Georgian president defends war decisions

[DogPoundPup]

Source: Yahoo News

BILISI, Georgia – Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili on Friday defended the decisions made in the run-up to the August war with Russia, telling a parliamentary commission that Georgia had responded to Russian "intervention."

He also repeated assertions that his government had neither sought nor received advance approval of the Aug. 7 attack on the separatist region of South Ossetia, in particular from the United States.

"We didn't ask for a green light from anyone," he testified. "We were telling our friends that Russia was conducting these provocations, which were completely out of any sort of framework."

Russia's military response to the attack was overwhelming. It routed the Georgian military, inflicted severe damage on Georgia's economy and aggravated already troubled relations between Moscow and Washington — a staunch backer of Saakashvili.

Opposition politicians have been increasing their criticism of Saakashvili over the run-up to the war.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081128/ap_on_re_eu/eu_georgia_saakashvili_war_3

[Tempest]

1. Saakashvili's toast

He's under intense pressure at home, he's losing the only supporter of his government next month and no world leader is speaking up in his behalf.

The only question now is will he go quietly or will it take a violent overthrow.

[IndianaGreen]

3. Off with his head! Didn't McCain's advisor Randy Scheunemann meet with him prior to war?

Many of Leftist DUers caught flak for saying that it was Georgia that began the war, not Russia. Subsequent events have proven us right, as we were about WMD.

While Aide Advised McCain, His Firm Lobbied for Georgia
Campaign Dismisses Timing of Phone Call, Contract

By Matthew Mosk and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, August 13, 2008; Page A03

Sen. John McCain's top foreign policy adviser prepped his boss for an April 17 phone call with the president of Georgia and then helped the presumptive Republican presidential nominee prepare a strong statement of support for the fledgling republic.

The day of the call, a lobbying firm partly owned by the adviser, Randy Scheunemann, signed a $200,000 contract to continue providing strategic advice to the Georgian government in Washington.

The McCain campaign said Georgia's lobbying contract with Orion Strategies had no bearing on the candidate's decision to speak with President Mikheil Saakashvili and did not influence his statement. "The Embassy of Georgia requested the call," said campaign spokesman Brian Rogers.

But ethics experts have raised concerns about former lobbyists for foreign governments providing advice to presidential candidates about those same countries. "The question is, who is the client? Is the adviser loyal to income from a foreign client, or is he loyal to the candidate he is working for now?" said James Thurber, a lobbying expert at American University. "It's dangerous if you're getting advice from people who are very close to countries on one side or another of a conflict."

At the time of McCain's call, Scheunemann had formally ceased his own lobbying work for Georgia, according to federal disclosure reports. But he was still part of Orion Strategies, which had only two lobbyists, himself and Mike Mitchell.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/12/AR2008081202932.html

[Submariner]

2. McCain: "We're all Georgians now"

Don't worry Saakashvili, the Mac is back, and should be riding to your rescue any month now. But right now he is trying to get his other Georgian buddy, that yellow belly draft dodging coward Chambliss, back in office.

[IndianaGreen]

4. Georgia's ambassador to Russia testified that Georgia started the war!

There was an outcry this week when Georgia's former ambassador to Moscow said Georgia started the war.

Erosi Kitsmarishvili also said Georgia believed it had received Washington's approval for its attack.

The former envoy was condemned for his comments, and was nearly physically assaulted while giving evidence to the parliamentary hearing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7755459.stm

[Anarcho-Socialist]

5. I wonder if this was Saakashvili's goof?

Or the State Department? Or NATO's?

I don't think Georgia would have started this without some tacit US support. The only alternative is that Georgia put all its chips in the pot in the hope that the West would instinctively support them rather than lose a US satellite.

[TheLastMohican]

6. The bad thing is

Russia received a good training engaging a NATO-led, NATO-fed, NATO-guided and instructed force and finished it off in 5 days.

Why are we pissing off Russia with constant support of rabid lunatics like Saakashvili and Yushenko in their yard? What is the grand policy?

[Turbineguy]

7. Poland

They forgot Poland. The Poles started the 2nd World War.

Ask any Hitler admirer, they'll set you straight!

Note to Saakashvili: Never trust a member of the Bush family!

[Faygo Kid]

8. He did as he was told by Cheney. What's the problem?

That whole nasty episode did not pass the smell test.

Wonder what else Cheney has in store between now and Jan. 20?