McCain, Obama step up criticism of Russia over Georgia

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: Reuters

HONOLULU, Aug 9 (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain stepped up their criticism of Russia's military activity in Georgia on Saturday, calling for Moscow to withdraw its forces and the international community to facilitate peace talks.

McCain, a Republican senator from Arizona who has made foreign policy and national security the centerpiece of his campaign, said he spoke to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Saturday, their second conversation since the crisis erupted.

Obama, on vacation in Hawaii, said he had also spoken to Saakashvili and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Russia and Georgia came into direct conflict after Tbilisi launched an offensive to regain control over the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

McCain, an outspoken critic of Moscow, said it was clear the situation in Georgia was dire. "Tensions and hostilities between Georgians and Ossetians are in no way justification for Russian troops crossing an internationally recognized border," he said in a statement.


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/europeCrisis/idUSN09504234

[Matariki]

1. Does *anyone* from the US have any moral authority to criticize another country's military actions?

While we are still occupying a country we invaded?

~Captain Obvious

[still_one]

2. You are right, it is all bullshit. We invaded Iraq based on lies

same thing with Viet Nam

We ignored the world community when we invaded Iraq, and Russia will ignore us also

[amandabeech]

3. Those of us who didn't vote for the chimp either time and opposed the

Iraq war from the beginning sure do.

Don't confuse individual citizens with those planning the machinations at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

[TomClash]

5. Correction - two countries nt

[Psephos]

8. Yes

As members of the global human race we all have the moral authority to condemn wrongful actions and decry war.

It's not a "right," it's an obligation.

[raystorm7]

4. Again... The hypocrisy hurts my brain =/

[SpikeTss]

6. McCains actions are of no surprise

Because the Georgian regime still pays a lot of money to some of McCain's team:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20080808/wl_mcclatchy/3013456_1

Top McCain adviser lobbied for nation of Georgia

WASHINGTON — John McCain's top foreign policy adviser, Randall
Scheunemann, lobbied for the nation of Georgia for four years,
including for about a year after he joined the Republican senator's
presidential campaign staff in early 2007.

Georgia has paid Scheunemann's firm, Orion Strategies, LLC , nearly
$900,000 since 2004, including $200,000 for an eight-month contract
that began on May 1 , two weeks after McCain issued a strong
statement criticizing Russia and supporting Georgia.

...

On April 17 of this year, McCain issued a stern statement assailing "
Russia's moves to undermine Georgian sovereignty." Two weeks later,
Georgia gave Orion a $200,000 contract extension.

After Russian tanks rolled into the breakaway region of South Ossetia
Friday amid fighting between Georgian troops and the separatist
rebels, McCain called for an immediate Russian pullout and urged the
Bush administration to request an emergency meeting of the United
Nations Security Council.

[AlphaCentauri]

7. Bingo

but Obama?