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The Baltic states (catch all)
We were using our aging 5-year old platform known as the REMOTEC MK6A when the Estonian government decided to provide us with some investment funds. Our MK6A had done exactly what we wanted and even a bit more. Little did we know what (GSA) 90 grand would now get us, and when the F6A arrived, we thought our MK6A was stone-age. Our F6A looks much like this link, but with several advantages. We can now link two CBRN detectors and remain a full 300 feet away via fiber optics or radio.
Still wondering ?
Included in the price, an instructor from TN came over and we took the robot apart, put it back together and operated it until all was clear.
A fantastic USA-made robot. Ask Kim or Royce in service for quotes.
http://www.es.northropgrumman.com/remotec/f6a.htm
BTW, our dual disrupters are from Royal Arms, CA. Call RJ Brills in Oregon and check out his 12 gauge ammo.
No, this is not a sales pitch, just experience with the robot, its disrupters and the excellent service staff at REMOTEC, and wanted to pass it on.
Regards, Stan
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questions
Stan,
Are you guys using dogs--ala RONCO? And are you doing removal or destroy in place?
the stuff you are dealing with is old and I woul assume quite unstable; is that the case?
Best
Tom
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Estonian Deming
Tom,
RONCO's dogs are very expensive, say 15 grand or more. They get dogs at a premium like the USAF as they often buy as many as 50 at a time and we only have 7 at any given time in country. Our dogs are mostly shepherds and trained locally for Explosive Detection (Dogs) (EDD). At least 5 to 7 different types of explosives must be detected, or back to square one and a new dog.
The robot simply permits us some distance with IEDs. Normally we don't use the robot on cleared military ordnance, as one "high order" detonation together with fragaments would destroy the robot.
We typically clear with Vallon detectors and MB4 data recorders. No more signal sweeping, which would drive you nuts in under an hour. That is, the VMH-2 with a larger search head and data recorder means we can "silently" sweep 50 square meters in under an hour and download the targets. From there the "privates" begin to dig :)
Most of the ordnance is WWII era and some WWI. The German stuff looks like new even after 40 years underground. The Russian stuff (ahem) also looks like the day it was made...horrible, rusty and unlikely to go even with a shape charge :eek:
That said, if it's German and the projectile already went down range once (the ogive and obturating band shows rifling) we would most likely destroy in place. If the fuse looks like it will gently come off, we dawn an EOD 8 or 9 and unscrew the fuse. Most of the time, the lead or senior with the response team gets to decide and nobody, not even the police argue. A 50-gram shape charge means 60 to 70 meters stand off distance and low order (breaks in two or three pieces and one hell of a bang). Trouble with the German stuff, the projectile walls are thick and the rounds back then, 170mm carried 11 kgs of high grade Comp B (similar to the USA). Our copper shape charges have in the past bounced off. You already know, without a secondary explosion, the charge went elsewhere and do again.
I have thousands of jpegs, and we often work with ATF and FBI when we find stuff. Sometimes they help and sometimes we help.
Regards, Stan
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1 Attachment(s)
Just So what does a 40 year old grenade look like ?
I hope the attachment made it here. It was dug up and cleaned in September of 04. An RGD33 right out of the movies.
Stan
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What do you think ordinary people do
What do you think ordinary people do when they find this #### ? Put it in the basement and wait for WWIII of course. There is no wonder what criminals will do once they get ahold of this stuff.
Stan
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More vintage grenades
Keep in mind these still work !
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OK, now the Russian stuff from a lake
four 50 kilo airial delivery bombs. Did you notice, the boneheads forgot the fuses. Could have killed a whole lot of fish back then.
Stan
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Amazing Quality on the German Stuff
The German ordnance is amazingly well-preserved. I wonder how much temperature range affects degradation over time. In Sinai the ordnance went quick; same in the Libyan desert. Both places though it became very unstable as the heat allowed the explosive to "melt" and pool. It made for leaky mines and rounds that you just did not want to touch. Rwanda the stuff was "new" as in freshly used and certainly more modern than what you show here. I attached a ppic of a box of Italian AP mines we found on Iwawa after the RPA took the island in Nov 95. These little nasties were what narrowly missed changing me into a soprano forever; I knelt by one unknowingly that 3 hours later blew off an RPA troop's foot. Overall the RPA had 6 WIA to these in the 48 hours after the operation ended. My deminers came in and they found other ferrous mines (like an AT mine where we had beached our boat) but these caused problems. That led me to ask for dogs and we got 10 or so from RONCO. And yes they were expensive. I almost took a RONCO team to Angola after I retired but that war started again so the contract went tango uniform.
