Egypt:: Land Grab and Political Expediency,

http://news.antiwar.com/2011/01/30/clinton-us-wont-support-mubaraks-ouster/>I like what it says right at the very top of the page.Been reading - people worried about clash between Israel and Egypt in Sinai. In the blue corner a bunch of land grabbers with a well-equipped army. In the red corner a bunch of very angry people who may very well soon have a huge and even better equipped army, navy and airforce at their disposal. You don't think Israel would be so dumb? But they've got to be worried as hell about the Egyptian/Gaza border opening up.Clinbama Corp are caught between a rock and a hard place on this one.

--

NED in Egypt - is it possible it did something good by accident?

"Its called political leveraging, manufacturing dissent.  Support the dictator as well as the opponents of the dictator as a means of controlling the political opposition." http://www.globalresearch.ca/PrintArticle.php?articleId=22993

--

Events in Egypt and possible domino effect, Georgia and Azerbaijan?

It is little wonder why Georgian media is not reporting these events. What a mess the US and its allies make with a double-standard in foreign policy.

Who will be next, after regional players: Georgia, Azerbaijan?

Israel has to be shitting itself too!

 Who taught the Shaw's secret police how best to effectively torture people why should anyone doubt as  why there was an Iranian revolution and the US is not appreciated in the region.

Who is paying for the Police State that now exists in Georgia?

What goes on in Egypt may have far-reaching ramifications, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and the conditions are ripening.

Since 1981 Mubarak has not appointed a VP - he did not want a rival for power and so no need to have a VP - also a VP would create a rival for the grooming of his son Gamal (he wants Gamal to be the next leader of Egypt). So this morning, the cabinet resigned.  And then Mubarak appoints a VP, Omar Soliman - Soliman was the country's head of intelligence and is a close confidante of Mubarak - Mubarak claims that Soliman once saved his life when he was in the Air Force.  In addition, Mubarak appointed Ahmad Shafiq, a former aviation minister, to be the Prime Minister and form a new government. 

Essentially Mubarak has just shuffled the current leadership - this is not the kind of reform that the protestors are demanding - they want a change of the system and a removal of the NDP (National Democratic Party - the ruling party of Egypt) - Mubarak has merely moved faces around and these actions do not reflect reform of any kind - in fact, it is more likely that he is trying to shore up what's left of his power - this, in my opinion, will only enrage the protestors further - and we've seen some clues of this thus far. Interesting to note is that the military has suggested they are in the streets to protect the protestors, while the police forces outside the interior ministry have shot at people, killing at least five today.

Stay tuned...

Earlier stages of breaking events

Here's my take at this point - and it's a bit disjointed since a lot of ideas are running through my head on this.  Events have turned quickly this afternoon and evening.  This is mirroring the events in Tunisia. It's my assessment that the Mubarak government is done.  Mubarak's speech made that more of a reality today.  Ben Ali in Tunisia only made things worse for his government by antagonizing the people with his speeches.  Mubarak has done the same.  Mubarak seems ready to remain as president, but that is probably not possible - even if he stays as president, his power will be severely crippled - he doesn't seem to get it and his speech asking the government to resign demonstrates that - the problem is not with the prime minister, or other ministers - the people have been directly aiming their anger at him.

His suggestion that he replace the government will not satisfy the protestors.  Ultimately, Mubarak is no longer able to govern.  Also, it appears that the military will not back Mubarak.  The military and security/police forces are different - the security/police forces continue to back him.  It's likely that the military will rule temporarily if Egypt is to have new elections. Most significant, violence is only increasing the persistence of the people.

So what of the opposition and the protesters? El Baradei has been under house arrest.  This only serves to make him a bigger player and a potential rallying point for the people.  However, this is truly a people's revolution - all of the traditional opposition groups/opponents have been late-comers to the protests.  The protests are about the corruption of the government and the economic situation, and not Islamism - the Muslim Brotherhood may not come out of this stronger - their role has been limited at best. 

On the US role here - The biggest problem here is the "what if" question - without Mubarak, what if we get another Iran? This is a concern for many in the policy-making circles.  The Obama administration has been restrained - this makes some sense - you don't want to hitch your horse to the wrong wagon.  If Mubarak ends up staying in power, you don't want to alienate him, for example, which would hurt American policy in the region.  The president's speech tonight did not directly support Mubarak, but also did not directly support the opposition. The president used his speech to "sing the praises" of democracy and freedom and did not really deal directly with the crisis.

Overall impact on the Middle East - there is a real potential for a "domino effect" here - Yemen is likely to be next and protests in Jordan are increasing. This has the potential of being like 1989 throughout Eastern Europe.  Wait and see...

