Where are all the neo con responders? On Nov 8, 8:31 pm, "mike [move on] 532" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > the bush administration wound up the Georgians and gave them the > weapons to attack with . then we act surprised when they did exactly > what bush wanted ! > > On Nov 8, 3:02 am, "\"Lone Wolf\"" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > A damning admission on the Georgian war > > 8 November 2008 > > > The New York Times on Friday carried a front-page article headlined > > “Accounts Undercut Claims by Georgia on Russia War.” The article cited > > a report by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe > > (OSCE), a multinational association of 56 member states whose monitors > > were in Georgia when the fighting broke out, which demolishes the > > official US account of the August 2008 Russian-Georgian war, according > > to which the war was an act of Russian aggression. > > > The OSCE concluded that the conflict began on August 7 when US-trained > > Georgian troops shelled Russian peacekeepers and civilians in the > > capital of Georgia's breakaway province of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali. > > > According to Friday’s New York Times, “the accounts suggest that > > Georgia's inexperienced military attacked the isolated separatist > > capital of Tskhinvali on August 7 with indiscriminate artillery and > > rocket fire, exposing civilians, Russian peacekeepers and unarmed > > monitors to harm.” The newspaper added, “Georgian artillery rounds and > > rockets were falling throughout the city at intervals of 15 to 20 > > seconds between explosions, and within the first hour of the > > bombardment at least 48 rounds landed in a civilian area.” > > > After an initial bombardment around 6 PM on August 7, Georgian troops > > declared a unilateral ceasefire, during which they apparently moved > > rockets and artillery into better positions. At 11 PM, Georgia > > announced that Russian troops were shelling Georgian villages in South > > Ossetia and declared an operation to “restore constitutional order” > > there. > > > OSCE monitors refuted Georgian claims that Georgian forces were > > responding to a Russian attack. The Times wrote, “monitors have also > > said they were unable to verify that ethnic Georgian villages were > > under heavy bombardment that evening, calling to question one of > > [Georgian President] Mr. Saakashvili's main justifications for the > > attacks.” > > > The newspaper quoted ex-British army officer Ryan Grist, who was the > > senior OSCE representative in Georgia when the war broke out, as > > saying, “It was clear to me that the [Georgian] attack was completely > > indiscriminate and disproportionate to any, if indeed there had been > > any, provocation.” > > > As was explained later, particularly in the European press, Georgia > > hoped to rapidly overrun South Ossetia and seize the Roki Tunnel, the > > main transport corridor through the mountains separating Russia and > > South Ossetia. In the case of a weak Russian response—the attack took > > place with top Russian officials away at the Beijing Olympics—Georgia > > could hope to present Russia with a fait accompli. In the event, the > > Georgian offensive bogged down in Tskhinvali and Russia sent in > > reinforcements, rapidly chasing Georgian troops out of South Ossetia. > > > US government and media reporting at the time turned reality on its > > head, denouncing Russia in chorus for its “aggression.” As Russia sent > > reinforcements to South Ossetia and expelled Georgian forces, > > President Bush denounced Russia's response as “disproportionate.” Vice > > President Dick Cheney said, “Russian aggression must not go > > unanswered,” adding that its continuation would have “serious > > consequences” for Russia’s relations with the United States. > > > In its August 12 editorial, the Times wrote, “Moscow claims it is > > merely defending the rights of ethnic minorities in South Ossetia and > > Abkhazia, which have been trying to break from Georgia since the early > > 1990s. But its ambitions go far beyond that. Prime Minister Vladimir > > Putin [...] appears determined to reimpose by force and intimidation > > as much of the old Soviet sphere of influence as he can get away > > with.” > > > In its Friday article, the Times implied that the findings of the OSCE > > was new information about which the newspaper was previously unaware. > > However, its own account contradicts this self-serving depiction of > > its role in spreading disinformation about the Georgian-Russian > > conflict. The article notes that OSCE representative Grist last August > > “gave a briefing to diplomats from the European Union that drew from > > the monitors’ observations and included his assessments. He then soon > > resigned under unclear circumstances.” There can be no doubt that the > > Times (as well as the US government) was aware of Grist’s report soon > > after it was given to EU officials. > > > The Times article concluded that the discrepancy between OSCE > > testimony and the official position of the US government and media put > > “the United States in a potentially difficult position. The United > > States, Saakashvili's principal source of international support, has > > for years accepted the organization's conclusions and praised its > > professionalism.” > > > In fact, the OSCE report completely refutes the US line, which was > > shot through with inconsistencies. While seeking to place the blame on > > Russia, the US media also spread claims that Georgian forces had acted > > without US knowledge—even though the US kept over 100 military > > advisors in Georgia in the run-up to the invasion, which followed soon > > after a major exercise with US forces entitled “Immediate Response > > 2008.” > > > Washington seized on the Russian-Georgian conflict to place missile > > defenses and troops in Poland and the Czech Republic, raising the > > specter of a direct military clash with Russia. It dismissed Russian > > claims of Georgian aggression out of hand. > > > Republican presidential candidate John McCain telephoned Saakashvili > > and told him, “Today we're all Georgians.” Then-Democratic candidate > > Barack Obama issued a statement from Hawaii, where he was on vacation, > > denouncing Russian “aggression.” Later, in ceremonies for the seventh > > anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the candidates joined > > forces to issue calls for “national service,” with Obama saying, “If > > we are going to war, then all of us go, not just some.” > > > Definite political conclusions must be drawn from a situation that > > created the potential for global war. First and foremost is the utter > > unreliability of the US political establishment and media, which > > expressed hardly any dissenting views, even as more critical accounts > > emerged in the European press in sharp contradiction to their > > accounts. > > > The prominence the New York Times gave to its account of the OSCE > > report—the article was the front-page lead and continued to a full- > > page article in the inside pages—suggests a deliberate operation to > > prepare public opinion for a shift in US policy in the region. With > > President-elect Obama committed to increasing the US military presence > > in Afghanistan and the US facing a major economic recession, an > > attempt seems to be underway to repair relations with Russia, possibly > > at Saakashvili's expense. > > > In Tbilisi 10,000 protestors marched against Saakashvili yesterday, > > marking the one-year anniversary of his violent repression of > > demonstrations supporting rival nationalist Irakli Okruashvili. > > > The US also announced plans yesterday to open negotiations with Russia > > over nuclear weapons and the controversial US nuclear missile defense > > shield aimed at Russia. The talks would aim to revise the Strategic > > Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and assuage “Moscow's growing opposition > > to a US missile-defense system for Europe,” according to the Wall > > Street Journal. > > > A State Department official told the Journal such negotiations would > > not conclude under the Bush administration, but would rather “help get > > the ball rolling” for President-elect Obama. > > > Alex Lantier- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
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