BRUSSELS, Belgium, Aug. 18, 2008
Rice: Russia Playing A "Dangerous Game"
Secretary Of State Says The Kremlin Is Dragging Its Feet Withdrawing Troops From Georgia
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Video
Russia's Mixed Message
The U.S. wants a rapid withdrawal from Georgia, but the Russian military have moved little in days. Richard Roth reports.
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Video
Russia Agrees To Withdraw
Russia has agreed to begin withdrawing its troops from Georgia. But having broken previous commitments, the U.S. and other countries are wary of the Russians' promises. Thalia Assuras reports.
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Video
Foreign Policy Takes Center Stage
Bob Schieffer says that he's glad that the presidential campaign turned away from the "silly stuff," but the bad news is that it took a crisis in Georgia to do it.
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Photo
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gestures during a news conference, on Aug. 13, 2008, at the State Department in Washington. (AP PHOTO)
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Who's Who
Russia And Georgia At Odds
Some of the faces and places involved in the tense dispute.
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Fast Facts
Republic Of Georgia
Learn about the people, economy and history.
Russian troops still control a number of Georgian cities and by nightfall U.S. intelligence had detected no significant withdrawals. Russia's military spokesman put it very plainly: Russian troops won't withdraw, just pull back from some of their forward positions.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday that Russia is playing a "very dangerous game" with the U.S. and its allies and warned that NATO would not allow Moscow to win in Georgia, destabilize Europe or draw a new Iron Curtain through the continent.
But with no sign of Russia withdrawing its troops from Georgia despite a pledge to do so and indications it has moved short-range ballistic missiles into the disputed area of South Ossetia, it was unclear how the alliance would make good on Rice's vow.
On her way to an emergency NATO foreign ministers meeting on the crisis, Rice said the alliance would punish Russia for its invasion of Georgia and deny its ambitions by rebuilding and fully backing Georgia and other Eastern European democracies.
"We are determined to deny them their strategic objective," Rice told reporters aboard her plane, adding that any attempt to re-create the Cold War by drawing a "new line" through Europe and intimidating former Soviet republics and ex-satellite states would fail.
"We are not going to allow Russia to draw a new line at those states that are not yet integrated into the trans-Atlantic structures," she said, referring to Georgia and Ukraine, which have not yet joined NATO or the European Union but would like to.
CBS News' Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lara Logan was on the plane as Rice flew to the NATO meeting. The Secretary of State was uncompromising in her rhetoric, which was ratcheted up from her stern but vague words for the Kremlin last week, Logan reports.
"It didn't take the Russian forces long to get into Georgia," Rice said. "It should not take them long to get out."
Rice could not say what NATO would eventually decide to do to make its position clear but said the alliance would speak with one voice "to clearly indicate that we are not accepting a new line."
At the same time, she said that by flexing its military muscle in Georgia as well as elsewhere, including the resumption of Cold War-era strategic bomber patrols off the coast of Alaska, Russia was engaged in high-stakes brinksmanship that could backfire.
This "is a very dangerous game and perhaps one the Russians want to reconsider," Rice said of the flights that began again with frequency about six months ago. "This is not something that is just cost-free. Nobody needs Russian strategic aviation along America's coast."
At Tuesday's meeting, the NATO ministers will discuss support for a planned international monitoring mission in the region and a package of support to help Georgia rebuild infrastructure damaged in its devastating defeat at the hands of Russian armed forces.
They will also consider a range of upcoming activities planned with Russia - from military exercises to ministerial meetings - and decide case-by-case at the meeting Tuesday whether to go ahead or cancel each.
But how far NATO goes in curtailing relations with Moscow may depend on the situation on the ground as doubts remain about Russia's implementation of a EU-brokered peace plan. Russia had promised to start withdrawing forces from positions in Georgia on Monday, but has suggested troops could stay in South Ossetia, the breakaway region at the heart of the fighting.
Rice suggested that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who signed an EU-backed cease-fire brokered by the French, may be unable to exert power behind the scenes against his powerful predecessor, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, or the Russian military.
She said she thought the French would be seeking "an explanation from the Russians for why the Russian president either won't or can't keep his word."
"It didn't take that long for the Russian forces to get in and it really shouldn't take that long for them to get out," Rice said.
Russian troops and tanks have controlled a wide swath of Georgia for days. They also began a campaign to disable the Georgian military, destroying or carting away large caches of military equipment.
