Wednesday, 27 August, 2008
- 27 Aug 08, 05:57 PM
Here's Kirsty's round up of what's being prepared for tonight's programme...
Dear viewers,
Sorry for the lateness of this e mail. I have been at the Russian Embassy interviewing the Charge d'Affaires about David Miliband's Kiev speech, in which the Foreign Secretary warned the Russian President not to start a Cold War, and made an explicit threat that Europe should reduce its dependency on Russia for its gas supplies.
It seems direct retaliation for President Medvedev's recognition of the two Georgian breakaway provinces but our Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban will be analysing the speech.
Was it a measured strategic response or was it full of sound and fury, signifying nothing?
We'll be hearing direct from the White House, when - in a very rare interview - I'll be speaking live to the US President's senior spokeswoman Dana Perino.
Then we will have the first in a major series of films on illegal immigration from the award-winning investigative journalist Sorious Samura.
Tonight he reveals the often dangerous route by which many illegal immigrants make it into this country. And follows the authorities in their attempts to stem the flow.
Following that, we join Gavin at the Democratic Convention in Denver where the delegates are awaiting the second coming ... by which I mean the arrival of another Clinton.
Last night Hillary urged her supporters to swing in behind Barack Obama. In a carefully crafted, powerful speech she called on Democrats to unite but studiously avoided praising the man who put an end to her White House dreams, this time round at least.
Will Bill Clinton put the final piece of the jigsaw in place, with a tribute to Obama himself? Gavin will be speaking to Tom Daschle, the co-chair of the Obama campaign.
I hope you'll be watching,
Kirsty
Comment number 1.
At 27th Aug 2008, biztravelman wrote:One gets very worried when the rather youthful Mr Milliband starts making somewhat challenged remarks regarding Russia's actions. Especially when one considers that Mr. Milliband was probably not even born during the "Bay of Pigs" and misslies on Cuba crisis. There is little difference twixt then and now - and Milliband is certainly no Jack Kennedy. Having worked in Russia and indeed being married to a Russian, one can better understand how they think; the parallels with the Cuban Missile Crisis - and indeed with 1938 do not bear thinking about. What is needed now is wise thinking and understanding by some very wise heads and above all, restraint. It was General Montgomery who said "You do not go marching with land armies on the continent of Asia" and we are in no position to try and take on the Bear (neither, for that matter, is the US). I am not advocating some sort of Chamberlain approach of appeasement for Russia is not trying to annex anyone. Russia and the pain that Russia experienced after the fall of Communism must be understood. They do not need to have it rammed down their throats by Ms Rice and others setting up all sorts of quasi military bits and bobs on Russia's front door in the hope, by ex soviet bloc countries, that if they get into bed fast enough with the US and/or NATO they will have some sort of magic shield. We all know what happened after the Versailles treaty - "hammer them and hammer then hard" does not work.
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