Best
tom
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One of the freest countries on earth
Ilves to Estonians: “...those who do not vote will be voiceless for four years, without the right to criticize the wellbeing of the state."
http://www.citypaper.ee/paper/articles/2152/
Quote:
“Let us show we are not indifferent.”
Estonia’s Independence Day was impressive for many reasons, perhaps most so because of the demonstrative open-mindedness of Estonians. In a room lousy with politicians, poet Peeter Volkonski took the stage with a rock band, citing politicians by name and challenging them to be reasonable people.
Volkonski shouted “aru” (“sense” or “reason”) and was rejoined by a children’s choir singing “pähe” (“into your head”) from behind a curtain. Following his performance he received a whistling ovation.
In a speech which ought to be copied and sent to apathetic non-voters around the world, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves delivered a matronly admonition in his Independence Day address for Estonians to either put up or shut up: “...those who do not vote will be voiceless for four years, without the right to criticize the wellbeing of the state. Thus, let us use the opportunity to create, with democratic choices, a state for ourselves that we like. Let’s show that we are not indifferent.”
In his speech, Ilves was not short on criticism of his own people. “If Estonia has enemies, we find these in ourselves: indifference, cold-heartedness towards others, arrogance, and not caring about others. Lying, corruption and buddy-protection are our enemies. Hatred, pointless criticism of others, envy and self-centeredness are the enemies of Estonia doing well.”
Bravo, Mr. Ilves, for saying what needs to be said.
If you're wondering where President Ilves learned his communication skills, the answer is easy: http://www.thilves.ee/eng/index.php?content=cv
1976 Columbia University (USA), BA in psychology
1978 Pennsylvania University (USA), MA in psychology
1974-1979 Research Assistant, Columbia University department of
Psychology
1979-1981 Assistant Director and English teacher, Open Education Center
Englewood, New Jersey
1981-1983 Director and Administrator of Art, Vancouver Arts Center
1983-1984 Lecturer in Estonian Literature and Linguistics, Simon Fraser
University, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Vancouver
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Bravo Mr. Ilves
Stan--
Thanks for posting this. Would that more of our politicians, from both sides of the aisle, heed his admonition!
John
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Would more politicians heed his admonition ?
Hi John,
Good question, but my senior NCO (still inside me) says no :eek:
Estonian's tend to be more verbal and straight forward in all matters. That's why I thought it was important to note that the President spent many years in the States and Canada learning, so that we don't jump to some conclusion of him being European.
Other than Clinton trying to play his Sax, not many of our politicians permit a rock band to abuse them and hold them accountable, in front of grade school children in the choir.
Regards, Stan
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Certainly not what foreigners want to hear.
Sunday Election forecasts: Centre Party
http://www.citypaper.ee/paper/articles/2172/
Quote:
The Estonian dailies, Eesti Päevaleht and Postimees, have published poll results by Estonia’s two leading polling firms. Both polls predict that the Centre Party will win the elections to take place Sunday. According to one poll, the Centre Party is supported by 25 percent of respondents and the Reform Party by 19 percent. The second poll suggests the Centre Party would receive 35 seats in parliament with 31 going to Reform.
Foreigners, while not allowed to vote in Estonia’s elections, are not shy about voicing their opinions. The consensus seems to be that if the Centre Party would actually be allowed to implement its campaign promises (e.g. 1,600 euro per month salaries for public sector employees), it would throw the economy into a downward spiral.
1,600.00 a month is more than double the average salary. The current levels simply cannot keep up with the EU or inflation. So, other than foreign execs with companies "offshore", all are in favor of a better life.
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A Prime Minister's View on Elections
http://www.valitsus.ee/brf/?id=282027
Prime Minister Andrus Ansip presented his vision of the ten most important topics facing future governments and called for all citizens to actively participate in elections.
