Comments on: Russia Pulls Back But Flexes Muscle

NATO Demands Immediate Withdrawal From Georgia; U.N. Security Council Meets

[rdupuy11]

"I use the term peace keepers loosely since Russia has had their eye on annexing South Ossetia from the beginning. This is evidenced by their giving Russian passports to the South Ossetia people. " except that didn''t happen ''from the beginning'' it happened after Kosovo.

The point Russia was making, is if Kosovo can gain independence, ignoring previous international boundaries, why should South Ossetians have their liberty, livelihood, and in some cases even life, sacrificed to the ethnic Georgians.

It''s a good point. You cannot connect the dots, because you still see the world as good vs. evil. u.s. vs. russia, cold war still going on in your mind.

Life is a bit more complex.

[underdogus87]

BIN LADEN:"We have seen in the last decade the decline of American power and the weakness of the American soldier who is ready to wage Cold Wars, but unprepared to fight long wars. This was proven in Beirut in 1983 when the Marines fled after two explosions. It also proves they can run in less than 24 hours, and this was also repeated in Somalia (in 1993)." Three years later, on September 11, 2001, al Qaeda turned our planes into cruise missiles and murdered three thousand Americans in New York, Washington and the fields of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

[underdogus87]

Al Qaeda and its global Islamic terrorist affiliates came to the conclusion that America''''s weakness stemmed from a post-Vietnam conviction that required future wars to be short, antiseptic and casualty free. Bin Laden summed up his perception of Americans in an interview with ABC News reporter John Miller, published in Esquire in 1998: After leaving Afghanistan, the Muslim fighters headed for Somalia and prepared for a long battle thinking that the Americans were like the Russians. The youth were surprised at the low morale of the American soldiers and realized, more than before, that the American soldier was a paper tiger and after a few blows would run in defeat.WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A soldier who survived a Taliban attack that killed nine U.S. troops in Afghanistan last month described a scene of "pure chaos" in which he watched buddies die.

[timdgrim]

A small Russian column including three tanks, three trucks, five armored personnel carriers and a rocket-launcher left Gori.
************
It''s just a Vodka run back to Moscow...."Don''t wurry...us Rooskies return wit more Stalin juice. It''s on sale at Commie Mart. Hold down the fort comrades...."

[Jim1900]

whitemale08 is reasonably funny, a trait long missing since the Neocons took over. Maybe we will be back to normal before long.

[vnveteran72]

Putin traveled to meet with Poppy and Jr. on numerous occassions with little being reported as to the reasons or substance of such meetings. It has been my belief that Putin does what he does with total foreknowledge of the Bush/Cheney Crime Cartel and their Corporate Elite Owners. Never forget that Protracted and Long Term Wars are the Life Blood of the Ruling Elite. They both devert Large Quantities of Cash into their Spheres of Influence, while performing the valued function of Over Population Control.
Money and Dead People are #2 and #3 on these Scumbags list of Favorite Things. #1 is Staying in Power.

[whitemale08]

Conservative Russian radio says: "The ''surge'' has worked and that more liberal Russians in the politboro are against the so-called ''success'' of the ''surge''."

Also Vladimir Putin is said to today to be ''beaming'' over progress in lowering the violence in Georgia from the ''surge''and urges all of Georgia to participate in new upcoming elections.

[whitemale08]

Putin says: "Withdrawal will depend on the situation on the ground" and that "he will make a decision based upon the advice from his Generals".

[Thomas1016]

Georgia did instigate the conflict by attacking the Russian Peace Keepers. I use the term peace keepers loosely since Russia has had their eye on annexing South Ossetia from the beginning. This is evidenced by their giving Russian passports to the South Ossetia people. The Russian reaction has been far more scorched earth and vast in scope then anything the Georgians were even capable of. That is what the world is more upset about. Not to mention The Russians saying one thing then doing another. It makes people pause to think. Are the Russian leaders actually in control of their army? At any rate the Russians are simply playing it up now to the home audience showing how tough they are. And that they are a force to be reckoned with. Also don''t be surprised by Putin%u2019s popularity. It is in the Russian culture and attitude to support strong authority leaders. That is why so many including Putin miss many of the aspects of the old Soviet Union. They dream of a return to a form of it without the collective communism.

The next conflict will be between Ukraine and Russia over the Black Sea naval port Russia has a lease on till 2017. If Ukraine does not renew the lease there is no way the Russians will stand by and lose it. U kraine though is no Georgia. Their army will be herder to defeat not to mention they are rumored to have Battlefield nukes left over from the Old Soviet Union. They did have ICBM%u2019S but they let the Russians dismantle them.

