temporary setback ...

  .. or part of a trend?

-=*=-

Try this (the later bits, i.e. from December:)

Central Asia
Dec 9, 2008
NATO scuttles US plan to encircle Russia
By F William Engdahl

  «Translated into real political language, Washington has undergone a stunning setback in its agenda of encircling Russia with NATO. Despite the fact that president-elect Obama retained Bush Administration Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and named a person to be Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who has strongly supported bringing Georgia and Ukraine into NATO, key European NATO members, led by Germany and France, blocked what must be a unanimous membership decision.»
[atimes/Engdahl]

(Wouldn't it be nice to see a 'next positive step;' i.e. the abandoning of a (phoney! Aggressive!) missile 'defence' system in Poland & the Czech Republic, eh?)

Continuing the Russian theme; the next 'cab off the rank:'

South Asia
Dec 9, 2008
India, Russia regain elan of friendship
By M K Bhadrakumar

  «In sum, the Mumbai attacks may prove to be a watershed in Indian regional policies. Relations with Russia, China and Iran assume a new level of importance in New Delhi's regional strategies. The gravitation towards the SCO signifies the new thinking. Not too long ago, India visualized the SCO as primarily an "energy club". Actually, India's petroleum minister routinely represented India at the SCO summit meetings. Now, to envisage a crucial role for an SCO-led regional initiative on Afghanistan, New Delhi has indeed come a long way. Surely, Medvedev would have returned to Moscow quietly pleased that he met a long-lost friend.»
[atimes/Bhadrakumar]

Then, just to round the day off; win some, lose some:

1. Win? Pak 'militants' destroy nearly 200 NATO vehicles yesterday.

2. Win? Pak 'militants' destroy nearly 100 more vehicles.

3. Lose? Pak army attacks LeT base.

The Q: "Was the Mumbai outrage a false-flag/black-op?" is still wide open; we may never know. That the CIA and Mossad do such things, instigate such things, and that the CIA actually created Al Qaeda is IMHO not in dispute.

[cross posted]