Diplomacy 001

Friends,
Once again, the Bush foreign policy, or lack thereof, has allowed a war to erupt. Many politicians and journalists think that this war could have been prevented by diplomacy.
Question - So....where is this Mr. Bush?
Answer - At the Summer Olympics in China, oogling the sculpted butts on the women's beach volleyball teams.

Peace and Love,
Rev O

"We have arrived at a transformational moment in the West's post-Cold War relations with Russia." Washington Post

"In weeks and years past, each of us has argued on this page that Moscow was pursuing a policy of regime change toward Georgia and its pro-Western, democratically elected president, Mikheil Saakashvili. We predicted that, absent strong and unified Western diplomatic involvement, we were headed toward a war. Now, tragically, an escalation of violence in South Ossetia has culminated in a full-scale Russian invasion of Georgia. The West, and especially the United States, could have prevented this war. We have arrived at a watershed moment in the West's post-Cold War relations with Russia."

"As Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt pointed out Saturday, Moscow's rationale for invading has parallels to the darkest chapters of Europe's history. Having issued passports to tens of thousands of Abkhazians and South Ossetians, Moscow now claims it must intervene to protect them -- a tactic reminiscent of one used by Nazi Germany at the start of World War II."

"Moscow seeks to roll back democratic breakthroughs on its borders, to destroy any chance of further NATO or E.U. enlargement and to reestablish a sphere of hegemony over its neighbors. By trying to destroy a democratic, pro-Western Georgia, Moscow is sending a message that, in its part of the world, being close to Washington and the West does not pay. "

"Weak Western diplomacy and lack of transatlantic unity failed to prevent an avoidable war. Only strong transatlantic unity can stop this war and begin to repair the immense damage done. Otherwise, we can add one more issue to the growing list of this administration's foreign policy failures."

Black Sea Watershed» Washington Post
Ronald D. Asmus and Richard Holbrooke
We have arrived at a transformational moment in the West's post-Cold War relations with Russia.