The West Warns Russia To "Change Course"

G-7 Countries Condemn Russia's Actions In Georgia; Putin Slams U.S. For Using Military Ships

(CBS/AP)  Western leaders warned Russia on Wednesday to "change course," hoping to keep a conflict that already threatens a key nuclear pact and could even raise U.S. chicken prices from blossoming into a new Cold War.

Moscow said it was NATO expansion and Western support for Georgia that was causing the new East-West divisions, and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin lashed out at the United States for using military ships to deliver humanitarian aid to Georgia.

Meanwhile, Georgia slashed its embassy staff in Moscow to protest Russia's recognition of the two separatist enclaves that were the flashpoint for the five-day war between the two nations earlier this month.

The tensions have spread to the Black Sea, which Russia shares unhappily with three nations that belong to NATO and two others that desperately want to, Ukraine and Georgia. Some Ukrainians fear Moscow might set its sights on their nation next.

In moves evocative of Cold War cat-and-mouse games, a U.S. military ship carrying humanitarian aid docked at a southern Georgian port, and Russia sent a missile cruiser and two other ships to a port farther north in a show of force.

The maneuvering came a day after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had said his nation was "not afraid of anything, including the prospect of a Cold War." For the two superpowers of the first Cold War, the United States and Russia, repercussions from this new conflict could be widespread.

Russia's agriculture minister said Moscow could cut poultry and pork import quotas by hundreds of thousands of tons, hitting American producers hard and thereby raising prices for American shoppers. Russia is the largest market for American poultry exports.

Russians sometimes refer to American poultry imports as "Bush's legs," a reference to the frozen chicken shipped to Russia amid economic troubles following the 1991 Soviet collapse, during George H.W. Bush's presidency.

And a key civil nuclear agreement between Moscow and Washington appears likely to be shelved until next year at the earliest.

On the diplomatic front, the West's denunciations of Russia grew louder.

Britain's top diplomat equated Moscow's offensive in Georgia with the Soviet tanks that invaded Czechoslovakia to crush the Prague Spring democratic reforms in 1968, and demanded Russia "change course."

"The sight of Russian tanks in a neighboring country on the 40th anniversary of the crushing of the Prague Spring has shown that the temptations of power politics remain," Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.

Western leaders have accused Russia of using inappropriate force when it sent tanks and troops into Georgia earlier this month. The Russian move followed a Georgian crackdown on the pro-Russian South Ossetia.

Many of the Russian forces that drove deep into Georgia after fighting broke out Aug. 7 have pulled back, but hundreds are estimated to still be manning checkpoints that Russia calls "security zones" inside Georgia proper.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel pressed Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a phone call to immediately fulfill the EU-brokered cease-fire by pulling all troops out of Georgia.

The Kremlin rejected Western criticism, and Tuesday even suggested the conflict could spread. It starkly warned another former Soviet republic, tiny Moldova, that aggression against a breakaway region there could provoke a military response.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy accused Russia of trying to redraw the borders of Georgia. His foreign minister went further, suggesting Russia had engaged in "ethnic cleansing" in South Ossetia, one of the two Georgian rebel territories.

And the seven nations that along with Russia make up the G-8 issued a statement that underlined Russia's growing estrangement from the West.

The seven - United States, Britain, France, Canada, Germany, Japan and Italy - said Russia's decision to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent countries violated the Georgia's territorial integrity.

Two weeks ago, officials had told The Associated Press that the G-7 were weighing whether to effectively disband what is known as the G-8 by throwing Moscow out.

Georgia's prime minister put damage from the Russian war at about $1 billion but said it did not fundamentally undermine the Georgian economy. Georgia, which has a national budget of about $3 billion, hopes for substantial Western aid to recover.

The United Nations has estimated nearly 160,000 people had to flee their homes, but hundreds have returned to Georgian cities like Gori in the past week.

In the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, boxes of aid were sorted, stacked and loaded onto trucks Wednesday for some of the tens of thousands of people still displaced by the fighting. Some boxes were stamped "USAID - from the American People."