“Those are wrong who believe that everything will continue in the same manner by itself or that no matter what we do, things will still go well for us. No, it is not so,” Ansip said. “In order that our good life and welfare continues to grow, we need to act with purpose, prevent apparent stupidities and avoid laziness of thought or just plain laziness”.
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Estonian Election Finals
Prime Minister Andrus Ansip's coalition government (comprised of the People’s Union, Center Party, and Reform Party) won in elections that ended on Sunday!
Good news for Estonia's military ! Minister Ansip has been a staunch supporter of our missions in support of coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"Estonia must fulfil the duties it has assumed as an active member of the European Union and NATO."
http://www.valitsus.ee/?id=6458
Earlier in February the Minister has this to say regarding support to the coalition:
Quote:
According to Ansip, participating in international operations is an essential part of Estonia’s security policy. “It is very easy to maintain a northern placidity and hope that other countries will contribute to international peacekeeping operations. Or to think that crises in the Balkans and outside Europe do not concern us. However, by contributing to foreign missions, by helping others, we also stand for our own interests and strengthen our own security,” he said.
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Reform claims victory in Estonian general election
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17438/
Quote:
The newly-formed Estonian Greens were welcomed to the political sphere by collecting six seats in parliament, or 7.1 percent of votes. It represents an impressive debut for the Greens, who performed as well as the established rural party the People’s Union, who also collected six seats and 7.1 percent of votes.
Ansip claimed a double victory. Not only did his party win the election, but the prime minister also set a new record for the most number of individual votes by collecting 22,556 votes. He can now claim to be the nation’s most popular politician.
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Thanks...
Stan - thanks for the reports and insights - Dave
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Little Estonia at SWC
Thanks Dave,
Seems to be my corner (of the world) herein :D
Regards, Stan
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Pondering coalition partners
MAKING FRIENDS: After a surprise win in Estonian elections, Prime Minister Ansip looks to form a new coalition.
Quote:
TALINN – The center-right Reform Party, winner of Estonia's parliamentary elections over the weekend, decided after discussing the results of preliminary consultations to continue bilateral coalition-building talks with the right-wing Pro Patria and Res Publica Union, the Greens and the center-left Social Democratic Party.
More here:
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17445/
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One of the deadliest countries in Europe
Quote:
Firefighters managed to gather the remains of almost all the bodies
Quote:
RIGA - Latvia’s notorious fire safety record made international headlines last week when a blaze ripped through the attic of a three-story convalescent home for disabled people, taking 25 lives and once again raising difficult questions about fire prevention and personal liability. The fire in Alsunga, a town in western Latvia some 15 kilometers from the Baltic coast, was triggered by either an electrical overload or someone smoking in bed.
The remainder of the story:
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17402/
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Poor performance prompts resignations in Estonian politics
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17443/
Quote:
The chairman of Estonia's Russian-speaking Constitution Party, Andrei Zarenkov, was the third party leader to announce his intention to step down over the party's poor performance in the March 4 parliamentary elections.
Zarenkov said in a letter to fellow members of the party on Tuesday that at a forthcoming joint meeting of the policy-making council and the Nochnoi Dozor (Night Watch) movement he intends to raise the question of confidence in his own leadership and questions about the party's future existence.
The Constitution Party collected only 5,470 votes across the country – 1 percent of total votes.
The leader of the Left Party, Sirje Kingsepp, and People's Union chief Villu Reiljan have already announced their intention to resign as well.
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Amnesty slammed Estonia's language inspectorate
Amnesty's row with Estonia over minorities heats up
By Ben Nimmo Mar 1, 2007, 17:53 GMT
Quote:
Almost a third of Estonia's 1.35 million inhabitants are ethnic Russians, but the state's only official language is Estonian. The inspectorate's job is to maintain the national language's status.
Quote:
When Estonia declared the renewal of independence in 1991, it decided to only grant automatic citizenship to those families which had been citizens before 1940. All other residents could achieve citizenship by passing exams in Estonian language and history.
This is a 16 year long battle here. In order for me to legally work here, I had to learn and be tested in Estonian Language, Culture and History. The ethnic Russians have lived here for 50 years and can barely muster a 'thank you' in Estonian. How much time do you need ? I had 13 weeks in 95 :wry:
Quote:
But officials at the inspectorate dismissed the claims, saying that the amendments simply change the organization's legal status.
