Russia's Medvedev accuses US of rearming Georgia

[cal04]

Source: AFP

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday accused the United States of rearming Georgia under the guise of humanitarian aid, following the arrival of a US Navy flagship in the Georgian port of Poti.

"The rearming of the Georgian regime is continuing, including under the guise of humanitarian assistance. They've sent a whole fleet to provide humanitarian assistance," Medvedev told top officials at a Kremlin meeting.

"I wonder how they would like it if we sent humanitarian assistance using our navy to countries of the Caribbean that have suffered from the recent hurricanes," Medvedev said in toughly-worded comments.

The war of words between Russia and the United States has intensified with Moscow questioning why Washington chose one of its most sophisticated warships, the USS Mount Whitney, to transport aid to Poti.

Read more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gd39nF5Yf0EKlWT9eMewY2Wg4owA

[Mudoria]

1. I'm sure he has some proof of this..

aerial photos or something like that. If not, he's blowing smoke out of his ass. He should shut the fuck up and get his troops out of Georgia like he agreed. I guess he has to wait for Putin to tell what he's supposed to do.

[edwardian]

4. Proof

With observers and troops on the ground, the Russian government surely has a good idea what is happening in Georgia. Proof is a little value these days, anyway. Mess'rs Bush and Cheney have made such things as evidence irrelevant and set the standard for the world to follow. Your nationalism is knee-jerking itself and maybe a bit of honest deliberation and a perusal of the international press might serve you well? Frankly, I am convinced that the USA is on the wrong side of the Georgian issue.

[Ghost Dog]

8. Welcome to DU, edwardian.

... between knee-jerks and dickheads, well, you know what to expect.

Agree with you about the 'wrong side', but then also, nobody is ever entirely right?

:hi:

[Bandit]

6. Aid and supplies are always transported with sophisticated war ships, everyone knows that.

No one uses transport ships any longer...Sheesh :shrug:

[Ghost Dog]

11. _Very_ sophisticated warship, it seems. n/t

[AlphaCentauri]

13. maybe satellite pictures

http://www.anusha.com/spyphoto.htm

[newfie11]

2. Of course! We must have war or republicans are not happy!

I have no doubt that Medvedev is right.

[Turner Ashby]

3. I think it is Standard Operating Procedure

to accuse humanitarian aid to be the disguise for military aid. WE did it in Lebanon in the Summer War of 2006 against Syria. We wouldn't let anything come in over land, sea or air and people were dying. So, the Russians are hardly the first to pull this card.

[pampango]

5. Did the UN or some other body declare that Georgia can't have an army?

I doubt that Russia is really worried about any military that Georgia could ever put together. As long as Russia is "protecting" South Ossetia and Abkhazia the odds that Georgia can militarily retake them seems quite small.

Could it be that the main reason to oppose rearming Georgia is to weaken its president and bring about a regime change?

[Ghost Dog]

7. Or, to help let the Georgian opposition speak, perhaps? n/t

[pampango]

9. Could well be, since I suppose most of the Georgian opposition is

pro-Russia.

Nice to know that we are not the only big country that meddles in the internal affairs of its smaller neighbors. :)

[TheLastMohican]

10. There is no pro-Russian georgian opposition

And they all sitting in prison cells put there by the "democratically elected" with 96% voting percent leader Saakashvili.
What do they say "he is a sonofabitch but he is our sonofabitch"?.

[inanna]

12. K & R n/t