.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree recognizing Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states, a day after the Russian parliament passed resolutions to this effect, ignoring protests from the West.
He ordered the foreign ministry to start negotiations with officials of both the regions on establishing diplomatic relations with Russia, and “draft the corresponding documents.”
Moscow’s political move, which came immediately after European Union (EU) pledged support for Georgia’s territorial integrity, has intensified tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict in the Caucasus, which began with Georgian forces invading the two pro-Russian regions, and Russia stepping in.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is in the West Bank city of Ramallah as part of a Middle East tour, said the decision was “regrettable.”
U.S. President George W Bush Monday urged Russia’s leadership to honor its commitments and not recognize the separatist regions. European leaders fiercely criticized the Russian parliament’s action.
Germany, Britain and France also condemned the move.
LATEST NEWS:
Russian Navy ordered to monitor NATO build-up in Black Sea
“Taking into consideration the will of the people and guided by the UN Charter of 1970 … and other basic international law, I have signed a decree recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Medvedev said in a nationally-televised statement. He said he had no other choice but to protect the lives of civilians.
Medvedev said Georgia’s attack on South Ossetia accelerated the breakaway regions’ long-pending request to Russia to recognize their independence.
“On the night of August 8th, Tbilisi had a choice: Georgian President Saakashvili opted for genocide … With this choice, he wiped out all hope of a peaceful coexistence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia under one government,” Medvedev said in the statement.
Russia’s military says it is bewildered by the build-up of NATO’s naval force in the Black Sea – and scoffed at claims the warships were delivering humanitarian aid. Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff, Colonel General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, told a media briefing that there are currently ten NATO warships with cruise missiles in the area, and eight more are expected to arrive there shortly.
U.S. Navy destroyer McFaul (AFP Photo)
“These ships are very seriously armed,” Nogovitsyn said. “As far as cruise missiles are concerned, they are strategic arms and have a range of 2,500 km. The Black Sea is just a pool for them.”
Russian Mediterranean Naval Build-Up Challenges NATO Sixth Fleet Domination
Jesus, Oui. I expected Bush-Cheney to attack Iran before January, but the stupid bastards actually intend to start a war with Russia. They probably think they can contain it and keep it non-nuclear. Babies playing with matches in a dynamite storeroom.
Looks like they want to distract Russia when Iranian attacks occur.
.
I think the other way around, Russia grabs the opportunity to deal Bush a blow during his lame duck period as president. Why else would Bush stay in his Crawford retreat? No more kisses and walking hand in hand with world leaders. US influence in Caucasus/Caspian region (Iran included) has waned as Afghan/Iraq wars endured.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."I’m reading elsewhere that the Russian actions in Georgia were a response to Georgia’s attacks, which appeared sponsored by America. In other words, we may have provoked the response.
.
I’ve covered the outbreak of the Georgian War from the 9th of August @BooMan. The provoking may have come from McCain & Company. Because the western media is biased as norm, Putin has put forward his thoughts in an exclusive interview with CNN today. Don’t forget the involvement of Israel in Georgia. There has been plenty of speculation about the August surprise of the Republicans in support of McSame.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."In an email between spooks that crossed my inbox a week or two ago, one of them said if it looks like Obama will get elected, the Bush admin will cause some 9/11-type event to gain support for a war in Iran. They have no need if McCain will win, since he’ll bomb them anyway.
Scary times. Thanks for covering this, Oui.
what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. The West was warned by Russia that if they broke away Kososo from Serbia, there would be consequences.
They are now without options or leverage. Europe is mindful winter beckons.
¡jezeus! first it’s missiles on their borders, now it’s “humanitarian” warships in the black sea…which just happen to be carrying nuclear capable cruise missiles… and more bellicose statements from the parties involved.
even mcstain and his surrogates have gotten their swagger on. via greenwald:
Warnings to Russia from Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham
chimpy&co™ and the NATO members are batshit crazy. they’ve all been pushing each other’s buttons in the mediterranean and black seas for the past year, playing games with syria and the ukraine, and by extension israel, mucking about behind the scenes, but everyone needs to step back and take a breath before this gets out of hand.
all fear and boogymen all. the..time. they’ve got nothing else.
146 days to go………[apologies for the length]
McCain did promise more wars in the future, didn’t he?
Read JFK and the Unspeakable to understand the mindset of those who VERY MUCH WANT things to get out of hand (not Kennedy, but the people he opposed while in office).
.
MOSCOW (AFP) – Moscow does not plan to suspend NATO’s use of Russian land routes to transit non-military supplies and equipment to the alliance’s troops in Afghanistan, Russia’s NATO envoy said.
