Sen Biden: US To Consider $1 Billion Emergency Aid For Georgia

[Purveyor]

Source: Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON (AFP)--The United States will consider providing $1 billion in emergency aid to Georgia, a top U.S. lawmaker said Monday on his return from a visit to the conflict-torn nation.

"When Congress reconvenes, I intend to work with the administration to seek Congressional approval for $1 billion in emergency assistance for Georgia," Democratic Senator Joseph Biden said in a statement.

"This money will help the people of Georgia recover from the damage that has been inflicted on their economy and send a clear message that the United States will not abandon this young democracy," said Biden, head of the Senator Foreign Relations Committee.

Congress reconvenes on Sept. 8 after a summer break.

Biden hoped the planned U.S. commitment would be matched by other nations.

Read more: http://tinyurl.com/5kovx6

---

Let see. Many schools are going to a 4 day week because they can't afford fuel for the buses.

School lunch menus are being altered as the schools can't afford decent meals.

Bridges are being closed and detoured because there is no money to repair them.

I need bit go on. I'm sure you 'get my drift' and disgust at this Biden proposal.

I've had a f'n enough!!!

[Muttocracy]

1. I do not like that. I'd like to know how much we spent arming Georgia up to now. nt

[Skink]

3. Part of the deal to get Georgia to buy our weapons was that we would aid them agianst Russia.

or so the back room deal goes.

[movonne]

51. Did we spend that much on Katrina???

[THale2]

56. Thats what I was thinking

New Orleans remains in ruins but you can spend that much money on non-citizens...what a joke..

[Muttocracy]

61. Katrina, fires out west, floods in midwest... nt

[DJ13]

2. Of all the issues to get pissed about, spending on helping an ally after getting attacked

......is kinda petty.

[Muttocracy]

4. it is a small amount compared to Iraq (one-time vs. $10b a month w/ no end in sight)

[DJ13]

5. Exactly!

If its emergency aid I have no problems with this.

[Purveyor]

16. I have no problem with providing 'humanitarian aid' in the event of a 'natural diaster'.

But sending US taxpayer dollars to assist a country that caused the provocation to begin with, absolutely not.

The people of Georgia unfortunately, must deal with the consequences of installing this neocon 'puppet gov't' and should consider more carefully when seating their next government. Not unlike the consequences the US is suffering under the gov't we placed in DC.

[lib2DaBone]

83. Would have a problem if this aid was to go to America?

46 million in the U.S without health care. Unemployment hits 40 year high. Food banks swamped as increasing number of American go hungry.

[MichiganVote]

9. It is a huge amount in terms of OUR kids education, healthcare,,,,,,,,

[Muttocracy]

11. I know - see my first reply. nt

[Purveyor]

6. Adequately fund our core needs here at home first, then I might agree with you a billion is 'petty'.

Georgia should be Europes g-d problem...not ours!

[Muttocracy]

8. I wish we hadn't gotten involved with Georgia so much up to now.

My first reaction was the same as yours, though if we broke this, we may need to help fix it. I would want to be very sure the money is going to help civilians in both Georgia and Ossetia, not the govmt.

[Diclotican]

42. Purveyor

Purveyor

As in Iraq, if you broke it, you own it.. In Iraq US broke it so horrible so short of founding a stable government is something you can't do. Even if means that Shia-islam would be the powerbrokes for the future...

In Georgia US was in the shadow somehow, and now Georgia are not exactly in some good position to demand things from their nabour Russia who really have teach Georgia a hard lesson about been to tuff on things..

Europe can if they want help both Russia and Georgia to clean up whatever is the problem. But I am afraid that the russian would not listen to any part of Western Europe for the moment. They would do the job to the end. And if necessary going into Tbilisi to take down the current government, and install a more "friendly" regime in the halls of government. Hopefully it would not be like that, hopefully soon, the russian army would retreat to their bases an Russia, Georgian government officials, Eu and maybe US can sit down and deal with the issue and make it right, what ever the outcome would be. But I fear it would not be the outcome before the US have an other president. But maybe Russia still could trust Western Europe, and to work together with us to clean up the horrible mess the stupidity of others have made in the Caucasus lately..

