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Cheney Condemns Russia’s ‘Illegitimate, Unilateral’ Aggression
American Forces Press Service ^ | John J. Kruzel

Posted on 09/04/2008 5:35:18 PM PDT by SandRat

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2008 – Vice President Richard B. Cheney arrived in Georgia today, delivering “a message of friendship” from the U.S. and condemning Russia’s “illegitimate, unilateral” aggression against the former Soviet republic last month.

“Americans are acutely conscious of the great trials your country has faced over the last four weeks, and we stand in solidarity with the people of Georgia,” Cheney said at a news conference in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

Russian forces invaded Georgia last month and continue to maintain a military presence there in defiance of a cease-fire deal reached Aug. 13. Moscow further angered the international community last week when it officially recognized the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

Cheney said the United States is coming to Georgia’s aid as it works to recover from the Russian invasion and its “illegitimate, unilateral attempt to change your country's borders by force that has been universally condemned by the free world.”

“Now, it is the responsibility of the free world to rally to the side of Georgia,” the vice president said.

Cheney’s visit to Tbilisi comes a day after President Bush pledged to provide $1 billion in recovery aid to Georgia. Funding will support reconstruction, humanitarian needs and the resettlement of displaced persons, Cheney said.

Assistance promised yesterday will supplement the more than 2 million pounds of humanitarian supplies the U.S. military has delivered so far.

Meanwhile, Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman today said the Defense Department will conduct assessments in days ahead to study Georgia’s future security needs

“We’ll certainly be looking at the long-term security needs of Georgia, and what role the Defense Department might have in assisting in that,” he said.

Related Sites:
Transcript

Related Articles:
U.S. to Provide $1 Billion for Georgia Reconstruction, Humanitarian Aid



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Russia
KEYWORDS: aggression; cheney; geopolitics; georgia; gerogia; illegitimate

1 posted on 09/04/2008 5:35:18 PM PDT by SandRat
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To: MarMema

Ping.


2 posted on 09/04/2008 5:39:16 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: SandRat

“We’ll certainly be looking at the long-term security needs of Georgia, and what role the Defense Department might have in assisting in that,” he said.”

Yep, 10,000 anti-aircraft shoulder fired weapons, 30,000 anti-tank weapons and about 20,000 high power sniper rifles should do just fine. Next time the bear puts its fat nose into a Democratic country, they can have all there toys destroyed.


3 posted on 09/04/2008 5:59:52 PM PDT by iThinkBig
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To: SandRat

Our paper here in Eugene (Berkley of the North and home of University of Oregon) allows even opinions considered as deviate as mine to appear. The below was published as a guest viewpoint allow with one by a person who called the Russian troops peacekeepers.

Despite Russian claims, no parallels exist between U.S. Iraq involvement, and Russian Georgian aggression. With that and other pretexts, Putin unilaterally attacked into Georgia, after NATO membership rejection portended a flaccid response. In contrast the United States, heading a U. N. coalition exceeding that Churchill and Roosevelt assembled to confront Hitler’s Germany, toppled Hussein’s regime, forcing the U.N. to confront the reason for its’ existence.

Russian statements are especially egregious fabrications, because they helped draft and acquiesced to every resolution. The Iraq ceasefire ended, because Hussein materially breached international obligations defined within U.N. Resolution 687, and reaffirmed by Resolution 1441. Resolution 687 incorporated 678 and 12 other resolutions without amendments, offering Hussein conditional ceasefire in 1991. Instead he ignored responsibilities to submit comprehensive declarations of all WMD stockpiles and programs, and missiles with greater than 150 kilometre range. He thwarted the program envisioned by menacing, eluding, and deceiving inspectors. He continued forbidden involvement in international terrorism.

The U.N.’s ultimatums in Resolutions 678 and 1441 authorized disarming Hussein’s regime through military operations “to restore international peace and security in the area”, and did not instruct coalition forces to merely expel Hussein from Kuwait. U.N. precedent from the Korean War ensured the above phrase intended invasion of Iraq. The term “in the area” used phraseology, confirmed by Congress, authorizing military action above the 38th parallel to disarm North Korea.

As Russian forces crossed South Ossetia into Georgia, the moment arrived for inescapable acknowledgement that Putin had revoked the Cold War armistice. Putin’s justifications contain too many parallels to Hitler’s concern for Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia to ascribe less than brutal motives. Extravagant armored attacks through the Greater Caucasus Mountains demonstrate traditional Russian ruling elite neurotic insecurity; neurosis requiring rival power destruction without political compromise. Genetic, multi-millennial paranoia infects the current cabal to regard NATO, former Warsaw Pact countries, and former Soviet republics as encircling enemies. Such perceptions, not shared by the Russian people, repudiate years of Western support for emerging Russian representative government, political security, and economic stability.