In Washington, military officials said they have seen no significant movement of Russian troops out of Georgia. They also said at least one Russian battalion with more than a dozen SS-21 missile launchers had moved into South Ossetia, within range of the Georgian capital.
That would allow Russia to pull out of Georgia proper as promised, but punish Tbilisi at any moment with the push of a button, as it will retain peacekeeping forces in South Ossetia.
In addition, Russia has prevented the immediate deployment of up to 100 extra unarmed European military monitors to observe the cease-fire, according to an official at the Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation, which is trying to organize the team.
The arrival of those monitors would end a special security mandate given to the Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia that under the cease-fire allows them limited patrols on undisputed Georgian territory.
Meanwhile, Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's ambassador to NATO, warned that an anti-Russian propaganda campaign could jeopardize existing security cooperation.
"We hope that tomorrow's decisions by NATO will be balanced and that responsible forces in the West will give up the total cynicism that has been so evident (which) is pushing us back to the Cold War era," he told reporters Monday.
Washington has denied Rogozin's claims that it is out to wreck the NATO-Russia Council - a consultative panel set up in 2002 to improve relations between the former Cold War foes.
"We don't want to destroy the NATO-Russia Council, but Russia's actions have called into question the premise of the NATO-Russia relationship," U.S. Ambassador Kurt Volker said ahead of the NATO talks.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 198 CommentsA New Reverence for International Law?--2
On some days, Rice probably wishes she had stayed in academia.-- at least there, she could publish for GOP thinktanks in taxpayer-paid obscurity.
Finally, we are given to understand the Georgians have committed their share of offenses under international law, as well. To the extent these are factual, Georgia must understand international law applies to even the natives of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The two, miniscule territories fear absorption by either Russia or Georgia. They want to be left alone.
All to say, many parties are involved in an affront to international law in Georgia and nearby regions. How startling a tactical move it might be if Russians were actually to honor the principles of international law in Georgia, and remove their forces-- now positioned in direct violation of the truce they just signed.
In effect, by honoring international law in Georgia, Russia would dramatize the illegal Bush conduct in Iraq. On his way out of office, Bush could reflect once more on the stark contrast-- if Russia could demonstrate respect for international law, maybe he should, as well.
A NEW REVERENCE FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW?
What is most interesting about the Russian invasion of Georgia is how exquisitely reverent Bush and Cheney and Rice and all the other architects of Bush''s war in Iraq have become about the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Bush and minions are clearly indignant when Russia does, on a much-smaller scale, exactly what they did in Iraq. And compared with Saddam, Saakashvili was left in power (at least, so far).
Here on display is official Bush Double-Think in its full, Orwellian glory.
Rice is Exhibit A-- From her academic background, even Rice understands principles of international law matter a great deal in drafting a responsible US foreign policy.
As an educator in the California university system, Rice was also the first to insist the Communist bloc honor such principles, as well. Her area of specialty was foreign affairs, and the Soviet bloc, in particular.
But hitching her wagon-- pre-2000 election-- to the rising Bush star, Rice clearly forgot about such principles. So complicit did Rice become in the Bush conspiracy about Iraq, she was content to moan about the threat of a "mushroom cloud" and any other tale handed her for publication.
(see "A New Reverence for International Law?"--2)
Right! Get real Rice, this is not Iraq you''re dealing with. You and Napoleon Bush need to step into the real world on this one.
I don''t think this is quite the same thing, is it?
But both groups are going to have to pay a heavy price, and for a long, long time, for their evil ambitions.
http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=26852
If we''re going to be rebuilding infrastructure, why not use our own companies instead of making them richer?
Or does globalization make everyone prosperous; these concepts of border battles, tanks, and soldiers obsolete?
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Posted by NSKDuke2 at 08:33 PM : Aug 18, 2008
I think the Russian people are thinking: "can we reallly afford this?"
Posted by NSKDuke2 at 08:42 PM : Aug 18, 2008
.............................................
He"s hiding behind his foreign minister and military spokesman. That Coward.
What did America expect, once it decided to place missle systems along Russia''s border? At the very least, the ante and potential devastation factor should be equal to assure we nor they get too big in the britches. If we don''t want the threat of Russians just off our coast, then we should not expect the Russians to want our MDS in Poland or anywhere else strategically near to them.