And as some have pointed out here in another tread. Putin is absolutely furious about the fact that the US have been going away from many deal they have been made with Russia the last couple of years. And he have promised himself never to trust an american again, never!. So the current administration have really, really managed to screw things up with Russia this time.. Putin are still the boss, even that he is just prime minister of Russia and not the President.. And his friend Medejev is in full agreement that Russia must tend to their own need, both foreign and domestic for the time beeing..

I really hope this BILLION of dollar would go to build up what is destroyed in Georgia, but I fear that it would go to re-arm the Georgian police and army, and not to civilian use.. Maybe some would go to civilian use, but for the most part this "package" would go into the hand of the Georgian army, and the finance of armory for their next war with the outbroke provinces..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english, not my native language

[AlphaCentauri]

66. We could use that billion here on the Lakota independence movement

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/12/lakota-wit...

it would make more sense.

[leftchick]

10. the fact is Georgia is yet another farce of a "democracy"

propped up by US propaganda and taxpayer dollars. Read this the tell me we should throw more money at him like we did Saddam, Noriega and the whole roster of CIA/US puppet regimes. Biden is encouraging more of the same US imperialism instead of calling it what it is and demanding change.

http://www.counterpunch.org/hallinan08162008.html

One of the major causes of the recent war in Georgia has nothing to do with the historic tensions that make the Caucasus such a flashpoint between east and west. Certainly the long-stranding ethnic enmity between Ossetians and Georgians played a role, as did the almost visceral dislike between Moscow and Tbilisi. But the origins of the short, brutal war go back six years to a June afternoon at West Point.

Speaking to the cadets at the military academy, President George W. Bush laid out a blueprint for U.S foreign policy, a strategy lifted from a neocon think tank, the Project for a New American Century. In essence, the West Point Doctrine made it clear that Washington would not permit the development of a “peer competitor,” and that, if necessary, the U.S. would use military force to insure that it maintained the monopoly on world power it had inherited after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The 21st Century was to be an American century.

<snip>

This is the context in which the recent fighting took place. While the western media has largely portrayed the war as the mighty Russian bear beating up on tiny Georgia, Moscow sees Tbilisi’s attack on South Ossetia as yet another move aimed at surrounding it with hostile powers.

U.S. non-governmental organizations, some, like the National Endowment for Democracy, close to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, played a key role in helping to bring Georgia’s current president Mikhail Saakashvilli to power. For all the Bush Administration touts him as a “democrat,” the Georgian president has exiled his political enemies, closed down opposition newspapers, and turned his police on peaceful demonstrators.

Following his election, the U.S. and Israel poured military aid and trainers into Georgia. Some 800 U.S. and 1,000 Israeli trainers are currently working with the Georgian military.

While the U.S. claims that it strongly advised the Georgians not to use force in Ossetia and Abakhzia, just a few weeks before the attack Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Tbilisi and made it clear that the Bush Administration fully supported Georgia claim over the two provinces.

[MichiganVote]

13. Well we aren't looking so great at it these days either...but I agree.

[gateley]

25. How do we know which is accurate:

While the U.S. claims that it strongly advised the Georgians not to use force in Ossetia and Abakhzia

or

just a few weeks before the attack Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Tbilisi and made it clear that the Bush Administration fully supported Georgia claim over the two provinces.

Where are they getting this information?

Our country is dirty. And it has been for a long time.

[leftchick]

55. I believe

anything officially stated by this US administration will always be a lie. Period.

[Nevernose]

70. Those are not mutually exclusive claims.

It is possible that we can support Georgian claims over the provinces and still advise against using force. The same way most countries in the world supported inspecting Iraq for WMDs but not using force. Just sayin', is all.

I agree that our country's been dirty a long time. Ever since we came through WWII with our infrastructure and economy intact and thought that gave us the right to do whatever the hell we wanted just because we were suddenly richer, to be precise. There were moments before that, sure, but the real turning point was in the fall of 1945.

