Obama On Russian Invasion Of Georgia: "No Possible Justification" (VIDEO)

***UPDATE***

Obama addressed reporters Monday afternoon on the conflict in Georgia. CNN has the video:

Barack Obama has been criticized by some for letting John McCain dominate on the crisis in Georgia. Now he's out with a statement.

Key graphs:

For many months, I have warned that there needs to be active international engagement to peacefully address the disputes over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, including a high-level and neutral international mediator, and a genuine international peacekeeping force - not simply Russian troops.

No matter how this conflict started, Russia has escalated it well beyond the dispute over South Ossetia and invaded another country. Russia has escalated its military campaign through strategic bombing and the movement of its ground forces into the heart of Georgia. There is no possible justification for these attacks.

The United States, Europe and all other concerned countries must stand united in condemning this aggression, and seeking a peaceful resolution to this crisis. We should continue to push for a United Nations Security Council Resolution calling for an immediate end to the violence. This is a clear violation of the sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Georgia - the UN must stand up for the sovereignty of its members, and peace in the world.

The full statement:

Good morning. The situation in Georgia continues to deteriorate because of the escalation of Russia's use of military force. I have spoken to President Saakashvili, and conveyed my deep regret over the loss of life, and the suffering of the people of Georgia.

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For many months, I have warned that there needs to be active international engagement to peacefully address the disputes over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, including a high-level and neutral international mediator, and a genuine international peacekeeping force - not simply Russian troops.

No matter how this conflict started, Russia has escalated it well beyond the dispute over South Ossetia and invaded another country. Russia has escalated its military campaign through strategic bombing and the movement of its ground forces into the heart of Georgia. There is no possible justification for these attacks.

I reiterate my call for Russia to stop its bombing campaign, to stop flights of Russian aircraft in Georgian airspace, and to withdraw its ground forces from Georgia. The Georgian government has proposed a cease-fire and the Russian government should accept it. There is also an urgent need for humanitarian assistance to reach the people of Georgia, and casualties on both sides.

The United States, Europe and all other concerned countries must stand united in condemning this aggression, and seeking a peaceful resolution to this crisis. We should continue to push for a United Nations Security Council Resolution calling for an immediate end to the violence. This is a clear violation of the sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Georgia - the UN must stand up for the sovereignty of its members, and peace in the world.

I welcome the visit of the French and Finnish foreign ministers to Georgia as a first step toward mediation. There should also be a United Nations mediator to address this crisis, and the United States should fully support this effort. We should also convene other international forums to condemn this aggression, to call for an immediate halt to the violence, and to review multilateral and bilateral arrangements with Russia - including Russia's interest in joining the World Trade Organization.

The violence taking place along the Black Sea is just miles from Sochi, the site for the Winter Olympics in 2014. It only adds to the tragedy and outrage of the current situation that Russia has acted while the world has come together in peace and athletic competition in Beijing. This action is wholly inconsistent with the Olympic ideal.

While returning to a pre-August 8 military posture is a necessary first step to resolving this crisis, we cannot tolerate the unacceptable status quo that led to this escalation. That means Russian peacekeeping troops should be replaced by a genuine international peacekeeping force, Georgia should refrain from using force in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and a political settlement must be reached that addresses the status of these disputed regions.

Going forward, the United States and Europe must support the people of Georgia. Beyond immediate humanitarian assistance, we must provide economic assistance, and help rebuild what has been destroyed. I have consistently called for deepening relations between Georgia and transatlantic institutions, including a Membership Action Plan for NATO, and we must continue to press for that deeper relationship.

The relationship between Russia and the West is long and complicated. There have been many turning points, for good and ill. This is another turning point.

Let me be clear: we seek a future of cooperative engagement with the Russian government, and friendship with the Russian people. We want Russia to play its rightful role as a great nation - but with that role comes the responsibility to act as a force for progress in this new century, not regression to the conflicts of the past. That is why the United States and the international community must speak out strongly against this aggression, and for peace and security.

