As readers may know, this weekend the Munich Conference for Security Policy was held. Among the illustrious guests like German Chancellor Merkel, Vladimir Putin, Robert Gates and others, yours truly was in Munich as well. Due to an unfortunate mix up, my name wasn’t on the VIP list and thus I couldn’t pass through security. However, I did manage to get a few pictures of the event in historic Munich. I should also note that at the link above, one can listen to all the speeches made during the event which I highly recommend.
Munich’s Rathaus or city hall. The conference was held here.
As usual, no protest would be complete without posters of Che, the iconic and much loved murderer.
Some Germans don’t even agree with their participation in the Balkans. Better to let them die. In addition, the US and Israeli are the biggest threats to world peace. I believe this person had a Phd in International Relations.
More leftists and riot police.
There weren’t any protest babes but as usual, there were German police babes. 
About Chirol
Sir Ignatius Valentine Chirol (1852 - 1929) was a journalist, prolific author, world historian, and British diplomat. He began his career as a foreign correspondent and later became editor of the London Times. After two decades as a journalist he joined Her Majesty's Foreign Ministry as a diplomat and was subsequently knighted for his distinguished service as a foreign affairs advisor. Additionally, he wrote a dozen books on foreign affairs including
The Far Eastern Question (1896),
Serbia and the Serbs (1914),
The End of the Ottoman Empire (1920) and
The Egyptian Problem (1921). He is generally credited with popularizing "Middle East" in reference to the Arabian Peninsula with his book
The Middle Eastern Question (1903).
"Chirol" is a US citizen and graduate student studying Defense and Strategic Studies and government contractor. As with the historical Chirol, he has traveled to over two dozen countries and lived abroad for many years. Chirol speaks English and German fluently with basic knowledge of manyl of others.
Of all Putin’s criticisms, I think the thing that set him off most was the plan to deploy the anti-ballistic missiles in the Czech Republic and Poland, ostensibly to protect Prague from an attack by Tehran. Anyone could tell you that that isn’t in Russia’s “strategic interests” whatever those may be.
Russia is so hard to figure out though. They whined and jumped up and down when the Estonians joined NATO and then … nothing happened. Estonians are now serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Big deal. Plus, they posture like they’re all cool with Baltic NATO membership now, but five years ago they were adamantly opposed. So will further NATO enlargement produce the same result?
How does one differentiate between your regular Russian temper tantrum and taking them seriously?
The female cop looks like she could the ass of the guy with the Ph.D.
I actually wish she would.
Maybe she could slap Putin around while she is at it.
I don’t know about that, Putin is said to pack quite the Judo chop ;)
Nice hemet!
Chirol, your challenge: at the next big event, get your name on the VIP list and give us the skinny on what goes on!
In the meantime, good luck with the planning for the Caucasus trip, have a safe one, and good luck with the even more important nuptials. All the best.
Is it just me or is her nose “well endowed”?
It’s the hand of a guy in the background, not her nose.
The Russian President surely can’t be upset with NATO.
The alliance’s S-G told the Munich conference that NATO aims to work better with the United Nations, and develop better ties with Russia. Interestingly De Hoop Scheffer called for all NATO nations to spend at least 2 percent of their national income on defence. This would especially hurt old members Luxembourg (estimated 0.6% of GDP in 2006), Belgium (1.1%), Canada (1.2%), Spain (1.2%) and Germany (1.3%). Low spending Germany is currently president of the EU and the G8.
Ok…on my pocket pc she looks like pinocchio….lmao
NATO are talking to the Russians about joint arrangements for “tactical missile defence for armies in the field.” The “FT”:http://www.ft.com/cms/s/289ed728-bd26-11db-b5bd-0000779e2340.html suggests that Moscow want to go even further and be included in a European-wide anti-missile system.
However NATO’s attitude to Russia may not be shared by leading member US.
“The Pentagon is preparing to start negotiations with Poland and the Czech Republic about hosting missile interceptors and radars. . .Russia threatened on Thursday to pull out of a landmark nuclear arms control treaty unless the US backed away from plans to install its missile defence shield in Eastern Europe.”
Maybe the UK won’t have to replace Trident. This would save taxpayers upwards of £20bn.