Russia says it is ready to negotiate with Georgia

[SpikeTss]

Source: The Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia declared itself ready to make peace with Georgia and U.N. officials confirmed Sunday that Georgia is prepared to negotiate with Russia by withdrawing troops from the breakaway province of South Ossetia and creating a safe travel zone.

The United Nations Security Council was meeting Sunday morning for the fourth time in as many days trying to resolve a conflict that began when U.S.-allied Georgia tried to control South Ossetia then said its troops had retreated in the face of Russia's tanks and aircraft.

Russia is "ready to put an end to the war," said Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who also accused the U.N. secretary-general's office of taking Georgia's side.

...

Georgia's Foreign Ministry said its soldiers were observing a cease-fire on orders of the president and notified Russia's envoy to Tbilisi.

"They're ready for immediate talks with the Russian Federation," confirmed U.N. Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynne Pascoe during a briefing to the Security Council. He said Georgia's "humanitarian corridor" for civilians, refugees and troops would help facilitate the negotiations.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iBD9o9yltJudFJsNjqJ8...

[Taverner]

1. Here's the deal: OK we don't blow you off the face of the Earth

And you forgo all sovereignty..Is good, nyet?

[SpikeTss]

3. You mean

like we actually did with the Iraqis by starting a war of aggression that killed 1,2 million civilians?

And you forgo all sovereignty..Is good, nyet?
Here's the deal: OK we don't blow you off the face of the Earth

[Taverner]

4. Pretty much, yeah

[The Croquist]

11. There is a huge difference between Iraq and Georgia.

In Iraq we rushed into war (over 6+ months) without consulting the UN. In Georgia the Russians consulted with the UN, offered negotiations, looked at every potential for compromise and finally when they had no choice, went to war with an international coalition.

Oh wait...

[SpikeTss]

13. Huge difference between Iraq and Georgia

looked at every potential for compromise and finally when we had no choice

We had no choice of wanting to control the Iraqi oil?
You mean like someone who suffers from kleptomania?

"Sorry, judge! I looked at every potential for compromise, but finally I had no choice. I had to take the lipstick. You see, I'm a good person!"

:-/

[Alexander]

31. You realize you totally misquoted Croquist, right?

I didn't know if it was deliberate or if you simply read it wrong.

[The Croquist]

34. Thank you

I wasn't defending us, I was insulting the Russians.

[frankieT]

20. oh wait...

yes they're neighbours with Georgia, their citizens and soldiers were attacked, thousands killed, tha capital almost razed, 30.000 have fled in a region totalling 70.000 people. Oddly no one reacted to the massive georgian attack of South Ossetia, i'm sure that Russia would have managed to get the right to defend its citizen with the support of neutral US LOL you're so funny !

[The Croquist]

33. "Massive Georgian Attack"?

How does a country with less then a 20,000 man army with 2,000 overseas launch a "massive attack"?

Thousands may be dead (we don't know whats going on) but if thousands are dead you may want to consider that the Russian bombers, tanks, artillery and soldiers may have had something to do with it.

So what were Russian soldiers doing in South Ossetia? I would also like to know if our Canadian neighbors would feel better if we invaded them because they were our neighbors as opposed to being thousands of miles away.

Nobody including Russia recognized South Ossetia as a separate nation.

In my opinion the Russians have acted even worse then we did in attacking Iraq and the fact that there are people defending them here is shocking to me.

PS: Will somebody please add Ossetia to spell check?

[daleo]

5. I don't think Russia wants Georgia

Occupations are too expensive. But they want to show who's boss in the region, so Georgia will have to accept some losses. Time will tell.

[Taverner]

7. They don't want to occupy - they want a puppet

Granted, this is a grave oversimplification of this tragedy.

[PFunk]

28. It think they also want to send the both the US and west a message. "Stay out of our back yard!"

And I hope the west gets the message and thinks twice before accepting anymore former soviet block nations into NATO. Plus this should make any small nation think twice about joining the US in any other stupid jaunt (namely attacking Iran).

[The Croquist]

35. Good point

Lets justify aggression by a large country over a small one.

This will have the opposite effect. Look to more countries to want to join NATO and an arms build up in Eastern Europe.

[amandabeech]

2. Well, let's hope that this is the beginning of the end. n/t

[Robbien]

6. Georgia cried Uncle, but the headline implies Russia is caving

Misleading the public again. M$M can't seem to just report facts these days.

[bushmeister0]

8. Vitaly Churkin sounds like Von Ribbentrop, Hitler's FM

shaking down the Austian PM Schuschnigg.

Russia is "ready to put an end to the war," he says. The nerve! And on top of that he acusses the UN of playing favorites, the organization they have one of only five vetos in.

Are they going to walk out, too, like the Japanese walked out of the League of Nations over the condemnation of their invasion of Manchuria?

