The sequence tells a story
I think it's important that Saakashvili changed when Condi Rice arrived.
I think she carried a message for him to "shut the hell up and sign. We can't help you in this state."
Rice was with Georgia's indignant President Mikhail Saakashvili on Friday in Tbilisi when he grudgingly signed a truce with Russia.
I think she carried a message for him to "shut the hell up and sign. We can't help you in this state."
posted by mikevotes at
6:40 AM
10 Comments:
That seems clear. We have no way to help, and not even any moral high ground.
I'm sure there were offers of rebuilding aid.
I'm sure that Russia is happily taking control, somehow, of the oil flow across Georgia to the Black Sea.
Ossetia was a loss, since it was the main link across the mountains to Russia; and Abkhazia was a loss, since it had seaports and great scenery.
I wonder if both states will realize in time to come that they were better off in association with Georgia than they will be with Russia? It seems pretty certain that they won't be allowed any degree of self-determination in the near future.
By
r8r, at 11:10 AM
Some South Ossetians did quite well out of smuggling I believe. That may be curtailed for a while.
By
Anonymous, at 11:37 AM
r8r, or at least the costs of helping far outweigh any benefits.
My guess is that the Bush admin told him that they could help him with terms and longer term settlement after the deal was signed, but wouldn't directly intervene.
As for the Russian/Georgian politics, I don't know. I don't have enough background to really comment.
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Anon, Maybe, but it's not like the Russain bureaucrats are against a little graft.
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mikevotes, at 2:12 PM
Oh I'm sure Russians and Georgians are involved in the smuggling too. It's par for the course in the Caucusus.
By
Anonymous, at 2:25 PM
And, frankly, the Russians as a whole.
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mikevotes, at 2:32 PM
Wow, Condi actually got something done. That is something in and of itself.
By
Praguetwin, at 5:38 PM
Don't be surprised if Condi has to go back. My guess is the Georgians will keep the Russians bogged down to make Bush look weak.
By
Anonymous, at 7:29 PM
Praguetwin, No one is more surprised than me.
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Anon, I think it works the other way. I think it's the Russians who want to make Bush look impotent.
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mikevotes, at 9:17 PM
I think it works both ways. The Russians want to make Bush look powerless. Saakashvili is trying to get him to commit US troops.
By
Anonymous, at 9:44 PM
Yeah.
By
mikevotes, at 10:00 PM
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