war

Russia is moving in to Georgia. Is the Big Bear securing it's oil reserves? Are they trying to close the West's access to the Caspian sea? Where will Putin head after Georgia? Is Putin the new Stalin?

These and many other questions have surfaced around the world for a while now. To many of us, Georgia is far away, thus the news are easily downgraded on our scale of importance. And this might very well be Putin's exact calculations - that Russia can go out and grab Georgia with little or no reactions from the international communities.

I hope that reactions will come. That the international community will raise it's voice and tell Russia and Putin that theft is not acceptable. That Georgia will receive support and help on their path to independence and democracy.

In our globalized market, we are all interdependent. That should also mean that we are equally responsible for each other, that we should care and that we need to voice our concerns.

Larko opened my eyes - by pointing my radar to the incident. Thus, I changed the filter mode in my brain, and interesting bits of information started to appear. Some of them are listed below.

I encourage you to spend a few seconds (as a minimum) to consider the questions I pose above. By spending that little investment of your time, you may find that you need to do something more. If you do, please go ahead! Thanks!

• Russian Business Network blog (follows the RBN, also on the cyber warfare on Georgia)
• Huffington Post - interesting considerations from the US Security Advisor for President Carter
• Swedish Foreign minister Carl Bildt on the case
• EU consider reactions

Please feel free to air your voice - and submit other interesting stories on this potentially global security threat! (Yes, I may exaggerate on a short term - but what are the long term damage that may occur?)

A quick update for the current situation in Lebanon arrived at my desk today:

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Back in the cold war days - when Norway was the last outpost of the NATO towards the Soviet, and any politics left of conservative was considered communism, most of the stories from the Soviet where Western propaganda.

I grew up as a kid in the 70s and a teenager in the 80s. No, I still do not understand the pop-music. I learned to be afraid of nuclear war, communism and walked around believing that Soviet was colored in shades of gray. If there where colors there, they would be dark, disturbing. Like shadows.

I remember depicting the west as a golden, shiny, colorful place - where all things good happen. And the East was dark. Depressing. Scary - a modern day hell, so to speak. Gulag and Siberia.

And of course all the hero's came from the west. All the bad guys from the East. No matter if it was Bond or Spiderman - the plot where the same brainwashing scenario good vs. bad.

This is all repeated today with the terrorists. The big, bad Arabian looking bad-guy versus the great, nice, smiling and heroic American. Things have changed, though. The Gulag of today must be Guantanamo's Bay. The terrorist cannot scare us as the Nuclear scenario could back in the day. Perhaps that is why France and US is so keen on targetting Iran these days? Perhaps the everyday suicidal terrorist is not scary enough for the rest of us to create the necessary support for a sustained war on terrorists?

And I am older, hopefully wiser, and know first hand that Russia and Eastern Europe is just as colorful as the rest of the world. And war is never what it seems. US has ran out of Oil. The rest of the world is soon to follow. China is moving into Africa big time. Putin and Russia continues to follow their own path - no matter what the rest of the world does and mean.

In these times, I just love discovering that hero's are on both sides. Like back in 1983, when the Soviet military officer Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov avoided to launch a full size nuclear attack against the west. He decided that the missiles that showed up on his radars where due to a computer error, and not a real attack. Sitting in his bunker, counting seconds and minutes, watching his screens showing a growing number of missiles heading towards them. Keeping himself and his team cool, he saved the world as we know it.

I would love to hear about your everyday hero. About your view of the future. And it's impact on security as we know it.

 

This post most likely will upset a few readers. If you are easy to upset, please do not read it. You have been warned.

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One thing about not being American is the fact that I can view their behavior from the outside. And one of the things I do have a hard time accepting is their praise of God. Everything seems to evolve around a hypocritical praise of the Lord. 

Combine this praise with their focus on anti-terrorism, and self-heroism. What do you get? A war on religion.

I am not a fan of terrorism. Just as I am no fan of war. But I do not think that praising the Lord is a good way to fight religious terrorism, or Muslims. I think that only serves to fuel the fire. 

I strongly believe that the best way to fight terrorism and violence is by education, by respect and by developing common ground. And of course time. Change takes time, and it is often felt hard for the involved parties.

The challenge we face in fighting terrorism is not easy to overcome. It only takes one party to spoil the process - as we have seen in the Israel vs. Palestinian case over the years. If one prime minister decides that the proposed outcome is not in their best interest, they decide to build a wall. There seems to be little interest in compromises and "best-for-all" solutions.

And when the US targets the terrorists around the world, with "and God bless America!", I must admit I take offense.  I do not believe in that God. I am not American. And I certainly do not think a God who tells a believer "not to kill" should be blessing a warfare. And most importantly - I know that if I was a terrorist in a Muslim country, I would use that blessing as a proof that the enemy's only wish is to get away with all Muslims (as well as other opposing religions). 

What happens then when America is blessed and no Muslims are available as a threat? Will Europe be the next target? Or will the power of China become to much of a threat? 

I suggest we start develop an educational program which encompasses all major religions, and political power. We should ensure the distribution of this not only in the Middle east and other terrorist habitats, but it should be included in our education as well. Only when we all know, understand and respect our differences will we be able to control and countermeasure terrorism, warfare and unfair political games. 

This is no quick fix - with easy to show results. This will take time - generations. We need to teach our children respect for each other, for themselves and for the unknown.

Including respecting the "God bless America" that currently wipes across the world.  As well as respecting the fact that modernization is required also in religions like Muslims. Going back to Sharia laws is not progress - that is pure regress.  

 

My source in Lebanon sendt me this update on the current situation. Review the end of the post for travelling tips and possible areas to stay away from!

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Fights have been ongoing since May 20 between the Lebnanese Army and the "Fateh El-Islam" organization, a multinational (mainly Arabs) terrorist group, which is taking the Palestinian refugee camp of "Naher El-Bared" (North of the Tripoli city) as a safe haven. About 50 army members and security officers have been killed and almost the same number wounded. It is difficult for the Lebanese army to target this terrosit group since it is hiding between Palestinian civilians (as human shields). After a few days of shelling, a few members of the organization were killed or captured and a few Palestinian civilians killed and wounded. Now the humanitarian situation in "Naher El-Bared" camp is really bad with no electricity, no water and no phones.