Russia wins backing from China

[DogPoundPup]

Source: News.com.au

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev said he hoped the "united position'' of a summit of Central Asian nations would ``serve as a serious signal to those who try to turn black into white.''

The West has strongly condemned Russia's military offensive in Georgia this month and Medvedev's decision to recognise the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states.

Ratcheting up pressure on Russia, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country holds the presidency of the European Union, said the 27-nation bloc was preparing sanctions on Moscow.

EU leaders meet on Monday in Brussels for an emergency summit to press demands for a further Russian withdrawal from Georgia.

"Sanctions are being considered, and many other means,'' Kouchner said in Paris.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24256861-401,00.html

[The Stranger]

1. Eurasia and Oceania against Eastasia.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

22. Nonono, that's Eurasia and Eastasia against Oceania. Get your 1984 geography right. -nt

[jwirr]

2. If stupid and his stupid vp succeed in starting WWIII we will have

bitten off more than we can handle with out military devastated from the last 8 years. Is there nothing the Democrats can do to hold the line in the next four months?

[balantz]

4. Well, we all signed so many petitions for impeachment

and the Dems didn't follow through for us.

That's something they could have done.

It's a little late now

[jwirr]

5. I know as I too signed those petitions and sent emails to my reps

but as you say it is now too late for that move.

[Journeyman]

7. Ah, "the terrible 'ifs' accumulate" again . . .

. . . if only . . .

. . . if ever . . .

. . . if now . . .


We are so 'if-d' . . .

[femrap]

20. wasn't it the dems who said we just didn't have

the TIME to impeach these buttholes who think they are above the law.

If we actually get to have an election, I'll be amazed.

[unkachuck]

25. "Is there nothing...

...the Democrats can do to hold the line in the next four months?"

....they haven't in the last two years....

[Andy823]

3. Isn't this amazing?

Georgia goes invades South Ossetia, kills Russian peace keepers, and yet we hear nothing about that, at least not on the news in the U.S.

CNN has an interview out with Putin who says the whole thing was planned by Bush to help McCain win the election. Many of us on DU have voiced that same opinion, and now it seems like all the allies of Bush are going to help out by imposing sanctions because they recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent nations, something the U.S. has been doing with nations like Georgia, and other former countries who broke away from Russia.

This whole thing stinks of Karl Rove if you ask me!

[jody]

6. "Biden promised that he and Obama will 'hold Russia accountable for its

actions and we will help the people of Georgia rebuild.'"

Source http://www.cfr.org/about/newsletters/editorial_detail.html?id=1105

[iconicgnom]

8. Yup. tweedledum, tweedledee. And the US will be the US

[Odin2005]

11. I hope Biden's support for Georgia makes the Russia apologists' heads explode.

n/t.

[David__77]

14. I think the establishment will be the establishment.

I will work for Obama/Biden. But I do not support their position on Russia/Georgia. No head exploding here.

[fascisthunter]

16. you hope supporters of the dem ticket head's explode?

Why... because they disagree with you? "russian apologists"? Grow up....

[Javaman]

9. and Iraq just cut an oil deal with china...

oh how our repuke diplomats do such a smashing job of, well, smashing things.

[whistle]

12. Who is that in your icon image?

[Javaman]

15. it's one of the chicago seven during the '68 Democratic convention. nt

[Igel]

13. Everybody had a cow when it was US and European

oil companies.

Some Congressfolk said they were going to investigate. The administration said they had low-level legal support, no pressure. The deals are half on hold--instead of two years, maybe 1-year deals.

But was all part of the nefarious plot. Until things didn't work out right. And it wasn't that rich a plot. Just a long-term conspiracy. Evil, evil. Some people probably think they stopped it; others think that it's still going forward, with all the spoils going to the companies that * backs--primarily European, and mostly state-invested even there.

Now that it's the Chinese, people are apparently upset that it's the Chinese inking the deal--a much better one than the one that Western companies had. Perhaps * should have put pressure on the Iraqis. Perhaps it's just punishment, making us hurt for our transgressions. Perhaps we're all victims of our righteousness.

