America Must Stand Up For Georgia

National Review: We Don't Have To Go To War, But We Must Back Her In Every Other Way

(National Review Online)  This column was written by Jonathan Foreman.

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Today America faces a big test. Will we stand up for Georgia? Or will we betray her in the way that the United States so often betrays its friends and allies abroad?

A depressingly consistent aspect of American foreign policy since the Korean War has been to let down peoples who fight for us, trust us, or depend on us. Remember the Montagnards of Vietnam who fought so valiantly with our Green Berets during the Indochina conflict? Most of them ended up dead or in reeducation camps and it was decades before the survivors were even given visas to come to the USA.
Osama bin Laden himself has pointed out to his followers that America is a fair-weather friend, and that when things get tough - Lebanon in 1982, Somalia in 1993 - American administrations can be counted on to cut and run.

As the U.S. figures out what to do about the Russia-Georgian war, it should bear in mind that the world is watching very closely. Georgia has proved itself as a true friend and ally of the United States; it has sent thousands of troops from its small army to help the U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sure the Georgians got themselves into this conflict by launching a bid to recapture South Ossetia. But it wasn’t unprovoked - the Russians have been building up the government and armed forces of the breakaway province for years, and have been applying every kind of pressure to stop Georgia joining NATO, including aggressive measures like shooting down a Georgian aircraft earlier this year. And the Russians are in no position to criticize Georgia’s efforts to recapture breakaway territory given the tens of thousands the Russians killed to reverse Chechnya’s attempts to break free.

As Russian bombs rain down on key Georgian military bases, Ukraine and the Baltic states know all too well that they are next on the list for Russian invasion - probably with the same pretext of protecting Russian citizens - if the Kremlin gets away with crushing Georgia.

Also watching what happens in the Caucasus with one eye on the U.S. will be allied countries like Taiwan (it knows that U.S. corporations have long been pushing successive U.S. administrations to abandon Taiwanese democracy), Pakistan (it’s been dumped before), India, Turkey, the Gulf states, Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, Australia, and Colombia… the list goes on.

The Bush administration is said to be obsessed with loyalty. But at the same time, it is habitually disloyal to America’s friends and allies. None of the over 30 countries that have sent troops to take part in the invasion and reconstruction of Iraq have been economically or politically rewarded in any way. Indeed the administration has taken them so much for granted than it hasn’t barely acknowledged their contribution, still less thanked them. This has damaged the administration because it plays into the myth of “unilateralism.” But much worse than that, it has also damaged American interests. Our allies have realized that America is neither grateful nor reliable. If the Poles had got anything for their stalwart support in Iraq - even something as cheap and easy as more visas to the U.S., the Kaczinsky government might not have fallen and the Poles might not be taking their troops out. If Tony Blair could have pointed at a single major defense contract from the United States - say a small aircraft carrier to be built in one of Britain’s desperate shipyards - he could have replied convincingly to charges of being “America’s poodle.”

But Georgia is a bigger test.

We don’t have to go to war for her (fortunately for irresolute Western governments, Georgia’s not in NATO) but we must back her in every other way: diplomatically, economically and with military technology and advice, now and after any ceasefire that is called.

If we don’t, if we let our ally be defeated and humiliated by the Russians, everyone will know that friendship with America carries more risk than rewards. Moreover it will genuinely signal a new age of American isolation. The diminution and weakness described or predicted by so many “declinist” authors will become a reality.

[veteran188]

menmotoscutr,

WOW! What kind of kool aid is that?

You sound like something out of the sixties.

Lets just re-target all our nukes and nuke the Ruskies

before they can nuke us?

What a crock, here is a better idea, lets lock up all

the war mongering A-Holes, like G Bush, and J Mcain.

That way we might save people some suffering and death

[karlo59]

Looks like the zionist jews want the US to fight and die for THEIR israel, just like Iraq and Iran. These scum bags have taken over this ONCE great nation.

[drrc1]

I think that the author of this article is an intellectual midget. If he likes Georgia that much, what is he still doing in this country?

So much for the efficacy of talking to your enemies. Speaking truth to power only works when power allows.
Obviously the eyes are not the pathway to the soul.
Steps that should be taken: (1) Immediate emergency meeting of NATO to admit Georgia as member; (2) immediate mobilization of NATO, DEFCON 2. (3) Berlin "airlift style" response to Georgia''s plea for humanitarian assistance. (4) Order from POTUS directing retargeting of all missiles to Russian targets (5) Red phone call to Putin informing him of every one of these steps, especially the retargeting and telling him to have his people check that to be sure it''s happening. Hang up.

[ejcspau]

How can we get involved in another war? Send our Troops from Iraq to Georgia for three days, then back to Iraq for 4. Shift War, interesting. How about we bring all our troops home from everywhere and take care of us!!!

[barbaraf4]

So we will finally go to war with Russia. I guess the Idiot in Chief wasn''t that good of a judge of character when he "looked into Putin''s soul."

[whitemale08]

Betray who?

A handfull of cauckasian folks Georgia is no way worth 3/4ths of the world''s population in wake of a thermo-nuclear holocaust.

