Georgia's Prez Warns NATO On Russia

Urges Alliance Not To Back Down On Admitting Georgia; Says Weakness Would Cause More Russian Aggression

(AP)  Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili urged NATO on Thursday not to push his country away in the wake of Moscow's military campaign, warning that showing weakness would cause a "never-ending story" of Russian aggression.

In an interview with The Associated Press before a visit by NATO leaders next week, Saakashvili said Russia invaded Georgia to keep the ex-Soviet republic out of the Western alliance.

"If NATO sends a sign of weakness - and clearly this invasion was intended to deter, to scare NATO away - if NATO gets scared away, then this will be a never-ending story," Saakashvili said.

Saakashvili has angered Russia by seeking NATO membership for Georgia. The alliance has promised Georgia will eventually join, and a review of its request for a road map to membership is scheduled for December.

He suggested that keeping Georgia out of NATO because of increasing Russian control over South Ossetia and another separatist region, Abkhazia, would be precisely the result the Kremlin intended - and a recipe for forceful intervention elsewhere.

"People are saying, 'Georgia has conflicts, so maybe Georgia cannot be accepted, but maybe we can accept Ukraine.' But if you put it this way, you automatically are going to get conflict in Ukraine."

Saakashvili said NATO nations must stand together and expressed confidence that Russia's use of what Western governments condemned as disproportionate force had strengthened support from some alliance members for Georgian membership.

He said Russia's actions were aimed at "shaking the foundations of the alliance and their decision-making process."

The Kremlin has accused the United States of encouraging Saakashvili to wage war against separatist South Ossetia and of moving to rebuild Georgia's military following the fighting. Saakashvili said he is committed to peaceful solutions to Georgia's territorial disputes and is not seeking robust military aid from the United States.

"We don't expect to get anything from the U.S., we haven't got anything recently from the U.S. and we will not be getting any large-scale hardware or military material assistance from the U.S.," he said. "All this talk about Americans rearming Georgia, or others coming in and rearming Georgia has been just part of the propaganda."

The U.S. Defense Department said Tuesday that it would send an assessment team to Georgia this week to help determine its needs as a way of showing U.S. support for its security.

Saakashvili denied Russian claims that U.S. military aid, which included training Georgian forces, was instrumental in emboldening Georgia to try to retake South Ossetia by force on Aug. 7.

"No matter what kind of theoretical assistance we could have got from anybody, there is no way Georgia can fight wars with Russia," he said.

In Moscow on Thursday, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin aggressively defended the invasion, saying Russia had to act when Georgia attacked South Ossetia. Russian forces repelled the offensive and drove deep into Georgia before withdrawing most of the troops and tanks late last month following a cease-fire deal.

Russia has pledged to withdraw its remaining forces still positioned outside Abkhazia and South Ossetia within a month, but says it will keep thousands of troops in the separatist regions themselves for the foreseeable future. It has also recognized them as independent nations, deepening the confrontation with Georgia and the West.

Saakashvili contends that Georgia was acting in self-defense amid increasing Russian support for the separatists and indications of imminent aggression.

"At a certain moment it was clear that the country was facing an existential threat," he said.

He reiterated his promise that Georgia will gain control of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but said it would rely on legal mechanisms and pressure from the international community to do so.

[xalen54]

Look at Saakashvili lie between his teeth! We shouldn''t even consider allowing this psycho into NATO. He is just an lunatic playing off of all that is happened so he can cover his *** with NATO membership! Someone better veto Georgia in December....

[jmurrieta11]

What in the world does Georgia have to do with the North Atlantic?

Any further US propping up of this belligerant regime (and any further incitment of them by the McCain camp) will doubtless result in heightened Russian aggravation in the New World. Countries like Venezuela, Cuba, and Bolivia will doubtless be happy to act as staging points to tweak the "empire''s" tail.

And we''re right back where we were in 1960.

Smart.

[rushliberal]

This whole problem started with Georgia killing Russians and when Russia retaliated he started Crying like a baby for the United States to help.

I say good for Russia - protect its own people and take this Bush/Cheney puppet out of office.

Georgia Got what it deserved.

[tapsettle]

Isn`t it fair to say that Russia can over throw this dangerous man and aloow the South Ossetians to judge and hang him.
-----
Posted by kohin

Ok. I''ll try your lingo.
Stoopid man has hung hisseff awreddy. He fort Bush told him to bom now and Bush wood sapport. But he dint reelize Bush was juss tryn to stop Rusha geddin in ee-you. Stoopid miss steak. Now SackAshSillyBilly is farked.

[kohin-2009]

I thaught that attacking your own people was one of the reason America invaded Iraq and handed it`s head of state to the barbarics shia who hang him????
Isn`t it fair to say that Russia can over throw this dangerous man and aloow the South Ossetians to judge and hang him.

[ajaxtheleast]

Never saw a politician so flowery in minute
definition and in such quantity of scenarios
in describing who will do what to whom and
the consequences for Georgia if one country
succeeds in doing exactly that which he knows
they are trying to do.

Suckassvili is such an insanely combative
creature that in his layed-out state, having
any mourners at all, they would behold the
self-same facial expression seen
in his above photo.

"Insanity" jumps right out at the viewer
of that pic.

[harp1963]

Dear President Saakashvili,

Just writing to wish you all the best in dealing with Russia. There''s a little problem with admitting you to NATO right now. It seems all the white horses are currently lame and we can only supply you with some humanitarian aid. We can deliver it though with some Navy ships to give it that pomp and circumstance effect. If you only had some mineral resource that our billionaires could make some more billions off of we could probably get ole'' white horse out of the stable. Sorry we couldn''t do more Mikhail.