In the Black Sea, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Dallas, carrying 34 tons of humanitarian aid, docked in Batumi. The missile destroyer USS McFaul was there earlier this week delivering aid, and the U.S. planned to leave it in the Black Sea for now.

A spokesman for Putin, quoted by Interfax news agency, observed: "Military ships are hardly a common way to deliver such aid."

The U.S. has used military ships to deliver humanitarian aid before, including in the aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami.

The U.S. Embassy in Georgia had earlier said the Dallas was headed to the port city of Poti but then retracted the statement. A Georgian official said the port in Poti could have been mined by Russian forces.

Poti's port reportedly suffered heavy damage from the Russian military. In addition, Russian troops have established checkpoints on the northern approach to the city, and a U.S. ship docking there could have been seen as a direct challenge.

Meanwhile, the Russian missile cruiser Moskva and two smaller missile boats anchored at the port in Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia, some 180 miles north of Batumi. The Russian Navy says the ships will be involved in peacekeeping operations.

Russian Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn warned that NATO has already exhausted the number of forces it can have in the Black Sea, according to international agreements, and warned Western nations against sending more ships.

"Can NATO - which is not a state located in the Black Sea - continuously increase its group of forces and systems there? It turns out that it cannot," Nogovitsyn was quoted as saying Wednesday by Interfax.

[shanev137]

George Bush will start a war with Russia before he leaves office...just watch.

[shanev137]

George Bush will start a war with Russia before he leaves office...just watch.

[intheshade-2009]

What is a US Coast Guard ship doing in the Black Sea. Is he lost?

[n8yvn29]

This thug and criminal we have as a president, not even his saber-rattling impresses the world anymore.

[miamiderick]

The US Coast Guard has a surplus of tax money to spend, so they thought they would go on a world cruise.

[rushliberal]

Bush and Cheney will start another war before they leave office - just watch - that way they can declare martial law and take over America in a Good Ol'' National Socialist Party Way. Or NeoCon as they are called now.

[lambor59]

Bush and Cheney should be in jail for the sake of US goodness.

[farkusa]

The BUSHES will make history - the father and the son has started three wars that kills millions of innocent children and women, and in other countries deemed to be colored people -- all in the name of OIL, but actually money - oil is only the means to getting rich ..

[boandco]

Not going to Poti, Good idea, we don%u2019t really want war.

[pirmin3]

They don''t want their CG ship sunk so they change plans. Beats war on a third front any day. Especially with a worthy adversary this time instead of some third world sand pit - where they can''t win anyway.

[miamiderick]

Nancy_Naive says our coast guard boat in the Black Sea is our tax dollars at work. That is ok for all those people on the military gravy train. I would rather have lower taxes, or better roads, or more schools or more social security.

[metsobitso]

How are they going to fit all those ships in such a small sea? It is like all those nations have incredibly large military budgets and whole navies with nothing to do. Send them to the Black Sea so they can sail around and act important. They can stomp around and salute each other and blink signals at each other. That way we can justify spending all our tax money on big navies.

[tommygun083]

They should come to an agreement that they sail around in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction so that they do not bump into each other.

[tapsettle]

Yep, the US chickened out as usual. America only likes to take on 3rd world countries who cant fight back, and even then concentrate on civillians as the local militia often prove too much for them.

[crusader1200]

BIG mistake not to dock at Poti as the Russians will see this as an act of weakness and will encourage them to be more agressive and un-cooperative.

Sure diplomacy has to be the path to resolving the problem but any signs of weakness by NATO/US will be exploited by the Kremlin. Diplomacy needs to be bolstered by tough action regarding trade and other bi-lateral agreements and a show of military force.

[tapsettle]

BIG mistake not to dock at Poti as the Russians will see this as an act of weakness
----
Posted by crusader1200

Are you kidding me? The Ruskies would wipe the floor with them if the docked there. That''s why the US haven''t done anything, and wont do anything.