The "international community" tried to warn for 8 years that our leaders in the U.S. and the U.K. were crazy "Republican Suicide Bombers".

[generey]

"Today America faces a big test. Will we stand up for Georgia? Or will we betray her in the way that the United States so often betrays its friends and allies abroad?"

TALK ABOUT PROPAGANDA!!!!! "Betray"? "HER"? OMG...too funny! It is about time to deal with our own problem''s.

[superdem]

As usual, the Republicans dance for those who pay, and the Georgians have paid McCain''s campaign chairman for years. So of COURSE McCain jumps to the defense of people Americans have never heard about. Only America has the right to invade nations and invoke our will regarding how they must live. No one else ! Do as we SAY, not as we DO.

[noloyalisti]

Yes, it is about the oil. The corporations that run the military and the media, also got their guys into the White House. Their guys then invited them in to write the oil policy and drive the price up. Then one of them spread the word that it was the Democrats fault (or was it Clinton''s, or Roosevelt, or Obama). It definitely was not the fascists fault.

[talkingham]

No, Americans must sit down for Georgia. There''s a lot more to this than the last 5 days including our ill-timed recognition of Islamic Kosovo against the wishes of Serbia. Now russia can recognize whomever they wish too. It''s called titfortat:
Georgia''s efforts to bring the breakaway region of South Ossetia to heel have backfired so drastically that it may have lost control of both it and rebel-held Abkhazia for good.

Western diplomats and analysts said Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has little hope of reasserting his authority in the two regions after his failed invasion of South Ossetia.

A ceasefire agreement to end nearly a week of fighting between Georgian and Russian troops has given a new sense of confidence to the separatists in Abkhazia, and in mountainous South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which hugs the Black Sea.

Sergei Shamba, self-styled foreign minister of Abkhazia, told Reuters that Georgia should now accept it is a separate country.

"We have held talks with Georgia for 15 years and now we will only talk with them after recognition of our independence," Shamba said.

[veteran188]

The republicons rejected McCain in favor of Bush?

Think About That For A Moment.

Now the republicons are saying they made a mistake, we need MCBUSHSAME!

The republicons need to get off the fascist nazi plan

[maddog0802]

NEWSFLASH: OIL!! OIL!! OIL!! It''s all about OIL!!!
There''s a huge oil pipeline in Georgia! The Russkies want it!! And I say: let them have it! If Obama and the Dems get elected this fall, we''ll start a 10-year Apollo-type crash program to get America OFF of oil! Should have been done 8 years ago, but Dumbya and his Texas oil buddies wouldn''t stand for that, no way! And what exactly is Mcbush''s energy plan? DRILL DRILL DRILL!! MORE OIL!!! What a dope! Obama ''08!

[maddog0802]

NEWSFLASH: OIL!! OIL!! OIL!!! It''s all about OIL!!!
Georgia has a huge oil pipeline in it!! The Russkies want it!! They''re building themselves another one, but that will take several more years. And we know how greedy the ex-Commies are! What does McBush want for America? "more oil! more oil!!!"
What does Obama want for America? New technologies, so we don''t NEED any more oil!! The Arabs, Russkies, and all oil-rich nations will then be at OUR MERCY!! We won''t have to fight and die for it, and pay Exxon out our noses for it!!! Wake up, America!! Vote Obama/Democratic this fall!! Out with the Republican war-for-oil idiots!!

[mitch5511]

It''s all about the oil folks!

Georgia is sitting on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which runs through Georgia, well south of South Ossetia. The pipeline, in which British Petroleum is the lead partner, can carry up to one million barrels of oil per day. It is of considerable strategic significance, as it is the only means by which countries in the region like Azerbaijan can get their oil into the international market without relying on Russia.

It is crucial to the world%u2019s volatile energy market and the only oil and gas route that bypasses Russia%u2019s stranglehold on energy exports from the region.

[noloyalisti]

I realize that when I say McSame, many Repigs don''t get it. They voted for Bush twice so they want more of the McSame.

[hasher471]

Ah! Another Repug War Hog speaks.
I agree the Russians are over aggresive in this.
However, it was Georgia than went into South Osstenia and got the pee pee''s wack. So because they''re getting put back into their place WE''RE supposed to shed America blood.

This guy, Jonathan Foreman is a jerk. Plus, he probably voted for Bush, which means his political opinions have been revoked.

[noloyalisti]

The Grand Oil Party, the party of death and taxes? The new Nazi fascists. And the conservative want more of the McSame! God forgive America!

[random_radar]

Jonathan Foreman says we need to get involved in foreign wars (and by implication sacrifice your sons and daughters on the alter of Mars).

George Washington said to avoid foreign entanglements and be a friend to all nations.

George is a smarter and better man than Jonathan. Unfortunately, Washington is dead and Jonathan Foreman is making lots of money preaching his jingoist gospel. Fortunately, I can still think so I advise you to think too and ignore the nationalist quislings who encourage war and blood shed. (And no one has to pay me to stand up for what is right and good, either.)

[lsipela]

Is there oil in Georgia, other than the oil pipeline that goes thru it? If there is oil involved, the repubs will want war with Russia...