All the best,

George

[samsel3]

The truth is, this is all about control of oil & gas pipelines. The BTC oil pipeline in South Ossetia & the Nabucco natural gas pipeline in NW Georgia supply markets in the European Union. In November 2003 the World Bank funded the BTC pipeline to circumvent Russian pipelines supplying europe.

Shareholders in the BTC pipeline are: British Petroleum, AzBTC, Chevron, Statoil, TPAO, ENI, Total, Itochu, INPEX, ConocoPhillips & Amerada Hess.

Russia is the second largest supplier of oil & gas on the planet.
After loosing Iraqi oil to Operation Iraqi Freedom, they negotiated supplies with Iran. The Russians were not happy with Cheneys BTC pipeline or the TAPI Caspian Sea Pipelines project going through Afghanistan. This threatens their economy based on oil & gas.

Again it s the Bush administrations lust for money in World markets for their BIG OIL buddies

[kohin-2009]

You all (neo-con republican) goes these barbaric muslims want to blow us. don`t you heard about the enquisition? The worst atrocities has been commited people with Christian faith that doesn`t mean that all christian are evil.HITLER alone incursarated 6 millions JEWS.
By the way, have heard what your VP nominee said last night? Going to war with Russia? Are you kiding me? Did she realising the consequences of a nuclaire war? This is what you gona get when you wana elect fanatics.

[johnpatrick9]

To hell with Georgia..thay are not within our sphere of influence and certainly are not worth the blood of American soldiers or our wealth of which we have little more to give after the stupid years of bush the worthless. To hell with him and with that ditz Palin and her comments. We no longer have much capacity except to run our mouths off or to drop nuclear bombs..dumb move but then just look at the last 8 years of dumb rule in our nation.

[kohin-2009]

according to refbatch , the aggression of the Goergians in south Ossetia which resulted Russia to take action is some how the work of the muslims???
What an ignorante! There are 1.5 billions muslims in the world and surely if the wana wage a war to america they don`t have to go through Russia or any other country. In every society existe some crazy stupid lunatics who for some reason want to blow up other human been.Don`t you remember the KKK? Stalin? Mosoluni? HITLER? Were they Muslims? So I sugest you to get some education and stop your none senses reasoning of neo-con nazi.
The truth is that Bush/Cheney unilateralism and american arogance has been going on for the last 7 years and nobody said any thing. and I believe it went to far. Imagine Russia saying that they gona have a missil defense system in Mexico and Cuba because of the treat posed by the drugs mafios? What will america do?

[excoachken]

According to Sarah Palin, the only problem Georgia has with a neighbor is all the water that Florida is using, and she is convinced that it couold be splved by "Just drillin''."

[tapsettle]

Georgia seems to be lacking in a little common sense in this situation the same way Venezuela is! Superpowers ultimately have their way.
-----
Posted by tbweb

Actually I think Chavez has pulled some masterful strokes, and the latest expulsion with the proviso of reviewing after the US election is a classic. What can Bush do apart from take it in the arse? And what will whoever wins do apart from re-establish diplomatic relations with a nation on whos oil it depends? Classic.

[tapsettle]

Posted by Mark19712

Good points, and I hope you are right.

[tapsettle]

Whoever refbatch is before posted your comments learn how to write english and spell
----
Posted by pokerman98

You''re not such a grammatical master yourself. Refbatch is perfectly entitled to post to an international news article, and the day you can communicate fairly fluently in two languages will be the day you can criticise. I actually think refbatch made some good points, whereas I think you made a fool of yourself.

[rickstas]

The US should tell this guy if he want miliatary backup, contact Isreal. They got tons of stuff they''re not using.

[tbweb]

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili seems oblivious to the reality of Georgia being located on the Russian border and must reconcile his agenda, Georgia`s agenda and his actions with that reality in mind. There is a point nations who share a border with a superpower can`t go beyond and if they do those nations risk consequences. Georgia faces the same reality in this regard as Cuba and Venezuela. An opposition nation located in a superpowers backyard faces different challenges and must act accordingly. Georgia seems to be lacking in a little common sense in this situation the same way Venezuela is! Superpowers ultimately have their way.

[pokerman98]

Whoever refbatch is before posted your comments learn how to write english and spell

[rdupuy11]

@tapsettle, I disagree. Georgia is not intrinsically doomed. They can boot out their lunatic president, re-establish normal relations with Russia, and, yes, keep good ties to Europe as well, and they''ll be well on their way to a modern democracy and prosperity.

They need to forget about holding onto lands that, quite frankly, they have no need and no business trying to keep. Ossetians don''t need to be split, north and south. One unified Ossetia is the best idea.

Unfortunately the U.S. seems intent on delaying this process of unification and the process of Georgia moving on, yes it hurts their pride, but ending this 17 year war, is time.

They will never be right in trying to continue it. Its just not their land.

[refbatch]

all this is undercovered islamist intrique to develope by any means nuclear war between USA and Russia.
Islamist world wants this for own domination in the world after nuclear entetainment.
So called civilization must understand there is no place for theatre more.It is real end of all.
Mr.Saakashvili must respond for his organizing of mass murder of civilians.
If Mr.Bush likes such people as Saakashvili means Mr.Bush wants third world war,means Mr.Bush is moslem.