Russia , Libya and Actions of NATO

It is some time back when NATO in a great hoax perpetuated on the world joined the war against Gaddafi and in the end ousted him from power. The US and UK had got the approval of Russia and China in a Security Council resolution to protect civilians in Libya, but the reason was different. It was not to save civilians but to oust Gaddafi who the West felt was a pain in their side. This was also an opportunity for the washed out world powers like France and England now bereft of colonies to try and show that they still had some muscle. The attacks in Libya in real terms led to hundreds of deaths of civilians. Russia has now realized they tricked it to support the Security Council resolution. It has now approached the International Court at Hague to investigate the deaths of civilians caused by NATO action in Libya. The International court packed with cronies of the West and the USA and UK is unlikely to take any recognizable step. In fact it has become a tool of the West and so called ‘war criminals’ that the West feels are inconvenient are tried by it. One wonders why the USA which dropped Atomic bombs on a defeated Japan has not been tried for war crimes. This was excellently brought out in a dissenting Judgment at the International Tribunal in Tokyo by Justice Binod Pal in 1946. NATO has outlived its utility and is now trying to become a world policeman. It gives the second rate powers like France and England to again exercise their muscle and try and regain their past glory. The action in Libya was to say the least inhuman and bad. Heavy air bombardment resulted in deaths of thousands of civilians and yet the attacks continued. In the recent NATO meet at Chicago , protestors in particular demonstrated against the killing of civilians in Libya. The removal of Gaddafi has not solved the problems of the West. I am afraid they will multiply. It already tastes defeat in Afghanistan and if Russia can get back some of its glory and oppose NATO as earlier, it may soon become a paper tiger

The Curse on the Bhutto Family* 73

I have been wondering how the Bhutto family has fared. In a matter of a about 3 decades the name Bhutto has almost ceased to exist in Pakistan's political field. This to my mind is nothing short of curse. To start with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was in real terms the son of a Hindu mother was hanged in a judicial farce. It was murder and Bhutto became the second Prime Minister to be hanged in the world. This was not the end as his wife who was kept imprisoned for years by general Zia- ul- Haq finally scummed to cancer.

 Her daughter who had donned the legacy of her father and was Prime Minister of Pakistan was assassinated during a public meeting. The list does not end here and the younger brother of Benazir Bhutto , Murtaza Bhutto was shot dead in Karachi when his sister was prime Minister of Pakistan. It was a murky affair to say the least. Murtaza was opposed to his sister and many eyebrows were raised at this killing. His elder brother was found dead in a Paris apartment. Another gory death that has never been explained.

It appears the mark of Cain is on the Bhutto household. One hopes this is the end of this chain and the survivors of the Bhutto household can live a full life.

Putin is Back and the USA is Uneasy

Vadimir Putin is sworn in again as the President of Russia. He was President earlier also and is now back. This is not good news for the Americans who tried their best to foment trouble for Putin. The reasons are not far to seek. Putin is a strong nationalist who believes in the greatness of Russia. He is from the Soviet era and has seen the slide of the USSR from the pinnacle of power to a second position behind America. Putin has a one point agenda to restore the pre-eminent postion of Russia in world affairs. He feels America is a pain in the neck and he is backed by a strong military with almost 1.4 million men under arms, not forgetting the nuclear arsenal at his disposal. One other point is that Russia is rising economically and has the worlds largest reserves of natural gas and oil. Thus the Russians are sitting on a gold mine. In addition Russia produces some of the best military hardware in the world. Its aircraft are a match for the USA. Russia also encompasses the half the globe and 5 time zones and thus can be a Pacific and a Baltic power. The Americans don't like this and would be better of if Putin is overthrown, hence the small agitations are all sponsored by the Americans. Putin feels Russia has a destiny and is to be a world power again. With the economy looking up and a might army Putin may well lead Russia forward. The US is sick with continuous wars and rampant inflation and budget defict of 3 trillion dollars. It will be difficult for it to remain at the apex with Putin breathing hard down the US spine.

The Last cavalry Charge

The cavalry had been the mainstay of the army for close to 2500 years. Nostalgic poems like the “Charge of the light brigade” were written by Lord Tennyson. At the out break of World War I many old timers still felt the cavalry had a role to play, though a few knowledgeable pundits opined that the days of the cavalry were over. But the pro cavalry lobby had its way and they transported some one million horses and mules to France from the colonies like Canada and India. The famed Deccan horse also made its way from Pune in India. The old timers felt that the horses would be used for the charge of the German positions. All this is explicitly brought out in the movie “War Horse” screened recently. This movie by Steven Spielberg is a real gem. At the start of the battle a few cavalry charges did take place but the riders and the horses were cut down by German machine gun fire. It became apparent to most generals that cavalry had seen its day. The horse could not negotiate the trenches and the barbed wire fences that had been erected on the battle field. But still some die hard generals persisted and it is on record that in 1916 during the battle of the Somme, the 7th Dragoon Guards rode with their horses and swords against the German lines manned by machine guns. It was a veritable slaughter and 90% of the men charging the German lines perished. That made the generals look up and the horse led cavalry charge was simply stopped. The Deccan horse also took part in the charge at the Battle of Somme again with disastrous results. Out of a million horses and mules in France only about 60,000 survived. It was a colossal massacre, but it was the swan song of the cavalry as the horse was replaced by the tank