The war is apparently over in Georgia:
A reluctant Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Friday he signed a cease-fire agreement with Russia and declared in the presence of the chief U.S. diplomat that the West had behaved in ways that invited the invasion.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she had been assured that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will sign an identical document. The United States says the pact protects the former Soviet republic’s interests despite concessions to Moscow.
“With this signature by Georgia, this must take place and take place now,” Rice said. She did not say what, if anything, the United States would do if Russia defies the truce.
So, according to the clown who started this mess by launching an assault into South Ossetia, the “West” and the US are to blame for the Russian response. On the bright side, at least our humanitarian aid and assistance is getting there in a timely fashion:
As of late Thursday, Ankara, a NATO ally, hadn’t cleared any U.S. naval vessels to steam to Georgia through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles, the narrow straits that connect the Mediterranean and the Black Seas, the officials said. Under the 1936 Montreaux Convention, countries must notify Turkey before sending warships through the straits.
Pentagon officials told McClatchy that they were increasingly dubious that any U.S. Navy vessels would join the aid operation, in large part because the U.S.-based hospital ships likely to go, the USNS Comfort and the USNS Mercy, would take weeks to arrive.
“The president was writing checks to the Georgians without knowing what he had in the bank,” said a senior administration official.
“The president got out in front of the planning when he talked publicly about using naval forces,” said a second senior administration official. “At that point we need to look at treaty obligations, our bilateral relations with the Turks and others, waterway restrictions and what kind of ships might be appropriate and usable — something like the Comfort or something already in the Med (Mediterranean).”
The U.S. officials requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, because the issue is diplomatically sensitive or because the administration takes a dim view of officials who reveal its internal deliberations.
I am so inspired by our administration’s deft handling of the humanitarian aid aspect of this crisis that I broke out photoshop for the occasion.
At this point, I think it is fair to wonder if we can survive the next few months Bush is in office without nuclear armageddon.
cervantes
You forgot to mention that this leaves McCain in full tilt at a windmill. I wonder what his official Lieberman-led delegation to the first international crisis since the end of the Cold War is going to do now?
Punchy
The conversation between Turkey and Bush
God damn that’s funny.
Ninerdave
That picture is clearly photoshopped, you can see the erasing around the stern and the font is not a maritime font.
Brother Flaming Taser of Warm Reason
As I said in the other thread regarding the region and Iran specifically:
rawshark
That pic rocks. LOL
Just Some Fuckhead
What an embarassment to have our Secretary of State sharing the stage with a gelded Georgian president who seems pathologically incapable – like our own president – of acknowleding his own mistakes in this colossal fuckup.
Future headline: Bush Loses Alaska, McCain: We Are All Alaskans Now
GSD
Stupidity is running thick in the world. You’d think that these puny proxy nations that are being used as Cheneyite/neo-con chesspieces would have caught on by now.
Just because they say they support you won’t make you a victor in a hasty and ill-conceieved war.
Ask the Fatah mooks that took CIA arms and tried taking on Hamas.
Ask the Lebanese mooks that took CIA arms and tried taking on Hezbollah.
Ask the Israeli mooks who tried taking on Hezbollah.
Add Georgia to the list of fail.
There’s only two more months for shots at failed takeovers of Syria and Iran.
Place your bets.
-GSD
Stooleo
I’ve been thinking this for months, if not years.
cleek
frankly, i think McCain is even more dangerous than Bush. at least Bush can remember his positions from day to day and isn’t walking around shaking his fist at people.
Dracula
Josh Marshall has been hammering this point home daily for almost a week. What a mixture of bellicosity, belligerance, and bravado would yield in foreign policy. Scary.
Sister Machine Gun of Mild Harmony
Wow. If we could profit from exporting ‘Fail’, the Bush administration would have our GDP rising faster than China.
chopper
oh boy, yet another cease-fire that georgia will ignore, just like the one in 1992 and in the one in 2004.
Tom65
I’m sure McCain will find some way to take credit for this. And the media will eat it up.
demkat620
Yes but this is all good news for McCain. Americans have to elect the crazy guy. Cause you know the other, he’s black.
dbrown
In New York (the Bronx), a pregnant woman was pinned (and killed)underneath a school bus. Twenty people got together and lifted the bus off the woman so a doctor could deliver the child (who is alive and in critical condition.)
Talk about real life super-hero’s!
Calouste
Which is why, after the Russians have pulled all of their troops out of Georgia in a few weeks time, the only military hardware they will leave behind for the Georgians will be a bicycle and two pistols with a single bullet between them. Just read the news reports, the Russians have been very busy dismantling military bases and “securing” left behind arms. And the US can’t be seen as providing more hardware to Georgia at the moment, because that will be seen as fanning the flames.