I'm confused. I don't see any consistency. Well, that's not true. The consistency is, "I don't like any of the options, none satisfy my requirements. But I have a preference--in the abstract--and I'll fight for it. Assuming it exists." (That sums up my life in many ways.)

Iraq doesn't have the tech to develop its fields. Apparently Western, Russian, and Chinese companies aren't supposed to do it. All the solutions are flawed. The solution chosen can help American investors, China, or others. Maybe the oil should be left in the ground; it's not what the Iraqis want, but maybe it's what we want.

[High Plains]

10. "If you don't behave, we'll quit buying your oil and natural gas."

Yeah, right.

[ohio2007]

17. China...issued a veiled criticism of Moscow's actions

China, which often sides with Russia in diplomatic disputes, issued a veiled criticism of Moscow's actions, saying it was "concerned about the latest changes in South Ossetia and Abkhazia" and calling for dialogue to resolve the issue.


http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/28/europe/georgia.php

China rebuffs Russia's moves in Georgia


Asia sides with West, not Russia, over Georgia

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26435952/

Russia is isolating itself

[GeniusLib]

18. Russia and China have never been firm allies and never will be

their spheres of influence overlap too much to accomodate both countries imperialist goals

[amandabeech]

24. China doesn't want to lose Tibet and East Turkestan (western China)

to separatist movements, just like Georgia doesn't want to lose S. Ossetia or Abkhasia and Serbia didn't want to lose Kosovo. They'll side with the west on Georgia and the Russians on Serbia.

China is very nationalistic and very practical. And consistent.

[Township75]

19. PRI's The World just had a story saying the Russia isn't getting any backing from anyone

Apparently, Russia claimed they were getting support from China and a few other central Asia countries, however, these countries indeed have not offered any backing...rather they just haven't condemned Russia's actions.

Countries like China are worried about their own separatists, like Tibet, and didn't like seeing Russia give support to the separatists states within Georgia.

Russia is pretty isolated in their actions, and shouldn't expect much support from anyone.

[Igel]

21. And, for a link

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/europe/29russia.html?ref=world

There was a united position.

For peace, peace-keeping (I wonder if "mirotvorenie' was used), territorial integrity.

[reorg]

23. There will be no EU sanctions against Russia

Kouchner has claimed that he was misquoted, and Steinmeier made it clear that he won't support sanctions. France and Germany had blocked the attempt by the US in April to grant a Membership Action Plan (MAP) for Georgia.

Spiegel Online, 04/03/2008

While Canada, the United Kingdom and many Eastern European countries had backed the US push to see the NATO alliance expand eastwards, France and Germany have warned that this would unnecessarily provoke Russia, which has voiced concerns about the alliance's expansion to its borders.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,545078,00.html

n-tv.de (German private TV channel)
28. August 2008

No EU sanctions

... Kouchner repudiated press reports according to which he had recommended EU sanctions. He said that he had explained to the press that France, which is currently holding the EU presidency, was striving to negotiate a common position, while some other EU members may be considering sanctions.

Link to article (in German): http://www.n-tv.de/Ethnische_Saeuberung_Vorwuerfe_gegen_Moskau/280820085213/1015538.html

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)
28. August 2008

Steinmeier against sanctions

... Steinmeier said he expects the Eastern European states to ask next Monday in Brussels that negotiations with Moscow on a partnership agreement be discontinued. "However, we probably will not agree on that, and just cancel meetings with upper-level politicians instead."

The Foreign Minister criticised the get-tough tactics towards Russia: "Even in a serious political situation like this we need to maintain a modicum of reason. Russia will remain our neighbor, and it is in our own best interest to get back to a normal relationship." ...

Link to article (in German): http://www.faz.net/s/Rub97F2F5D596354F4BBE619038133D791F/Doc~E301144CDAD6848EBA37D9621B97E2759~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html