Jap2Scrap

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=6913135

Looks like the US are at it again. I know the election result was a no-no but do the US have to resort to thinly veiled threats every time?

"If the Ukrainian government does not act immediately and responsibly, there will be consequences for our relationship, for Ukraine's hopes for a Euro-Atlantic integration and for individuals responsible for perpetrating fraud," he (Colin Powell) added.

Brendan Hughes

Ukraine will presumably answer "But that's how Bush showed us it should be done in 2000"...

Dr Nick

and why would anyone listen to somebody who can't even pronounce his own name properly!

the Iraquis didn't....

ajm

I suppose the US should just continue to give the Ukraine $140,000,000 of their domestic taxpayers money every year and not take any interest in whether the country they are donating to is corrupt?

andrewdelvard

Didn't know that. Why are they gifted this money? Whats the official US reason for this?

ajm

I just read it in the article quoted above.

Brendan Hughes

Given Ukraine, I'd imagine a large part of that goes to their nuclear power stations and Black Sea ports.

Rephrase that - I'd imagine a large part of that goes to paying American consultants to advise on their nuclear power stations and Black Sea ports.

The EU does it too. Read the second half of this page:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_r...ukraine/intro/

gsm1

Aid is normally a sweetener when it comes to trade and support in other affairs. The US tried to bribe plenty of countries prior to the Iraq invasion with some nice aid packages if they joined the coalition of the willing.

andrewdelvard

Oh
Slightly off topic but does anyone know the maximum in aid the UK give to any one country?

gsm1

If you think it was a dodgy US election in 2000, I wonder how they'll sort out the Jan 2005 Iraqi election - maybe bomb the hell out of areas supporting candidates not approved by their neo-con masters? Actually, they're already doing a pretty good job of that at the moment.

Brendan Hughes

Andy - you look for it

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/aboutdfid/faq_2.asp

andrewdelvard

Thanks Brendan, should have known -IRAQ

Here's the rest of the list.
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/aboutdfid/faq_5.asp

Brendan Hughes

Oh FANTASTIC! Tanks and cluster bombs are now budgeted as development aid!

Jap2Scrap

That's not really the issue is it. The USA handed many millions to Iraq and Afghanistan before deciding they 'weren't their friends any more' and bombing nine buckets of **** out of them*. I think the point I'm trying to make regards the threatening tone of the quote. It's typical of the US to go in heavy handed - both verbally and miltarily.








*official figures

Buckrogers

Off topic BUT:

"The Department for International Development (DFID) is the part of the UK Government that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty."

Then why are we giving money (our money) to India (£200M) and China (£32M) when both countries are doing so well economically?!

Brendan Hughes

To improve call centre quality?

Buckrogers

Did not seem that heavy handed to me? No mention of carpet bombs, B52's nothing. Something about “consequences for our relationship”.

Buckrogers

Just what I was thinking!! Not only are our jobs going over there, now OUR money is as well!!

New Labour waste of space!

gsm1

Well India saved 5000 jobs at Aerospace by buying British Hawk Jets.

Eventhough I think some of the Indian call centres are not up to scratch people tend to forget how bad UK ones are sometimes. The Indian call centres seem to get far more criticism than is fair.

Buckrogers

I was on the phone to Dell the other day, call centre in India I think. I was asking why I was able to buy a certain PC online but without a monitor. I explained that I already have a monitor just want the PC. She said just select "no monitor". I explained that I had done that but the web site then required me to select a 17" LCD screen, which I did not want.

She went away again, all in all i was on the phone about 10 - 15 mins. In the end she said I can take your order now. I explained that I was not ready to place my order over the phone and I would call back. (By this time I needed to go to the loo!) She was quite, almost insistant (sp?) that I place the order now! (I think there is some % comission (sp?) involved). She eventually allowed me off my phone (yes I could of just cut her off, but that's rude).

She did call back three times on my mobile later that evening! Oh the joys of CLi! bounce, bounce!

Jap2Scrap

Maybe it was just me that found an implied threat in the tone. I guess it's just my bleak view of world events at the moment.

I wasn't actually suggesting that they'd invade Ukraine, more that the tone seems so aggressive. Again.

Leslie

I think that before they pick holes in another country's election, they should explain Bush's family and friends' part in the voting in Florida which is where the previous US election was decided.

Les

IWatkins

Has the Ukraine got lots of oil ?

Mmm, tough one.

bigJoe

Why not ask the Ukraines (the actual voters!) if they want all the help they can get, instead of trying to bash the USA (again)

gsm1

We all know all about the US and their form of asking if people want help.
I wonder what their attitude would have been if the pro-western Yushchenko had been elected with reports of dubious vote counts? Hmmm.

Let's leave it up to the Ukrainians to sort it out peacefully.