'The amendments don't make a difference to our work. What they mean is that while we worked under a government regulation before, we're now regulated by law,' inspectorate spokeswoman Hele Parn told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
Quote:
'It is a bad piece of work, ahistorical and unbalanced. It echoes Kremlin propaganda in a way that Estonians find sinister and offensive,' wrote Edward Lucas, the Economist's regional expert.
More on this here: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe
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Your first Estonian Lesson
Old Eagle,
That would actually be this way: Tänan, härra Reber.
Seega, Suur tänu Sullegi !
Sorry 12 years of this Eesti keel :eek:
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That's cool; not sure I can make my keyboard do that.
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Italian job lands gang of Estonian jewel robbers in jail
Mar 07, 2007
By Joel Alas
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17450/
No kidnapping this time around :eek:
Quote:
TALLINN - Their charge sheet reads like a film script – a gang of 33 Estonians accused of swiping six million euros worth of valuables from a string of Italian jewelry boutiques. But for the alleged thieves, the reality of their crimes bit hard this month when an Estonian court signed an order for their extradition to Italy.
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I guess you can teach a Ruskie new tricks :D
Quote:
The Estonian government ruled on Thursday to grant Estonian citizenship to 838 people, mostly Russian- speaking ones.
These people have complied with all necessary criteria and passed tests on the knowledge of the Estonian language, the constitution, and the law On Citizenship, the government press service told Interfax.
The government plans to naturalize annually about 5,000 aliens in the coming years.
Out of 1.4 million people living in Estonia at the present time, some 125,000 have no citizenship and about 100,000 others are citizens of Russia and other former Soviet republics.
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Center Party will be exiled to the opposition benches of parliament
Mar 12, 2007
Staff and wire reports
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17486/
Quote:
Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said a coalition agreement could be signed by March 26. Early indications point to a coalition between Reform, the Union of Pro Patria and Respublica (IRL), the Social Democrats and the Estonian Greens.
It is widely expected that the Center Party will be exiled to the opposition benches of parliament.
Talks are underway between the four parties, with key agreement points under heavy discussion. Ansip said there was “no signs of anyone intending to drop out” of the negotiations.
Ansip said that the partners had very frankly discussed the dangers that could face a four-party coalition. He said that as long as everyone admitted the importance of passing decisions by consensus and constructive cooperation, the existence of four parties wouldn't necessarily create any particular tension.
"We theoretically know that the most stable coalitions are those formed with the lowest possible majority of votes. If some party turns out to be downright superfluous, it usually doesn't extend the life of a coalition."
Family policy was discussed at a meeting on March 10. Ansip said there was great agreement concerning the partners' aims, but the ways leading to them as well as the costs varied from party to party. "There is little certainty that our present budget permits coverage of all the wishes," Ansip said.
But Ansip added that the Reform Party would have no concessions in its main promise - lowering income tax.
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One of the freest countries on earth
A good read about Estonia.
Tiny Estonia Shines as Post-Soviet
Economic, Democratic Powerhouse
by Larry Luxner
Quote:
Washington-based Freedom House gives the Baltic nation a one out of seven—the highest possible score—in both political rights and civil liberties, noting in its Freedom in the World 2005 report that “Estonia’s civil liberties score improved from two to one due to the effective implementation of judicial reforms and greater economic freedom.”
More Here:
http://www.washdiplomat.com/March%202007/a5_03_07.html
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228 jobs open at Estonian prisons
This is little more than a good read, but doesn't really belong in the "Jobs and Job Seekers" section.
Quote:
Estonian prisons have been suffering from chronic lack of prison guards for years. Currently, 749 guards monitor 4,200 prisoners, leaving 228 vacant positions. The Ministry of Justice attributes the deficit to poor wages, though they note, on the positive side, that newer prisons require fewer guards.
City Paper has written extensively about one of Tallinn’s prisons. Click here for one perspective:
www.citypaper.ee/articles/903/
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Estonians are happy with election results
Mar 14, 2007
TBT staff
Quote:
A recent poll has reported that 70 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the results of the parliamentary elections of March 4. Nearly half of the respondents – 45 percent – support a coalition of the Reform Party, the Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL), the Social Democrats and the Greens.
