Bush hits Russia on 'bullying and intimidation'

[David]

AP


WASHINGTON - President Bush on Friday accused Russia of "bullying and intimidation" against Georgia, saying that the people in the former Soviet republic chose freedom and "we will not cast them aside."

Bush, preparing to travel to his Texas ranch, said in a statement on the White House grounds that he'll keep in close touch with both Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice amid the continuing showdown between Moscow and Tibilisi over two separatist provinces in Georgia.

"Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century," Bush said. He reiterated Gates' assertion of Thursday that Moscow's behavior in Georgia has damaged its relationship with Washington and its Western allies.

"Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected," the president said.

On her way to Tbilisi, Rice said the immediate goal is to get Russian combat forces out of Georgia and more difficult questions about the status of the country's separatist regions and Russia's presence there can be addressed later.

[revwardoc]

Sounds like the Russians want to re-establish the Soviet Union whether their former "allies" want back in or not.

[Advisor]

Russia is Russia. Doesn't matter if it is Tsarist, Soviet, or whatever. This is very characteristic of the Russians.

[reconeil]

So true -so true.
It's too bad that most of America's political leaders, rulers, policy makers, ruling elite
or whatever,...refuse to realize or admit such.
Many alluded to now even believe that The North Koreans mean well & can be trusted, also

Damn!!!,...sure-as-hell hope that The Good Old USA stays or remains lucky.

Neil

[Advisor]

We persist in looking and evaluating other countries within our cultural lens. Was a disaster in Viet Nam (we tried to make them 'Mericans) and isn't much better in Iraq. We do not understand (or do we even care) the cultural frames of reference of other countries.

[Stick]

Countries that turn a blind eye to what's happening around their world are doomed to conquest by other countries that want empires and could care less of other countries that sit back and watch the world go by. The world can ill afford to have the attitude that, "Hey, it's happening over there, not here so it's none of our business. Let the other guy take care of himself."
Russia out mans and out guns a young, prospering nation, Georgia and if the world sits back all we are saying to the conqueror and the concurred is "might makes right." That attitude will only permit the world to eventually out man and out gun America and we are doomed and the first building to fall on American shores will be in a city that already saw the ravages of terror, New York City’s Manhattan Island United Nations Building.

[revwardoc]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26216434

U.S. secretary of state brokers peace deal, but new tension flares

TBILISI, Georgia - Western leaders engaged in intense diplomacy Friday to persuade Russia to follow Georgia's path and sign a cease-fire, but tensions rose after a top Russian general warned that Poland had exposed itself to attack by striking a missile defense deal with the United States.

In his strongest declaration of support for Georgia, President Bush declared that America would stand by the Georgian people and that the staunch American ally's territorial integrity must be respected after last week's eruption of violence.

"We will not cast them aside," he said in Washington.

But Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, speaking at virtually the same time, said the separatist Georgian regions at the center of the conflict appear destined for independence.

"After what happened, it's unlikely Ossetians and Abkhazians will ever be able to live together with Georgia in one state," he said in a joint news conference in the Russian resort of Sochi with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Meanwhile, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, appearing at a news conference with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the Georgian capital, said he had signed a cease-fire agreement.

But he said "this is not a done deal. We need to do our utmost to deter such behavior in the future." And he added that he would "never, ever surrender" in a showdown with Moscow over two pro-Russia separatist regions.

Rice said she had been assured that Medvedev will sign an identical document. But Medvedev's press office said it had no information Friday night on whether he had signed the cease-fire yet.

After Medvedev's meeting with Merkel, the Kremlin said in a statement that once the Georgian president signs, "Russia will sign as a mediator."

Presidential spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said South Ossetian and Abkhazian leaders already had signed the pact, and that the other mediators expected to sign it are the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The plan calls for the immediate withdrawal of Russian combat troops from Georgia, but allows Russian peacekeepers who were in South Ossetia when violence erupted to remain and take a greater role there.

Warning to Poland
As the West pressed for peace, Russian Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn was quoted by Interfax News Agency on Friday as saying that by accepting a U.S. missile defense battery Poland "is exposing itself to a strike."

He pointed out that Russian military doctrine permits the use of nuclear weapons "against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they in some way help them," Interfax reported.