[AlphaCentauri]

37. Non-profits are becoming the CIA arm and gear

To do the dirty work of corruption

[AntiFascist]

38. great point...

how much of a fair democracy can it be when the people of S. Ossetia want to seccede and join the Russian empire? Just like the religious right want to do in Iraq, the only alternative is to cleanse the area of its native people and repopulate.

[KoKo]

46. Really? What "dark side" did you cross over from? Georgia an Ally to Americans?

DUH!

[Hannah Bell]

74. worse than petty is falsifying history.

[babythunder]

84. I am just

concerned about how this money would be spent? That money could very well go right into funding more weapons with humanitarian needs ranking near to the bottom.

[MichiganVote]

7. Are you kidding me? Christ what does an American have to do to use their tax money

in OUR country? Healthcare? Education? Bridges (to somewhere)?

Seriously.

[IndianaGreen]

12. Not one dime to those assholes!

The Georgian government created this fiasco when it decided to attack South Ossetia. Screw those McCain loving idiots!

[stillcool]

14. Empire or Nation...

which falls first?

[Muttocracy]

15. I can't get that link to work, and couldn't find it on AFP site. on edit:

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent /
NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080818\ACQDJON200808181904DOWJONESDJONLINE000514.htm

[Purveyor]

18. Give this a try:

http://tinyurl.com/5kovx6

[Muttocracy]

20. got it eventually, but I'm sure that will help others. Longer version in next reply. nt

[Muttocracy]

17. much longer statement on some other sites:

http://thepage.time.com/biden-statement-on-georgia-trip /



BIDEN Issues Statement Upon Return from Georgia

Washington, DC – Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) returned from a visit to the Republic of Georgia today. During his visit, he met with Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili; Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze; Georgian Parliamentary Speaker David Bakradze; U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John Tefft and spoke via phone with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Upon his return, Chairman Biden issued the following statement:

“During my time in Georgia, I surveyed the human and geopolitical consequences of the conflict there firsthand. I visited a facility where some of the tens of thousands of Georgians who have fled the fighting are seeking refuge, unsure about whether they will ever return to their homes. On the tarmac of Tbilisi’s airport, I consulted with the dedicated U.S. Air Force personnel who are bringing urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the region. I spent many hours in talks with Georgia’s President, Prime Minister, Parliamentary Speaker, and other national leaders discussing how Georgia and the West should respond to this crisis. And I conferred extensively with U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John Tefft and, via phone, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about how the United States should meet this challenge.

“I left the country convinced that Russia’s invasion of Georgia may be the one of the most significant event to occur in Europe since the end of communism. The claims of Georgian atrocities that provided the pretext for Russia’s invasion are rapidly being disproved by international observers, and the continuing presence of Russian forces in the country has severe implications for the broader region. The war that began in Georgia is no longer about that country alone. It has become a question of whether and how the West will stand up for the rights of free people throughout the region. The outcome there will determine whether we realize the grand ambition of a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace.

“Russia must make good on President Medvedev’s commitment to immediately withdraw Russian troops to their positions before the current fighting began. We also need a truly independent and international peacekeeping force in Georgia’s conflict regions. And we must help the people of Georgia to rebuild their country and preserve its democratic institutions.

“When Congress reconvenes, I intend to work with the Administration to seek Congressional approval for $1 billion in emergency assistance for Georgia, with a substantial down payment on that aid to be included in the Congress’ next supplemental spending bill. This money will help the people of Georgia recover from the damage that has been inflicted on their economy and send a clear message that the United States will not abandon this young democracy. I hope this $1 billion commitment will be matched by others in the international community.

“I have long sought to help Russia realize its extraordinary potential as a force for progress in the international community, and have supported legislative efforts intended to forge a more constructive relationship with the Kremlin. But Russia’s actions in Georgia will have consequences.

“Russia’s actions have already erased the possibility of advancing legislative efforts to promote U.S.-Russian partnership in the current Congress, including an agreement to allow for increased collaboration with Russia on nuclear energy production and the repeal of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, which currently blocks the country’s integration into the World Trade Organization. Russia’s failure to keep its word and withdraw troops from Georgia risks the country’s standing as part of the international community. That is not the future the United States or Europe want – but it is the future Russia may get if it does not stand down its forces and live up to its commitments.”

