Reply With QuoteRunning out of bird poop can cause a nation to do strange things!
Russia buys a tiny ally: Nauru
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...0,893480.story
Russia buys a tiny ally: Nauru
A reported $50 million in economic aid to the Pacific island nation wins the Kremlin diplomatic recognition of two breakaway republics, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
December 18, 2009
The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru, with its phosphate mines nearly depleted and without any other significant natural resources, has only one thing left to sell: its international reputation. Enter Russia, which is more than happy to buy.
That's how Nauru this week became the fourth country to establish formal relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The other three countries are Russia, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Unfortunately for the Kremlin, that's all it has to show after 15 months lobbying its allies to recognize the two breakaway republics, which are trying to assert their independence from Georgia with Russia's backing.
Russia insists it didn't provide incentives to Venezuela and Nicaragua in exchange for their support. Coincidentally, though, both nations subsequently signed big arms and energy deals with Moscow. The payment to Nauru seems to have been more direct. According to the Russian newspaper Kommersant, the country requested $50 million in economic aid in return for its diplomatic gesture. Nauru, population 14,000, really needs the money. The 8-square-mile rock somewhere northeast of Papua New Guinea has long benefited from wealth that literally fell out of the sky: bird droppings, piling up over the centuries in deep deposits mined for phosphate, which is used in fertilizers. Today's flocks just can't digest fast enough to make up for the depletion, and the white gold is almost gone.
As much as we wish more world leaders would be embarrassed by this kind of guano diplomacy, it isn't a particularly uncommon practice. Russia, in fact, may have learned the technique from the United States. For years, the U.S. has been propping up a trio of small Pacific islands or island networks it wrested from Japan during World War II, in exchange for their diplomatic support: Palau (population 20,000), Micronesia (107,000) and the Marshall Islands (64,000). President George W. Bush liked to inflate the number of nations belonging to the "coalition of the willing" for the Iraq invasion by including them, even though they couldn't supply any troops because they're completely reliant on the United States for military defense. They vote with the U.S. on nearly every United Nations initiative -- though on the rare occasions when they defect, as Micronesia and the Marshall Islands did in October when the General Assembly voted to condemn the U.S. embargo of Cuba, you know Washington is on shaky ground.
Fortunately, we've always got Palau.
How hard would it be to buy an islet in the Mediterranean, declare sovereignty, get a seat in the UN? I really need a Lamborghini...
Running out of bird poop can cause a nation to do strange things!
You know its actually a laughable situation for Russia and its muppets Abkhazia and S.Ossetia. Abkhazia and S.Ossetia will never make it further then this micro-state...
Last edited by Bolshoy; 12-19-2009 at 08:07 PM.
The Coalition of the Willing was as laughable at times as well.
BTW There was a private event of sorts in Moscow couple of weeks ago that had a number of businessmen and politicians with ties to Georgia as guests. Putin was a surprise guest and at some point he got on stage and gave a small speech. Basically he hinted at the possibility of reintegration of S.O. and Abkhazia into Georgia. However Saaka's regime would have to be ousted from power as a precondition to any negotiations.
Last edited by CaptMorgan68; 12-19-2009 at 09:12 PM.
I highly doubt that. more like maybe integrating it into Russia. Georgia will never get it back, regardless what anyone thinks, simply because the people of these two breakaway nations do not want to be part of Georgia.Originally Posted by CaptMorgan68
The only thing Georgia is going to get back are like Putin put it "dead donkeys's ears" while reactionary revanchist and mentally unstable radicals like Saaka are in power in Georgia.
May be part of the reason why no one really wants to recognize Abkhazia's and SO's independence is because most countries see no need to do so.There is a possibility the two could become part of RF in some not too distant future. For now though I think Russia is going to keep its options open. The status of the two could be a bargaining chip at the negotiating table with Georgia in the future. So recognition of small insignificant states is more of a way to keep the pressure on Saaka's regime.
Even without Saaka's regime, someone else will replace him that will not like Russia because of the war and the people not supporting Russia at all. So I doubt that even with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, nothing Russia has that will support the mentality of the people to change. Georgia is a lost cause for Russia, so no point in adhering to it.
May be.......
China's into this too - building infrastructure in tiny pacific nations so they can get backing votes on UN councils. No doubt they'd also like a spot for forward bases.
Not true Tonga sent troops to Iraq. This guy should do some fact checking before he makes snide comments.
Nauru is not big enough.
Besides Nauru is more or less an Australian protectorate.
No longer - Nauru's single source of income between 2001 and 2008 was from Australia to pay for an Illegal Migrant Detention Center. Once that center closed, all aid from Australia also stopped, and with the island's move towards the more radical and socialist states, Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom (traditional administrators) all withdrew support and aid. Nauru are on their own! A Russian base on Nauru would be a coup to rival Guam for the US. Not a whole lot of room though.
For 75 million they could have recognized Transnistria and for a cool 100, Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russia better not trust this country too much. Nauru first recognized taiwan, then switched diplomatic relation to China in 2002, cashed in the money. Then recognized taiwan again some 2 years later to get money from taiwan.
There are many small countries, not so many treacherous ones like Nauru.
Yep, best not to trust this speck in the ocean that will go under water with global warming sooner rather than later.
Posting Permissions