I hope this makes some sense.   If you're interested, Al Jazeera has been streaming live video on Egypt and you can get it on line

--

Georgian Agricultural Lost Opportunities, Mad Food Prices

With prices 'going mad' Georgia should focus on increase of its agriculture production, he said. 

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=23064

So, he finally admits that all of these aid programs, USAID, MCC, TACIS, EU, etc have failed to achieve their goals? This is ammo for the opposition - I wonder if they realise?

The efficiency of production in Georgia is very low compared to Turkey and other countries, especially in terms of value added chains and established marketing structures. This is partly the consequence of lack of investment over the last 15 to 20 years (and before that, due to poor planning during the Soviet era).  Many carry-overs and disincentives are deeply rooted in the system.

 Economic development is further complicated by the well-established system of attracting imports from neighboring and regional countries, often at unreal prices, and the profits are tied with a small elite that is well-connected to the government. 

Food safety is a big problem here, as in HACCP, and there are problems in securing quality products from farmers in suitable volumes of a consistent quality. There is also little trust between rural populations and those along the value-added marketing chain.(NB a recent article in IWPR, Nov 2010, "Georgia Struggles to Compete with Turkish Economy" reflects many of the same concerns)

(http://iwpr.net/report-news/georgia-struggles-compete-turkish-economy)

Georgia once an agricultural exporting country of high quality products but that was was in another time, when the world was different.  A free trade agreement with regional producers who have basically the same climate and growing periods, even at international level, will put one country or another at a disadvantage.

It should be noted that Georgia has been a member of the World Trade Organization since 2001. The main problem is that it can never match the prices in the countries it wants to sell to without significant investment and technological development. In the short term, however,  the best short term option would to improve its efficiency over time so that it can better compete in its own domestic market, providing products which will replace imports, and then to looking to opportunities to export to niche markets.

With prices "going mad" Georgia should focus on increase of its agricultural production and creation of new jobs, including in tourism, President Saakashvili said on January 20.

"Under the current conditions, when we face a lot of challenges, including economic ones, when the prices have gone mad worldwide: price of fuel is increasing, price of food is increasing, prices of staple goods are increasing, the only way out of the situation, especially when we do not produce fuel, is to increase agricultural production in Georgia – that is why we bring here new seeds, new species; and secondly, we should develop, create new jobs so that they are able to buy these expensive products and tourism is one of the major means of employment," Saakashvili said.

Agriculture contributes less than 10% of country's GDP. Saakashvili said last November, that Georgia should boost agriculture's contribution to GDP to over 20% in next five years.

Saakashvili was speaking while visiting a new hotel in eastern Georgian town of Signagi; the hotel, owned by Temur Chkonia, who runs Georgian bottler of Coca-Cola products and whose company owns McDonald's franchise, was opened in a building previously housing local prosecutor's office.

"Previously the prosecutor's office was entering into businesses," Saakashvili said in reference to … and now private business is entering into the prosecutor's office, but, of course, for doing a business," Saakashvili said adding that Chkonia would also build a new hotel in Mestia, high-mountainous region of Svaneti.

Speaking at a government meeting in Mestia in December, Saakashvili called on businessmen "to open eyes" and to invest in construction of hotels in Svaneti, which, as Saakashvili said, would host at least 500,000 tourists annually in four years.

--

Two American Madmen, Rearming Georgia to the teeth?

Whose side are these guys on?  

To rearm Georgia is like allowing a child to play with a loaded gun. What happened to all the US weapons given Georgia before, and where did they end up in the aftermath of the 2008 Russian-Georgian war?

http://en.trend.az/news/politics/1811439.html

Trend News Agency
January 14, 2011

Senator: United States should provide Georgia with arms
N. Kirtskhalia

Tbilisi: U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman believes that the United States should provide Georgia with arms.

"Recently, I and Senator McCain talked about the need for the United States to provide Georgia with defensive arms in order to enable it to defend itself against the Russian occupiers," Lieberman said at a meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

According to the senator, "this is the least that the United States can do for Georgia."
....
Saakashvili held several meetings during his visit to Washington.

--

Too many nuts in Georgia, not hazelnuts, teaching English in Georgia

Too many nuts in Georgia, not hazelnuts, teaching English in Georgia

Georgia should be exporting their own nuts, not importing American nut cases,

http://www.eurasianet.org/node/62704

Like USA exports its 'nuts' to Georgia, in human products, many Americans living here, working in most of the non governmental organizations. Molly Corso is no nut, and thanks for the FOOTPRINTS article, "Georgia: English-Language Program Faces Communication Obstacles" recently posted on a George Soros site. This article is eye opening and in a back door fashion, helps many understand just how  different and backward life is really in Georgia. They never would otherwise believe just how  "frustrating" it is.

