SubscribeUS Warship Delivers Aid To Georgian Port
From a concerned Reuters:
A Georgian flag flies in front of the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul anchored in the harbor of Batumi, western Georgia, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2008.
U.S. navy arrives in Georgia
By Niko Mchedlishvili
BATUMI, Georgia (Reuters) - A U.S. navy warship delivered humanitarian aid on Sunday for victims of Georgia’s brief war with Russia while Moscow ignored Western demands to pull its remaining troops from the Caucasus country’s heartland.
Russia says residual troops are peacekeepers needed to avert further bloodshed and to protect Georgia’s separatist, pro-Moscow provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Moscow withdrew the bulk of its forces from core Georgia on Friday.
But in a sign of simmering tensions, a fuel train exploded on Georgia’s main east-west rail line on Sunday near the central town of Gori after hitting a landmine, according to Georgian officials. A huge plume of black smoke climbed into the sky.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze told Reuters the damaged rail link was vital to the economy of Georgia and its neighbors, and Azeri officials said oil cargoes were being held up at the Georgian border following the explosion…
A Reuters reporter in Batumi, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the port of Poti where Russian troops are still present, saw a giant crane unload 55 tons of aid from the USS McFaul.
Two other U.S. ships were due to follow the guided missile destroyer to the port. The United States, a strong ally of Georgia, has already delivered some aid by military cargo plane but is now shipping in beds and food.
“The United States is our great friend. They have arrived at such a difficult time. It means we are not alone,” Georgian Defence Minister David Kezerashvili told reporters in Batumi…
In Georgia, the West is particularly worried about a Russian checkpoint set up at the port of Poti, which lies outside the security zone Russia says is covered by its peacekeeping mandate and is hundreds of kilometers from South Ossetia.
“Putting up permanent facilities and checkpoints are inconsistent with the (ceasefire) agreement,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
Underscoring the potential for renewed violence, Russian soldiers manning a checkpoint on the road between Zugdidi and Senaki in western Georgia fired shots in the air to disperse a protest by angry residents. No injuries were reported.
Russia has deployed its “peacekeepers” at a series of posts in the Poti area and also in a buffer zone outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia, saying they are allowed under the terms of a French-brokered ceasefire deal. But France urged Moscow on Saturday to order its forces out of Poti as soon as possible…
But how long will it be before our media and the rest of the America-hating left declare such assistance as too provocative?
Probably starting with the Anointed One himself.
15 Responses to “US Warship Delivers Aid To Georgian Port”
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August 24th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I am not a member of the “America-hating left,” or even the left. However, the use of the military for the delivery of a humanitarian assistance in a nation on Russia’s border is provocative. US policy towards Georgia is an example of military provocation in a place with virtually zero US national interest or defense is at stake. Not only is it provacative, but if we end up in an accidental shooting war sparked by trigger happy, ill-trained Russian regulars, we will be outgunned and in about the worst place on Earth for the US to wage a war: On a nuclear powers doorstep, on the other side of the world for no clear national defense purpose.
Good conservatives can think the latest US actions towards Georgia and Russia are provocative, foolish and likely (as we can see) a failure.
August 24th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
“US policy towards Georgia is an example of military provocation in a place with virtually zero US national interest or defense is at stake.”
Sorry, but that is laughably wrong.
You need to look at a map.
August 24th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
We had two choices as far as I can tell, Ignore our ally, or send aid.
Ignoring our ally would send the message that we can never be counted on when things go bad.
Sending aid into a hostile situation can not be done by candy stripers, its a job for the military, unless of course we just intend to let the enemy confiscate the goods.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
We should choose our allies more carefully. When you “ally” with half the world, you end up with the other half as an enemy. Washington was right about entangling alliances and we will reap the consequences and rewards of overreaching.
SG, As for being “laughably wrong” on our supposed national interest being found in Georgia because of its proximity to other allies…If we judge national interest on geographic location as the a priori criteria in determining national interest, then we would be hard-pressed not to identify most nations as geographically significant (which I guess in your mind makes it a national interest to defend those locations)…just like all of Europe, most of Asia, South America and all the world’s oceans. By your “laughably wrong” criteria we look more like Imperial Rome and less like the nation our forefathers envisioned.
August 24th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
“Washington was right about entangling alliances and we will reap the consequences and rewards of overreaching.”
Sorry, but the world has changed in 250 years.
August 24th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
The world has changed in 250 years? That doesnt mean our values have changed and it certainly does not mean we should make foolish alliances.
August 24th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Anti, was Georgia a bad choice as an ally?
I am curious about that opinion.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
George Patton was right in 1945. He said we will have to fight and kill the Russian Bear sooner or later. Looks like the time has come. Everyone stood by when Putin was murdering his critics and the journalist who exposed him. Everyone stood by when Putin tried to blackmail Europe with Russian energy. Well it’s time to call a Russian Spade a Spade. The sooner we capture/kill this Pukin the sooner this world will be better off! Vlad we will be glad when your gone! It will give our Marines something to do after the great victory in Iraq and Afghanistan.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
I do not think we should ally with Georgia. If you do some research you will find they are no where near as democratic as they are shown in the media. They are also in an indefensible location and provide little in return to the US. While I appreciate their support with their troops in Iraq, I have no idea why we want them in NATO as they seem only to offer an increase in risk for the alliance. This half hearted alliance we have with them now only exposes our inability to affect any real defense of their tiny nation. We look weak and Russia ends up getting what it wants anyways. Throw in the potential of a major war with a nuclear power and you have a recipe for WWIII. No thanks.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Run and hide under your bed hippy. Just because you think Vlad isn’t coming for you doesn’t mean your safe. The more you show fear the more he feeds on it! We are going to have to kill this bastard sooner or later and I vote SOONER and get it over with. As for Georgia being a perfect ally, they couldn’t be any worse than France or Massachussettes.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
I’m not hiding and I’m not a hippy. I just don’t think we should go to war with Russia. Call me crazy, but a real conservative should advocate the prudent use of government power. Your brand of conservatism wants a massive government response to attack a sovereign nation who has not attacked or threatened the US. Your liberal “fix the world” philosophy would fit right in with Fascist President Wilson.
As for Patton’s comment on attacking “the bear…” He said that before they could kill millions of Americans with nuclear weapons.
August 25th, 2008 at 12:21 am
“Your brand of conservatism wants a massive government response to attack a sovereign nation who has not attacked or threatened the US.”
You have gone from saying that sending humanitarian was ‘provocative’ to now saying that it is ‘an attack on a sovereign nation.’
Hyperventilate much?
August 25th, 2008 at 2:36 am
I didn’t say we attacked a nation. I was responding to “We are going to have to kill this bastard sooner or later and I vote SOONER and get it over with.”
Try to keep up.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:55 am
Wow, Pat Buchanan is reading this board!
August 25th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Kewl, HI PAT!!!