pk

Bush speaking in (eurasian) Georgia:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4534267.stm

"I am proud to stand beside a president (of Georgia) who has shown such spirit, determination and leadership in the cause of freedom."

*By inflicting shock and awe on the people of South Ossetia as I did on the people of Iraq! :)*

"18 months ago, Georgians returned to this square to complete the task you began in 1989.

"You gathered here armed with nothing but roses and the power of your convictions, and you claimed your liberty."

*Oh, and I forgot to mention, with many dollars of my US money!*

"And because you acted, Georgia is today both sovereign and free, and a beacon of liberty for this region and the world."

*Not to mention a symbol of ethnic cleansing.*

"You are building a free future for your children and grandchildren, and you are helping other nations to do the same."

*And when they resist, you pummel them into democracy, as we Americans did for Iraq!*

"And last year - and last year, when terrorist violence in Iraq was escalating, Georgia showed her courage. You increased your troop commitment in Iraq fivefold. The Iraqi people are grateful and so are your American and coalition allies"

*Heh, heh! Not to pat myself on the back too much, but we may have taught you a few lessons in how to pummel freedom into people! :)*

"bla, bla, bla (not a word about how just maybe Georgia should apologize for attacking South Ossetia)"

So much for Bush's attempt to resolve tensions in Georgia.

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It's enlightening (as in disturbing), to consider Bush's recent unstinting praise for Georgia in the context of Russia's August 12, 2008 UN call for renunciation of force, which was considered far too extreme by the US, Britain, etc.:

"Early this morning, Russia convened an emergency session of the UN Security Council, calling on both sides to immediately cease hostilities, return to the negotiating table and renounce the use of force -- but the last part about renouncing the use of force is exactly what Georgia's president Mikhail Saakashvili refuses to do.

The Bush Administration showed that it too has no patience with crunchy "renounce the use of force" resolutions. According to a Reuters report from earlier in the day:
At the request of Russia, the U.N. Security Council held an emergency session in New York but failed to reach consensus early Friday on a Russian-drafted statement.

The council concluded it was at a stalemate after the United States, Britain and some other members backed the Georgians in rejecting a phrase in the three-sentence draft statement that would have required both sides "to renounce the use of force," council diplomats said."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/11/opinion/main4339896.shtml

And what makes Bush's praise for Saakashvilii even more odd is that...
"Last year even Bush was denouncing the Pinochet-wannabe's violent attack on his own people during a peaceful opposition protest in Georgia's capital, as well as shutting down the opposition media and exiling of political opponents?"
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/11/opinion/main4339896.shtml

Perhaps the seeming contradiction becomes more clear when Bush's recent chumminess with McCain is looked at in the light of this information, re. McCain's lobbyist/advisor:

"Scheunemann, a bearded, pear-faced gun geek who looks like what might have happened to a GI Joe doll if it had spent years stuffing its face at pricey restaurants while power-schmoozing politicians and petty dictators, also worked for recently-disgraced Bush fundraiser Stephen Payne, lobbying for his Caspian Alliance oil business. The Caspian oil pipeline runs through Georgia, the main reason that country has tugged the heartstrings of neocons and oil plutocrats for at least a decade or more.

In 2006, McCain visited Georgia and denounced the South Ossetian separatists, proving that Scheunemann wasn't wasting his Georgian sponsor's money. At a speech he gave in a Georgian army base in Senaki, McCain declared that Georgia was America's "best friend," and that Russian peacekeepers should be thrown out."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/11/opinion/main4339896.shtml

So what seemed to happen so suddenly (to most of us who likely hadn't even heard of Ossetia) didn't happen so suddenly after all. I wonder if some of the media that have been villifying Russia since Georgia attacked Russia had their stories written long ago!

Russian won the war on the ground, but who is winning the war on in the media and how long has this been in the works?

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"The invasion was backed up by a PR offensive so layered and sophisticated that I even got an hysterical call today from a hedge fund manager in New York, screaming about an "investor call" that Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze made this morning with some fifty leading Western investment bank managers and analysts. I've since seen a J.P. Morgan summary of the conference call, which pretty much reflects the talking points later picked up by the US media.

These kinds of conference calls are generally conducted by the heads of companies in order to give banking analysts guidance. But as the hedge fund manager told me today, "The reason Lado did this is because he knew the enormous PR value that Georgia would gain by going to the money people and analysts, particularly since Georgia is clearly the aggressor this time." As a former investment banker who worked in London and who used to head the Bank of Georgia, Gurgenidze knew what he was doing. "Lado is a former banker himself, so he knew that by framing the conflict for the most influential bankers and analysts in New York, that these power bankers would then write up reports and go on CNBC and argue Lado Gurgenidze's talking points. It was brilliant, and now you're starting to see the American media shift its coverage from calling it Georgia invading Ossetian territory, to the new spin, that it's Russian imperial aggression against tiny little Georgia."

The really scary thing about this investor conference call is that it suggests real planning. As the hedge fund manager told me, "These things aren't set up on an hour's notice"
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/11/opinion/main4339896.shtml

"Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was taking his own appeal directly to the American people. The Georgian leader made appearances on morning network and cable news shows."
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/08/bush_us_military...