Molly Corso is a good writer, but she is for sure on the government side. She is a mild critic of the status quo and a plus on the side of possible quality control. The message is to top the corruption at some point, but that is not enough. One can notice that she did not interview one person not tied in with US government somehow. She interviewed none of the majority central Europeans on the FOOTPRINTS program.

Why don't Georgians get honest and export their own nuts, and why does not AmCham help them with real business plans?

Turkey controls 90 percent of the real nut market, hazelnuts, and are getting rich sucking nuts out of Georiga and Azerbaijan at bargain prices. Because of the lack of food safety standards and the lost of the Russian market because of the actions of one nut case, Georgia is almost clueless of what to do with its nuts.

Turkey is a country and on the fast track with many things. There is much less sleaze here in Turkey in business than in Georgia. It is not even comparable. Georgia is only able to export human resources, including women to provide a range of services. As for imports, and in spite of free trade agreements, which means that all products, or nearly all, of Turkish origin, in Georgia, are brought in by Georgian mafia privately, from a Georgian with a roof, with friends at the border with Georgian customs, to wave them through. that explains the paucity of good products in Georgia, from Turkey, and why the prices are jacked up double or triple. Nearly none of the imports are official on the Georgian side.

I have lost faith in Georgian business or tourism – and the only hope will be for the Turks to come and take it over, even the whole country, and not just Adjaria, and make real business. Perhaps in a 100 years the Georgians finally get with the program.

One only needs to go to Turkey to buy things that can only be found of low grade and super expensive in Georgia, shoes, pants, electronics, etc. One good thing about Georgia, and they because they have no business skills or aptitude, they feel it is below them, they don't hassle you for trade, as in Turkey. Turkey is honest but the salesmen bark at you from every door, even restaurants, you cannot even walk by without making a negotiation, just to get away from them, even if you are not a buyer.

--

Trade with Georgia: devious dealings

Devious dealings!!!
A Georgian-Armenian tourist writes, "there is much less sleaze here in Turkey in business than in Georgia.  It is not even comparable.  On the flight here to Istanbul, first layover, for Izmir, someone in first class left a Turkish Business Journal in English, like Forbes, and I scooped it up, read most of it in the two hour flight.
Turkey exports 200,000 tons of hazelnuts annually.  And here in the streets the walnuts cost $6 a kilo, not $10 like in Georgia. Turkey's economy is in the fast track, neck to neck with China's growth. I have seen quite a few Chinese businessmen here wrapping up deals. But no Chinese tourists though.
Truck and auto manufacturing, pharmaceuticals [Viagra is $6 dollars for a double hit here, not $10 like in Georgia], ships and yachts, iron and steel is booming [their imports of scrap metal from Georgia don't amount to anything on their ledger, as most of that is exported off the books.
They had a map of the world of export recipient countries, across the board, all products.  Georgia is so slender for their imports, it was not even on the map.  Azerbaijan was, and this means that all products, or nearly all, of Turkish origin, in
Georgia, are brought in by Georgian mafia privately, from a Georgian walking around here like me, and with friends at the border with Georgian customs, Batumi, to wave them through.  That explains the paucity of good products in Georgia, from Turkey, and why the prices are jacked up double or  triple.  nearly none of the imports are official on the Georgian side.
I have lost all faith in Georgian business or tourism from what I have learned here in two full days.  Tomorrow I take tours to all the outer temples and altars and holy sites.  ancient archaeology, etc.  sunday too. Monday I will just wind down back in Izmir, and shop for things that are only low grade and super expensive in Georgia, that I need, so I don't even have to look for shit in Tbilisi.  shoes, pants, electronics, etc.
One good thing about Georgia. because they have no business skills or aptitude, they feel it is below them, they don't hassle you for trade, like here.  turkey is honest but the salesmen bark at you from every door, even restaurants, you cannot even walk by without making a negotiation, just to get away from them, even if you are not a buyer.
he Georgian National Investment Agency - a governmental agency.
Here there is life, I am now in Izmir, Turkey, not for the splendid beaches, it is the wrong time of year, but for getting my feet into the old Aegean Sea history, a mix of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish and Greek, Byzantine  and Macedonian.
It is very interesting to think here WHAT is a Georgian, standing in these streets here, and also what is a Greek and what is a  Muslim Ottoman? Here they are all almost the same.  Some women are very beautiful here, a 4000 year old mix of Greek, Persian, Macedonian, Turkish, Ottoman, and Armenia -  a slow interbreeding.
Mary, mother of Jesus, lived her final years nearby, and Ataturk, the X modern powerful leader of Turkey that pulled them out of Greek occupation in 1920 or so [burning down 70 percent of the city], was raised as a  child in the little hotel I am living in, the ANTIK HAN HOTEL, in an old part of town [3.8 million here], next to the huge Turkish bazaar.
There are many one and two hour excursions from here, maybe more historic than Israel and Jerusalem. The original city of Philadelphia is nearby, and the temples of Artemis [one of the 7 wonders of the world], the temple of Ephesus, temple of Pergamon, temple of Athena, temple of Trojans, temple of Dionysus and Athena, the steepest ancient outdoor theater ever, and the SEVEN CHURCHES OF THE APOCALYPSE [the main churches noted in the Bible, think  2012].  I need to drink a licorice flavored Turkish Rakia to remember more after so much photo editing and down loading.  Oh, the altar of Zeus is nearby too. This area here is where the 12 main cities of the Ionian Empire existed [500s BC]."