There can be no permanent peaceful coexistence with a totalitarian Russia, but traditional warfare is not inevitable. Illogics lead this cabal onto unacceptable paths, but these elites remain highly susceptible to logics of force accompanied by determination to use it. Forceful initiatives require immediately curtailing efforts to integrate the former Soviet Union into the economic, cultural, and political life of the Free World. Next initiatives require increasingly serious discussions of cooperation and membership between NATO, and former Warsaw Pact countries and former Soviet republics. Finally, United States must update Cold War plans through cooperative military exercises in Europe and the Mediterranean. This country must wage war, where diplomacy uses overt and clandestine activities to exploit, contradictions, stresses, and tensions between Putin’s ruling elite, and the Russian people and countries with which he needs alliances.

Such progressive, consecutive initiatives establish constraining negotiating positions Putin must consider. Such actions must proceed inexorably, subject to adjustment only following verifiable pacific initiatives for representative government, and non-belligerent neighbor relationships. Effective containment will reveal fragility of a totalitarian rule needing solidification within a disaffected, cynical population. The West must not squander this opportunity to make cruel subjection of Georgia become Putin’s undoing.


4 posted on 09/04/2008 7:16:30 PM PDT by Retain Mike
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To: iThinkBig
Yeah that'll do it. As crappy as the Ruskie military is; Georgians are irrelevant give them all the weapons you want and they will run out of bodies to use them.
5 posted on 09/04/2008 7:31:11 PM PDT by webrover
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To: SandRat
Cheney was visiting three ex-Soviet republics that are nervous about Moscow's intentions - Georgia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine.
6 posted on 09/04/2008 9:54:02 PM PDT by valkyry1 (McCain/Palin 2008!!)
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To: SandRat

“Americans are acutely conscious of the great trials your country has faced over the last four weeks, and we stand in solidarity with the people of Georgia,”

was he addressing to Georgian genocide of Ossetians? Or just forgot to include sarcasm tag?


7 posted on 09/04/2008 11:29:18 PM PDT by pobeda1945
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To: pobeda1945

Neither. You are either clueless or a vlad-troll.


8 posted on 09/04/2008 11:39:18 PM PDT by MarMema ("..this isn't about the U.S. and Russia, It's about everyone and Russia.")
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To: pobeda1945

was he addressing to Georgian genocide of Ossetians? Or just forgot to include sarcasm tag?

Serb dude, you don't know Dick.

9 posted on 09/04/2008 11:45:54 PM PDT by FreeReign
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To: pobeda1945
moscow times

"During all of this time, Russian aircraft razed the city to the ground, decimating Georgian troops as well as any civilians who had survived the initial Georgian missile attacks."

There is no doubt that Saakashvili was provoked into taking military action against South Ossetia. Under the leadership of Eduard Kokoity, South Ossetia was heavily financed and supported by Russia with one goal: to fight Georgia.

10 posted on 09/04/2008 11:53:29 PM PDT by MarMema ("..this isn't about the U.S. and Russia, It's about everyone and Russia.")
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To: FreeReign

I think he is Russian. And he calls Misha’s office of presidency a “regime” in one post. Let us hope his stay here is short-lived.


11 posted on 09/04/2008 11:56:07 PM PDT by MarMema ("..this isn't about the U.S. and Russia, It's about everyone and Russia.")
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To: pobeda1945

MSM toady?


12 posted on 09/04/2008 11:58:03 PM PDT by quickquiver (No, means N O.)
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To: FreeReign; Lasha

Oh yeah, also pobeda is russian for victory, I believe, so he is probably a vlad-troll.


13 posted on 09/04/2008 11:58:09 PM PDT by MarMema ("..this isn't about the U.S. and Russia, It's about everyone and Russia.")
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To: MarMema

I have noticed many times before one interesting thing - when people run out of arguments they start to discuss opponents’s personality, nickname etc.

If I were you I would rather discuss Dick’s disastrous f-up in Azerbaijan.


14 posted on 09/05/2008 1:39:28 AM PDT by pobeda1945
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To: pobeda1945

I didn’t see you addressing my post to you.


15 posted on 09/05/2008 2:03:36 AM PDT by MarMema ("..this isn't about the U.S. and Russia, It's about everyone and Russia.")
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