Condi Rice Presser: Bush Expects Russia to Honor Cease-Fire; US Troops Will Lead Humanitarian Mission
VERY UNDIPLOMATIC: "This is not 1968."

That last bit is bold, and as most shows of boldness are, pretty dangerous.

They used to say that the US troops in Germany couldn't stand up to a concerted Soviet attack; there were too few and they couldn't be reinforced in time. (Subsequent events seem to show US troops and airpower probably could have stopped the Soviets cold, but no matter for this point.) The troops were there, it was said, as a "tripwire force," a legion which couldn't hold but which the Soviets knew could also not be attacked without inviting full-scale world war, most likely of the nuclear sort.

I don't know if that's Bush's thinking here, but it seems that the presence of US troops could dissuade the Russians from further mass-murder... or else wind up in a much bigger war than Putin anticipated.

Condi Rice is traveling to Tblisi to demonstrate the country's support of Georgia and the Georgian government. She also insults and threatens Russia (Group of 8, Olympics, etc.) in some undiplomatically blunt language:

"It's very clear to me that the consequences of that which are already quite significant because of the way Russia has brutally pushed this military operation well beyond the bounds of anything that might have related to South Ossetia calls into question Russia's suitability for all kinds of activities that it has said it wants to be a part of. We'll get to that matter in due course."

"Bombing civilian targets... These are hardly moves that are related to South Ossetia."

Russia has, by the way, threatened to stop "helping" us with Iran unless we back their Georgian adventure.

You know, all that "help" they're providing, like building Iran all its fucking breeder nuclear reactors.

Heh: A Russian journalist/KGB stooge for Putin is now telling Condi Rice today is a "day of national mourning in Russia" due to losses in South Ossetia caused "by the Georgians." He wants her to "acknowledge" this. "We all know what the Georgians did."

Now asking if the US warned Georgia not to provoke Russia, or "if they did their own thing."

Trust me, this is fucking funnier in this guy's accent.

Her answer: "What would be very useful right now, and is absolutely necessary at this point, and indeed the US insists, that Russia live up to the obligations it undertook just 24 hours ago."

KGB stooge now saying that after 9/11 the US took "disproportionate action" and wants to know why the Russians can't too. They're just creating a "buffer zone," you know. What is is all de static, Sexy Lady? Why do you not wish to swing with us?

Again: The accent. And the stupid fucking Boris and Natasha robotic talking points.

Her response is very tough indeed:

"This is not 1968. And the invasion of Czechoslovakia, where Russia can threaten a neighbor, occupy a capital, and overthrow a government, and get away with it. Things have changed."

Shepard Smith, Fuck You: "In the big picture, [Condi's statement about further isolation] plays into Vladimir Putin's wants and needs."

I hate this fucking mancunt. Tell me, is there anyone in the liberal MSM who's as in-your-face with his liberal talking points than Shepard Smith? Maybe David Shuster and a few other.

Actually... Now that I think about it... I was heartened by Condi's toughness here, but now I'm worried: Has she been so tough-talking that Putin can't back down anymore?

I knock diplomacy all the time but if a situation can be negotiated, great. I'm worried now that this overly-assertive tough talk actually may be used as Putin as a pretext for refusal to stop driving to swallow up Georgia.

If talk like this was necessary... man, keep it private. She just fucking called Vladimir Putin out.

Perhaps the private talk wasn't working, and it was clear that Russia intended a full coup and recapture of the country of Georgia, and this dictated the toughness here.

Maybe.

But if I'm going to be a cynic... Condi Rice's statement has all but guaranteed Russia will not permit US troops safe passage via sea, air, and land as she demanded.

The super-cynical view is that Bush made this demand in language calculated to provoke a refusal in order to make a show of his determination to insert troops into Georgia, while actually not wanting to do that at all. Getting credit for "trying" to help the Georgians with military-provided humanitarian aid, while making sure no US troops were actually in the difficult position as tripwires for a spiraling full-on Russia-US confrontation.

US Troops Will Lead Humanitarian Mission
VERY UNDIPLOMATIC: "This is not 1968."&bodytext=That last bit is bold, and as most shows of boldness are, pretty dangerous. They used to say that the US troops in Germany couldn't stand up to a concerted Soviet attack; there were too few and they couldn't be...&topic=world_news"> posted by Ace at 03:13 PM

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