A coalition of the Reform Party and the Center Party would be supported by 36 percent, a coalition consisting of the Reform Party, IRL and the Social Democrats by 25 percent, and one of the Reform Party, IRL and the Greens by 20 percent of those interviewed.
According to a separate Faktum & Ariko poll published last week and commissioned by the daily Eesti Paevaleht, 64 percent of the respondents found that the coalition of the Reform Party, IRL and Social Democrats was the most suitable for them.
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Just Don't Drink the Water ?
Did you ever imagine a Russian Consumer Watchdog :eek:
Estonia bans marketing of Georgia’s Borzhomi mineral water
Quote:
Excessive amounts of barium metals in Georgia’s mineral water was the main reason for such a ban, the official said. The long-time usage of the water that contains this chemical element may increase risks of cardiovascular diseases. Another argument that prompted this step is the absence of Borzhomi-38 and Borzhomi-41 on the EU list of mineral waters allowed for use, which is an obligatory condition.
Estonia markets 600,000 litres of Borzhomi a year.
On March 16, Latvia banned Borzhomi from marketing, as barium metals exceeded six times the maximum permissible concentration.
The Russian consumer rights’ watchdog imposed a ban on marketing of Borzhomi last May, as it violated the effective sanitary standards. Georgia assessed this step as economic blockade.
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If you can't be Prime Minister, then City Mayor will do in Estonia !
Mar 26, 2007
Joel Alas and BNS
He shot high for the post of PM, but on national TV got his hand slapped in the cookie jar. Not exactly what he wanted as a parliamentarian, and certainly not what most people in Tallinn wanted (back again). His 2005 Mayor-like adventures did little for the capital city, but did indeed helped with his vacations.
Quote:
With the Center Party likely to be relegated to the opposition benches, party leader Edgar Savisaar appears eager to find a key position to occupy his time. He is now set to return to the post of mayor of Tallinn.
The Center Party holds outright power in the Tallinn City Government. The current mayor Juri Ratas ran as a candidate in the recent parliamentary elections and collected a large number of votes. On March 23 Ratas announced he intended to take his seat in parliament, clearing the way for the Centrists to appoint his replacement.
Savisaar, meanwhile, is unlikely to be content serving as leader of the opposition party in parliament, but has chosen to wield power in City Hall, which controls development within the capital. Savisaar said that he had promised the people of Tallinn he would serve them as mayor before the 2005 local elections.
The rest here:
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17576/
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Three years on: the Baltic states and NATO
Mar 28, 2007
By TBT staff
Quote:
The Baltic states are preparing to mark the three year anniversary of their admission into NATO. As the day approaches, Estonia draws praise for its efforts, Latvia analyzes the impact that NATO membership has had, and Lithuania prepares to celebrate the event.
U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns expressed gratitude on Monday, March 26 for Estonia’s participation in the ongoing operations in Afghanistan. The praise came with a grain of salt, however, as the American official also used to opportunity to implore other European countries to increase their contributions to the operation.
Quote:
The agreements of the Baltic states with NATO have been an Air Policing Mission in which other European countries rotate responsibility for controlling Baltic air space, cooperation with military fleets, particularly in the field of mine clearing, and an international training of special operation units to fight terrorism. All three Baltic states lend their aid to the mission in Afghanistan.
More here
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17582/
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Estonian President warned against an apathetic attitude toward the EU Constitutional
Mar 30, 2007
By TBT staff
Quote:
The Estonian Head of State spoke about the choices facing Europe and the present and future of the Old World. “An apathetic or outright negative attitude toward the (European Union) Constitutional Treaty forces many members of the union to search for new solutions and pushes us in the direction of a core-Europe being created,” said President Ilves. “There is no sense in thinking that the world’s most successful economic union will stop short; the question is rather whether all its members will be able to participate equally in the European Union success story, he added”
The rest of the story here:
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17619/
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Though no whales were ever caught in Estonia, the
UK pressures Estonia to join whaling commission
http://www.citypaper.ee/paper/articles/2752/
Quote:
The UK embassy in Tallinn has been lobbying for Estonia to join the International Whaling Commission, though no whales have ever been caught in Estonia (a swordfish was caught in a net several years ago). A treaty alliance with Estonia would help the commission in its struggle against countries favoring no-limit whaling.
