Posted on 08/25/2008 3:37:17 PM PDT by MNJohnnie
President Bush is sending Vice President Dick Cheney to Georgia and other countries in the region to underscore U.S. support in the wake of Russia's intervention in Georgia. U.S. officials say Russia is still not in compliance with its Georgia cease-fire obligations. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
The Bush administration is sending the vice president and an inter-agency team of other senior officials to Georgia in the coming days in a show of U.S. support, amid what is seen here as Russian foot-dragging on its cease-fire commitments.
Vice President Dick Cheney, right, departs the Georgian Embassy after talking with Georgian Ambassador to the US Vasil Sikharulidze, in Washington, 18 Aug 2008 Vice President Dick Cheney, right, departs the Georgian Embassy after talking with Georgian Ambassador to the US Vasil Sikharulidze, in Washington, 18 Aug 2008 The Cheney mission next week will take him to Ukraine and Azerbaijan, in addition to Georgia, in a gesture of reassurance to a region unsettled by Moscow's show of force in Georgia. The vice president will also address a security forum in Italy.
The travel announcement came as Pentagon and State Department officials said Russia remained non-compliant with the cease-fire agreement obligating Russian and Georgian forces to return to the status quo of August 6, before Russia moved troops into Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region.
State Department Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood said Russian troops remain in areas of Georgia beyond South Ossetia, which Moscow committed to vacate.
"They're still not in compliance with the cease-fire agreement. They've established a number of checkpoints near [the port city of] Poti. And we're very concerned about what Russia is not doing, and that's pulling its forces out in accordance with the cease-fire agreement," said Wood.
Wood said the clause in the truce accord allowing Moscow to maintain checkpoints beyond South Ossetia and Abkhazia, where it has had a long-time peacekeeping presence, has been obviated by the arrival of monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the OSCE.
He said 20 members of the envisaged OSCE team of 100 monitors have arrived in the area, and efforts are under way to deploy the rest. He said there should be no attempt by Russia to put up obstacles to their arrival.
On a related issue, Spokesman Wood rejected as unacceptable calls by the two houses of the Russian parliament for Moscow to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Wood said Russia needs to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, which are enshrined in a number of international agreements to which Moscow is a party.
There was similar criticism of the non-binding Russian parliamentary action from several European governments, and by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who said no one can legalize the annexation of Georgian territories.
The State Department said Monday an interagency team led by U.S. Undersecretary of State Reuben Jeffery arrives this week to assess Georgian post conflict reconstruction needs that officials of the Tbilisi government say could reach $2 billion.
The Pentagon meanwhile said an air and sea relief effort for Georgia continues and has now delivered more than 700 tons,nearly $20 million worth of emergency supplies. The first of three U.S. military vessels sent to Georgia, the Navy guided missile destroyer USS McFaul, arrived at Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi on Sunday.
And The Obamination is probably sending messages to Putin telling him not to worry -— once he is president, he will report to the Kremlin with his kneepads on, and reject support for Georgia....
At the request of Georgia, the U.S. warships should dock in the port of Poti, disembark, and proceed to tell the Russians, new security has arrive and they are no longer needed.
I agree Cheney is tops. If fact he is the one that should be President in ‘08.
And of course, the media is studiously avoiding mentioning that Cindy McCain has left for Georgia with medical supplies.
Wood must be a scion of Neville Chamberlain. Those agreements are not worth a plug nickle. Who will enforce them? The UN? Buahahahahahah!
And are the agreements of any use in rallying our European NATO comrades? Short of making them go ,"tut, tut, tut," they have done little , but at least Merkle went to Tablisi.
The only use those agreements might be is to fend off the liberal wimps we have here in the State Department, who are likely aghast at Cheny's going to Georgia. To much "upping the ante" for them.
The showdown is in progress. Who will blink? It will not be Dick Cheny.
Thank God we have him.
If anyone can get the Russians to sit at a poker table it will be him.
Wonderful news!!! Thank you President Bush and VP Cheney! :)
Glad to hear that!
"We need to send Chuck Norris also and eliminate Russia once and for all."By the time Chuck got his boots laced, the Russians would have migrated to mars.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.