Did you watch the Olympics while Georgia was burning?

Georgia’s Primeminister Saakaschwili made a huge mistake by provoking the Russians by trying to get back the rebel provinces.

Anyone following Putin’s dirty politics in Chechnya should know better.

The whole affair is a disaster for all sides:

Georgia is no a damaged and destabilized country. I am pretty sure that the US and EU got the Russian message: no NATO membership for Georgia.

Russia has now another war at it’s hand and confirmed it’s reputation not to be trusted. It’s just as imperialistic as the US - although for other reasons.

It’s always good to have some old people handy for mine sweeping.

The EU has also confirmed it’s reputation - for being a toothless club of rich people. The EU is extremely dependent on Russia’s gas and oil supply. If Putin would cut supply most of Europe would face a very cold winter - just Ukraine did several years ago.

The US also could only watch as Georgia went up in flames - and sent some help afterwards. The US has hardly any influence over Russia. Any moral or political high ground is lost since the invasion of Iraq. Putin’s Russia is currently only repeating the policy George W. Bush has implemented years ago: regime change in a country they dislike.

At least I will have gas to heat my flat in winter …

And let’s not forget the huge oil pipeline that is running through Georgia which is highly important for all parties.

It all once again shows that national interests are still brutally pushed through.

Nobody really cares  about the "global village".

China will support Darfur as long as they get something from it. The US will stay in Iraq as long as they get something from it. And Russia will invade small countries as long as the get something from it.

Peace? Nah …

The good old days of war, when we didn’t have smart bombs - but we were able to bomb our enemies back to the stone age by any conventional means necessary!

Channel 4 documentary / 48 minutes / 2007

An excellent report from Afghanistan. Not very cheerful, but it will give you some insight of what is like over there.

Once again it that British openness and honesty that makes this report so special and valuable.

More? Some background info from Channel 4

Even evil grandfathers get locked up - no matter how much they look and behave like Santa Claus himself.

Sniper Assistant First Grade actually isn’t such a great job - not as exciting as the recruitment officer made it sound like …

I’ll admit it: I watch war porn from time to time. It fulfills me with a strange excitement and disgust at the same time. It awakes a primitive "awesomeness" within my inner Neanderthal.

But there is another aspect to this: since mainstream media is so sanitized one doesn’t see the full horror of the action in the news. Plus many soldiers post their combat footage or photos on the net - so we all get to see what they do in our name.

I think Internet War Porn is a brutal but necessary way to confront western audiences with the realities of war - or the current madness in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also is a great channel for soldiers to tell us DIRECTLY their side of the story - without any filtering Defense Departments, politicians or media experts in between.

We need the truth more than ever in the age of political spin.

The Red Cross has become the modern symbol for help in times of need. Especially in wartime the Red Cross simply tries to help, no matter how is in need.

I am still fascinated that the Red Cross still is a voluntary and PRIVATE organization, who does not rely on governments or other big international institutions like the UN to do it’s job.

It’s the largest humanitarian movement and it has branches all over the world. And as caretaker of the famous Geneva Conventions (Hello Mr Bush?!) they have tried to civilize war and set some rules how to deal with the wounded, captured and dead while madness is rampaging. 

I actually find the additional title "Red Crescent" a bit stupid - but I don’t really care about labels as long as it HELPS someone somewhere …

So if you usually don’t donate any money or time to any movement or organization - you should at least consider to support the Red Cross, because it’s still one of the best and certainly the biggest. Have a look where they are active!

More? Red Cross @ Wikipedia

With the bold prison attack the Taliban scored big time. But I still believe that smarter NATO tactics and a LOT more support for the normal Afghan People this is still winnable.

Nevermind the Soviet voiceover.

Some gun camera footage from FW-190 attacks.

Some dramatic German Wochenschau Propaganda featuring the FW-190 in action.

The FW-190 was one of the primary German fighters during WWII and served on all fronts in many different combat roles.

The Airwar over Germany was a bloody mess - and the FW-190 was used to destroy American and British bombers. At that time airwar was almost close combat - at least compared to today’s long range missile and radar warfare.

Overall there is nothing romantic about the “good old days”, but at least the pilots had a chance to see their enemy they engaged.

On the 1st April 1918 the RAF was founded to defend King and Country - and what a great job they did so far.

The RAF most iconic machine - the Supermarine Spitfire.

