OT this worry anybody else?

[brywool]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/13/us.russia.diplomacy/index.html?eref=rss_topstories


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush said Wednesday he is dispatching U.S. military personnel to Georgia in a "vigorous and ongoing" mission to provide humanitarian aid to victims of the fighting between Russian and Georgian troops.
President Bush on Wednesday calls on Russia to remove its troops from Georgia.

Shortly after Bush spoke, the White House announced that a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo jet carrying medical supplies arrived in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

Another C-17 is to arrive in Tbilisi on Thursday carrying more supplies, including 104,000 doses of antibiotics requested by the Georgian Ministry of Health, a State Department spokesman said. The value of both shipments is $1.28 million, he said.

Bush said more U.S. military aid missions were planned by the Navy and Air Force.

He warned Russia not to interfere with any relief efforts.

"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," Bush said at the White House.

Russia sent troops and tanks into the breakaway Georgia region of South Ossetia last week after Georgia's military acted to clamp down on Russian-linked separatists there. Separatists in South Ossetia want independence -- or unification with North Ossetia, which is in Russia.

Russian forces have since moved out of South Ossetia and into other parts of Georgia.
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Bush said he expected Russia to honor a truce agreement made Tuesday.

"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," Bush said.

The president said he was sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Europe to express "America's unwavering support" for the Georgian government.

Rice said Russia cannot act like its Soviet forebears.

"This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia, where Russia can threaten its neighbors, occupy a capital and get away with it," Rice said Wednesday, referring to the Soviet Union sending troops into Prague that year to stop the Czechoslovak government's attempts at liberalization.

"It's time to stop this so that Russia can dig out of the hole it's gotten itself into," Rice said. "Russia has seriously overreached."

Rice will travel to France, which negotiated the cease-fire between Russia and Georgia on Tuesday. Rice will then head to Tbilisi, Bush said.

Next week, Rice will travel to NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, acting as the president of the European Union, had negotiated the cease-fire agreement between Russia and Georgia, which called on the two nations to return to the positions they held on August 6, before Georgia's crackdown on South Ossetia. Video Watch Bush express support for Georgia's democracy »

Administration officials said the United States and its European allies were considering kicking Russia out of the G-8, the group of the world's largest industrial economies, and other international organizations as punishment for its actions in Georgia. They also said Russia's relationship with NATO is also at risk. Video Watch Russian tanks move toward Tbilisi »

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili criticized the United States on Wednesday during an interview with CNN for not taking more measures to help. Video Watch Saakashvili fault the U.S. response »

"America is losing the whole region, and this is the region of eastern and central Europe," said Saakashvili, who called for U.S. and European powers to send peacekeepers to the region. "This is much bigger than any other place where there is American influence, and this is the most natural allies of America."

But U.S. officials said they warned Saakashvili not to provoke Russia militarily by sending Georgian troops into South Ossetia and that they had ruled out any U.S. military action to defend Georgia.

Russia's move in Georgia is happening amid an overall struggle between the United States and Russia for influence within Eastern Europe. From Russia's point of view, American support for Georgia is a direct threat to its influence.
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By striking heavily in Georgia, Russia is sending a signal to other former Soviet republics, such as Ukraine and Moldova, said Sarah Mendelson, the director of the Human Rights and Security Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"If I were a neighbor of Russia and I saw what Russia had done in Georgia, I would be very nervous," Mendelson said. "I think those countries that are leaning toward the West are very nervous today."
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[epresley]

Yeah, this scares the hell out of me. Russia isn't some pussy country like Iraq or Afghanistan. We don't need any of that.

[StoneCold]

Coming soon to your local TV...

WW3

followed by ... EOTWAWKI.

[S2M]

EWWWWW, an REM reference!

[epresley]

EWWWWW, an REM reference!

REM will be the least of our worries if this shit hits the fan.

[Arkansas]

Oh I bet the Bush/Putin conversation in China went something like this.

Hi/Hi
So whatsup over there?/Just gotta show a little strength. We really want Georgia back.
Hey we got a state named Georgia./Yeah, saw that on the map.
So you gonna ease up a little?/Yeah, after a few days.
Ya know, we gotta respond./Oh George, stay out.
Hey, you ever notice that you're in Georgia and my name is George?/Yeah.
Well, just for the sake of NATO and democracy, we'll need to come throw some weight around too./Okay.
We won't shoot at you, so don't shoot at us./Okay.
We'll make it look like we really care and then we'll get out./Okay.
Hey, you guys gonna win a bunch of medals here?/Hope so...more than you.
Great to see you Vlad./Bye bye Georgia...I mean, George.
Heyyyyyyyy.../<Putin shrugs shoulders with a grin.>


later~

[brywool]

Yeah-Actually, Iraq hasn't turned out as 'pussy' as everyone thought, which probably means Russian could thump us in 20 minutes.

[RedWingFan]

Yeah-Actually, Iraq hasn't turned out as 'pussy' as everyone thought, which probably means Russian could thump us in 20 minutes.

Um. Actually Hussein's Iraq Royal Guard were steamrolled by the U.S. coalition and he was found hiding in a hole. You do realize we're fighting AlQaida with Iraqis as our allies right? Afghanistan as well. It was the Russian's while they were still the Soviet Union that got their asses handed to them by the Afghans. Other than that you're right on the money.

