Both Senators John McCain and Barack Obama unreservedly supported
the country of Georgia last fall in its war against Russia.
Now a European commission is preparing to place most of the blame
for starting the war on Georgia and its impulsive, authoritarian
president, Mikhail Saakashvili.
The confidential investigative commission documents, which
SPIEGEL has obtained, show that the task of assigning blame for
the conflict has been as much of a challenge for the commission
members as it has for the international community. However, a
majority of members tend to arrive at the assessment that
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili started the war by
attacking South Ossetia on August 7, 2008. The facts assembled
on Tagliavini's desk refute Saakashvili's claim that his
country became the innocent victim of "Russian aggression" on
that day.
In summarizing the military fiasco, commission member
Christopher Langton, a retired British Army colonel, claims:
"Georgia's dream is shattered, but the country can only blame
itself for that."
Another commission member, Bruno Coppieter, a political
scientist from Brussels, even speculates whether the Georgian
government may have had outside help in its endeavor. "The
support of Saakashvili by the West, especially military
support," Coppieter writes, "inadvertently promoted Georgia's
collision course."
Letting Georgia into NATO would reduce U.S. security by
effectively turning American decisions involving war
and peace over to a small, irresponsible country half a world
away. Not a good idea.
Imperial Germany is gone.
The Third Reich is gone.
The Warsaw pact is gone.
The Soviet Union is gone.
US out of Europe. We need the money and the armed patriots that
are our military back here.
Neville Chamberlain please call your office. Those sentiments
expressed above (Letting Georgia into NATO would reduce U.S.
security by effectively turning American decisions involving war
and peace over to a small, irresponsible country half a world
away. Not a good idea.) sound a lot like Chamberlains comments
about Czechoslovakia. (A land far away and people we know little
about). After all they probably just provoked Nazi Germany. We
can ignore this until it bites on the ass or we can tell the
bullying Russo-Nazis that we can press the re-set button and
bring back the Cold War. Your move, Ivan
William| 6.16.09 @ 3:21AM
Imperial Germany is gone.
The Third Reich is gone.
The Warsaw pact is gone.
The Soviet Union is gone.
US out of Europe. We need the money and the armed patriots that are our military back here.
Red Phillips| 6.16.09 @ 8:46AM
NATO needs to be disbanded not expanded.
Mike Lee| 6.16.09 @ 10:48PM
Neville Chamberlain please call your office. Those sentiments expressed above (Letting Georgia into NATO would reduce U.S. security by effectively turning American decisions involving war and peace over to a small, irresponsible country half a world away. Not a good idea.) sound a lot like Chamberlains comments about Czechoslovakia. (A land far away and people we know little about). After all they probably just provoked Nazi Germany. We can ignore this until it bites on the ass or we can tell the bullying Russo-Nazis that we can press the re-set button and bring back the Cold War. Your move, Ivan