[underdogus87]

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
45 DEAD, 79 WOUNDED IN WAVE OF IRAQ VIOLENCE

You would never know it by watching MSNBC, CNN or FOX NEWS but a wave of violence has swept across IRAQ.

The IRAQ WAR and the 160,000 young AMERICANS deployed to IRAQ are not even on the radar screens of MSNBC, CNN and FOX NEWS.

The media---which mirrors the attitude of the American public---couldn''t care less about the 160,000 young AMERICANS "stranded" in IRAQ.

[tapsettle]

The media---which mirrors the attitude of the American public---couldn''t care less about the 160,000 young AMERICANS "stranded" in IRAQ.
-----
Posted by underdogus87

And even less than that about the hundreds of thousands of "dead" Iraqis.
And not much about the civillians killed by Georgian bombing in South Ossetia recently. About the same number there as there were US citizens killed in 9-11, and yet not a harsh word printed or spoken of the perpetrators. Says a lot about the US eh.

[jmurrieta1]

Oh, but put John McCain in charge and they would have sailed right into Yalta!

It''s time to recognize this conflict for what it is--a McCain sponsored election ploy.

McCain could care less about all the innocent bystanders killed. That didn''t seem to bother him too much when he was killing peasants in Vietnam either.

For all McCain''s parading of his time in prison--he came home from Vietnam. 50,000 guys who never did get a chance to marry a rich **** and run for president never did. And they didn''t spend their evenings with hot showers and cold beer on their daddy''s aircraft carrier either.

[chad55555]

To show Russia and China we are afraid of them is a BIG mistake.They already said Americans are cowards and can''t fight someone of equal power and all Americans know how to do is teach people how to run from a fight.. THIS SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE AND WILL MAKE THEM MORE BRAVE AND UNSTABLE TOWARDS AMERICA.Now we want to put a person in office as president with no military experence with close ties to the Muslim world,20 years from now people will say WHAT THE HELL WAS AMERICANS THINKING.

"This aid could be bought at any flea market."
----
I''m sure he meant "flee" market, in accordance with the Russian view that Americans will not stand and fight an equal opponent. I now understand the line "land of the free and home of the brave." That''s really "free" as in lunch and "brave" as in indians. There is only one word to describe the leadership in this country, and I include the last 16 years, and that is "smarmy."

[pirmin3]

"At this rate, we''''ll be in WW3 before November... "

With all the radioactive fallout we can save on heating oil bills!! Look at the bright side. If McSame wins he''ll have to have his own war too so as not to be out done by father and son. He''ll pick a bigger target - Russia. At his age he''s got nothing to lose.

[underdogus87]

With what moral authority do these mainstays of the neoconservative, corporate elitist, greedy, self-interested Washington regime speak, when in their own closet there are skeletons labeled Abu Ghraib, Iraq, Guantanamo, mass murder, war crimes, illegal invasion, torture, illegal detention, disrespect for international law, denial of due process, rape...?

[underdogus87]

That Bush and Rice are wholly incompetent to hold their jobs has been patently obvious from the beginning, when Rice started off by making insulting and derogatory remarks whenever she mentioned Russia, yet while as National Security Advisor prior to 9/11 failed to provide any national security whatsoever. Talk about being downright abrasive and rude, hardly the behavior required for a lady diplomat, but then again, nobody ever expected any better because she is not a diplomat, never was, never will be. She is a cheap, dimwitted guttersnipe, an apology for a lady and a human being and wholly unfit to hold the office and serve her country, both of which her very presence insults.

[trishab57]

CBS: Poti''s port reportedly suffered heavy damage from the Russian military. In addition, Russian troops have established checkpoints on the northern approach to the city and a U.S. ship docking there could have been seen as a direct challenge.

-We need to understand that the Russians used to have unlimited access to the Georgian Ports, while under the Communist Ruling of Russia and prior to that era. This immediate neighbor country is a ''security stretch'' they cannot afford to let go to the USA or NATO.