Comments

[research]

Ossitia is disputed. Georgia signed a peace treaty agreeing not to invade Ossitia. Ossetia asked for an got Russian peace keepers, some of whom were killed in the Georgian attack.

McCain "threw Georgia to the wolves." We should have explained the facts of life to Georgia and told it to forget about Ossitia. Instead McCain's foreign adviser took lobbying money from the Georgian governments and convinced them Ossitia was theirs and they should take it back. Israel provide weapons to Georgia and the USA provided military training just a week before.

You conservatives Threw Georgia to the wolves.

[winzme]

I remember in July wasn't it, Russia was threatening to put bomber planes capable of carrying nukes in Cuba if we and the rest of the world did not listen to them. The threats have come long and hard from both sides, from Russia long before the US responded.

The Presidential Candidates and the President will stand together on protecting the US and its allies, diplomacy is part of that, but it does not mean bowing down to Russia, here or abroad. Diplomacy is negotiating on both parts.

[research]

Folks, learn something before commenting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Ossetia

The Ossetians fled to Russia, not to Georgia that had already killed 3000 some Ossetians.

Hard to believe, but Russia is the good guy in this battle.

[Michale32086]

For those who doubt Russian intentions here, the manner in which they entered Georgia bears an eerie resemblance to how they Soviet Union entered Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Afghanistan in 1979.

Michale.....

[MagisterLudi]

Facts:
DAY One: Aug. 7th.
Saakashvilli is on national TV proclaiming ( lying about) his peaceful intentions. At the same time his army is secretly deploying on Ossetian border. But hey, he's a American trained corporate lawyer.

Hours later, Georgian forces launch a surprise attack, reaching the capital of Ossetia, Tskhinvali. They proceed to bombard the city into rubble using Grad missiles, 122mm howitzers, SU strategic bombers and large caliber mortars. Tank attack follows.

About 1400 Ossetians lost their lives that day! About 30, 000 Ossetians civilians were made homeless refugees by Georgian attack.

Georgian attack is very reminiscent of Hitler's attack on Poland and American attack on Panama.

[Michale32086]

It's a shame that Georgia responded in it's own territory in that manner..

Which doesn't change the fact that Russia's actions are completely and unequivocally unjustified....

Michale.....

[chiefeditor]

Audio is up here: http://entertonement.com/collections/1929/Georgia-Russia-Conflict

[UnknownSoldier]

I know BO and McNap are running for Pres, but this is not an issue for the Media to press them on. We need to speak with one voice on this matter. I'm sad to say that the only voice that should be heard is the White House. It is never good to to play politics with REAL foreign policy, this is not some hypothetical situation (people are dying). The Media should be criticizing both BO and McNap for speaking about this situation. We the voters should be getting on the Media for not grilling the White House on this.

[gmlaster]

Excellent point. I totally agree with you. The media are the ones doing this, and in the process they're letting George Bush off the hook by putting the candidates on the spot. They're in no position to do anything about this situation, so why do we care what they think? He's the only one who needs to be issuing statements to the Russian government, but nobody's paying him any real attention because the media wants to see how presidential the candidates will look .

I get that we want to see what they'd be like in a real foreign policy situation, but this shouldn't be one of them. Really, foreign policy is one of those things that you can't really know how they'd do until placed in that situation as POTUS. So at what point is the media too deeply involved in influencing our foreign relations? If they're not in too deep already, they're awfully close.

Bill Clinton spoke the truth when he said that no one is really ready to be President. The only way to get the experience is to have the experience. So this is not a fair test to either candidate. I don't blame them for speaking out. I blame the media for shoving a mike in their faces and drilling them about it. All this media scrutiny and forcing them to issue statements of condemnation just makes us look disorganized and un-unified as a country. Who's in charge here?