The $500 million Georgia spend on the military last year (at least a 10 fold increase in 5 years), apparently needed if they wanted to join NATO, has been more or less wiped out.
Ugh
Love the picture.
As Fred Thompson’s character in the Hunt for Red October: This business will get out of control, and we’ll be lucky to live through it.
McCain: Hot war with Russia? Fnck yeah!
Jay C
So Georgian Pres. Shaakashvili “reluctantly” signs the cease-fire: and still blames somebody else for the results of the war that he started.
No wonder McCain and the neocons love this dude so much: he’s absorbed all the blame-shifting, ass-covering, self-exculpatory excuse-mongering they’ve been expounding on US. And learned it to a tee.
Asshole: this blood-stained botch of a war (and mostly Georgian blood, at that) ought to earn Mikheil Saakashvili a one-way trip to a cell in The Hague: more likely John McCain and Joe Lieberman will nominate him for the Nobel Prize…
chopper
russia is likely to leave some influence down the middle of georgia. hell, that’s why they kept rolling past the southern border of south ossetia in the first place – they’re hedging their bets regarding US hegemony in the middle east. see specifically a US-led confrontation with moscow’s buddies in iran; since iran is so sensitive to an embargo, supplies through their northern border from russia would be their lifeline. and the only thing in the way b/w russia and iran’s northern border is armenia (a strong ally of moscow, which already supports a large russian military base) and georgia.
we just gave russia the means to more easily connect logistically to iran and mute any economic embargo we could pursue with the part of our military that isn’t tied up in iraq and afghanistan. way to go, guys!
Dennis - SGMM
How can anyone blame McCain and the rest of the Republican dullards for jonesing for a return of the good ol’ binary Cold War world? No need for understanding culture, history, or religion, just We good – They bad.
Even McCain can understand that.
Tim
Do I have this straight? The loser signs a ceasefire, and then Condi says the winner better sign the same thing or else? What happened to the one the French had?
jake
Awesome pshop John.
Why do I suspect this un-named traitor to the Chimperor came very close to giving the unbowlderized version of this statement?
They’ve been mainlining that crap for the past eight years, I’m surprised they haven’t OD’d.
Of course, you can’t justify the really obscenely huge government contracts without an enemy the size of Russia…
Ari
Of *course* Saakashvili is going to claim that “West had behaved in ways that invited the invasion.” What else was he going to say? That this misjudgment was his fault? Um, hello. Elected political leader (and presumably ex-leader in the near future). He has all of the credibility here of a defense lawyer announcing the innocence of his client: it may actually be true, but he’s hardly a neutral party.
In the battle of truth between our ultra-competent, scrupulously honest administration and ultra-competent Saakashvili, we’ll probably never know exactly who managed to drop the ball more and who’s coming the least close to the truth, but let’s not give Saakashvili a free ride here just to go after Bush.
PS: Pat Buchanan? That’s the best we can find for condemning this?
The Grand Panjandrum
Bush is that really drunk annoying asshole at the bar that some guy walks up to and punches in the teeth because he won’t STFU.
But Bush still has all his deadenders. These bastards could fail at anything and the NRO/Weekly Standard crowd would be humming few bars and trying to fake it. Jesus what a fucking disgraceful bunch of cowards.
Tom S
Georgia does not share a border with Iran. There are a couple of former SSR ‘stans between them.
amocz
I’ve always thought that this post by Chris Floyd says it all regarding the evergreen obsession of the neocon militarists with “commies” ( = Russkies = Chinks ) and the by-now-subliminal frame that they have been at setting up for a century:
Why settle for second-string when the A-Team is available!
binzinerator
It’s been proven yet again: Like a reverse Midas, everything Bush touches turns to shit.
p.a.
Like most everyone out there, I would like to lead a long, healthy life. I just want to be around long enough, and be sharp enough, to see how the next generation of historians try to make sense of the W presidency. It’s not in my top 10 reasons for wanting to last a while, but I am curious. It might make a good drinking game; think up titles to future books/articles on the Bush ’43 administration. How about The Zero in the Oval Office; not very good, but a start.
TCG
How about we send Doug Feith over to Georgia so can Strategerize with Saakashvilli over how to pay Russia back.
While we are at it, maybe we can get rid of Wolfie too.
Jeff
What a mixture of bellicosity, belligerance, and bravado would yield in foreign policy.
Not to mention buffonery!
Brachiator
The Russians have effectively neutered the Georgians by destroying their military infrastructure. As for pulling out troops — oddly, the Russians seem to be leaving a number of peacekeepers in place. And the “peacekeepers” look amazingly like Russian troops, only with different headgear.
And yet, the US is still fanning flames in the area by crowing about its missle deal with Poland.
