Posted on 08/15/2008 7:42:49 AM PDT by maquiladora
Russia said today that South Ossetia and Abkhazia were unlikely to want to remain part of the Georgia as the war of words between Washington and Moscow grew more heated.
The Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, said he respected the principle of territorial integrity but "after what happened, it's unlikely Ossetians and Abkhazians will ever be able to live together with Georgia in one state".
In Washington, George Bush demanded Moscow honour a commitment to get out of Georgia, declaring the country had chosen democracy and "we won't cast them aside". He said Georgia's integrity and sovereignty must be respected and that a contentious relationship with the US was not in Moscow's best interests. "Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century," Bush said.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Which wienie are you talking about?.........
“Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century,”
Oh noz! GWB parroting McCain?
This could work against McCain if the left latches onto it.
Moscow appeared to raise the temperature further by saying Poland’s agreement to host a US missile defence system exposed it to attack. Colonel General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy head of the Russian general staff, was quoted by the news agency Interfax as saying: “Poland, by deploying (the system), is exposing itself to a strike – 100%.”
::::::::
Europe had better reaffirm its support of, and participation in, NATO. It is EXTREMELY important to its survival in the shadow of Communist Russia and possible attacks from Iran, et al. This entire scenario underscores the need for EXPERIENCE AND STRENGTH in our White House.
The voters should need nothing else than to look at Russia and the middle-East to decide who should be in the Oval Office.
Now, didn’t sneak that past you. Pray all is better and better every day.
Actually it was clinton that sent richerson to opec and request crude prices be increased to help russia pay off loans,
If that’s what it takes to keep Obumma out of the whitehouse, find and dandy but, in a rational world, nobody in D.C. should have to give a rat’s ass about what goes on in the Caucasus or in Central Asia. Drill, drill, drill, drill........
The Caucauss Mountians serve as an almost impenetrable shield and bulwark to Georgia and the countries south of it from Russia.
Russia wants to exert control on those countries and their oil.
By gaining those two provinces as seperate, independent nations loyal to Russia, Russia gains direct access to the region. One through the tunneel the Soviets built for that very purpose through the mountains that exits the mountains less than a hundred miles from Tiblisi and allows the Russian to poise a dagger over Gerogia;s heart. The other provides uncontested access from the sea, allowing Russia to land troops there at will and cut the nation of Georgia in two denying it access from the sea.
Russia just showed how effective their strategy is in dicing up Georgia quickly.
IMHO, we need to secure and stabilize the situation now. The Russians are not likely to leave those two provinces. The UN is not likely to back US if the people of those provinces vote to go it themselvves...and with Russian forces there...they will.
So, we will end up having to work with the rest of Georgia to build up their military, modernizing it so it can inflice the maximum damage to any invading force, and then we need to see Gerogia a part opf NATO with NATO or US bases in Gerogia to augment their defenses and provide a major military trip-wire to any Russian intent...and OBTW, by providing., with both of those two measures, the capability to take out the tunnel and use missiles and aircraft to contest Russian landings on the caose should hostilities re-initiate.
Guess I can post my same reply to Sarkozy from Aug 12th :)
The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, welcomed the announcement[Russia halted invasion] and called for a timetable to return all sides to the positions they occupied before hostilities started.Maybe I should play the lotto ;pYeahhhh, uhm, that might not happen. Russia has annexed S. Ossetia. Halting the war was a surprise, them giving back S. Ossetia would be shocking.
“Georgia will lose South Ossetia, Russian president declares”
What Russia is doing is as morally egregious as what Iraq did when it invaded Kuwait.
Human Rights Watch said today it had collected evidence of Russian warplanes using cluster bombs against civilians in Georgia. Military aircraft killed at least 11 civilians and injured dozens of others in Gori and the village of Ruisi on Tuesday, the group said. This was denied by the Russian general staff.
I think that pretty much is a given. But I also don't think that was their goal, but just a means to their goal, which is showing the other former Soviet Block States friendly to the U.S. that the U.S. and its allies are now powerless to stop them short of Nuclear confrontation which is not likely to happen.
This is a tough tough situation for us to be in.
I’m afraid Europe will cower to Russia because they will have a strangle hold on the oil and natural gas.
Once Europe becomes cold this winter, all bets are off. I don’t imagine the Europeans have enough fight to sacrifice for Poland or any other country. They barely did in WW2.
And that same thing goes for most of America nowadays.
Reagan's winning "doctrine" in the 80's is still relevant today. The US and Europe dwarf Russia in economic means and we can make them pay a huge price for this.
It was predicted this would happen when Kosovo was recognized.....The EU is complicit as well...........
I say again............we have done our duty in the middle east. Time for them to stand up and take care of themselves. Bring our troops home, retrain, refit, and recruit. As long as we strain ourselves with our military, Russia will build. We best be getting ready for them. The only thing that holds Russia back is our strength. Let Russia do what they will in Europe. Let the EU handle it.....that’s what they wanted in the first place.
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