-The decision by Navy not to dock at Georgian Port is a wise decision, not to be looked at as a coward act.

-Crusader1200, in this regard you are an irresponsible person, not to say fool. You would never make it through to commanding positions in the Navy if you just kept that attitude, regardless.

[underdogus87]

USA to evacuate disgraced Georgian president in case of national coup

[underdogus87]

As Georgia takes comes to grips with the damage inflicted by Russia''s military campaign, President Mikhail Saakashvili seems likely to face the anger and frustration of tens of thousands of displaced Georgians.

[underdogus87]

Saakashvili should be tried for stupidity he committed in Georgia

[underdogus87]

The situation may only get worse, as winter approaches and the suffering becomes more acute.

[underdogus87]

NATO hit the USA in the face. Its allies said that they were not going to scale down their cooperation with Moscow. The statement showed that the USA was no longer NATO%u2019s master and that Washington was not the city where all fundamental decisions were made. The US administration hoped that the alliance would back its condemnation of Russia%u2019s %u201Cinvasion of Georgia.%u201D However, Great Britain, a staunch ally of the United States, was the first country of NATO which said that the alliance should not isolate Russia. Condoleezza Rice%u2019s counterpart in Britain, David Miliband, offered to expand the bilateral cooperation with Russia. It was later revealed that Britain did not support the suggestion to exclude Russia from the Group of Eight.

[underdogus87]

The USA continues to wage the informational war against Russia. Americans are now acting indirectly, through Georgia. They have no true allies left except for several countries of East Europe, which they support financially...

[underdogus87]

It is an open secret that politics can be very dirty, just like prostitution. However, it is impossible to bribe everyone. German Chancellor Angela Merkel does not personify the whole of Germany with her statements. She mostly expresses the interests of German rightist forces. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier openly supports Russia and condemns Georgia.

[tangula-2009]

It%u2019s really a wise decision not to dock at Poti. Why does the U.S. have to engage a possible military confrontation with Russia? If it did happen, it would be a disaster to mankind. The west should continue to engage the Russian politically and diplomatically. If they really want to achieve something in their current tenure in order to give the next generation a chance to survive and be more prosperous, the help from Russia is indispensable. To belittle such a great country and be self-righteous is stupid. Even in small countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. led coalition forces have not achieved their goal and their position is becoming more and more embarrassed. As the civilian casualty caused by the coalition forces is higher than before, the locals are being more hostile to their existence. And such kind phrase of %u201Ctime horizon%u201D and %u201Cbeing invited%u201D is obviously funny and hypocritical. So the current U.S. administration don%u2019t have the wisdom to solve their issues in small countries, why they are bothered to meddle in a event involved in a country with such potential, enough to bombard them back to stone age.

[coco0331]

The Brits always seem to bate us into a quagmire then slip out the back. Of coarse they wouldn''t want to isolate Russia, their busy selling us down the road. Its time to reevaluate our allies and let them do their own fighting of wars. Its time for us to minimize our rolls in Nato and the U.N.. The world needs to take advantage somewhere else for a while.

[deacon20081]

Beeeeyach, buc, buc, buc... beeeyyach...
Posted by Nancy_Naive
-----------------------------------------------------
Your low IQ or serious lack of sense is showing again
Nancy, now take your meds and those pesky voices in your head will go away.

[jgunther7]

Five heavily armed US warships have been spotted moving off the coast of Turkey near Trabzon, which is adjacent to Georgia. They carry large guns and missiles. The picture of a small coast guard cutter displayed in the press is just a distraction to lull the world into thinking that the US navy comes with peaceful intentions. This is the same approach they used before and during the last attack on Ossetia. All this talk about humanitarian aid is just nonsense to mislead the gullible.

[underdogus87]

After two terms of the Bush regime, what was once a respected member of the international community today conjures up two gut reactions in the hearts and minds of the international community: sullen hatred due to Washington%u2019s shock and awe tactics or sheer disrespect due to the two-faced and utterly hypocritical nature of its foreign policies.