--

US Train and Equip Program, Georgia, Friendly Fire

Friendly Fire and Waging Cold War in Tbilisi Georgia

When is such madness going to stop?  Did you see they blew up three of their own at Krtsanisi training base today, January 11, 2008  outside of Tbilisi, and put 13 more in hospital? 

I wonder if this was one of those made in Serbia, imported via Jordan mortars with short fuses.  Most likely could not sell them to anyone else but Georgia will buy, most likely on the same level as the M-85 cluster bombs sold by Israel – which has a massive failure rate. Good thing for the Georgian army and civilians and the dropped them on their own population back in August 2008.

Many of those killed in the official body count were indeed killed by "friendly fire" – Georgian hitting its own troops in the fog of war. However, that will never make it in the popular press – and the international mainstream press.

Georgia is a small country and cannot afford to lose it youth to such stupid accidents. It is sad that they are only being trained for cannon fodder for US and NATO wars of occupation in Afghanistan and Iraq, and perhaps next for Iran.

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=230

Other interesting news, gossip, Potomac Institute and Ambassador David Smith

Question: Is David smith is in Tbilisi making still waging a Cold war?. A bit iof interesting commentary.

He worked before in 1996-2002 as CEO of GLOBAL HORIZONS, is this the same David Smith - here shaping the minds of future Georgian leaders? Is there any truth to those nasty rumors that this same company is now by federal agencies and foreign govments for it role in what amounts to  human trafiking. Is this one and the same David Smith, of the Potomac Institute?

http://www.gfsis.net/gsac/eng/we.phphttp://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14216http://migration.ucdavis.edu/rmn/more.php?id=1249_0_4_0

 

--

Stop Psyco Saakashvili "OUR Mussolini" !!!

People Speak Out We were against  the government of Aslan Abashidze in Adjara for one reason, as he wasted lots of money for stupid operas and exhibitions, concerts at a time when the country faced big moral and material problems, and with help of the USA we were then provided with a new government which in pissed away billion of American and European tax payers money, and much was wasted on worthless concerts and exhibitions. The exhibitions of Abashidze were really miserable but nothing in comparison with current pony shows. In Georgia people have not daily bread, can proper nutrition for their children and  prices are now rising on products very rapidly. The the new year concert of Batumi -  is the crime  against Georgian people... Andrea Boccellli one of the greatest lyric musician of the world, he is Italian and even Italy can afford to  invite him for new year party for TV exhibition  live program for New Year. Is the US government such idiots to pay so much money for 1 hour exhibition in the country of the third worlds as it is Georgia????   Do it something stop  this psycho Saakashvili which  has classic ill mind of Emperor Neron. Shame to YOU that you choose this government as your favorite. They are new new Nazis and it is visible each and every day. His supporters calling Saaka  "OUR Mussolini" !!! If you will following in Facebook the policemen,  they are writing to each other that Adolf Hitler was right and he was greatest politician and giving the advises to read book "Mein Kampt"... Are you kidding!!!! what you are doing????

I'm following from here everything and picture in Georgia is very very difficult, and it is the most difficult time in the current history of Georgia.  

Russian Church Leader Ignores Georgian Patriarch's new title

The Russian Patriarch Kirill skipped over “Abkhazia” from an official title of the Georgian Orthodox Church leader in a Christmas congratulation message.

In an apparent move to emphasize that Abkhazia is part of the Georgian Orthodox Church’s canonical borders, its main decision-making body, the Holy Synod, decided on December 21 to also make the Patriarch Ilia II Metropolitan of Tskhum-Abkhazia and Bichvinta (Pitsunda).