Meanwhile, neo-con pundits are working overtime to use the Georgia fiasco as an opportunity to bolster McCain’s street cred as the “tough on foreign policy” alternative to that mushy, diplomatic Obama, and also to signal Israel that a McCain administration would be seriously pro “security” through bellicose engagement. The neocons are also working hard to obscure a central fact of the Georgian conflict. Bush calls Russia bullies, but the background on what happened is more complex (Russians losing propaganda war):
The new Republican policy, apparently endorsed by McCain, is that there are only three types of nations under the GOP world order: The Mighty U.S. of A., evildoers, and countries that do what we want.
I’m not sure how this is playing outside the Beltway and Wingnutistan, where apparently there are people who believe that Russia should be punished forever because they once embraced godless Communism.
And Saakashvili doesn’t realize how perilous it might be to count on the US to be best friends for life.
It seems like only yesterday when Musharraf of Pakistan was a loyal ally, helping the U.S. in the War on Terror ™. And now, he is scrambling to avoid impeachment (Musharraf resignation deal denied):
The gutless goobers who make up the Democratic leadership in the U.S. Congress should take notes.
Notorious P.A.T.
Can we borrow Pakistan’s parliament?
Srbin
Open atlas from time to time and see who is between Iran and Georgia…
Robert Johnston
We can. I’m sure there are dozens of countries that would eagerly bid to have Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al. renditioned their way. Sure, we can’t export all our fail–fear that Gonzales is contagious would mean we’d have to pay to have him carted away–but I’m sure we can export enough of it so that Bush’s heirs will be able to say that he balanced the budget.
chopper
you responding to me? cause i could have sworn i specifically brought up the fact that armenia is right between georgia and iran. look at a map.
dbrown
China hates and fears the Russians and the Russians realize that over a billion and growing Chinese are looking over the border at a vast empty, resource filled Siberia populated by a shrinking Russian population; also, remember, China has thousands of short range (i.e. these can’t reach the US; interesting, the Chinese only have 18 land based ICBMs that can reach the US) nukes pointed at the Russians and the Russians have returned the favor – so, neocons need to consider which country (both will be desperate) will get our support … wait, neocons want both those countries to uniteagainst us and fear us! Great, only a neocon wants war on two fronts … no, make that three (Islam) … these guys are as dumb as Hitler.
LanceThruster
If Israel can’t get its war with Iran going, expect a false-flag dirty bomb attack.
dbrown
And the million dollar question – which country will lanuch it (Israel?) and which gets hit (Irsael or the US?).
dbrown
For setting the bomb off, I should have said cheney and his special seals or Israel?
Cromagnon
Thanks for the reminder. I live about 3 miles from a primary target
LanceThruster
Here’s what Angelinos should know about a nuke attack as per the Rand Corp.
Considering the Effects of a Catastrophic Terrorist Attack
Ed Marshall
Thanks for the reminder. I live about 3 miles from a primary target
Supposedly, me to.
Back then it was because I lived in the machine-tool capital of the world. The theory was that if you want to really break a society if you destroy the machine-tool industry you can’t rebuild anything else.
I hope someone told the Russians we shipped all that off to Asia years ago.
calipygian
Has anyone seen pics of Georgia’s Transport Ministry?
Or the cock and balls like Tbilisi wedding palace?
How can we let a country that produces such architecture fall under Soviet domination?
Oh, wait…
ScreaminginAtlanta
Just curious, has anyone heard ANYONE in MSM mention that McCain’s foreign policy advisor, Randy Scheunemann, owns the lobbying firm that worked for Georgia?
Ari
Bull. Maybe, just maybe, in ultra-secretive nationalistic Russia Putin could get away with blowing up an apartment building and blaming it on the Chechnyans (even there, I’m skeptical). But try that here or in Israel and you’d be lynched, and everyone knows it. How many nanoseconds would something like that stay secret?
OriGuy
That looks like a giant Jinga game.
JWW
John,
I agree that Saakashvili should have thought out what may happen if he brought the hammer down on Ossetia. Have you ever served any time in the Baltic States. If so, you can tell me what bathroom party is. Have you ever seen what Russia left them as a going away present. Have you ever been in Georgia, and seen their going away present.
In both cases the Russians expended every rifle round, tank round, artillary round and all demolition configurations possible, when they returned to Russia they were completely expended. Been there, done that.
Our country had a little problem about 140 years ago and we still can’t get over it.
It will work iself out. Did you mention NATO anywhere? I didn’t think so, NATO has long since been a word across the pond that means, “you get Europes voicemail” call us later.
Faux News
Sadly, yes. Worst of all Pat saw this coming and wrote about it several months ago. As much as I despise the man he knows these Neocons are all about Israel and perpetual war.