Ambassador Nigel Haywood, a fine fly fisherman himself, remarked that catching whales for commercial purposes might be allowed again if the country consensus shifts. According to Estonia’s Ministry of Environment, Estonia is principally against catching of whales for commercial purposes, but supports controlled and limited whaling, the objective of which is to retain traditional whaling in certain areas such as Greenland, Iceland and Norway.
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Baltic army chiefs discuss joint battalion
Apr 13, 2007
BNS
Quote:
Baltic nations may form a joint infantry battalion to send to NATO missions. A meeting of the Baltic Military Committee will see the heads of the three nations’ defense forces discuss the formation of such a battalion.
Estonia’s Maj. Gen. Ants Laaneots, Latvia’s Brig. Gen. Juris Maklakovs, and Lithuania’s Maj. Gen. Valdas Tutkus will meet at the Leigo farm in south Estonia on April 12 and 13 to discuss further cooperation between the Baltic nations.
Also slated for discussion is Baltnet, the joint airspace monitoring system, Baltron, the joint naval squadron, and Baltdefcol, the Baltic defense college.
Their previous 'BALTBAT' peace keeping Battalion was the Baltic State's first joint military effort and has successfully served along side coalition forces for 10 years.
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Estonian President regarding US Military bases and NATO
Russia's ITAR-TASS - coverage regarding Estonian President Ilves' responses to a BBC interview (very poorly translated, but that's the way I received it :cool: ).
Quote:
Turning to the question of deployment of American military bases in the Estonian territory, Ilves said that “nobody has requested so far for a permission to deploy a NATO military base” in Estonia, but “if such a request is received, this question will be debated by the Estonian parliament, and a voting will be held”.
“Estonia has already NATO bases: our country is a member of the North Atlantic alliance, and, therefore, all objects of Estonian defence forces are NATO objects,” he stated.
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Canadian diplomatic mission in Riga might be closed
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17681/
Apr 16, 2007
BNS
Reportedly 15,000 Estonians reside in Canada and wonder about their connections to home. The promised visa-free U.S. entry is also dwindling following the POTUS' visit in November.
Quote:
Latvia’s important diplomatic link with Canada may be dealt a blow, with plans by the conservative Canadian to cut costs by closing its embassy.
The Canadian Press news agency reported that its government was considering slashing the budget of the Foreign Affairs Department, which could lead to the closure of 19 diplomatic missions.
As well as Latvia, embassies in several Balkan, Asian and African countries might also be closed. Late last year Canada closed its consulates in St Petersburg, Milan and two in Japan.
Such an action would be a heavy blow for relations between the two countries, which have always remained close because of the large number of Latvians who reside in Canada.
Latvia’s president Vaira Vike-Freiberga was raised and educated in Canada. Canada was also the first country to ratify Latvia’s accession to NATO in 2003.
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It's a budget problem unfortunately. I don't think we should close our embassies, but....
Marc
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Hi Marc,
Indeed a hard sell. We (both) got them started years ago and now it's time to go (exit strategy in US lingo).
I suppose if the 'fatherland' was across the street and Canada or the US split, I might start to wonder too.
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The Baltic States won´t patrol their own skies before 2018
AFP, April 18, 2007 reports
Quote:
The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have decided to ask NATO to continue patrolling their skies until 2018, when the three alliance newcomers expect to take over the job, an official said Friday.
"The chiefs of the Baltic defence forces decided to ask NATO to continue with the current air defence solution at least until 2018, under which other NATO members patrol our skies," Estonian military spokesman Andres Sang told AFP after a meeting of Baltic army leaders in Estonia.
"Meanwhile, the Baltic states will continue joint activities to enhance their air defence capabilities," Sang said.
"We will continue the development of the joint radar system Baltnet, carry on joint training and devise more long-term plans on how to carry on after 2018," he said.
The formal request to NATO will be made by the three governments later in the year, he said.
The current agreement over the NATO patrols runs out next year.
More established members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) have taken turns patrolling the air space of the three Baltic states since March 2004, when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the alliance.
Currently, France is policing the Baltic skies. Romania is due to take over in August.