But in the letter sent to Ilia II to congratulate the Christmas, Russian Patriarch refers to the Georgian Church leader with his previous title: “Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, the Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II”.

--

Crime is becoming as American as apple pie, Crackdown on Liberty

Countdown to 2012

This is by Gerald Celente, who, was on a recent Coast to Coast radio show in the US, and who discussed some of the top trends for 2011. He also sees increased levels of crime, with older people becoming involved.

"Crime is becoming as American as apple pie," he quipped, from the welfare cheat to the Wall St. con artists to the politicians. Another trend will be a "Crackdown on Liberty," with encouragement to report on fellow citizens, and mechanical drones (already in use Houston and Miami) spying on people, he warned.

Other trends included "Screw the People"-- efforts by the "authorities" to extract funds to meet fiscal obligations, and "Alternative Energy"-- employing new physics to create useful devices. Celente also debuted a new trend he called "Know the Hand that Feeds You." He foresees food prices skyrocketing, and increased incidents of tainted foods & recalls, leading to a big demand for clean foods.

Go to his website, where a video will automatically start playing:

http://www.trendsresearch.com

--

Ramifications, appointment of US Ambassador to Azerbaijan

Matthew Bryza: sly move, or part of a sinister US strategic plan for the region?

It is a real threat for Armenian for Bryza to be US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, and not only for Armenia but for those living in the diaspora; by all accounts this man is not to be trusted.

I'd like to see someone publish an extensive record of how many leading media outlets have had knowledge of the Khurcha incident, stage event in Georgia a few years back, and other extremely worrying incidents, but not one media organization decided to be the one to break ranks.

Many questions arise as to  media's role in society, as a corrective to the government, and the duty to inform the public about what is happening, a responsibility shirked by many media organizations in the case of Georgia, in similar ways as has been noted by critics is also the case in Kosovo for instance.

Bryza is sleazy and has left a mark on too many nasty little projects, such as Georgia. Azerbaijan is a feudal state, Armenia not much better, and Georgia a failed state running on US and Russian money in equal measure.

It is hard to believe that any Armenian would outright support Obama now. Armenia is itself only a little less of a feudal state than Azerbaijan is, by most accounts.

Kind of a depressing way to enter into 2011. But there is always hope,

It is a real threat for Armenian for Bryza to be Ambassador, and not only for Armenia but those living in the diaspora, and this man is not to be trusted. He is sleazy and has left a mark on too many nasty little projects, such as Georgia.

Azerbaijan is a feudal state, not to say that Armenia is that much better?

How can any Armenians support Obama now, aside from all his other backsliding on promises? Yeah... Armenians are small and weak,  not very well at making friends in the neighborhood. At the end of the day - and, often, at the beginning of the day - nobody really cares about the Armenians. It seems that the recess appointment of Matthew Bryza is a shady sort of institution and has been in the works for sometime, most likely wanting someone in the area that that knows where all the bodies are buried.

I am sure that Bryza knows the famous Hitler quote, as instrucitons to fear not what history will say,  "who still speaks now of the extermination of the Armenians?"

How can any Armenians or self-respecting person support Obama, aside from all his other backsliding on promises? As for Bryza, his track record and documented conflict of record, involvement in Georgian Affairs, espeically with the nexus to his wife, Turkish Intelligence and the Nixon Institute is an open record, wound.

http://en.trend.az/news/politics/1805504.html

Obama not concerned about the Armenian lobby in the US or its position in the world? What is the real  motivation for this? Trend News Agency December 30, 2010 President Barack Obama named Matthew Bryza U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Baku: President Barack Obama named Matthew Bryza U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan, the press secretariat of the White House said. President Obama announced Wednesday his intent to recess appoint six nominees including Matthew Bryza to fill key administration posts that have been left vacant for an extended period of time. Recess appointments are made when the Senate is not in session and last only until the end of the next session of Congress. They are frequently used when Senate confirmation is not possible. Obama used his Constitutional power to recess appoint six people who have had their nominations pending for an average of 147 days, according to White House officials. Bryza currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of European and Eurasian Affairs. He previously served as the Director for Europe and Eurasia at the National Security Council in the White House. He was also Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Caspian Basin Energy Diplomacy. Bryza has also served in Russia and Poland. He also served as U.S. co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as ambassador to Azerbaijan. The post of U.S. ambassador in Baku has been vacant since the previous ambassador, Anne Derse, left it due to completion of her diplomatic mission, in July 2009.

--