Sound comes from inside

During an interview with russian media this morning, Sacha was asked about the
noises. He joked that it must be a ghost, but then added that the sound most
probably came from the inside. (based on how it repeated itself).

In a separate question, he also said that they were able to view the violence
in Iraq as they saw plumes of smoke coming out near the Iraq/Kuwait border
this week.

"John Doe" wrote
In a separate question, he also said that they were able to view the
violence
in Iraq as they saw plumes of smoke coming out near the Iraq/Kuwait border
this week.

Did any Russian cosmonauts ever remark on the plumes of smoke coming from
Chechnya?

JimO wrote:


"John Doe" wrote
In a separate question, he also said that they were able to view the
violence
in Iraq as they saw plumes of smoke coming out near the Iraq/Kuwait
border this week.

Did any Russian cosmonauts ever remark on the plumes of smoke coming from
Chechnya?

I generaly respect you Mr. Oberg. But when you argument like this you
justify the war because of how Russia does Chechnya. I newer thought I'd
see you sink that deep.

Sincerely
Bjørn Ove

"Bjørn Ove Isaksen" wrote
I generaly respect you Mr. Oberg. But when you argument like this you
justify the war because of how Russia does Chechnya. I newer thought I'd
see you sink that deep.

Sincerely
Bjørn Ove

I just asked a question -- not to argue over the Iraq war.

You're the one who seems over sensitive.

JimO wrote:
I just asked a question -- not to argue over the Iraq war.
You're the one who seems over sensitive.

Your question was politically motivated.

I merely reported that the crew had told ground folks that they had seen
plumes of smoke in Iraq. Since I do not listen to them 24/7, anyone would
realise that one cannot report everything they said. At that moment, they
mentioned Iraq.

They may be able to see the great chinese wall from space, but it seems that
they also see disasters (they really saw 9/11's smoke for instance).

"JimO"
I just asked a question

Seems like a fair question. The wars in Iraq and Chechnya have some
superficial similarities, industrial, technological West vs. tribal
Luddite Muslims and so on. But the Chechens are a little close to home.
In order to really do something similar we would have to bomb Ciudad
Juarez or more specifically El Paso itself.

"But when you argument like this you
justify the war because of how Russia does Chechnya"

The White House staff has been working overtime to "justify the war" in
Iraq. Deposing a psychotic tyrant apparently counts for little in the
Modern Age.

Using the Russian war in Chechnya to justify the war in Iraq? Most
Americans have never heard of Chechnya. I don't think Mr Oberg was
trying to justify the Iraq war by mentioning Chechnya.

It is a simple question - Did cosmonauts ever remark on smoke in
Chechnya?

That a country as morally bankrupt as Russia should impose the will of
the Kremlin on another country is ludicrous....except that Chechnya is
part of Russia and always has been, so it is a domestic issue. We can
only be sure that since it involves Russians and Muslims, both exemplars
of crude behavior, that it will be a hell of a nasty mess.

"Kent Betts" wrote in
That a country as morally bankrupt as Russia should impose the will of
the Kremlin on another country is ludicrous....except that Chechnya is
part of Russia and always has been, so it is a domestic issue.

Well, I'm not of that opinion. Chechnya was conquered by the tsarist armies
in the mid to late 19th century, the same era when French armies were
conquering Algeria, the Italians were conquering Libya, and other European
imperialists were carving up other areas of Africa anhd Asia. Chechnya was
in all cultural grounds a SW Asian nation associated with Iran, Kurdistan,
Anatolia, etc., but for one geographic predicament: on maps drawn by
Russians, they were on the 'Europe' side of the Europe/Asia line.

Their aspirations to regain their independence have led to bloody wars and
genocidal campaigns for a century and a half. It seems to me that it's
Russia, not the Chechens, who are trying to go against history.

Chechnya is to me no more a 'domestic issue' of Russia than, say, Algeria
was a French domestic issue, or Tibet is a Chinese domestic issue, or (from
the point of view of the UN) Puerto Rico was off limits because it was a US
domestic issue (the UN has never restrained itself from meddling in that
relationship).

I don't see what this has to do with Iraq. Nobody is trying to redraw any
borders there.

JimO wrote:

I don't see what this has to do with Iraq. Nobody is trying to redraw any
borders there.

Point taken. I will not try to justify what Russia does in Chechnya, I never
liked it. My original point was that you use the word "remark" on the
Chechnya situation. This implies active mentioning. In the original posting
they merely confirmed that they could see smoke when asked, something I
consider a passive action (say when asked, as opposed to bringing it up
yourself).

Sincerley
Bjørn Ove

Bjørn Ove Isaksen wrote:
Chechnya situation. This implies active mentioning. In the original posting
they merely confirmed that they could see smoke when asked, something I
consider a passive action (say when asked, as opposed to bringing it up
yourself).

What I heard was simply that they had noticed smoke over southern Iraq that
morning. They were not asked if they had seen smoke over Iraq.

"JimO"
Puerto Rico was off limits because it was a US
domestic issue (the UN has never restrained itself from meddling in
that
relationship).

Putin just issued some words to the effect that the UN should play a
bigger part in world affairs. (Except ... Chechnya?)

About the same time, a Belgian (NATO) F-16 landed at a new NATO base in
Latvia. Much yelling and hollering in the Kremlin hallways.

President Putin had asked that the base only be used by the "smaller"
NATO members. The poor guy can't catch a break.