Poland and the U.S. signed a deal Thursday for Poland to accept a missile defense battery as part of a system the United States says is aimed at blocking attacks by rogue nations but that Moscow claims is aimed at weakening Russia.

Also Friday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said the number of people who have been displaced by the fighting in Georgia has risen above 118,000. Some 73,000 of those are Georgians who have remained in the country, said UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond.

Meanwhile, Russian troops allowed some humanitarian supplies into the strategic city of Gori but continued their blockade, raising doubts about Russian intentions in the war-battered country.

Gori, about 45 miles west of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, is key to when — or if — Russia will honor the terms of a cease-fire that calls for both sides to pull their forces back to the positions they held before fighting broke out last week in the separatist region of South Ossetia.

Russian forces also were in several other cities deep in Georgia, officials said.

By holding Gori, Russian forces effectively cut the country in half because the city sits along Georgia's only significant east-west highway. Russian military vehicles were blocking the eastern road into the city on Friday, although they allowed in one Georgia bus filled with loaves of bread.

"It's quiet there, but now there are problems with food," said Alexander Lomaia, the head of Georgia's national security council. He said he was able to tour the city during the night.

Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said Friday that there are no Russian troops in the city of Kutaisi, Georgia's second-largest city, despite reports they were headed in that direction overnight. However, he and Lomaia both said that troops remain in the Black Sea port city of Poti.

On the outskirts of Tbilisi, Georgia stepped up aid efforts at a camp for displaced people.

"We're in a difficult situation, but our government is helping us," said Zhozhona Gogidze, a displaced person. "You know I am very ashamed, we don't have a kopeck left and I'm so hungry."

Frustrations were mounting in the capital over confusion about the cease-fire deal.

"We need to understand what the international agreement is," said Archil Rezhabidze. "All these agreements are agreed only to be broken later. We should not trust them for one minute."

In a report released Friday, Human Rights Watch said it has collected evidence of Russian warplanes using cluster bomb against civilian areas in Georgia. The international rights group urged Russia to stop using the weapons, which more than 100 nations have agreed to outlaw.

The group said Russian military aircraft killed at least 11 civilians and injured dozens in the town of Gori and the village of Ruisi. Russia's Defense Ministry denied the claim, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported, citing an unnamed official who complained that the organization gathered the information from biased witnesses.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Georgia could "forget about" getting back South Ossetia and its other breakaway province, Abkhazia. The former Soviet republic remained on edge as Russia sent tank columns to search out and destroy Georgian military equipment.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Thursday that Russia was in danger of hurting relations with the U.S. "for years to come" but said he did not see "any prospect" for the use of American military force in Georgia.

[exlrrp]

Originally Posted by David

AP


WASHINGTON -

Bush, --->preparing to travel to his Texas ranch,<--- said in a statement on the White House grounds that he'll keep in close touch with both Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice amid the continuing showdown between Moscow and Tibilisi over two separatist provinces in Georgia.

.

When the going gets tough, Bush goes on vacation, no doubt to sit and read My Pet Goat again.With over 530 days of vacation so far, this puts him well ahead of the previous "Vacation President," Ronald Reagan. Thats over 65 vacation days per year and he's not even through yet---in 5 more months I'm sure he'll squeeze in a few more weeks of brush clearing in Crawford. It seems to be the only thing he's good at.

[reconeil]

Me thinks you should more honestly re-direct your critical sarcasm to the ONE year 8 month
Lordly Democrat Majority U.S. Congress now taking care of business (actually NOT as usual),
...while ALREADY on their SECOND Five Week Campaigning or whatever Vacations.

Plus, President Bush (while on the job or not) doesn't perpetually & enemy encouragingly
Wartime Undermine,...as Majority Democrat/Leftist Political Supremacists daily do (their norm).

That alone quite worthwhile & meaningful mentioning to The American People, prior voting.
Don't you think?

Neil

[82Rigger]

While not necessarily in agreement with the way this crisis is being handled,
in all fairness I must point out that the President has access to INSTANT communications and resources whether he be in Crawford, Washington, or anywhere else. Nothing is lost by the President being in Crawford.

Steve