[gmlaster]

Okay...I know this is totally paranoid of me. But Russia's insane overreaction to this situation and its sledgehammer approach to a solution seems mysterious (no justification), unless you consider that it has the advantage of greatly heightening security fears in America (historically it's greatest threat). Who's the presidential candidate strongest on national security? McCain. If he responds well to it, the Georgian problem can't help but swing some voters his way which would serve their interests extremely very well.

Russia is not now and has never been our friend, and over the last eight years they have quietly been rebuilding their economy and their military. While our attention has been focused so intently on the Middle East, look at how rich and powerful the Russians have become. After Communism fell, they were a broken nation, but now they're oil rich and looking to reassert their power and reclaim their prestige and their place in geopolitics. We, on the other hand, are going where they've been for the last 20 years.

Thanks to the Bush Administration, we're just an old tiger with no teeth. Our threats & protests mean nothing. With our economy failing, and our military stretched to the limit, we're right where they need us to be. The LAST thing they want is a stronger America. So which candidate is more likely to keep our economy in the toilet for at least four more years and our military busy fighting useless wars? You make the call.

[Michale32086]

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Thanks to the Bush Administration, we're just an old tiger with no teeth. Our threats & protests mean nothing.
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You are quite wrong on this. While our ground forces are extensively tied up, this is true, we still have viable and deadly sea and air assets.

Couple those assets with NATO ground troops and we can take down ANYTHING the Russians can put into theater.. The Russian Army shares MANY of the problems that plagued the old USSR Red Army..

The only question is if we have the political will to do the right thing and stop Russia..

Michale.....

[gmlaster]

Tell me this: We borrowed extensively to fund the war effort, but to date have not paid ONE PENNY for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Coupled with our foreclosure problems, that means we've got backbreaking debt. Just how would we pay for a conflict with Russia? Sure we've got viable assets, but WE GOT NO MONEY!!!

There's no way that the little money we've got left that's currently being flushed down the Iraq toilet is going to be diverted from the Middle East to fight Russia. This isn't about political will. It's about dollars & cents. All we can do now is talk and negotiate. Your president broke our military, so it looks like we're sitting this one out. NATO will have to go on without us.

Face it, we're broke. And unless we're prepared to pull all our troops out of the Middle East and deploy them to Georgia, we've got nothing with which to back up any threats Bush might make. So forget the air and sea assets. Unless Russia makes an attack on American soil, those assets are already spoken for. Besides, the last thing we need right now is to start a war on a THIRD front. Then again, Bush might actually be that stupid.

[UnknownSoldier]

Here we go wtih the American public buying into the Media propaganda, now starts the drum beat for war with Russia.

The American public is dumb enough to fall for this.

[theMightyT]

How can you claim with a straight face that Mc cain is the stronger candidate on national security? He's referencing countries that haven't existed for decades; can't get the various religious groups in Iraq straight; can't remember the important facts about the Surge (TM); doesn't know what's going on in Afghanistan; doesn't understand the nature of the global terrorist threat; and is basically following W's lead on foreign policy.

This is not strength. It's lack of understanding and lack of ideas.

Thus far, his response to the Georgia situation is empty bluster, coupled with what may or may not be a plaigiarized account of the country's history. I much prefer 0bama's approach, although i don't think either candidate should be attempting to steer foreign policy while the Shrub is still in office.

[gmlaster]

The POLLS and the MEDIA say that McCain is the stronger candidate on national security, not I. Believe me, the Russians aren't calling me for election information. They're getting it the same place the rest of us are getting it.

The point of my original post wasn't to suggest that McCain actually IS a stronger candidate. Frankly, with these scary temper tantrums of his and the embarrassing memory slips, he's beginning to sound like my grandmother (of blessed memory) when her Altzheimers kicked in and she started calling my father "Ethel Mae".

However, one possibly intentional side effect of the Russians' scary behavior is to scare undecided American voters who question Obama's national security creds, causing them to lean toward McCain because of is military background. Obama might actually be able to put America back on track, so they don't want him. They know Mac's weak and stupid, so having him in office works greatly to their advantage, making sure that we stay weak and keep an idiot in the White House. The last thing they want is an intelligent Harvard-educated superstar president leading America, who's popular with European heads of state and able to rebuild the alliances Bush destroyed.

