[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Indeed. And the timing is of great concern. I think Pres. Bush will play nice to a certain limit and then resist.

The next president Putin will slap around just as Stalin slapped around FDR.

What would stop Putin dead in his tracks would be an all-out assault on Iran. It would be a tough sell domestically, but it would take away one of the wild cards he's been counting on.

[Jeff Head]

I heard that we are now consenting to carry the Georgian troops from Iraq back to Georgia on our aircraft...we have upped the ante to the Russiaans. They do not want reinforcements coming in and are willing to blackade to keep it from happening. Will they enforce an air embargo?

Would they shoot down US aircraft to prevent it?

Bush is big time calling a bluff here...is it a bluff?

I hope those C-17s or C-141s have good fighter escorts going in, preferably Raptors.

In addition, the Ukaraine is now saying that any Black Sea Fleet vessels involved in the blockade cannot return to Sevastapol. That is huge because it is Russia's primary base on the Black Sea, but it is owned by the Ukraine.

Chess pieces are moving all over the board here.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

NOw THAT is an idea..but whose time has not yet come. Americans have already forgotten 9-11.