There is a very good reason why I refrain from blame-games and finger pointing in the Georgia/Russia conflict. Unlike President Bush, I am almost not too sure what to think, and that is probably because I am not the American President. The last time I mentioned Bush in this conversation, the reflex response was obvious, “Look who’s talking.”
With the Iraq cloud still gloomy, the Afghanistan Bin-Laden mess and the seemingly global military ‘excursions’, pro-Russia thinkers are quick to say ‘not too fast, buddy’. The United States are hinting(rather agressively) that Russian actions that are "inconsistent" with Moscow's statement it had halted military operations in Georgia. Of course that is the aurgument many pro-Georgia thinkers are banking on.
Let’s not forget also that Georgia launched its crackdown on separatist fighters in autonomous South Ossetia, where most people have long supported independence or reunification with neighboring North Ossetia - a territory within Russia.
The real question is WHY? Russia sent its tanks into South Ossetia , and their argument was to protect Russian citizens living in the region; fair game. That’s it? How far is fair?
CNN (and Reuters I think) have indicated fears a Russian convoy advancing into Georgia. The agreement for ceasefire came tumbling down faster than the Katrina levees in Louisiana. BUT I still mentain, don’t be too quick to jump on the anti-Russian bandwagon simply because Putin is the man in charge and the Russians are not entertaining the pro American ideals in their backyard. If there is any bad guy here, surely a pragmatic approach to resolving conflict will begin with avoiding any alliance-based judgements.
Walking a fine line here is tricky at best. I am sitting here listening to Condi Rice’s press conference, and I genuinely understand her concerns about Russia ‘overreaching’ into Georgia. However on the question of whether United States can in fact be an honest broker in this conflict, your guess is as good as mine. Diplomacy or Confrontation?
If I knew the answer, I would be the American President.
26 comments:
Where are the anti-war protesters and other pond life demonstrating against the illegal actions of Russia.
is not a war, Russia is defending its people, Russia's actions are not illegal, I am sure if they were the ICC will indict the President Of Russia LOL. . .
Countries should respect the sovereignty of others. In this day and age, they should not be sending their own troops across borders without international agreement. What's really going on here?
Well done Russia !! You have justified the UK and any other western country in updating it's nuclear arsenal. The bear is coming out of hibernation.
The EU, NATO & the UN SHOULD have realized that Russia would respond to the injustices meted out by the West in Serbia in its Kosovo land grab.
The naivety of the Wests leaders is only matched by their utter rank hypocrisy.
Georgia started attacking Tskhinvali BEFORE Russia entered South Ossetia. Georgia had killed about a thousand of people in South Ossetia before Russia stopped it and started helping people out.
What is Condi Rice talking about. Nope. As Georgia 'pulls out of S Ossetia' a bunch of soldiers of fortune will remain terrorizing the region by hit and run attacks. And the beauty of this plan is that it will look like the Russians are fighting some South Ossetia's pro-Georgian freedom fighters for Democracy or something.
What a great foundation for NATO to intervene and stop this bloodshed. Nice work as usual!
Mr.Putin knew at the opening ceremony and sitting and smiling to other world leaders exactly what was to happen. The plan to install a puppet govt sympathetic to Russia and so stop any chance of Georgia joining NATO... just the start!
We remember what Russians have done in Chechnia, so who is so naïve to believe that they really care about Ossetians?
Evidently, all the western countries are filled with blunt injustice people, such as this Karna, who are unable even a little thinking. Over 2000 of civilians already suffered because of their stupidity. But they are insatiable and required more and more innocent victims! Only one really democratic state of Russia is able to stop their mad bloody appetite.
If Britain or any other civilized nation invaded another country's territory to incorporate it there would be howling protests from the rest of the world. Russia is known for brutality, so the world expects this sort of behavior from them.
Abkhazian and Ossetian "cases" are totally different from that of Kosovo. Georgia's cessation from SU was illegal - it did not allow autonomies to decide their future status. Actually abkhazia and ossetia voted against cessation. So there should be no "territorial integrity" arguments.
First of all Eric, war is always terrible. It doesn`t matter who is right or wrong, who is an aggressor or a victim. I hope this war will be stopped as quickly as possible.
Russian actions may be tough. But how we can we condemn it and accept US campaign against Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq in the same time?
The West shows double standards of democracy and the others (including Russia) think the only way to survive is to gain military power. The situation can lead to a new worldwide conflict.
peace would come after the SO gets what US and EU forced on Serbia in Kosovo case - outright secession and independence. No double standards. Accept it. And work with Russia as equal and respectable partner. No more humiliation - Russia is strong, rising and not open for playing games.
I think It's ridiculous that Russia can bully smaller naions out of territory that is rightfully theirs. Once again, it's a demonstration of how Russia hasn't changed from it's former Soviet ways. All we can do now is wait and hope that Putin doesn't spark a humanitarian crisis or war on a much larger scale.
Instead of that to after dismissal of the Organizations Warszawa Agreement in 1991 begin the negotiations about installment dismissal NATO, Washington began the systematic transformation NATO in instrument of the military expansion on service beside ideologues American global hegemony, in network of the military bases, spreading from Kosovo, Poland’s and Turkey before Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Situation in South Ossetia continuation this aggressive politicians!
It'd be interesting to know who advised Mr. Saakashvili such a stupid decision to try to subdue an ethnically problematic and Russia-observed region of South Ossetia by a surprise blitzkrieg using artillery.
Were it NATO military advisors in Georgia who must be lured by the idea of Saakashvili regime "cleaning up" anything pro-Russian, even Ossetian civilians, from the proximity of "their favorite" oil pipeline - favorite because this pipeline bypasses Russia and Iran?
I would be extremely interested to see evidence to back up putins claims regarding numbers of refugees and deaths.
Paradox1: Russians paid last respects to great fighter against the Communism regime – Solzhenitsyn and in the middle of the same week the same Russians invaded Georgia with the idea of restoration of Great USSR (as Putin always repeats)?!
Paradox2: Russia is pride of its “Great History” and at the same time the ideas of restoration of USSR, who annihilated its “Great History”, by killing Nikoloz II family.
Conclusion: the situation is panic not in bombarded Georgia but in bombarding Russia?!
Paradox1: Russians paid last respects to great fighter against the Communism regime – Solzhenitsyn and in the middle of the same week the same Russians invaded Georgia with the idea of restoration of Great USSR (as Putin always repeats)?!
Paradox2: Russia is pride of its “Great History” and at the same time the ideas of restoration of USSR, who annihilated its “Great History”, by killing Nikoloz II family.
Conclusion: the situation is panic not in bombarded Georgia but in bombarding Russia?!
Don't expect Bush to anythinrg but talk, even if the U.S. Marine advisors training the Georgian Army are attacked; after all the U.S. only picks on small counties like Granada, Panama, Iraq etc.
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