###

[maddezmom]

19. I love Joe, but I'd like to see this equaled with money for NO, etc

[Muttocracy]

21. I'd like to see other commitments, and changes in Georgia's behavior

before we send money their way. And it has to be ONLY for humanitarian emergency aid.

[nebenaube]

26. So...

Biden is a tool too!

[Muttocracy]

22. I'm very curious exactly what he saw over there, because he statements before going

were a bit different.

[davidinalameda]

23. wow-nice to see the hatred on here

I'd rather see the money go to projects here in the US but Georgia has been an ally and to leave them hanging isn't good foreign policy

I'd be willing to state that some of the isolationists on here would be much better off siding with a Pat Buchanan rather than Obama

let's not support democracies around the world

let's just leave them to be taken over by Russia again

and let's not forget the importance of having an ally in this region

you all are so short-sighted

[nebenaube]

27. it is a CIA puppet regime

not a democracy...

[Deny and Shred]

29. "Support democracies around the world", "Importance of...

having an ally in the region"?

The US pushed for democracy in Palestine, where's the support for Hamas. Oh, right, democracy as long as they vote for who their 'supposed' to vote for. Otherwise its isolation-time.

An ally in the region? Saddam was our ally in the region once upon a time. So was Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan. There are differences between puppets and allies. Georgia gets Bushes pals closer to Caspian oil & gas. Period.

At least they will privatize the profits after the US taxpayer socializes the costs.

Don't mistake the lip-service to democracy. Don't mistake the 'enemy of my enemy is my friend' that is the hallmark of 30 years of US mid-East policy.
It IS about that liquefied shale.

Is the oil on our continental shelf ours? The oil beneath the Gulf of Mexico? Do you think the Russians consider oil & gas beneath the Caspian as within their purview?

[stillcool]

30. it's all that 'freedom'..

that concerns me..well that and this.

[Deny and Shred]

33. I thought Baku was the Capitol of Azerbaijan, not part of Turkmenistan

Otherwise, nice map. Really lays it out there. Anywhere but Russia, obviously.

[stillcool]

35. I only know it as a pipeline..

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Baku-Tbilisi... (BTC)_pipeline

[martymar64]

32. You're the short sighted one

We have no business putting in offensive installations in Russia's backyard or encouraging these nations to engage in genocide. Think Cuban Missile Crisis. They would be justified in rolling tanks into Kiev, Tblisi and Warsaw to pre-empt the threat from NATO, whose only mission is to kill Russians.

It just reminded me that more Russians were killed by a Georgian (Stalin) than by anybody else. It's apparent that the US has not stopped the Cold War and desperately wants to nuke Russia and kill millions of Russians so we can steal their oil. That's what Hitler wanted to do, same with that war criminal Patton. Bush is cut from the same cloth. Apparently so are you.

[davidinalameda]

67. you're comparing me to Hitler?

put down the crack pipe!

[AlphaCentauri]

40. "short-sighted" we almost made Kuwait a democracy

but we didn't and we had the opportunity.

[KoKo]

44. Pray tell what Georgia has done for "US?"

If you mean sending 1,000 troops to help Bush/Cheney "Occupy Iraq" AFTER they invaded it...then perhaps they are an ally to Bush/Cheney/Neocon THUGS...but an ally to the the American People? You GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!

[autorank]

52. You didn't notice?

When "Shalli" gave that joint conference with Rice, he had a tantrum saying that those who enabled
Russian aggression were part of the problem. He was really upset, of the hair pulling variety, because
he gave US the chance for a major war that would finish us off forever either financially or in some
more absolute way.

Isn't that enough KoKo01? Your demands are, well, they're Georgian in their grandiosity

[DeltaLitProf]

48. Short-sighted? How about tired?

We've been funding all sorts of allies who demonstrate their disregard for the civilian casualties their militaries cause. When are we going to learn that it's bad foreign policy to fund thugs even if those thugs attack our enemies?

