Not the Taliban in Afghanistan, insurgents in Iraq or even Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestine; but Russia is challenging America's authority worldwide, mocking its supposed leadership in international organizations like the United Nations and revealing an unpleasant double standard image of the United States.
In a Security Council meeting on August 10th, Zelmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, questioned Russia's objectives in expanding aggression beyond the South Ossetia region. He referred to a confidential call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in which Lavrov had said that the elected president of Georgia "must go." "It's completely unacceptable and crossed the line," Khalilzad said. "Was Russia's objective [a] regime change in Georgia, the overthrow of the democratically elected Government of that country?"
Russia's Ambassador Churkin's response was short, clear and brutally naked: "'Regime change' was an American expression that Russia did not use."
When Khalilzad repeated his question, Churkin mocked him, saying "I have given a complete response and perhaps the United States' representative had not been listening when he had given his response, perhaps he had not had his earpiece on."
Two days after that, the U.N. Inner Press Service said that "Russian media reported that foreign fighters, including Americans, were found among the dead in Tskhinvali. Americans, who were probably either mercenaries or instructors in the Georgian armed forces."
Khalilzad responded to the Russian media reports with
"We hear a lot of propaganda. We've heard the U.S. gave the green light to this operation... I have nothing specific with regards to these reports, but I would not conclude that they are true. We did not have any prior knowledge or were not consulted by Georgia."
In the meantime, reports confirmed arms sales by Israel, America's closest ally in the region, to Georgia:
With the eruption of fighting between Russia and Georgia, Israel has found itself in an awkward position as a result of its arms sales to Georgia, caught between its friendly relations with Georgia and its fear that the continued sale of weaponry will spark Russian retribution in the form of increased arms sales to Iran and Syria.(IPS News Agency)
Russia is a major provider of nuclear and missile technology to Iran and Syria. Just a few month ago Russia vetoed a U.S. backed resolution against Zimbabwe, regarding its latest presidential elections.
Yet the United States accused Russia of something that it does on a regular basis. "Regime change" is a very well-known part of the U.S. foreign policy; people in Washington pursue it in different ways, from Latin America, to Iraq and Afghanistan, and --- if they could -- Iran. Some regime changes are successful; some are not and have disastrous consequences. Seymour Hersh's recent article on the United States' support of armed groups fighting against the Iranian government is the latest example of this kind of foreign policy.
Russians politics, on the other hand, has a tough, rough and pre-internet style.
The fact is that the United States ignores the role of international organizations and pursues a systematic double standard set of policies in areas like human rights and democracy. Therefore, it cannot preach to other powers like Russia and China for committing the same offenses.
The more the United States ignores its own advice, the more it undermines America's global authority, which has been growing since the end of World War II.
During the last 8 years, the moral authority of the U.S. particularly has been undermined by the Bush administration. Continuation of this foreign policy has brought humiliation, failure, mistrust and hatred for America and undermined its efficacy in international organizations.
Consequently, the U.S. alliance with Russia over Iran's nuclear and missile program seems rather fragile. Russia's tone towards the U.S. ambassador is a reflection of a bigger reality that explains why Moscow has never been willing to abide by U.S. demands when it comes to issues like the management of Iran.
Considering all of America's difficulties in the Middle East region , Washington's alienation of Moscow will heighten tensions between the two countries in the Middle East and Central Asia.
France's role in this short conflict also illustrates the emergence of E.U. as an organization enjoying a higher level of moral authority among a larger number of countries. The U.S. is arguably no longer the most effective nation when it comes to interfering, influencing and finally resolving conflicts among nations. This is just one of the lessons the U.S. could learn from the Georgia-Russia conflict. That is, of course, if the "earpieces" are on.
(Video Below: Georgian President Mikheil Saakasvhili tells CNN's John Roberts that how the United States is losing the Central Asia, and what they expect the world and the U.S. to do...)
Follow Omid Memarian on Twitter: www.twitter.com/omid_m
Yet another reason to vote against McBush who promises nothing but the same.
I HOPE EVERYBODY DIDN'T MISS THIS PART OF THE STORY! This basically what we have been doing around the world for years. I hate our foreign policy.
http://healinganation.wordpress.com/
And our next move would be?
NATO doesn't have any commitment now to Georgia, but it damn well better make sure it's ready step up if Russia starts playing this game elsewhere.
Otherwise, NATO is toast and it's every country on its own.
What Nation is McCain and his lobbyist for Georgia supporting?? Seems to me George started this mess by invading SOUTH OSSETIA a sovereign nation.
One must also consider the political leadership of America. Pretty much the same screw-ups have been in charge for the last thirty or so years. With this leadership came the desire to finish Russian off once and for all as a major player in The Great Game. They failed. Miserably. And due to their own incompetence. Ideologues do not make for strategists. The unintended consequences of the misadventures in The Middle East caused oil to skyrocket in value, empowering Russia with new money. Money used to modernize their infrastructure and military.
America needs a complete change in political leadership. We are Old Rome with dreams of empire, not for the common man, but for the few who would govern us as masters. We must root out and banish the corrupt from within our midst.
Lie this is the reason U.S exists at all. Because you decided, unlawfully to split from rightful ruler, the British Empire. And does U.S. exists primarily because of French help you?
Well, Abkhazians appreciate Russian help in defeating their oppressor REGARDLESS OF THE MAP. Think about it.
Russian peacekeeprs are there by invitation from U.N AND Georgians themselves. Perhaps in a hindsight Georgians miscalculated.
It would be better for them, and Europe to be paid in Euro.
The day the switch is made to the Euro is the day the USA becomes a 3rd world country.
The Iran president said, "We give you our oil and you give us worthless paper."
The Saudis are our protectors in this arena, therefore they are untouchable in all affairs.
Iran also wants to start an Oil bourse in Kish, selling oil in Euros... This was supposed to have already happened, but there's been delays. But coincidently, the lies against Iran started shortly after this bourse was announced.
Now "W" knows why Putin was whistling Ray Charles tunes when they met in Bejing!
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jVtipUYAI4s5su0l3iKTnR_VYi9AD92HTTK80
At least that is the excuse. It would be inconvenient for the Administration to be complicit in some scheme whose stupidity rivals that of its other exploits. But blame should not rest solely with Bush. The Democrats have been his faithful rubber-stampers in Congress, and, in a just world, would be sent home in droves on Election Day.
But don't worry,
the Russians are investigating American links to this debacle, and unlike our own Government, they do not mess around.
And now we know what that "are you going to name her Georgia?" brain f''rt moment was all about.
Sounds to me like Georgia's president is telling the truth -- you know, the real story behind the US humanitarian mission: It’s a way to create a US military presence in Georgia. Of course once the Russians know the US military is carrying out humanitarian work, they'll be so frightened that they'll just turn their tanks around and retreat with great speed. In the real world, all this will do is throw gas on a raging fire. The UN is fully equipped to carry out humanitarian missions; they do it all the time. I’m sure a number of countries would’ve worked with the UN in this effort.
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