Bush team bungled big time on Georgia fiasco

[bemildred]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- The scale of the Bush administration's failures in Georgia is now becoming clear: The issue was not just a routine bungle; it was a fiasco of monumental proportions.

First, the State Department at least was not oblivious to the rising tensions between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia; it could, in fact, hardly have missed them, since the Moscow newspapers have been full of almost nothing else since the beginning of this year. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Daniel Fried, her point man on Georgian affairs, both had solemnly warned Russia repeatedly to lay off Georgia. They just never imagined the Russians would ignore them and go ahead anyway.

Second, why didn't America's orbiting spy satellites, the most comprehensive space surveillance system ever created, give adequate warning of the massive Russian military buildup that prefigured the invasion of Georgia last Friday?

The answer is, those space surveillance systems already had their hands full providing a stream of real-time intelligence in Afghanistan, where the U.S. Army is currently winning, and in Iraq, where it is not. Pakistan and the status of its army and nuclear weapons systems is the third great U.S. surveillance priority at the moment. There simply aren't enough surveillance satellites, cameras and ground operators to keep Georgia and the Caucasus under close watch, too.

http://www.upi.com/news/issueoftheday/2008/08/13/Bush_team_bungled_big_time_on_Georgia_fiasco/UPI-32371218648531/

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. UPI

If I am not mistaken, UPI is owned, or was at one time owned, by the Moon organization, which also owns the Washington Times.

[bemildred]

3. About Us Overview

Facts about UPI

* UPI is a global operation headquartered in Washington, DC with offices in Beirut, Hong Kong, London, Santiago, Seoul and Tokyo.

* UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI when the UP merged with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst.

* UPI is owned by News World Communications, a global multi-media company.

* Journalists contribute content from all over the world including the United States, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Our stories and photos cover a variety of topics including international and U.S. news, politics, sports, entertainment, health, science and technology.

* In addition to our English report, we provide news coverage coming out of the Middle East in Arabic and a Spanish-language news report from our correspondents throughout Latin America.

* UPI’s news report is read by millions of global readers each day through our clients and though our distribution partners. Since clients can choose stories that are most appropriate to their business, the readership of each story can differ.


http://about.upi.com/?q=AboutUs/index.php?ContentID=20051025141513-25805

[hlthe2b]

4. UPI purchase by NWC--affiliate of Moon's Unification Church

was what drove Helen Thomas out of UPI and over to Hearst as a columnist.

Thomas left UPI in 2000 when it was purchased by News World Communications, Inc., an affiliate of the Unification Church.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0880200.html

This doesn't mean they can't do some "real" reporting. Just that fine scrutiny should be taken to their reports.

[bemildred]

2. America's next move

If the shaky cease-fire takes hold in Georgia, then the 21st century's version of the Six Day war may mercifully be coming to an end. That will come as a relief - especially for those caught up in the fighting, and for American and European leaders whose impotence in stopping the Russian advance has been laid bare before the world.

The unfortunate lesson of the Russo-Georgian war is that this is the first tangible example outside of the Middle East of how George Bush's catastrophic foreign policy has weakened the US and the West. The next American president has been dealt a terrible hand - but he must take immediate steps to prevent this situation from getting worse.

The root causes of the West's alarming helplessness lie in the broad strategic failure of the Bush administration's foreign policy. It first alienated and then badly misread Putin's character and intentions, only realising his true threat to Western interests after it was too late. The administration then invaded Iraq, splitting the Western alliance, undermining international institutions, and bogging down American troops in a long and bloody occupation that has eroded the West's deterrent force. Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib have weakened respect for international norms and further damaged American global leadership. Iran has been the major regional beneficiary of the US invasion, projecting power across the Middle East through its support of militants in Iraq, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories.

America's struggles, Iran's gains and Israel's fears together significantly increase Russia's leverage and influence. The US and Europe need Russian cooperation to curtail Iranian nuclear weapons development because Moscow can make or break economic sanctions and any long term solution is going to require Russian support.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/13/usforeignpolicy.georgebush?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

[asjr]

5. It is amazing how many times this

stupid administration has screwed up. I wouldn't let them change the cat litter.

[DinahMoeHum]

6. Face it, Vladimir Putin played Bush for a cherry.

:evilfrown:

[Hand]

7. In other news: Pope is Catholic. nt

[katty]

8. that's what they do best: bungling, greedy imperialists