The Baltic states, which regained their independence from the Soviet Union 16 years ago, lack sufficient aircraft and personnel to run the patrols themselves.
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President Ilves: Dear fellow countrymen!
The truth is simple: all of us, who live in Estonia, will go on living here. Despite last week. Together. Side by side.
Quote:
Let us not be misled by looters who acted in the shadow of the night – they would have taken their opportunity to steal sooner or later. They will be handled efficiently by our police and our courts.
A few days ago, I found a webpage with several snapshots of Tallinn, set up by a young woman called Maria, under an extremely relevant heading – ”We are Russians, but our homeland is Estonia”. Thank you, Maria!
We must truthfully admit that the aim of the hate-mongers was foul – they wished that Estonians and Russians should not get along. Yet the hate-mongers are bound to be disappointed, because we shall not be drawn into discord. This is the best way to show that we are above those who manipulate us. I know that our country is rich in both wise Estonians as well as wise Russians, and I know also that neither of them are as stupid as to be affected by toothless hate-mongers.
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America's Baltic Time Bomb
This morning the Cato Institute made the argument that NATO should rethink its commitments to the Baltics.
Seems the isolationists at CATO have concluded that the Baltics are worthless and don't merit defense.
Quote:
Indeed, a crisis could result if a future Russian president concludes that NATO's mere presence in the Baltic region is an intolerable intrusion into Moscow's rightful sphere of influence.
Sphere of influence ? A quick scan at Wikipedia, defines an SOI as "an area or region over which an organization or state exerts some kind of indirect cultural, economic, military or political domination." At least Wiki doesn't list Estonia under the Russian sphere of influence.
Quote:
In any case, the U.S. should never have undertaken military commitments to the Baltic republics. These obligations are a dangerous liability, and the U.S. must extricate itself from them.
A tad too late methinks ! I'm sure NATO thought long and hard about assistance to the Baltic States and concluded it was in fact feasible to defend. An attack on the Baltics would be a disaster for Europe with tens of thousands of refugees and a financial burden on Sweden and Finland.
Regards, Stan
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Democracy and Security: Core Values and Sound Policies
Estonian President Ilves' 4th of June speech in a conference on democracy
Quote:
Lack of democracy is a pre-condition for aggressive international behaviour – would North Korea, Iran, Saddam’s Iraq, Sudan or a host of other despotically ruled countries engage in or threaten war if they were democratic? – it’s unlikely. Our question at this conference is what do we, the community of democratic countries do about this?
Quote:
Since the liberation of Eastern Europe from undemocratic communist rule we have come to accept as a truism that Democracies do not go to war with each other. Before I look more carefully at what this idea entails, allow me to begin rather bluntly by asking a question I couldn’t even imagine asking when I wrote my talk: if it is true that Democracies do not go to war with each other, then what is a country that threatens to target its nuclear missiles at Europe doing in the G-8, the club of large industrial Democracies? Either the proposition is wrong or the G-8 is based on something else than a common commitment to democratic rule.
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I used to think that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were disliked because of something we did wrong. I realize now that it is because we did something right. At the same time, all of these small or smaller countries – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia, have problems with only one country, Russia. Russia on the other hand seems to have problems with lots of countries. Perhaps it is time to wonder why, and why they all happen to be countries that have chosen democracy.
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Estonian MOD meets with NATO and coalition forces
"The Estonian Minister of Defence, Mr. Jaak Aaviksoo, met with the Deputy Commander of the NATO Training Mission, Major General Ernesto Alviano, and the commander of the next training mission, Lieutenant General James Dubik. Minister Aaviksoo also met the Commander of the Multi-National Force (Iraq MNF-I), General David Petraeus, who oversees all forces in Iraq."
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Mr. Aaviksoo and General Petraus discussed the current situation of the Iraqi operation and changes in the security situation in Iraq. The general confirmed that co-operation with the Estonians is excellent and Estonian platoon serves as an invaluable ally for the USA combat forces.
The minister rated the operations of the NATO Training Mission very highly and confirmed that Estonia will continue to participate in the mission. He stated that the international community must definitely continue to support the Iraqi security forces with training. “The operations of the NATO Training Mission will acquire even higher importance as the security situation improves,” the Minister of Defence said. He added: “Therefore, being NATO members, we’re glad to see that the organisation has taken an obligation to contribute to the training and supplying of the Iraqi army.” Two Estonian staff officers are currently serving in the NATO Training Mission.