[ScarabGator]

Iraq is no pussy, in fact their war tactics of suicide bombers is more than any super power could adjust to. Russia is not suicide bombers-they are a country that has struggled for many years now-their military is not up to US and our allies task. I worry as a Military family guy but I know we could push them back out.

[conversationpc]

Iraq is no pussy, in fact their war tactics of suicide bombers is more than any super power could adjust to. Russia is not suicide bombers-they are a country that has struggled for many years now-their military is not up to US and our allies task. I worry as a Military family guy but I know we could push them back out.

Their military is in better shape than most people think. Despite their outward appearance of reform over the last 15 or so years, they have continued massive military spending in the background the whole time.

[tj]

Iraq is no pussy, in fact their war tactics of suicide bombers is more than any super power could adjust to. Russia is not suicide bombers-they are a country that has struggled for many years now-their military is not up to US and our allies task. I worry as a Military family guy but I know we could push them back out.

Their military is in better shape than most people think. Despite their outward appearance of reform over the last 15 or so years, they have continued massive military spending in the background the whole time.

Agreed.

If Putin is anything, he is a cold, calculating Soviet. His background is a lifetime in the KGB, never known to be a humanitarian organization. His goal from day 1 in power has been to restore the former Soviet empire. Georgia, Poland, Ukraine, etc. have attempted to align with the West (US, Britain, etc.). Putin has fought it every step of the way.

He believes that if he invades those countries again, we will complain, but ultimately just sit by afraid of provoking Russia and the Chinese. Drawing both of them into a conflict would be a struggle like we have never seen and possibly would not survive.

[Don]

What is ironic is that while Russia is calling out Georgia over the issue of autonomy for South Ossetia, They are brutally surpressing an autonomous movement in Siberia.The media seems to be missing this side of the story.

[conversationpc]

What is ironic is that while Russia is calling out Georgia over the issue of autonomy for South Ossetia, They are brutally surpressing an autonomous movement in Siberia.The media seems to be missing this side of the story.

Russia has NEVER made a serious attempt at democracy. Never. Anatoliy Golitsyn, a KGB defector to the west, accurately predicted the "collapse" of the Soviet Union long before it actually happened. If there's a conspiracy theory to be believed in, this would be the one. I haven't looked into it in depth, but much of what I've heard makes a lot of sense.

[StoneCold]

EWWWWW, an REM reference!

Damn your fast. Deciphered EOTWAWKI and replied in the same minute as the original post.

Time for Jeopardy.

[StoneCold]

Oh I bet the Bush/Putin conversation in China went something like this.

Hi/Hi
So whatsup over there?/Just gotta show a little strength. We really want Georgia back.
Hey we got a state named Georgia./Yeah, saw that on the map.
So you gonna ease up a little?/Yeah, after a few days.
Ya know, we gotta respond./Oh George, stay out.
Hey, you ever notice that you're in Georgia and my name is George?/Yeah.
Well, just for the sake of NATO and democracy, we'll need to come throw some weight around too./Okay.
We won't shoot at you, so don't shoot at us./Okay.
We'll make it look like we really care and then we'll get out./Okay.
Hey, you guys gonna win a bunch of medals here?/Hope so...more than you.
Great to see you Vlad./Bye bye Georgia...I mean, George.
Heyyyyyyyy.../<Putin shrugs shoulders with a grin.>


later~

Probably close to the truth too.

[jourmapac]

this is big WORRY for everybody, we dont need this right now, we dont need this ever ...

this should be resolve diplomatically asap...

[texafana]

Not even worth worrying about. I did all that crap back in the 70's. The best thing to do is voice your opinion if that's what you choose to do, and then if and when the bombs drop, grab your loved one. That's it....

[StoneCold]

Not even worth worrying about. I did all that crap back in the 70's. The best thing to do is voice your opinion if that's what you choose to do, and then if and when the bombs drop, grab your loved one. That's it....

As I read, the peripheral vision gave me "grab..." , ha, thought it was gonna be...


"grab you ankles and kiss your ass goodbye."

[StoneCold]

Brywool, I vote for retitling the thread, "What, me worry?"

[jourmapac]

Not even worth worrying about. I did all that crap back in the 70's. The best thing to do is voice your opinion if that's what you choose to do, and then if and when the bombs drop, grab your loved one. That's it....

I was not yet really aware back then of anything, my mom & pop would probably be doing the grabbing, but now I have my own kids to think of ...

with the price of oil spiking, now they are bombing Oil/Gas Lines over there, we, the rest of the world really don't need this...

[The Sushi Hunter]

Yeah-Actually, Iraq hasn't turned out as 'pussy' as everyone thought, which probably means Russian could thump us in 20 minutes.

Um. Actually Hussein's Iraq Royal Guard were steamrolled by the U.S. coalition and he was found hiding in a hole. You do realize we're fighting AlQaida with Iraqis as our allies right? Afghanistan as well. It was the Russian's while they were still the Soviet Union that got their asses handed to them by the Afghans. Other than that you're right on the money.

Right on the money. Let me add to this that the then Soviet Union was fighting not only the Afghans but also AlQaida during that ten year conflict. We then fucked up Husseins Iraqi Royal Guard in 91', which rendered that fucker's military to behave about as effective as a broken toaster oven. At which point, AlQaida trickled out of Afghanistan and into Iraq. Now since we had to revisit that fucking place after 9-11, we are now fighting many of the same groups of people that the Russians were fighting during their ten year fucking conflict, but only now in Iraq. Does any of this make sense or am I fucking being rediculous about it?