Good point, some point out that a chess [i]checkmate[i] analogy might have been more precise. How could the trap have been avoided? Well, they point out that had Georgia not responded to the ever increasing numbers of Georgians killed by the “rebels”, its pro-western government would soon have been toppled. They did however respond. In either case [i]checkmate![i]

One doesn’t normally see a checkmate coming, but afterward analysis of the moves may be edifying. Exactly at what point did the Russian’s [i]checkmate[i] become manifest? Your move!

Seek first to understand.

http://www.debka.com/headline....

It's really interesting watching the threads of a once positively-minded Canadian community who were hell bent on believing that nothing, but nothing could stop peace from being the one and only tool that would surpass all our past fears and trepidations, are now singing a completely different tune to a few years ago. I remember only too well the comments emanating here regarding my lack of confidence in the EU providing the necessary conditions of peace and security that most of my compatriots were only too gullible on swallowing hook, line and sinker, calling me some of the rudest and unprintable names one could imagine. And today? They have come round full circle and are now singing exactly the same tune I have been singing all along. Though they are slow learners, at least they get credit for acknowledging their mistakes in thinking too positively about the EU and NATO, who it seems are making constant amends with Russia and the only fools left at the round table are those who never in their wildest dreams could imagine that the Finnish President would rap Estonian over the knuckles for being overly critical of Russia. Friends-I welcome you to the fold and hope there are many more people who will soon begin to see the light from the darkness of EU hogwash!!!

Maxim -- how can you state that the names that you have been called here are unprintable? They were printed weren't they.
Your mind is such a mess.

A fairly accessible overview is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E...

The case finally reached the International Criminal Court (ICC) this year.

http://www.democraticundergrou...

Thanks for these links.
This background information should be compiled and sent to every newsroom in Canada and the US.

Healthy skepticism?? That's a pretty stupid alternative to outright blasphemy! The fact is that I have been dogged to death about my comments being so critical of the EU and NATO that it has been suggested as the whether I even have a right to call myself a citizen of the EU. What my critics cannot respond to is the fact that since Georgia's crisis began, Ilves has been crying foul about European security-and rightly so-although the true is now out of the bag. And that is that no recently adopted EU state has ANY right to feel secure enough from attacks from Russia, since it is now abundantly clear that Europe cares enough about Russia to have her as an ongoing partner at all levels of interaction possible. Even Halonen said we have no right to be overly critical of Russia, and warned Estonia from taking too harsh a stand. There is enough change that has taken place to draw new security lines across Europe. NATO and the EU are making minced meat of their own policy by not being able to provide fully-backed guarantees to the Baltics that provocation from Russia will in no way result in a new occupation of these states. The EU is unable to provide any guarantees whatsoever against the possible reoccupation of Estonia from Russian troops. Period!

For your information, Maximahv, The EU is primarily an economic coalition. By contrast, NATO is a military pact.
For someone so stupid, you certainly know how to strut like a know-it-all.

I know that the EU was supposed to be an economic coalition...but why do you have to see the flags posted everywhere here which I've noticed while living here. I first I worried, that all it does is replace the red hammer & sickle flag. I am missing the Estonia that was Estonia when it got it's freedom back. When it didn't care who was who and what happened, just that they were free again. Now I feel like they pushed the buttons too far, defining our granparents & parents' labels of eachother again, and going overboard with the whole EU and NATO thing. I've spoken to many Esto's here, and despite their fears that Russia would want Estonia back and another invasion, there are many of them feeling the same way. And missing Ruutel!