Estonia has contributed weapons (2,400 AKs and 2.4 million rounds of ammunition) and a computer class with 11 work stations within the framework of the NATO Training Mission in 2005. Estonia has also supported the training provided to the Iraqi forces through the Trust Fund. The contribution made in 2005 and 2006 amounted to 50,000 and 50,000 EUR, respectively.
The Minister of Defence will return to Estonia on Saturday.
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President Ilves meets with Secretary Gates
The Estonian Head of State met with SECDEF Gates to discuss a number of initiatives, including support to Georgia for future NATO membership.
President Bush recently approved an Estonian plan to create a NATO Center of Excellence.
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President Ilves and Secretary of Defense Gates spoke in detail about the NATO cyber-defense center planned for Estonia, about the practical questions related to its creation and the participation of the United States in this project, for which United States President George W. Bush expressed his support during yesterday’s meeting with the Estonian Head of State.
“Cyber-security is one of the greatest challenges at the beginning of our century and one facet is the technical and legislative solutions needed to defeat cybercrime and cyberattacks,” noted President Ilves.
The Estonian Head of State and United States Secretary of Defense also spoke about bringing the Georgian and Ukrainian armed forces into compliance with NATO standards, which both Estonia and the United States are supporting.
More here
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Estonian President affirmed his country's role as a Western ally
From today's VOA PRESS RELEASE - Washington, D.C., June 28, 2007
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During the on-camera interview topics ranged from Estonia sending troops into Iraq and Afghanistan, questions of cyber security, and relations with Russia.
Discussing Estonia's memberships in NATO and the European Union and the potential complications in relations with Russia, President Ilves stated, "we are Western Allies". Then he continued, "...there are people who basically don't think that Eastern Europeans should have the same rights and freedoms as Western Europeans. I think it's a spurious argument."
Asked about Estonia's role in Afghanistan and Iraq, President Ilves commented that it is the duty of NATO democracies to support one another and said, "We are there because it's the right thing to do."
Recognizing Estonia's important role implementing computer technologies, President Ilves advocated establishing a legal framework to address the challenges of cyber security.
More at the link
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Fallen Estonian Soldiers, But Continued Support to Coalition
Yesterday evening on Camp Bastion in Southern Afghanistan, Estonian soldiers held a memorial ceremony for two fallen Estonian soldiers, the first Estonians lost in Afghanistan. The two soldiers were members of a mine clearance team in the Helmandy province and were reportedly killed in a missile attack.
The news reached Estonia on the evening of the 23rd, when the nation was celebrating both mid-summer and Victory Day.
In his comments to the Estonian press, President Ilves called on the nation to continue supporting the international missions. “They were not just soldiers but mine clearance specialists whose duty it was to clear Afghanistan. This shows how difficult and dangerous our struggle is together with Afghans for a peaceful Afghanistan. This shows that we have no right to break this mission.”
Joint statement from Estonia's Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Minister of Foreign Affairs
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These members of the Estonian Defence Forces lost their lives in defending the security of the Republic of Estonia by fighting against the global threat of terrorism. We are participating in the operation in Afghanistan at the request of the Afghan Government, as a NATO member, shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the democratic world, as a family of 37 countries contributing to the stability of the world and making it a better place in which to live.”
It is regretful that we have to pay such a high price in defence of our values. Only we can defend our values; not even our allies will defend our values if we are not ready to defend them ourselves.
Today we take for granted that ensuring stability and peace in the world is the duty of a responsible nation. Estonia will continue to contribute to the operation in Afghanistan at this difficult moment, as we cannot let terror, death and destruction prevail, seeds which have been sown by terrorists.
Kadri Liik, Director of the Tallinn-based International Center for Defense Studies opined "Estonians generally supported the Afghanistan mission. The Middle East is a direct concern for Estonia, with or without America. If things boil over there, there are direct implications for Estonia. Noone in government has bothered to make a more sophisticated argument than that we have to support our allies.”
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Good post, Stan. Perhaps our best friends truly are the smaller nations.