Dan
Did you see Rice’s expression when we had to suffer through one of sakaashvili’s endless tirades, AGAIN. Really looked like she was wishing for the Russians to invade the press conference and save us from this idiot… At the end when they left there was even this hint of disgust and extreme displeasure.
LanceThruster
We’ll have to agree to disagree. The reason why Cheney contemplated using Navy Seals in a false-flag attack as a method of starting a war with Iran was because he thought he could get away with it. I think 9/11 was possibly a false-flag attack (how many “nano-seconds is it from 9/11/01 to now? – on 09/011/08 it will be 7×3.17×10-17th power NS). I think Israel’s June 8th, 1967 attack on the USS Liberty was an attempt to draw the US into the conflict by framing Egypt for the sinking of the ship. Mossad’s motto is “By deception…” and PNAC called for a “new Pearl Harbor.”
BTW, just who got “lynched” after the Reichstag fire?
LanceThruster
I also meant to add the post-9/11 anthrax attacks on the US as well.
LanceThruster
Oh, and the nanasecond calc to the 7th 9/11 anniversary is actually 2.21×10-17th power ns.
Time, Nanoseconds
cain
Dude, tbilisi wedding palace? That’s the skywalker ranch upgraded from the one from Tatooine!
cain
LanceThruster
Sorry about my crappy scientific notation. It should be 2.21×10(+17)th power ns. (I hope it is at least now in an accurate format).
KevinD
That place looks like they took some of those old modular Lego block apartments they used to have in East Berlin and said “Hey, just turn them at different angles, that’ll look Cool and Western!”
joe from Lowell
I swear, it’s like watching a horror movie.
No, George! Don’t go in there! Don’t open the door!
George, look out! Run, George, run! No, don’t stop!
Don’t spilt up! Don’t go in the basement!
AAAaaaaa, he’s right behind you, look out!!!
Over and over and over. Is is January yet?
Jay C
Heh. The face of American diplomacy. With grimace. If it weren’t Condoleezza Rice, I’d almost feel sorry for her having to sit through this crap – but this woman* has had, what? Five years? of toting the bullshit for Clueless George and his imbecilic Administration; so sympathy is just a leetle hard to muster up.
* academic hotshot and supposed “Russian expert” – or “Sovietologist” – nor sure they’re the same thing. Heckuva job, Condi!
jake
Wait. You’re trying to say she doesn’t like endless tirades?
No way dude. No way.
LanceThruster
I still like them better than Gehry’s Disney Concert Hall
liberal
LanceThruster wrote,
It’s possible, but IMHO extremely unlikely. Stakes were too high—if the public had found out, I think it’s very probable that the perps would have been executed, not just run out of office.
OTOH, there’s some circumstantial evidence that Israel had detailed knowledge of the 9-11 and didn’t warn us. That’s much more likely IMHO.
liberal
cleek wrote,
(Sigh) I remember thinking this in the 2000 campaign, and I still think it’s true.
That’s why it’s imperative that Obama win. (While I voted for O. in the primaries and gave him money, etc, he’s not my ideal candidate, but McCain is, simply, extremely dangerous. That the MSM is not doing its utmost to trash his campaign shows how imbecilic those people are.)
Rome Again
And Nuclear strikes in Poland, just for shits and giggles.
Next up: Bush pisses off China before the closing ceremonies, then the entire line-up of major players will be in place.
Rome Again
But it’s no fun to play Risk on the big board without the added bonus game of mutually assured destruction!
Rome Again
I think they’re only looking at the ratings boost.
Marshall
Why not ?
Person of Choler
Thus Spake Dracula:
“Josh Marshall has been hammering this point home daily for almost a week. What a mixture of bellicosity, belligerance [sic], and bravado would yield in foreign policy. Scary.”
Well, Drac, bellicosity, belligerence, and bravado seem to be working pretty well for the Russians.
LanceThruster
True, but whether MIHOP or LIHOP, an attack that was “allowed” to happen instead of being prevented is meant to acheive a certain result that can be capitalized on (a new Pearl Harbor). Any “perps” brought to justice would have to be done using something other than our compliant media, who regardless of the actual details of 9/11, have failed the public miserably. Add to this an Attorney General who has a disinclination for holding anybody in government accountable for anything and you’ll see why I’m not optimistic that wide-scale criminality would be addressed in any meaningful way.
The stakes were high, but that is the nature of the big lie. A controlled press provides ample cover should things go south for a bit. A scapegoat would be found and presented (or possibly suicided before any independent verification could take place – as with the Ivins/anthrax saga) and the publc would be placated (and made more fearful) in time for another round of civil liberty destruction (making each subsequent false-flag operation even easier).