Biden Calls For $1 Billion In Emergency Aid To Georgia

By Daniel W. Reilly

(The Politico)  Fresh off a trip to the Republic of Georgia, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden said he will ask for $1 billion in emergency aid for the war torn country.

Biden, who is rumored to be very high on Sen. Barack Obama’s list of running mates, met with Georgia's president and prime minister on the trip, further burnishing his foreign policy credentials ahead of Obama’s decision.

“I left the country convinced that Russia's invasion of Georgia may be the one of the most significant event to occur in Europe since the end of communism,” said Biden.

“When Congress reconvenes, I intend to work with the administration to seek Congressional approval for $1 billion in emergency assistance for Georgia, with a substantial down payment on that aid to be included in the Congress' next supplemental spending bill.”

While the Russian government has claimed that the Georgian military was engaged in a “genocide” in the region of South Ossetia, Biden said he did not see any evidence of it on his trip.

Biden said the $1 billion would "help the people of Georgia to rebuild their country and preserve its democratic institutions."

The senator also issued a terse warning to the former Soviet Union, saying that “Russia’s actions in Georgia will have consequences.”