[amberfoxfour]

m surprised Dictator Bush hasnt sent the sock puppets, ahem I mean troops over to invade Russia! One more notch in his Global Domination cap! LOL

RD
www.FireMe.To/udi

[missingamerica]

Russia knows we''''re a small dog on a leash barking from behind the big fence and is treating us appropriately.

Posted by Smirk5 at 09:44 PM : Aug 19, 2008

lollll...that sounds terrible....and it isn''t really true.

I would say, instead, that the businesses and business people that control Bush''s Administration are not going to let him do anything rash that might disrupt "business as usual", no matter the provocation or even in almost unimaginable, highly speculative scenarios, such as Bush growing a conscience.

[ndjam]

Russian invaders destroy civilian infrastructure of Georgia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia calls upon the international community to stop Russian actions in Georgia.

"Despite the international community''s efforts and the signing of documents on cessation of hostilities, the Russian Federation''s armed forces continue military actions against Georgia, destroying civilian infrastructure", said in the statement.

Like I said on here time and time again, ALL Russians are jealous, greedy, bloodthirsty insects.

[powersmaker]

got to hand it to the Russians ... they know our hands are tied. Thanks to the honorable idiot Bush, the US is in a position to do nothing ... Historically, the Russians only respond to strength ... They know now the US cannot affect Georgian pullout b/c our hands are tied ... where? Iraq ... remember Saddam Hussein? No really, it was worth it. What a joke. We can''t even get the Europeans to show any spine ... they''re worried about Russia cutting off their oil. Got to hand it to Bush ... we''ll endure the damaged Amercian clout as a result of Bush''s stupid war long after he is gone ... Keep preaching hollow threats Condi ... you''ve been sent on a fools errand, and the world knows it.

[smirk5]

"But the NATO allies, bowing to pressure from European nations that depend heavily on Russia for energy, stopped short of more severe penalties being pushed by the United States."

The Russian Ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, dismissed the impact of the emergency meeting in Brussels, Belgium: "The mountain gave birth to a mouse.""

Russia knows we''re a small dog on a leash barking from behind the big fence and is treating us appropriately.

[missingamerica]

Looking on the surface - after this war Moscow is quite isolated from so-called Western World.

Posted by LeProphete1 at 09:32 PM : Aug 19, 2008

Hard to isolate someone who supplies Europe with 25% of their oil (some say 1/3rd) and 50% of their natural gas...unless you wanna get real cold, real quick. (http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0816/p14s01-cogn.html)

I wonder why the non-oil boyz in PNAC did not foresee that their usefulness would not extend beyond Iraq....too much ego?

Likewise, I wonder why the PNAC oil boyz did not foresee that there efforts to jack up the price of hydrocarbons would benefit Russia immensely (http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/Russia/Background.html)?

Perhaps they thought they had slapped the "golden handcuffs" of economic dependence upon him - even as their efforts to enrich themselves gave him the key?

Ahhh, arrogance...such a terrible weakness.

[leprophete1]

USA cannot do in Georgia what has been done in Afghanistan, because Russia is not planning an occupation of Georgia.
What USA shall plan is - to drop their Georgian dog-in-guard ASAP.
USA thinks that with recent quadruple killing of around 100 of Taliban fighters the war there is leaning toward victory - not at all. It is dragging endlessly, and if even despite a giant presence of USA and NATO there Taliban is capable of staging such attacks - then the situation for USA and NATO is bleak.
Georgian army, despite the smallness of Georgia, was much STRONGER than Russian. No wonder: it''s USA who pays for it and give its weapons for free. Now Georgia is heavily hit. On what money USA count to:
1) Rebuild destructions
2) Rebuild Georgian army
3) Navi
4) Aviation
5) Missile (attack and defense)
6) Infrastructure
?
It''s on YOUR MONEY. YOUR AND MINE.

[leprophete1]

Looking on the surface - after this war Moscow is quite isolated from so-called Western World. Looking deeper - it would be isolated anyway, would it not respond at all, would it win, or would it lose. It''s not Moscow who started and it had no cnoice. Yet deeper: Western World including USA is in much deeper isolation itself - it is completely losing economical ground to China, India, Russia and S-E Asia, and its political ground due to rapid raise of Islam.

[ajmarine111]

Who gets to choose which people can be independent, and which cant? America seems to think it is their god given right.


Posted by tapsettle at 09:13 PM : Aug 19, 2008


This is in the EU''s back yard, let the French and Europe take the lead. If they don''t care, why should we.

[missingamerica]

Poor Georgia; a gambler for a President, and insufficient oil to attract the interest of our Vice President.

[tapsettle]

The two situations are very, very different.
Posted by ourtomorrows

Of course individual countries have differing details, but the hypocracy is the same. Who gets to choose which people can be independent, and which cant? America seems to think it is their god given right. I hope Russia continues to prove how irrelevant american hypocracy has become.