[autorank]

50. They're not a democracy

The "Rose" revolution put this guy in power. That was managed by the U.S. That's not democracy, that's
an overseas intel operation using voting as the premise.

Once in, miraculously his party got 65% of the votes but those were lost, so we won't ever really
know.

The leader made a huge mistake and then castigated the US and Europe for not following him into a war
with Russia.

Biden's view here is the antiquated and transparently commercial in flavor - we get to pay for the
military actions that benefit tin horn dictators shilling for the interests of US financial groups.

The idea of giving them money is totally absurd. Biden is carrying the water for The Money Party,
which makes sense if you look at the dominant financial interests of his state.

Where's the hate, btw? This is simple outrage at reflexive foreign policy moves that drain this
country of its resources and divert valuable funds from needed domestic projects.

[razors edge]

54. Get real.

Having your own country's interests as your #1 priority is isolationist?

Russia seems to have used the Powell Doctrine and secured an unstable area with the massive response needed to make sure the issue was resolved, completely, and like right now. Would you be so short sighted yourself to not understand we have done the same type of operation ourselves?

But those were the heady days of America doing the right thing, a distant memory to most.

[THale2]

57. Not the point

we have crumbling schools and communities throughout this country...they dont care about the people in Georgia...they are doing it to spite Russia...If we were such a caring nation, the U.S. would try to stop the genocide in Dafur..

[eridani]

72. US citizens don't get to define the term "democracy"

Our corporate overlords use it to mean "those countries that knuckle under to corporate demands to put their welfare over the welfare of their own citizens."

The bottom line is that South Ossetians don't happen to want to be part of Georgia. The rest of Georgia is as anti-Russian as the Ossetians are pro-Russian, so it would be very difficult to hold. If they were stupid enough to try, it would turn into an Iraq for them.

[Hannah Bell]

75. we don't have allies, we have partners in crime or lackeys.

georgia is a lackey.

[olddad56]

24. How about an emergency billion for our schools.

I think that schools in each state could use 20 million apiece. It would be a start.

[Skwmom]

63. You've got to be kidding. We only borrow money from China for other countries.

[martymar64]

28. Fuck no, Joe!

Fuck Georgia, Saakashvili is a US stooge. I object to even one penny of my tax dollars going to that corrupt genocidal fascist state. Let them fucking starve.

[liberal1973]

45. I agree

[grytpype]

31. Great, another billion poured down a rathole.

[Jefferson23]

34. NO NO NO MONEY, absolutely not. The twilight zone foreign policy continues folks.

[fascisthunter]

36. sure.... one billion. Right after Bush and His Friends Pay off the Debt

the debt they fucking created for us slaves to pay off for them.

[AlphaCentauri]

39. Another Democratic Plan B

that eventually will take us to the result that republicans want.

[Mika]

41. Just like the bank bailouts.

Fuck-up and get free US taxpayer dollars.

[MasonJar]

43. How about little Ossetia which got attacked by Georgia first. I notice

that Georgia criticized McCain, but invited Biden over. Take that John.

[DeltaLitProf]

47. Unfortunately, most Congressmen

. . . will want to up this to more to shore up their election year reputation as hawks. But the line should be held on this if indeed the evidence shows Georgia's forces are responsible for civilian casualties in South Ossetia.

[autorank]

49. Utter, total and complete bull shit.

So the foolish president of Georgia attacks the Russian empire, he gets his clock cleaned and we have
to pay for it? Doesn't that imply guilt on the part of bush Cheney and others. Why do we pay for it?

[KingOfLostSouls]

53. Chairman Of The FOREIGN RELATIONS Committee

I guess if he was chairman of say, environment and public works he might be putting proposals forward to help the environment and such


I think people missed the whole "FOREIGN RELATIONS" part of what committee he leads.


sorry, hatred for joe biden isn't an excuse to be ignorant.

[whirlygigspin]

58. interesting choice of words

"When Congress reconvenes, I intend to work with the Administration"

--sounds like someone who isn't thinking of himself as Vice-President


for what it's worth, if his choice of words is reflective of anything, he didn't get the nod.


