te... more -
US tries to create an 'iron curtain' around Russia
F.W. Engdahl : US in decline as Russia asserts its rising power.
President Dimitri Medvedev criticized the European Union for having a biased approach in regards to the Georgian conflict. Medvedev however stated that the EU acted in a rational manner by not implementing sanctions against the Russian Federation. F. William Engdahl believes the EU response mirrors its dependence on Russian oil and gas. Engdahl goes on to further state that the US provoked Russia to respond militarily and the US as the dominant power is beginning to stumble and "to look desperately for ways to hold on to that power."
F. William Engdahl is an economist and author and the writer of the best selling book "A Century of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order." Mr Engdhahl has written on issues of energy, politics and economics for more than 30 years, beginning with the first oil shock in the early 1970s. Mr. Engdahl contributes regularly to a number of publications including Asia Times Online, Asia, Inc, Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Foresight magazine; Freitag and ZeitFragen newspapers in Germany and Switzerland respectively. He is based in Germany. F.W. Engdahl : US in decline as Russia asserts its rising power. ... more -
Russia's top diplomat to have shield talks in Poland
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to Poland next week for talks on a plan, opposed by Moscow, to station parts of the U.S. missile shield on Polish soil, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.
"This visit is planned," spokesman Andrei Nesterenko told reporters at a news briefing. "I am convinced the topic of Poland signing (an agreement on) the U.S. missile shield deployment will be raised," he said.
Lavrov will also discuss with Polish officials the conflict in Georgia and Russia's relations with the European Union, the spokesman said. Poland has been one of the toughest EU critics of the Kremlin's intervention in Georgia.
Nesterenko said the Russian foreign minister was expected to travel to Poland for the talks on September 11. MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will travel to Poland next week for talks on a plan, opposed by Moscow, to s... more -
EU leaders warn Russia over partnership talks
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- European Union leaders warned Russia on Monday that talks on a wide-ranging political and economic agreement would be postponed unless Russian troops pull back from positions in Georgia.
The threat to delay talks set for this month on the "partnership and cooperation agreement" with Russia came after Britain and eastern European nations held out for a tougher line. But Europe's dependence on Russian oil and natural gas deterred stronger sanctions.
"I think we found an excellent compromise (by) not going back to business as usual, but still making clear that we want to maintain contact with Russia," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
At a four-hour meeting, the leaders ordered EU bureaucrats to study alternative energy sources to reverse growing dependence on Russia, which supplies a third of the EU's oil and 40 percent of its natural gas.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he plans to travel to Moscow next Monday for talks with the Russian leadership. A cease-fire he brokered to end fighting between Russian and Georgia calls for forces to be withdrawn to their positions before the war.
The Bush administration welcomed the EU's move.
"This extraordinary EU summit demonstrates that Europe and the United States are united in standing firm behind Georgia's territorial integrity, sovereignty and reconstruction," White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement.
Earlier, Russia warned the West against supporting Georgia's leadership, suggesting that the United States delivered weapons as well as aid to the former Soviet republic and calling for an arms embargo until the Georgian government falls.
Story continued at link... BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- European Union leaders warned Russia on Monday that talks on a wide-ranging political and economic agreement... more -
EU meets as Russia calls for Georgia embargo
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russia has called for an arms embargo on Georgia as the European Union prepares to meet to discuss possible sanctions against Moscow.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has issued another warning to the West over Georgia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for the embargo Monday until Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was out of power, and said the West would be making a mistake of "historic scope" if it continued to support Georgia. MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russia has called for an arms embargo on Georgia as the European Union prepares to meet to discuss possible sa... more -
Russia will respond to "aggression"
Russia does not want confrontation with the West but will hit back if attacked, Kremlin leader Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday, a day before EU leaders meet to draft a response to Moscow's actions in Georgia.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he would press fellow European Union leaders to review ties with Russia in retaliation for Moscow's decision to send troops to Georgia and recognize two Georgian breakaway regions.
But underlining the differences in approach inside the 27-member EU, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier took a softer line, saying isolating Russia would harm the interests of the bloc.
"Russia does not want confrontation with any country. Russia does not plan to isolate itself," Medvedev said in an interview with Russia's three main television stations.
But he added: "Everyone should understand that if someone launches an aggressive sortie, he will receive a response." He said Russian law allowed the Kremlin to impose sanctions on other states, though it preferred not to go down that path. Russia does not want confrontation with the West but will hit back if attacked, Kremlin leader Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday, a day b... more -
It's Pretty Clear That Europe Is Using 'Trade' Deals to Steal Food ...
A new wave of food colonialism is taking food from the mouths of the poor.
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