LAT: Administration Considers More Aggressive Russia Policy

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-usrussia12dec12,0,2125193,print.story?coll=la-home-headlines

The Bush administration is beginning a broad review of its Russia policy that could lead to a more confrontational approach toward Moscow over its treatment of neighboring countries and its own citizens, U.S. officials said.

For the past four years, the administration muted its criticism of Russia's approach to democratic values as Washington tried to build a "strategic partnership" with Moscow to fight terrorism and weapons proliferation.

But the Bush team's approach has faced growing doubts, including from some within the administration. Now in his second term, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin has reduced media freedom and cracked down on political opponents at home, while working against pro-Western forces in neighboring countries such as Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.

Questions about U.S. policy have gained a new urgency in the past three weeks, as the United States and Russia have sparred over a presidential election in Ukraine. Washington and the European Union rejected the results as rigged, and after public protests, the matter went to the country's Supreme Court, which overturned the victory of the pro-Russian candidate.

The outcome appeared to suggest that a more aggressive U.S. policy might help catalyze democratic change throughout the region.

[goclark]

1. GWB: "I'm King Of The World!"

Oh this is so scary, when will it end?

[Vidar]

28. ROFLMAO

[punpirate]

2. Democratic change?

This is all about money. I'll bet the American investors and management in Yukos have been screaming bloody-murder to the Bushies for years now... "do something, goddammit, do something, we're gonna owe Russian taxes soon."

[aikido15]

3. and this after Russia said Thursday....

That they were ready to exercise their right to preventive military strikes since the "precedent had already been set in Afghanistan and Iraq" without naming the US..

Fucking Bush has awakened the sleeping giant with his neocon shit!

[rockedthevoteinMA]

4. So now we're going to go after Condi's little sick obsession?

That's her specialty (Russia). This is going to be a frightening four years.

[DeepModem Mom]

16. Is Russia the one thing she may actually know something about?

How conveeenient!

[struggle4progress]

23. I think you may have found the source of this new policy. eom

[rockedthevoteinMA]

25. It drove me nuts when I found out that was her only area

of expertise... :wtf:

How does she qualify for her positions? Then I realized the more incompetent you are...the more qualified! :think:

[geomon666]

5. Nice

War on Terrorism isn't going so well, so let's restart the Cold War.

[Bouncy Ball]

7. Fucking A.

I lived through that all my life. Now they're going to make my daughter grow up under it, too, eh?

Sucks to be us.

[driver8]

14. That is exactly right! We are going to war with the world!! n/t

[George_S]

19. England is next...

... those damn allies want things, just like friends 'n stuff do.

We are a rock. We are an island.

[BUSHOUT]

6. But Bush can see into his soul. HIS SOUL!!

I can't believe his good buddy Putin is no longer in favor. Next he'll be calling Blair a weak-kneed liberal socialist.

[proudtobeadem]

8. ....Russian President Vladimir V. Putin has reduced

media freedom and cracked down on political opponents at home...
Gee...I wonder why that sounds so familiar??

[DBoon]

10. Bush hates the competition

He is just jealous.

[driver8]

15. DBoon, I like your Dead Kennedys avatar n/t

[DBoon]

21. I'd rather there were a few more Live Kennedies

Their youthful deaths are enough to turn anyone into a punker

[Sperk]

9. Could this have anything to do with Russia's going after Iran's,

Philipine's and the Sudan's oil? Seems like Putin's been busy cutting deals while Bush has been busy screwing up the Iraq war.

[DBoon]

11. Or Russia reduces its dollar reserves

and increasing its Euro reserves?

[w4rma]

12. Bush and the GOP leadership have left American forces in a QUAGMIRE

within Iraq. Wtf are they going to do but bark? All bark and no bite until they figure out how to fix their mess in Iraq.

[bemildred]

13. Drool. nt

[KDLarsen]

17. I'm sure it didn't help that Russia passed the Kyoto Treaty..

.. after all, that is really going to hurt Dubya's already miserable enviromental record.

[burrowowl]

18. How many missile silos

do the U$ and Ru$$ia have operational.
How many Icy Bowel Movements, oops, I mean ICBMs are left?
Jesus H. Christ! Bu$h and the 'football' is not Kennedy with the 'football' during the Cuban missile crisis.

"The outcome appeared to suggest that a more aggressive U.S. policy might help catalyze democratic change throughout the region."

I bet Bu$h gets pissed off first.

Sounds like the Cold War hasn't ended, will it get hot?

Ru$$ia and the U$ are now playing for big moola stakes. Who controls the OIL. Same regions in play as in WWI, yes WWI, Germany tried to get control of Baku area ........

[neweurope]

20. They're pretty successful at hemming in Russia on all sides.

And now they have begun to openly dare them. This is VERY scary. That's exactly what we over here are so afraid of - a new World War. And the US has military bases right in my own country...

China will be next. PNAC is their daily manual.

[yorkiemommie1]

22. bombs away, georgie porgie

do whatever your gut tells ya. now, what was it the nuns told us to do in case we got bombed? oh yeah, get under our desks and shut our eyes. that what you doing in the oval office, georgie?

sarcasm off.

[VegasWolf]

24. So Putin let chimp see his soul? What chimpanzee saw was

exactly what Putin wanted him to see. Chimpanzee
too stupid to know any difference.

[GiovanniC]

26. And the Kids, In High School, They Tell Him That He's Uncool

Cuz he's still
Preoccupied
With 19
19
1985

[LynnTheDem]

27. Pooty-Poot is just doing in Russia what King George is doing here.

The ol' "do as we say, not as we do" bullshit from Georgie.