After all, it backs up what he always knew -- the Russians are just no good (according to McCain). Granted, Russia has overused its force and needs to stop but the U.S. isn't helping the situation by demonizing Russia. I don't pretend to be an expert on this but we still don't know how and why or if Georgia provoked Russia.
Note Sen. Joe Biden's diplomatic take on the conflict below.
In this video a host for Fox News, Bush McCain helpers, is surprised when a young girl blamed the Georgians for the bombing and thanked the Russians.
What Sen. Joe Biden, who's on his way to Georgia, says about the conflict:
What Sen. Joe Biden, who's on his way to Georgia, says about the conflict:
Despite Russia’s overwhelming advantage in size and firepower in its conflict with Georgia, the Kremlin may have the most to lose if the fighting there continues. It is too soon to know with certainty who was responsible for the initial outbreak of violence in South Ossetia, but the war that began there is no longer about Georgia’s breakaway regions or Russian peacekeepers.
By acting disproportionately with a full scale attack on Georgia and seeking the ouster of Georgia’s democratically elected President Mikheil Saakashvili, Moscow is jeopardizing its standing in Europe and the broader international community – and risking very real practical and political consequences.
The historic precedents in this case should trouble the Kremlin. The Red Army’s invasion of Hungary in 1956 succeeded in putting down an anti-Soviet rebellion, but simultaneously unmasked the brutality of the Soviet regime and tarnished Moscow’s reputation around the world. Similar consequences followed Soviet interventions in Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan. If Russia continues to overreach in Georgia, it might earn a small tactical victory. But it will do so at the expense of a monumental strategic defeat.
For years, Russian leaders have had a constant refrain with their American counterparts. Russia, we were told, wanted two things: international respect and to be treated as an equal by the United States. However, its leaders have evidenced few qualms about denying such treatment to nearby countries. The world has watched with concern as Russia has unleashed punitive economic and political measures against Estonia, Moldova, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Georgia when those countries’ actions deviated from the Kremlin’s wishes. Indeed, the single greatest obstacle to Russia’s full acceptance into the international system has been the Kremlin’s pattern of aggressive actions toward its neighbors.
Many international leaders have spoken out against these moves, but their concerns have been tempered by hope that Russia would eventually realize its extraordinary potential on the global stage. Despite the challenges in our relationship with Moscow, there has always been a strong desire to see the country’s epic traditions of achievement, creativity and sacrifice brought to serve the common good.
I have shared this ambition and in the past two months I sponsored two legislative measures intended to nudge Russia toward a closer, more constructive relationship with the United States, including action to allow for increased collaboration with Russia on nuclear energy production. Russia has also lobbied to repeal an old trade provision – the Jackson-Vanik Amendment – which currently blocks the country’s integration into the World Trade Organization. The fighting in Georgia has erased the possibility of advancing those and other legislative efforts to promote US-Russian partnership in the current Congress. It may derail them permanently if Russia does not reverse course. read more.