[Michale32086]

@trinity29

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again, my question to you is on what basis or substance are you making that point that i am wrong? i made several points in my post. which part of my post are you suggesting that i might be wrong and why?
{{{{{{{{{{{

I am not making the point that you ARE wrong. You ARE and I will get to WHY in a moment..

I was making the point that, if you cannot even CONCEDE the possibility that you are wrong, then any discussion is moot, don't you agree???

The simple fact is, Georgia was handling an INTERNAL matter. Rightly or wrongly, it was internal to GEORGIA... It's akin to US Forces sending troops into Texas or Puerto Rico... It's an INTERNAL matter.

While I DO concede that there is a small tenuous justification for Russia entering South Ossetia to protect it's citizens, that justification was completely rendered moot by Russia's forays into Georgia proper...

So, we come back to Senator Obama's statement which clearly states he is not happy about how things got started. I disagree with Obama on that point.. But the simple fact is, however it got started is NO JUSTIFICATION for Russia to invade the entire country of Georgia.....

Dem's da facts...

Michale.....

[trinity29]

if you are asking have i ever been wrong or can i ever consider being wrong, i would say yes but that is neither here nor there since you posted in response to my criticism of 0bama's position on this issue - therefore i asked, what is it that you think i am being wrong about so that we can dialogue about whatever it is that you objected to in my post.

there is a lot of hypocrisy in the ways in which US is condemning R ussia given its support of I srael's disproportionate attack on Lebanon or its own attack on Ir aq. Whether or not R ussia is justified is an individual opinion, but I am not naive enough to argue that it is about land or self defense because it is about more than that and 0bama knows it. However, if he chooses to make it about land and self defense and keep the rhetoric there, then he cannot just empathize with the people of Georgia suffering, and ignore the refugees of South Ossetia and continue to talk about peace in the same breath.

[Michale32086]

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if you are asking have i ever been wrong or can i ever consider being wrong,
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Boy, you sure can tap dance, I'll give you that...

Can YOU concede that you MIGHT be wrong regarding the Russia/Georgia issue?

It's a simple question.. All that is required is a YES or a NO...

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given its support of I srael's disproportionate attack on Lebanon or its own attack on Iraq.
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You are comparing Apples and Eskimos

In the case of Israel, it HAD been attacked by forces in Lebanon. Russia was not attacked.. In the case of Iraq, the US led a COALITION of forces to enforce UN resolutions.. There is no Coalition in Georgia, just Russia. And there are no resolutions involved, save for Russia's greed and it's desire to bring back the USSR..

Regardless of what Georgia did in South Ossetia, that does NOT justify Russia invading Georgia and intentionally targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.

THAT is where you are wrong and THAT is where Senator Obama is right..

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

@jmaycock

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Georgia attacked South Ossetia killing civilians and peace keepers (okay Russian peacekeepers, but peacekeepers nonetheless).
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South Ossetia is part of Georgia, NOT part of Russia... It's akin to US sending troops into Texas or Puerto Rico and then having the Mexican government attack Arizona or Florida to "defend" Texas/Puerto Rico..

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So Georgia started this and Russia responded. They struck at some Georgian positions within its boundaries, but they can claim, legitimately, that they were preventing further attacks on the innocent people of South Ossetia.
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No, Russia CANNOT claim that legitimately.. The port city of Poti is on the OTHER SIDE of Georgia from South Ossetia.. The pipelines Russia has bombed have NOTHING to do with the fighting in South Ossetia...

You really need to get your facts straight. The fact is, Russia has de-facto control over nearly all of Georgia and there is ZERO indications that Russia is going to stop anytime soon....

Russia is clearly in the wrong here.. And no amount of Anti-USA or America-bashing propaganda will change that one simple fact..

Michale.....