[underdogus87]

Having a man (and regime) such as George W. Bush (and his lobby) in charge was always going to be a risk, for here is a figure (and a big-business pressure group) who belongs to the rich clique of corporate elitists who basically do what they want and if they make a mistake, daddy and his cronies handle it. Such is the notion of the law they grow up with.

[underdogus87]

Therefore it comes as no surprise to see George W. Bush flouting the international law one minute, by recognizing the Serbian province of Kosovo as an independent state and then lecturing Russia on how to handle two cases which do have a claim to statehood, namely Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Take about double standards, talk about one two-faced confused son of his mother.

[tawpdawg111]

we could nuke Russia but we couldn''t fight them right now.

[underdogus87]

How much longer does Washington have to humiliate itself with this sort of charade? How can anyone in Washington be taken seriously if its President can look the camera in the eye and say with apparent conviction that Kosovo can be independent and Abkhazia and South Ossetia cannot?

[underdogus87]

The problem is, as we have seen, the manipulation campaign in the western corporate media backs up such absurd notions and packages them as fact. How many western European and north American readers believe that Iraq was all about 9/11 for instance?

We had "news" media outlets recently failing to report the Georgian Armed Forces%u2019 act of slaughter of 2,000 Russians in South Ossetia, or even manipulating photos, trying to make the Georgian atrocities look like they were perpetrated by Russia.

[metsobitso]

Underdogus87, it has been widely reported in the Russian press that U.S. Navy destroyer U.S.S. McFoul is standing by to evacuate Saakashvili in case of his overthrow. It transpires that the big rent a crowd demonstration he organised after his defeat in Ossetia turned out not so much in support of Saakashvili but many of the demonstrators where actually cheering for his opposition. There is a lot of bitterness about the death and destruction he brought upon the country. As we witnessed on the news, he cowers in fear when he is in the open and hides in his bunker eating his tie the rest of the time. The Russian press also claims that his close protection guards and about 1,000 special guard units are actually blackwater employees and not representative of the Georgian people. Nobody is certain how many special guards are left after his failed attack on Ossetia, as many of the survivors give accounts of blackwater mercenaries laying amongst the dead.

[jofore]

gosh, coco...do you think maybee it''s tyme to go back too grammur school and lurn how to spel?

[jofore]

gosh, coco...do you think maybee it''s tyme to go back too grammur school and lurn how to spel?

[misha128-2009]

This is beginning to look like a repeat of the often ineffective Bush diplomacy and significantly delayed relief effort directed toward Myanmar (or as Bush/McCain prefer the inaccurate historical reference), Burma.

[underdogus87]

metsobitso The US administration is perfectly aware of the fact that the crisis in Georgia may trigger a civil war in the country. The Georgians may topple their president against the background of a significant price growth in the nation, which took place after the beginning of Georgia%u2019s aggression in South Ossetia.

[superdem]

Why should any American care about this ? These people have been fighting each other since time began. Same with the Sunnis and the Shias. Americans think they can sort any of this out ? We only REALLY care for the same reason in both places - OIL OIL OIL OIL. Can anyone be honest about this ? NO - so we make idiotic remarks about who deserves a nation and who does not. None of this in any of our business - meanwhile America continues to ossify and rust away. Our debts keep mounting - even if we do nothing it takes a LOT OF MONEY to keep military ships circling in foreign waters. When is America going to do something that actually makes sense ?

[underdogus87]

The Georgian president has not justified USA%u2019s hopes and his career in politics will end very soon. The Georgian president is completely incapable of acting adequately and reasonably and may thus completely ruin USA%u2019s plans in the region.

[beehive21-2009]

Big Oil is applauding the turmoil, oil price will go up and they make more $$$$.The White House and the Russians are milking us like cows.Why are they so greedy ? Oil must be Nationalized, if Mankind is to survive.