even if I am burning in Hell"
Posted on 08/15/2008 3:12:08 AM PDT by cyberslave
Choosing expediency over principle, the United States and its allies are pushing Georgia's pro-Western government to accept major concessions in a cease-fire with Russia.
Despite warnings of serious consequences for Russia for its invasion of the former Soviet republic, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heads to Georgia on Friday to try to persuade its leadership to agree to a deal that expands the mandate of Russian troops on Georgian territory.
The French-mediated proposal calls for the immediate withdrawal of Russian combat troops from Georgia, but allows Russian peacekeepers who were in the flashpoint separatist area of South Ossetia before last week's explosion of violence to remain and take a greater role there.
The draft document also does not commit Russia to respecting Georgia's "territorial integrity" but rather refers to Georgian "independence" and "sovereignty," meaning Moscow does not necessarily accept that South Ossetia and another disputed region, Abkhazia, are Georgian.
The proposed cease-fire appears to back down on previous demands from the United States and its European allies that Russia halt all military activity in Georgia and that Georgia's "territorial integrity" must be respected.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
The only problem is that the plan isn't what the Russians want...they want it all. Which means that any plan that doesn't involve them having control of the government and the pipeline is really no plan.
As long as Rice/Bush continue to stumble and mumble around and Gates keeps on telling everyone that were not sending military aid. The Russians will become more adamant in their demands.
Bottom line - we loose they win. And when Obama becomes President, partially because of all this, as well as other matters, then we loose permanently. Or at least until 2012,the next time I intend to vote, when the Republican's regain control of the House. By that time we should however all be walking around the streets in our old clothes, penniless, looking for work. Which isn't too far from where we stand today under 8 years of GW. If we had only been able to nominate Forbes for President in 2000 (blame Rush Limbaugh and the conservative establishment for that because they feared McCain more than they wanted a real conservative to win) we'd be celebrating eight years on unparalleled American growth. Yes, even greater than that under Ronald Reagan because we had a Republican Congress for most of it, although it wasn't used at all. Instead we're overjoyed that we're now paying a penny less than $4.00 a gallon for gasoline. Sing Hallelujah ! Amen. P.S. Expect oil prices to rise precipitously when the Russians get to Tbilisi and the pipeline falls into their hands that's why the oil futures have been increasing in price during the past week after nearly a month of decline !
” Choosing expediency over principle, the United States and its allies are pushing Georgia’s pro-Western government to accept major concessions in a cease-fire with Russia. “
That is an extrememly un-’AP’-ish sentence......
That cracks me up. Yeah, we are paying $3.94 instead of $4.00. Crisis over!
For Bush to put forth a resolution that does not demand Russia respect the lines of Georgia, not just the concept of the government, this isn’t over.
Ridiculous. World, be warned. A Bush led America is now a weeny unless they are fighting people trapped in the 17th century.
And I say that a huge supporter of President Bush. Just really dissapointed in him right now with this situation.
Forbes would have been able to win against the Gore-acle?
Don’t think so....but I tend to agree that the weenies have been let lose to give-up georgia...jeez what a bunch with no spine, the Rice Sarkosy Gates team of mealy mouth apparatcheks!
What would you have them do? The only person there with independent power is Sarkozy, since he is the president of a country. Rice and Gates are subordinates of president Bush, yet they are somehow expected to start launching LACMs? If they are mealy mouth apparatcheks, what about their boss?
Right on! And if we need any more proof of this misguided, "twist your arm--cave to the enemy" Foreign Policy "strategy," we need look no further than the Islmaofacist situation in the Middle East and Condi Clueless and George (I DESPERATELY WANT A LEGACY) Bush's insistence that Israel make ALL the concessions to the PA, all the while, ignoring the Fatah and Hamas terrorists acts against Israel. See how well that's worked???
A couple of things.
You frustration with W and bias against him is noted.
Russia is Condi’s specialty.
Peace is often offered prior to an attack.
There are things going on that you don’t know.
So how do you say ‘appeasement’ in Russian?
Looks to me like Dr. Rice is her Middle East model (asking Israel to give concessions to Palestinians in the name of peace) in Georgia.
But I thought Rice’s claim to fame is that she’s an expert on Russia and Russians. All that, and this is the best she can do?
“Russia is Condi’s specialty.
Peace is often offered prior to an attack.
There are things going on that you don’t know.”
....You are correct.
Sounds like a plan ok - How do you know this?
A few holes in it though;
This plan assumes that Iran, Lebanon and Syria will sit idly by and allow it - or do you figure they will ally?
Turkey will be deluded into leaving NATO
and, the Ukraine Russians really want to governed by Russia after all (Russians in the Ukraine are there for a reason, its not Russia).
Also, I think China is eying Iran and parts of Russia and may not like Russia moving in and setting up shop.
I think your assumption about the US setting idly by as a spectator is misguided also.
But, time will tell.
That's what I'm hoping. Anything that allows Russia to impinge on Georgia's sovereignty is unacceptable. Appeasement never works. Never.
I hope so too.
What I find interesting is that Condi was real quick to put a peace offering on the table, it made it appear that she is getting the formalities out of the way right up front.
“Russia won’t move its forces because they are eventually headed to Iran. “
Why is there a party in Tehran? They don’t have vodka there.
If this is true, we are holding a bad hand here and pushing Georgia into something short of Finlandization is not a winner.
Frankly, this stinks.
Having been to Kiev, I can tell you Russian emigre or not, you see only the blue and yellow flags of Ukraine. And Russian flags are not welcome.
If force was tried in Ukraine, Ukraine would fight. I’m sure of it.
They are already allied, where do you suppose Iran got those centrifuges from and the expertise to go along with it?
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