Aug. 12, 2008
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
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Photo
Georgian soldiers are seen atop a tank as it makes its way along a street, as a monument to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin is seen in the background, in Gori, Georgia, Aug. 11, 2008. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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Play CBS Video
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Russian Assault On Georgia
Sensing NATO expansion eastward, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin takes control of an ethnic enclave in neighboring Georgia. Alex Rossi from Sky News reports.
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Video
Bush Tough On Russian Violence
The White House is talking tough on Russia's actions in Georgia, calling them dangerous and deplorable. Barack Obama and John McCain are also weighing in on the Caucus crisis. Jim Axelrod reports.
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Russian Forces Overwhelm Georgia
Russia has taken the upper-hand in the battle with Georgia over the disputed territory of South Ossetia. The conflict is spreading to Abkhazia, another contested border region. Mark Phillips reports.
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Photo Essay
Georgia On The Brink
Georgia attacks, Russia counters in breakaway region of South Ossetia.
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Fast Facts
Republic Of Georgia
Learn about the people, economy and history.
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.
By Jonathan Foreman
Reprinted with permission from National Review Online.




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See all 55 CommentsThe Yanks have had their chance
Now watch em dance
What can be done by one motley crew
Can also be done by two.
These guys have lost all credibility a long time ago. It is past time that the world stands up to unite against American hegemony.
McCain''s call to NATO-ize the war is not only frightening, it''s also delusional: both NATO and US forces are already stretched beyond the breaking point, even by Joint Chief of Staff chairman Michael Millen''s own recent assessment.
For being an x-POW, he sure is pro-war! He is trying real hard to pull us into WWIII!
In addition, I choked on my coffee when I heard Bush''s speech stating it was wrong for Russia to invade a sovereign nation. WHAT IN THE HELL DID HE DO??? Bush has no room to talk. His administration invaded a sovereign country, Iraq. For what? Oil. Guess why Russia went after Georgia. Remember they are both using false pretenses to gain control over what they deem important. Guess why the US is quick to defend Georgia. Yep. OIL! Once again, it has become a driving factor between these countries.
The Bush administration set a very dangerous precedent when they invaded Iraq. Now other countries think its okay to do as well.
But at the same time European diplomats accept that Mikheil Saakashvili initiated military action in seeking to reassert Georgian control of its breakaway province of South Ossetia, perhaps hoping that he could consolidate power there while the world was preoccupied with the Olympics.
At the time of the Rose Revolution in 2003, European lawmakers saw Saakashvili through similarly tinted spectacles, but nowadays they regard him as a somewhat headstrong figure who had already damaged his credentials as a democrat by the way in which he suppressed dissent in his country last November.
Georgia may claim that South Ossetia''''s leaders are controlled by the Russia''''s FSB security service but Europeans sense Saakashvili gave Russia the excuse it was looking for to intervene, insisting that its own "peace-keepers" in South Ossetia were under threat and had to be protected.
If Saakashvili thought that the Europeans in particular and the Western world in general would rally to his cause, he miscalculated. European diplomats have for a while been confessing a degree of "Georgia fatigue."
As other commentators have pointed out, our President''s hypocrisy is painfully obvious. After all, America''s Decider attacked a sovereign nation for no other reason than "suspicious motives."
As we sink under GWB''s leadership, other nations are rising to new power.
Posted by WogerWabbit at 04:45 PM : Aug 12, 2008
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WogerWabbit;
Bush may not be very smart, but even he, and especially those actually calling the shots in his administration, knows full well that Russia STILL has the missile capacity to deliver warheads onto American soil and that means it would not be just the military (troops) dying.
McCain, on the other hand just might be crazy enough to initiate the total destruction of the entire world. Now that is scary.
If it had been McCain, instead of JFK, as commander-in-chief during the Cuban missile crises, we might not even be here right now.
Why?
The President of France is there, let the French stand up for Georgia.
the NRO is a dirt rag of NON-information,
The United States, stand up for the country of Georgia?
What a crock, The United States, under this criminal conservative administration, can not even stand up for
the americans in New Orleans!
THERE NEEDS TO BE A STRONG WORLD COURT AND WAR CRIMES TRIALS TO STOP THIS TYPE OF MESS!
To those of you who believe we can sit back and let everyone else handle the Russians, you are naive and foolish. We are still the only true super power left and for better or worse our part to play is that of global policeman. History shows clearly that when we turn our backs on the world, disaster strikes.
Past administrations, Republican and Democrat, have placed policy and expediency over what is right at times. President Bush''s entire foreign policy is based to an extent on the opposite. What is expedient, popular, maybe even diplomatically adroit is not policy.
Foreman is correct however, that the US must back Georgia
As other commentators have pointed out, our President''''s hypocrisy is painfully obvious. After all, America''''s Decider attacked a sovereign nation for no other reason than "suspicious motives."
As we sink under GWB''''s leadership, other nations are rising to new power.
Posted by davewrite1
Your post is simply ignorant and manages to ignore actual facts. The movement against Iraq was based on YEARS of Security Council resolutions that had been ignored by Hussein who did not believe anyone would dare attack him. He was wrong. The evidence pointed to WMDs, we didnt find many, but we don''t know what was smuggled off to Syria before the invasion began.
More to the point, the two situations are completely different. The US put together a coalition of THIRTY nations that joined it against Iraq and there is still a strong argument to be made that the invasion was carrying out the terms of the UN security council resolutions. Hussein had YEARS (over TEN) to change his ways and he did not. The invasion of Iraq followed YEARS of diplomatic maneuvering and Hussein''s regime continually thumbing its nose at the UN, US and EU.
Georgia launched a military operation to take back its OWN PROVINCE which had fallen away. One day later, with no warning, not attempt to resolve the situation through any other channel, Russia invaded Georgia with NO support from ANYONE else. To compare the two situations is intensely ignorant and shows no grasp of the facts.
We are warned. Russia is our enemy. Nothing has changed. They are still a primitive, dangerous and warlike people who want to dominate their neighbors and destroy us if they can.
What a joke!
Thanks to the conservatives we are powerless
Do you really think it is a coincidence that Georgia attacked Russian forces just a couple of weeks after Condi visited?
Tell ya what, Jonathon Foreman....you go first.
Question: Since Poland, Ukrine and the other former soviet states say that Russia wants to reinstate the former USSR, why do they not help Georgia with troops?
Bush has made our military as impotent as himself. Mission Occomplished!
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.)
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.
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.
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!!
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!
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
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.
TALK ABOUT PROPAGANDA!!!!! "Betray"? "HER"? OMG...too funny! It is about time to deal with our own problem''s.
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".
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