It’s most controversial Commander Sir Arthur “Bomber” Harris - who ordered the fire bombing of Dresden and Hamburg.

Today’s coolest jet - the Eurofighter Typhoon (yeah I know this one has German insignia - couldn’t find a good image with RAF ones).

More? RAF Homepage (for airforce nerds - visit the official Timeline) and Wikipedia entry -

Once again Frontline delivers an excellent documentary about current US affairs. Once again solid work offering many insight. Once again Frontline helps us to put many pieces of the puzzle into one big picture. Once again - thank you Frontline for the great work and allowing us bloody foreigners to watch the whole thing online.

More? Watch it all online with many bonus interviews you won’t see on TV.

Mission Statement from 2003:

Start a War based on lies.

Alienate all your European Allies.

Piss of the whole Muslim world.

Save money on protective gear and Hummvees.

Totally ignore the Shia and Sunni conflict in the region.

Totally ignore the Kurdish and Turkish conflict.

Ignore security and rule of law in postwar Iraq.

Dissolve the Iraqi Police for more crime.

Dissolve the Iraqi Military for more crime.

Torture your prisoners and take snaps for everybody.

Ignore war crimes of your own troops.  

Forget to secure huge amount of weapons and ammo.

Drive up the price for oil.  

Ruin your own military.

Start a job boom for Blackwater and other mercenaries.

Make Halliburton even richer.

Funnel Billions of Dollars into dark holes.

Funnel Billions of Dollars to contractors who waste the money.

Encourage a culture or corruption in Iraq.

Blame everything on Iran and al-Quaida.

Promise to pay insurgents to fight for you - and then don’t pay.

Lay the foundation for another war in the region.

Did I miss anything?

This is an old report from the LA Times - but still valid. Young American soldiers and Iraqis get blown to bits.

A three part documentation about wounded American soldiers in Iraq. Harsh reality - highly recommended to see what you don’t see on mainstream television.

During WWII the British Government had a keen eye on the supply of tobacco, milk, sugar, coffee and tea (of course). These were more essential for moral than many other goods - a Brit can do without a home (and sleep in the subway), but he needs his fags and tea with creme to carry on!

Isn’t it strange that in the most catastrophic situations the lack of little things annoy us more than the loss of King or Country?

In all our cultures we have developed a stupid admiration for soldiers killed in combat. We call them Heroes - and give them medals posthumously and erect statues for them. This won’t save them - it only makes us fell better for sending them to death for some stupid cause.

Funny enough: we don’t have any nice words, medals or statues for civilians who were also killed (by soldiers) in a war. We consider them simply sad losses, collateral damage or simply numbers. No medals for them and no heroic tales about these poor people.

Militarism is a group psychosis to justify killing each other and give soldiers an incentive and reason to end a strangers life for abstract goals like nationalism, racism or simply greed of the ruling classes.

Anyone out there still believes there will be a ‘two state solution’? Instead Israelis and Palestinians should work on becoming one state TOGETHER with equal rights - maybe even adopt a new name for that state to find some common ground.

But this is just a fantasy, because neither side will be willing to give up it’s nationalist and religious claim to the Holy Land.

Instead the Palestinians will dissolve more and more - and simply become minorities in other Arab countries like Jordan, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. Which has happened since 1946 anyway.

The Turkish invasion into Iraq is a deadly joke. Most Kurdish resistance fighters had left their hideouts anyway, because of the harsh winter in the mountains. And the attack has been expected for months - so nobody was caught in surprise.

Most of all: Turkey is lacking a big professional Army to do the task. So inexperienced conscripts are used to wage a war against experienced guerillas. Many of the first Turkish causalities have been young conscripts. The Turkish generals and politicians should be ashamed to start this war just for mostly propaganda reasons.

The overall situation is such a tragedy as well: the Kurds have been America’s ally from the very beginning in their fight against Saddam. They have suffered decades of suppression from Saddam AND Turkey. America should support these peoples struggle for their own country Kurdistan.

Instead America doesn’t want to embarrass it’s important NATO ally Turkey (who has a VERY strong lobby in the US and is also one of the few Muslim countries that supports Israel). But the US also wants the Kurds to be part of that artificial country Iraq.

The Kurds should have their own country and run their own affairs. If small Kosovo can be it’s own state, so can Kurdistan. Iran and Turkey should part their chunks of Kurdistan - so peace can be made for all.