“As far as overland transport to Afghanistan is concerned… we do not plan to touch this,” Dmitry Rogozin told journalists in Moscow.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.".
Cheney is heading abroad on Sept. 2 for stops in three former Soviet Republics — Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine — plus Italy.
“The vice president will be delivering the word of America’s support,” White House spokesman Tony Fratto.
Cheney’s presence in the war zone is a clear sign to Russia of the U.S. resolve behind Georgia after the small country was pummeled by a Russian military response.
VP Dick Cheney leaves the Embassy of Georgia on Aug. 18 after signing a condolence book. (AFP/Getty)The Pentagon has ruled out a military response. Cheney’s office has used tough rhetoric, saying that “Russian aggression must not go unanswered.”
“It hasn’t gone unanswered. In fact, I’d say it’s been loudly answered,” Fratto said Monday from Crawford, Texas, where Bush is on vacation at his ranch.
“I don’t think there’s any question that Russia’s reputation has suffered since it took these disproportionate military steps in Georgia,” Fratto said.
As for specific consequences, The White House is reviewing its “entire relationship” with Russia, Fratto said, but focusing now on how to support Georgia’s recovery.
Is Ukraine’s Crimea the Next Flash Point With Russia?
(March 2002) – The most prominent US moves in the Caucasus are the decision to dispatch military advisors to Georgia and a State Department announcement on the lifting of an arms embargo imposed on Armenia and Azerbaijan. Both actions have the potential to tilt the military establishments of all three Caucasus nations away from Russia and towards NATO.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."The fingerprints
LAT
Why was Cheney’s top national security aide in Georgia before the war?
.
The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Dallas, carrying 34 tons of humanitarian aid, docked in the Black Sea port of Batumi, south of the zone of this month’s fighting between Russia and Georgia. The arrival avoided Georgia’s main cargo port of Poti, still controlled by Russian soldiers.
US Coast Guard Cutter Dallas docked at the Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi, unloaded humanitarian aid. (Reuters)The U.S. Embassy in Georgia had earlier said the ship was headed to Poti, but then retracted the statement. Zaza Gogava, head of Georgia’s joint forces command, said Poti could have been mined by Russian forces and still contained several sunken Georgian ships hit in the fighting.
Poti’s port also reportedly sustained heavy damage by the Russian military. In addition, Russian troops have established checkpoints on the northern approach to the city and a U.S. ship docking there could be perceived as a direct challenge.
Meanwhile, the Russian missile cruiser Moskva and two smaller missile boats anchored at the port of Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia, some 180 miles north of Batumi. The Russian navy said the ships were involved in peacekeeping operations.
Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn warned that NATO has already exhausted the number of military forces it can have in the Black Sea under international agreements and warned Western nations against sending more ships.
“Can NATO — which is not a state located in the Black Sea — continuously increase its group of forces and systems there? It turns out that it cannot,” Nogovitsyn was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."very interesting oui. the first thing that popped into my mind is WTF is a u.s. coast guard cutter doing in the black sea?!
they’re lightly armed coastal patrol vessels. certainly not a ship thet would be part of an aggressive naval armada…and they’re way out of their territory and area of responsibility, imo.
is the military that strapped? this makes no sense at all, and l haven’t a clue as to what the answer or rationale might be.
.
USCGC Dallas has performed countless operations in support of National Defense both off the shores of domestic and foreign soil. Beginning with the Vietnam War where Dallas engaged in over 161 Naval gunfire support missions she has played an integral part of National Security at home and abroad. Dallas frequently deploys with US Naval and foreign naval units in support of this mission. Recent deployments have been to the Mediterranean where Dallas trains with the US Sixth Fleet and foreign naval and coast guard units in support of multi-national exercises to increase cooperation between the US and foreign countries.
Russian Mediterranean warships placed under Black Sea Fleet command
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."erm…ok. vietnam was 36 years ago, not a lot of sampans in the black sea. you don’t sail a 378′ cutter, that’s normally doing drug interdiction in the caribbean, or
“fatherland”“homeland security” missions, all that way to deliver pampers and bottled water.she’s gotta be a “spook” platform, given her recent history…WHEC 716 Dallas…that, l could believe.
Sending the Dallas has the advantage of showing the flag and delivering “humanitarian” supplies in a relatively innocuous looking vessel. It is painted white and it doesn’t belong to the US Navy, technically. If anything happened, they could say, with some plausibility, that it was not a warship. “Join the Coast Guard, be the tip of the spear.”