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Mercnbeth -> Russia Invades Georgia (8/11/2008 12:39:25 PM)
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I thought the cold war was over? I think there was even a speech given by one of the candidates to that effect recently in Berlin.
So what's up with this? No plans for a global singing of 'kum bi ya' in the foreseeable future after all it seems.
quote:
Earlier in the day, Russian premier Vladimir Putin raised the stakes over the conflict by lashing out at the U.S. as the fighting continued to escalate in the region.
The Russian prime minister rejected calls from Georgia for a ceasefire and declared that his country would pursue its mission to its 'logical conclusion'.
A day after a face-to-face meeting with President George W. Bush in Beijing who expressed 'grave concern', Mr Putin accused the U.S. of siding with Georgia by ferrying Georgian troops from Iraq to the battle zone.
'It is a shame that some of our partners are not helping us but, essentially, are hindering us,' said Mr Putin. 'The very scale of this cynicism is astonishing.'
Source: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23530546-details/Defiant+Putin+accuses+US+of+'helping+Georgia'+as+fighting+escalates+amid+fears+of+ground+invasion/article.do
Can't say what was the most disturbing vision; the tanks rolling into Georgia or President Bush sharing popcorn at the Olympic opening ceremony with Prime Minister Putin.
For anyone keeping score on the political party representative candidates; here is their latest reaction. Both coming from the same source, ABC news. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=5552954&page=1
Senator McCain:
quote:
McCain has called Russia's Vladimir Putin many things, few of them good. He's called Putin "a totalitarian dictator" and famously said he looked into his eyes and saw three letters "K, G and B," a reference to Putin's former employer, the Soviet spy agency. And when hostilities erupted along the Georgia-Russia border, McCain was characteristically bold and quick to act.
He spoke by phone to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and White House National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, then quickly rearranged his schedule to make his statement on the crisis his first event of the day. And he didn't mince words.
"Russia should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory," he said in a morning statement.
Senator Obama:
quote:
Obama also condemned the Russian invasion. But he cast a wider net for advice -- including Hadley, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and his foreign policy advisors. When he spoke, he was characteristically circumspect.
"I think it is important at this point for all sides to show restraint and to stop this armed conflict," Obama said. The candidates' responses reveal a stark difference in governing style, and both seem carefully calibrated to appeal to American voters.
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