Russia is not going quietly. In fact, they’re not going at all:
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the statement Thursday simultaneously with the announcement that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was meeting in the Kremlin with the separatist regions’ leaders.
“One can forget about any talk about Georgia’s territorial integrity because, I believe, it is impossible to persuade South Ossetia and Abkhazia to agree with the logic that they can be forced back into the Georgian state,” Lavrov told reporters.
The Russians continue to destroy key Georgian facilities under their control:
Scattered explosions were still reported. In Washington, a U.S. official told the Associated Press that the Russian military was apparently destroying airfields and other Georgian miltiary equipment.
Charles Krauthammer believes, correctly in my opinion, that Putin has much more ambitious, and dangerous, goals in mind:
The road to the capital, Tbilisi, is open, but apparently Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has temporarily chosen to seek his objectives through military pressure and Western acquiescence rather than by naked occupation.
His objectives are clear. They go beyond detaching South Ossetia and Abkhazia from Georgia and absorbing them into Russia. They go beyond destroying the Georgian army, leaving the country at Russia’s mercy.
The real objective is the Finlandization of Georgia through the removal of President Mikheil Saakashvili and his replacement by a Russian puppet.
The assistance plans President Bush announced yesterday were positive but bolder diplomatic steps are needed. My hope is that there are also significant, but less overt, initiatives underway to assist Georgia in what looks to be an emerging protracted struggle.
One Response
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August 15th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
It is unforgivable that the US betrayed an ally in time of need. President Bush is nothing more than a base coward whose first response was to hide when the war broke out. Since the government failed to act by directly supporting the Republic of Georgia it is up to the American People. What can we do?
1. First, always complain to your Representatives and Senators. Call for any and all means to restore Georgian Sovereignty. This of course will accomplish little to nothing as most politicians are base cowards and sycophants, but you have to try.
2. Domestic Energy – I know we don’t like the topic, but it has to be aired and new sources of fuel, both conventional and alternative must be found and developed.
3. Withdraw any and all investments in Russia and Russian Firms. Call on American companies to not do business in Russia.
4. Here’s where things get a bit more direct – protest at Russian consultants and Embassies. Interfere with traffic in and out. Submit bogus requests to waste their time and energy.
5. Take down Russia websites and servers – hackers attack. Cost them as much money as possible.
6. Support Georgian resistance groups when the time comes.