Wow, Russia is getting a little too big for their britches, me thinks. Could be a big problem down the road the more they throw their military weight around the neighborhood.

[Xolodno]

9. Russia doesn't want to occupy Georgia...

1. They occupied countries before and it proved self defeating.
2. They are reminded of it seeing the US occupation in Iraq.
3. They know if they can hurt Georgia just enough and show just how powerless the "West" is in this area, a government more allied to Russia's interest or more respectfull of Russia (See Ukraine) will emerge. No one weaker and smaller goes up to the big guy in the nieghborhood purposely to start a fight unless they have back up...only, the back up they thought they had dissappeared when they saw the big guy.

Bottom line is, Georgia thought they could take South Ossetia and seal the tunnel with thier westernized training and equipment before the bear could awaken. Only problem is, the bear was waiting for them to pull this stunt and somethinge else. That else is the arrogant and cockyness of the United States, they thought even if Russia was expecting it, they wouldn't be able to intervene...thats how careless and arrogant certain members of the government have become. Russia has re-started thier cold war era patrols and has become more aggressive and is investing their new found wealth in new military technologies. While the United States has been awarding military contracts that will give the politcian with the most clout more money in thier "shares" of the company or Cayman Island bank acount (or perhaps both) *cough*haliburton*cough*. This administration is still thinking they are dealing with a drunkard Boris Yeltsin and a country in shambles. That cockyness is going to give them a wake up call, if not in Georgia...then somewhere else eventually.

Where is that else? Right here in the Americas. While the United States is pushing influence in Eastern Europe that now looks like is going to prove to eventually fail (those "missile shield" systems suddenly don't look like thier going to go through....and I think NATO membership has reached its peak after this), The countries in Central and South America have either been re-embracing a watered down version of socialism (i.e not as hard line) or getting cozy with an old friend...Russia. Its like Afghanistan all over again, we fed them a zillion promises and a lot of aid, but once Soviet influence was gone...so was the United States. It left them in bad situation and unable to cope. Who do you think they are going to listen to more now?

When the Soviet Union collapsed, there was a chance for moving the world in a good direction. But that chance was blown when arrogance decided to kick around Russia (which didn't forget about that insult) and greed overcame common sense.

[AllentownJake]

14. You don't have to occupy Georgia

Just get rid of the elected leader you don't like and replace him with someone you can deal with.

and yes we pull this shit too.

[amandabeech]

15. Just wait 'til Putin tries to put the bombers in Cuba.

I agree with much of your summary, particularly that we blew it when we disrespected the defeated Soviet Union and forced economic shock therapy on them. Putin has spent a lot of time and energy undoing the latter and it hasn't been pretty.

[frankieT]

21. thank you

[bronxiteforever]

22. American adventure-ism in the mid east has consequences-GOP policy is a frickin disaster

[fascisthunter]

23. can't say that enough since we have a willfully complicit media

[fascisthunter]

24. the might is right American Meat Head will Purposely Deny this

[rurallib]

10. "Just turn the pipeline toward mother Russia and no one gets hurt"

I get the impression Condi must have made some promise when she was in Georgia last month. Who was to know she didn't speak for the administration?

[AllentownJake]

12. and your democratically elected leader needs to resign

to be replaced by one we appoint.

[depakid]

17. Seems to me, Saakashvili has been overreaching

and along with the nationalist fervor that's been amped up over the past several years was bound to result in this sort of confrontation.

Under the circumstances, my sympathies lie with the people of South Ossetia who've born the brunt of the armed conflict, rather than with the leader who provoked it.

[AllentownJake]

18. South Ossetia isn't exactly innocent

They declared independence and started arming themselves. The war is a tragedy on the civilian population and my heart goes out to them.

[frankieT]

19. I already told you that Ossetians were always free from Georgian rule

South Ossetia was put in Georgia's frontiers by the most famous georgian (Stalin), they never belonged to georgian influence. They have every right to fight to keep this unchanged.

[NutmegYankee]

26. Wrong.

That region was part of Georgia when it broke free from Russia in 1918 during the revolution, but was retaken by the Soviet Union in 1921.


Try again

[frankieT]

29. so 3 years during the mayhem that followed the revolution VS CENTURIES !!!

[NutmegYankee]

30. It was part for centuries as well.

The Soviets moved people around. Just ask the Germans from Danzig.

[frankieT]

32. Soviets moved people but not Ossetians

they were loyal to Russia for centuries and lived in these mountains for a long time. Ask any Ossetian, they don't want georgian rule ! It's nonsense for them.
But you seem decided to twist the reality to fit Georgia official line

[amandabeech]

16. LOL!!!!! n/t

[fascisthunter]

25. ooops... no escalation for the meat heads

oh well

[ohio2007]

27. They are ready to dictate terms of surrender ?

Not nyet