This is one odd picture: the Russians have resumed their long-range bomber flights - which they stopped in the 1990’s because the country and their military was broke. Here you see a Tupolew Tu-95 followed by a hypermodern American F-22 Raptor. The first TU-95 flew 1953 (!!!) and the F-22 have just entered the service (2005).

Ten years in military technology is a long time, twenty years are a generation - but fifty years …

But don’t be fooled: the first mighty B-52 bombers entered American service 1955 - and they upgraded models are still killing people today. To anyone without modern missiles or AA guns such an ‘old’ machine is still deadly.

I am all for making Afghanistan a better place and fighting the Taliban. I also agree that Germany and so many other NATO members have to do more.

But let’s not forget: the NATO mandate was to support the rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan and provide some policing. It was expected that the Americans would continue their war on the Taliban.

But what happened? America went to Iraq and allowed the Taliban to remerged. They also ignored warnings from Afghans and the international community that the US sock puppet Hamid Karzai does not have the backing and power to push serious development in Afghanistan ahead. Instead corruption, drugs and local warlords succeeded. The Taliban are back and more and more locals support them instead of ‘their’ government.

Also the international rebuilding efforts were uncoordinated and wasteful. Not the kind of results you want to have to convince the locals that western democracy is better and improves the lives of the poor Afghan people.

The US loves to shift the blame to NATO for it’s own failures. While the rest of NATO is going through a tough realization of their shared failure. Loosing Afghanistan is not an option they say - but most countries lack the political will and commitment to make it work.

Very sad.

Walls do work. The Iron Curtain did it’s job for over 50 years, the Chinese Wall is still here and the US is building it’s homeland protection wall against those nasty Mexicans.

But in the long run all walls will fail.

I perfectly understand Israel’s idea and desire for the wall. It certainly stopped many suicide bombers and land based attacks. But the Palestinians are now shelling or shooting low tech rockets into Israel. Walls don’t stop hate and innovation.

Maybe negotiations will some day?

More? BBC has some pictures and reports

When the USA liberated (and this time it was such a thing) Afghanistan from the Taliban I considered this a good thing. This was actually religious fundamentalism gone mad and very bloody.

The Afghan situation can certainly be blamed on America’s lack of interest after the Soviets left the country and the Taliban used their military power - once provided by America - to terrorize this poor country.

But nevertheless - giving this country a chance to get back on it’s own feet was and still is a good cause. And some fighting was to be expected. The Europeans, Australians and Canadians thought a bit of the Taliban would be still around and annoying. Once again politicians committed troops to do the nation building thing without really thinking about it.

Now several years latter and many dead soldiers and Afghan people the Taliban are a serious threat - again.

Canadians, British, Dutch and Australian troops have been involved in fierce fighting - while German, Italian and French troops stayed save and away from bullets.

Frau Merkel loves posing with the troops, but not committing them to the fight for a good cause.

Although NATO asked Germany several time to commit some combat troops to the fights in the south Frau Bundeskanzler Merkel has successfully avoided supporting OUR allies.

Yesterday it was finally announced to send a combat unit to Afghanistan where already 3.000 German troopers are busy building roads, schools and bridges. Here comes the joke: it’s only a small unit - 250 fighters … and they are replacing 350 Norwegians in the safer north of the country.

Although I believe in Pacifism and not in Militarism - but the Taliban won’t go away, by being nice. If the wars in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan have taught us anything it’s this: you can’t do Nation Building without security on the ground. And that means confrontation and sticking your head out and catching bullets. People will die.

“Tell me Darling, that little war made you even richer? You just wait - a 100$ per barrel is nothing I tell ya … by the way I got some nice guns for ya too …”

I think this is one of the best movies about the American military industrial complex - and how it came to be.

An addiction to military power is as dangerous as the addiction to oil - the US suffers from both. Will this ever change? Will America grow up some day and feel less insecure and vulnerable? Today this country spends more money on military power and secret services than almost all other nations on this planet. This is paranoia and insecurity of a so called great nation.

documentary / 1:38 / Wikipedia entry

Highly recommended for all who want to understand how the American politics, the American dreams and politics are intertwined.

Click here to visit to visit ladies from Israel on their Tour of Duty. It is an unusual look inside the military world - usually filled with guys and testosterone. Hardly a showcase for military nuts - but more a documentation that woman can do the job as well as any guy. Plus it documents very well the camaraderie between the soldier girls. Intimate, personal and very real.