Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had warned his U.S.
counterpart Condoleezza Rice Russian Hospitals Brace for New Influx of Casualties ...
Solzhenitsyn due to be laid to rest ...
Suspected ETA bombing in northern Spain ... and other ministers from NATO against recognising independent Kosovo before it declared independence in February, Dienstbier writes. Now that Russia reacted by a military intervention to Tbilisi's offensive in South Ossetia, Rice and U.S. President George Bush have called on it to respect Georgia's territorial integrity, but they cannot do more, Dienstbier writes. The French tandem Sarkozy-Kouchner has proposed that the status ante be renewed in Georgia, but this would mean the return to the situation where Georgia had no control of Ossetia or Abkhazia. Instead of enhancing territorial integrity of Georgia, the French plan is in fact to show respect for the two provinces' autonomy strengthened by the latest developments, Dienstbier says. The Western big powers have no opportunity to exert pressure on Russia that possesses the trump of the previous Western promotion of Kosovo's independence, he continues. The Czechs might now react saying that they would prefer erring along with [Georgian President Mikhail] Saakashvili to being right along with [Russian PM Vladimir] Putin, and that they would side with the USA rather than with Russia, Dienstbier writes. "However, if we looked at world developments through such funny lenses and if we only pondered which protector we should choose instead of cultivating our self-confidence, we will again see Russia and the USA decide on us, as they can decide by themselves irrespective of the Georgians, Czechs and all other Europeans," Dienstbier concludes. Lidove noviny's commentator Zbynek Petracek speaks about the Kosovo case's influence on the developments in Georgia from another point of view. Almost ten years ago, Serbia decided to attain control of Kosovo, a step Tbilisi has decided to take on the whole territory of Georgia now. At the time, a half of the Kosovo Albanians became refugees, like a half of South Ossetians have become now. At the time, the world started speaking about a humanitarian catastrophe, like Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has started now, Petracek writes. Ten years ago, the term "humanitarian catastrophe" legitimised NATO's intervention against Serbia. Medvedev's sticking to this term is a method of "a good policeman," which works better and more effectively than PM Putin's words about genocide in Georgia and a bloody adventure launched by Tbilisi, Petracek writes. If the West used the term "humanitarian catastrophe" to argue its intervention in Serbia, now it is impossible for it to say that Russia cannot apply the same rule to South Ossetia, Petracek writes. The situation is not as black-and-white as when the Russian military decimated Chechnya, he says. Nevertheless, first, the term "humanitarian catastrophe in South Ossetia" originates from Russian sources only. Second, Moscow has always been opposed to Kosovo's independence. Why is it defending Ossetia's separatism now? Petracek asks. Elsewhere in Lidove noviny, Adam Nenadal hails the two gold medals Czech shooters have won on the first days of the Beijing Olympics. On Saturday, Katerina Emmon won women's 10m air rifle contest and on Sunday David Kostelecky won men's Trap. Owing to the success, the Czech Olympic team has occupied the unbelievable fourth place in nations' competition, Nenadal says. Sport shooting has been a traditionally successful sport in the Czech Republic, but still unknown to many Czechs. Now, the two medallists will appear in the media spotlight for some time, but later the uproar will fade away and the media will again return to highlighting popular hockey and soccer stars such as Jaromir Jagr, Milan Baros and Petr Cech. The media will do so until the next Olympic games when further heroes of small sports will be "discovered by Czechs," Nenadal writes.
(Ceske Noviny)
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