Funny, that. You'd think Saakashvilii would be preoccuppied with spending time in coordinating relief efforts at home and negotiating with Russia!

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Bush spoke at the Rose Garden today:

"Good morning. I've just met with my national security team to discuss the crisis in Georgia. I've spoken with President Saakashvili of Georgia, and President Sarkozy of France this morning."

*Uh, did Bush forget to talk to the Russian leader?*

"The United States strongly supports France's efforts, as President of the European Union, to broker an agreement that will end this conflict."

*Of course, the EU, being an ally of Georgia, can hardly be in a position to broker an agreement to end the conlict, right George?*

"Russia has also stated that it has halted military operations and agreed to a provisional cease-fire."

*Actually, what Russia did was declare that it had achieved its military objectives and that it would not pursue any further objectives, unless they became necessary.*

"All forces, including Russian forces, have an obligation to protect innocent civilians from attack."

*This is an example of Bush's lovely talent for unintentional humor! Mr. Death speaks on the sanctity of life!*

"With these concerns in mind, I have directed a series of steps to demonstrate our solidarity with the Georgian people and bring about a peaceful resolution to this conflict. I'm sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to France, where she will confer with President Sarkozy. She will then travel to Tbilisi, where she will personally convey America's unwavering support for Georgia's democratic government. On this trip she will continue our efforts to rally the free world in the defense of a free Georgia."

*Not a word, George, about the rights and freedoms of the people of South Ossetia? Are they non-people?*

"I've also directed Secretary of Defense Bob Gates to begin a humanitarian mission to the people of Georgia, headed by the United States military. This mission will be vigorous and ongoing. A U.S. C-17 aircraft with humanitarian supplies is on its way. And in the days ahead we will use U.S. aircraft, as well as naval forces, to deliver humanitarian and medical supplies.

We expect Russia to honor its commitment to let in all forms of humanitarian assistance. We expect Russia to ensure that all lines of communication and transport, including seaports, airports, roads, and airspace, remain open for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and for civilian transit. We expect Russia to meet its commitment to cease all military activities in Georgia. And we expect all Russian forces that entered Georgia in recent days to withdraw from that country."

*Ok, let me get this straight. The US is sending a military mission into Georgia, but Russia is supposed to withdraw its military mission, even though there is no truce!!!*

"As I have made clear, Russia's ongoing action raise serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region. In recent years, Russia has sought to integrate into the diplomatic, political, economic, and security structures of the 21st century. The United States has supported those efforts. Now Russia is putting its aspirations at risk by taking actions in Georgia that are inconsistent with the principles of those institutions. To begin to repair the damage to its relations with the United States, Europe, and other nations, and to begin restoring its place in the world, Russia must keep its word and act to end this crisis.''"

*Now wait a minute, George! Didn't you just finish saying that Georgia's attack on South Ossetia improved its chances of being embraced by Nato? How come the same logic don't work for Russia? And, by the way, who the hell are you to tell Russia and eveyone else what to do? And anyway, isn't a peacekeeping operation, such as the one Russia has been doing, very much in line with Nato's supposed mandate?*

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The Russian President Medvedev said this:

"President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev has declared August 13 a day of mourning for the humanitarian disaster in South Ossetia.

The President signed a decree 'On Declaring a Day of Mourning for the Humanitarian Disaster in South Ossetia:

Georgian forces, in violation of the peace agreements in place in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone and the UN Charter, and with the sanction of the Georgian leadership, illegally invaded and attempted to seize South Ossetian territory on August 8, 2008, using aviation, heavy artillery and guns and killing the local population. This act constitutes genocide against the South Ossetian people. The city of Tskhinvali and other towns have been practically destroyed, creating a humanitarian disaster in South Ossetia.

Furthermore, an armed attack was launched against a Russian Armed Forces contingent stationed in the region in accordance with international agreements for normalising the situation in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone, which constitutes an act of aggression under the terms of the UN General Assembly's resolution of December 14, 1974."

Oddly none of this information showed up in Bush's comments. It seems John McCain, not noted for his grasp of facts, knew more about South Ossetia 2 years ago than Bush knows now.

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As always, Condi seems to have has the last word:

"Russia must end its military operations," Rice said
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/rice-warns-russia-of-isolation/2008/08/...

It seems that the office of Secretary of State of the United States incorporates authority as head of state of Russia!! It didn't used to be that way, but things are changing rapidly in the New World Order. We don't talk things though. We just tell people what do do. I mean, isn't it funny that Shaakasvilii started the war, and he's had all kinds of visitors to discuss things with him, but the only person who has bothered to talk to the Russians is Sarkozy!

And he only did that so he could trumpet a peace agreement that as far as I can tell is fiction. Russia's Medvedev only agreed to a cessation of military activities. that was highly conditional at that, as far as I've been able to tell from reading various sources. How could he agree to anything else, considering Shaakasvillii isn't even talking to him. One would think an apology for attacking South Ossetia would be a good start towards peace. Any sign of that, or is Shaakasvillii having too much fun in the Western Media circus?