[trinity29]

barac k barac k barac k - i get that you have to pander some to win the elections and you cannot really say everything you want to say - but really, really? you are that concerned about the people of georgia and not south ossetia? really? russia should not escalate this yet we supported israel when it escalated violence against lebanon? you know what this conflict is about. yes russia is more powerful than georgia and yes russia can wipe georgia out. however, you also know that georgia has military support from americans and israelis and the west is trying to paint georgia as the victim when georgia was the aggressor. your argument basically is this - i know who started it but did you really have to come back with such a strong action - this is the same argument where a home owner is accused of using excessive force against a robber who breaks into his house.

i like you barac k, i really do. i just wish you would pander a little less and be a bit more balanced when it comes to international affairs. you don't have to go all the way to the other end to be a candidate that most of us would like. give us some credit, will you?

[Michale32086]

Did it even occur to you that Senator Obama might be right and YOU might be wrong??

Of course not..

THAT would allow for the possibility that you have a brain of your own and can see PAST party dogma and political bigotry...

Michale.....

[trinity29]

did it ever occur to you that to dispute my post you need to offer a substantive argument instead of ad hominem attack, just to appear even mildly intelligent?

[mollyjackson]

Obama is hoping that the Russians stop at Georgia and stay out of South Carolina.

[Michale32086]

I am in NE Florida and I can hear the fighting getting closer... :D

Michale.....

[43P04T34]

test

[43P04T34]

Barack, you get a Failing Grade of 'F'.

You can't see that Russia has any business protecting people who are Russians who live in South Ossetia but you can see that it is your business to attack Iran.

What kind of logic is this?

What's the difference between you and McCain on this issue, Barack?

[theMightyT]

huh?

when and where did Barack say he was going to attack iran?

Links and proof, please.

[Michale32086]

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You can't see that Russia has any business protecting people who are Russians who live in South Ossetia
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Russia gave up even the most tenuous claim of righteousness when they bombed and invaded Georgia proper...

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What's the difference between you and McCain on this issue, Barack?
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There is no difference...

Shouldn't that indicate to you that your position is wrong??

Michale.....

[jazmatician]

FAIL.
His exact statement is:
"No matter how this conflict started, Russia has escalated it well beyond the dispute over South Ossetia and invaded another country. Russia has escalated its military campaign through strategic bombing and the movement of its ground forces into the heart of Georgia. "

Of course, I read that as "you were fine when you defeded the Ossetians, but aggressing into Georgia proper was out-of-bounds."

Of course, we'll all read what we want to read based on our prejudices.

[Michale32086]

@reaperwo

The question "Why can't we all just get along?" presupposes that everyone in the world WANTS to get along...

As a combat veteran of two branches of the US Armed Forces and an LEO and FSO for nearly a quarter of a century, I can assure you that such is not the case...

Michale.....

[Michale32086]

No one is claiming that Georgia is pure as the driven snow in this matter.

But the fact is, Russia is in the wrong here.. ANY legitimacy that Russia MIGHT have had evaporated once they invaded and bombed Georgia proper.

Michale.....

[43P04T34]

As a military man, if you were attacked, would you not target the men and equipment who attacked the city that your family lived in (until they were killed, that is).

Of course you would. Now stop being a hypocrite.

[Michale32086]

So tell me... How was the port city of Poti (on the WESTERN side of Georgia) involved in the attack on South Ossetia, that is on the EASTERN side of Georgia??? How about the city of Gori?? The pipelines???

There is simply NO justification of Russia's actions. The ONLY logical and rational assumption is that Russia intends to occupy all of Georgia and install their own government...

Michale.....

[jmaycock]

You are joking aren't you? Or have you just not read up on the facts here?

Georgia attacked South Ossetia killing civilians and peace keepers (okay Russian peacekeepers, but peacekeepers nonetheless).

So Georgia started this and Russia responded. They struck at some Georgian positions within its boundaries, but they can claim, legitimately, that they were preventing further attacks on the innocent people of South Ossetia.

Lets not forget who attacked who here folks.