I guess it's the midwest,Indiana's Evan Blah?

zzzzzz

[KingOfLostSouls]

59. Nah, reading too much into it

Biden isn't someone who's gonna suddenly stop doing his job because he got the nomination.


he's chairman of the foreign relations committee, its what he does.


like I said, if he had like barbara boxers job, he'd be focusing on something else.


like hopefully gaveling inhofe into permanent silence...

[gateley]

64. When Congress reconvenes, this (Bushco) administration will still be in

power, right? Or am I missing the point?

Good to see you!

[whirlygigspin]

73. good point

hi back at ya!

perhaps it is the opposite case

in any case, I just hope it's not Bayh, I can't see the feminists liking that one bit.

[Skwmom]

65. And with all that foreign relations expertise the idiot still voted for the biggest debacle in U.S.

history.

“I find it surprising now, in 2008, how many Democrats are running for president after shirking their constitutional duty to check and balance this president,” writes Chafee. “Being wrong about sending Americans to kill and be killed, maim and be maimed, is not like making a punctuation mistake in a highway bill.

“They argue that the president duped them into war, but getting duped does not exactly recommend their leadership. Helping a rogue president start an unnecessary war should be a career-ending lapse of judgment.”

http://www.projo.com/news/content/LInc_Chafee_01-27-08_...

[Scout]

60. do they have oil there? is that why we're helping there instead of so many other places? n/t

[Skwmom]

62. So we'll be borrowing more money from China.

Our infrastructure is crumbling yet we can give Georgia a billion. I'm so glad we have our priorities straight.

[Dover]

68. Oil, gas revenues lost....assuming this pipeline is caput.

The billion plus dollars may be the cost of losing.


War Casts Doubts On Pipeline

http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=26...



Revenues expected from the Georgian pipeline:

http://imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2004/wp04209.pdf

[Tutonic]

69. Let me get some of that f'n anger!! Why does Joe Biden have to

go to Georgia and rescue that incompetent potato head Condi Rice. And who in the hell is paying for Frick and Fat (Graham/Lieberman) to wander around the streets in Brooks Brother suits? Just like Nero fiddlin while Rome was burning our great imposter president was more consumed with the female athletes in Beijing than working for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. So that leaves Dick Cheney-a man that has had more lives than a litter of twelve cats combined--to start a lopsided conflict in Georgia. He must be trippin 24/7 from all of those meds. His doctors are immoral! And how is it that this sick and demented old piece of putrid trash qualifies for a new pacemaker every four to six months?!!! They'd let anybody else die like a normal human but they keep brining this unwanted demon back to life! So then why would anyone want to see Colin Powell endorse Obama?!!!! Is there anything good that has come out of this Administration?? What Biden is doing pales in comparison to the harm that this group of dimwits has done to this nation in the PAST WEEK alone!

[notesdev]

71. When you notice the US happens to be insolvent...

... you start to wonder whether there's any cost-benefit analysis to our foreign policy at all.

I'm pretty sure that what transpired in Georgia was a US inspired bid for pipeline access and Russia put its foot down and reasserted its natural sphere of influence.

[MrsBrady]

76. NO! n/t

[newfie11]

77. Bullshit

When are we going to stop helping everyone else and help ourselves! Georgia started it let Georgia fix their own country.

[Vinca]

78. I wish the U.S. could get $1 billion in aid. Maybe Bernie Sanders

could open his primary care clinics that haven't been funded so my 47 million friends and I could get basic healthcare.

[lovuian]

79. Biden gives them 1 billion for being idiots

this is a payoff for US pushing them to do their bidding

Biden is showing himself as a NWO player

[reorg]

80. Since there seems to be very little destruction in Georgia proper

- apart from a few broken windows in Gori and some damage to a bridge - I guess all the money goes into the reconstruction of Tskhinvali and the neighbouring villages in South Ossetia that were attacked by the Georgian army, right?

I mean, South Ossetia belongs to Georgia, isn't that what American politicians are telling us all the time?

[snooper2]

81. Why don't they just take 1 Billion from Isreal's funds...

That seems fair

[bitchkitty]

82. What does South Ossetia get? n/t