As for NATO and what we and other countries can do---Russia has veto power just like the US, they can use our blue print for Iraq to ensure that they face no real challenge and after the smoke clears, the bodies are counted and many are disappeared/tortured or imprisoned--they can proclaim themselves "heros" just like we did--and no matter what we say or do, any opposition just makes us look like hypocrites.
1 - Block US access to Uzbekistan through Russian airspace.
2 - Equip Iraqi freedom fighters with latest anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons
3 - Provide Iran with a nuclear deterrent in case they are attacked by the west.
4 - Provide Iran with the latest s400 defence system.
5 - Offer Afghan freedom fighters the latest weaponry.
6 - Provide nuclear deterrent systems to Cuba, Syria and Venezuela
7 %u2013 Build pipeline from Azerbaijan to China and bypass Georgia altogether.
If only we had an intelligent government like other countries.
Posted by alphaa10 at 07:25 PM : Aug 18, 2008
Oh, DO shut up. Russia should do nothing of the sort. They need no feel good moments to humor either Europe or America--Russia is upping the ante in direct response to our plans to have missles in their back yard and they have no intention of trying to be noble so that people like you can murmur "bad Bush, Bad Bush" while the safety of their own country is threatened. Nobility does nothing when a bully is at your back door--but nuclear capability and their own planes and bombers aimed at the bully--ah...but that DOES deter--quite well.....LOL
I don''''t think this is quite the same thing, is it?
Posted by erasmus81 at 07:45 PM : Aug 18, 2008
You are right--it isn''t. Because Iraq never invited us , or ask for help and they were not under attack when we rode in to save them with bombs and Abu Ghraib. On the other hand, Ossetia and co were being attacked by Georgia, so at least Russia can claim their "saving" actually had a real premise and not a lie like WMD.
"draw a new iron curtain"
I''m glad Russia honored its commitment to the democratic and peace loving South Ossetians, and didn''t allow these Georgian henchman to destroy these lovely people.
How that is tantamount to an iron curtain is beyond me.
Russians are free to travel, and you can go to Russia tomorrow.
Buy a ticket drama queen. There is no iron curtain.
Posted by noseonurface at 08:18 PM : Aug 18, 2008
We know this. The real problem is, he may take Ossetia et al with him. And there is another issue--to compliment our own missile defense system idea for Poland; Russia now has bombers within striking distance of Alaska.
if Russia is the big, fat 6th grader who wants to show he cannot be pushed around--the telling thing is the other big, fat 6th grade bully--who pushes and bullies everyone, but says "Hey no fair" when Russia joins them in acquisitions and invasions.
Seriously, when I think of Condi, all that comes to mind is failure. No I take that back, what actually comes to mind, is REPEATED failure.
Oh, and if you want a really good laugh, then also remember the fact that she''s a self-professed expert on Russian affairs. Indeed . . . an expert no less - LOL!!!
Hey Condi, your delusional claims of expertise have not boded well for US-Russian relations. Instead, like the rest of you neo-con doorknobs, you''ve lied and threatened herself into a position of contempt and hilarity.
In other words, no one is listening to you. You''re an incompetent joke, and anyone with half a brain, sees it.
But who am I to speak? I''m certain your latest round of threats will work as well as the rest of them. In fact, I have no doubt that it''s worked quite well in bringing the Russians from a muted laugh to a belly laugh.
Go back to shopping for shoes and sucking down strawberry juice Condi. Oh, and leave the thinking matters to those who can.
Posted by NSKDuke2 at 08:33 PM : Aug 18, 2008
Probably thinking that Russia''s current course and actions resemble more and more the actions in Iraq and Lebanon of the United States.
Would that be you GreatdriveW?
But Bush will throw Putin under the bus, if it means getting McCain elected. This whole issue, is a non-issue.
This is all about how its portrayed domestically. The though is, if the news is on foreign policy, then McCain has a shot at Obama. That is the only strong suit of McCain, in the mind of the public.
This is going to be hyped sky high, and, quite frankly, the fact that Karl Rove was in Georgia advising Saakshavili, should tell you something.
It''s technically illegal to enlist a foreign government to aid in the american elections, but you should know that Bush has been aiding ''democracy'' meaning, helping pro-west leaders in various countries...it was only a matter of time before they decided the reverse would be OK too.
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