The Georgia/Russian conflict: Please explain it to me again?
Today I received an email from Senator Joe Biden's wife on his behalf informing me on his stand regarding this conflict. Here is my reply to the Senator in the form of an email to him and at the bottom I have copied the initial email from his wife:
"Senator, I noticed this in your statement with Senator Lugar back in April, "Russia is clearly trying to provoke the Georgians into an over-reaction that will tarnish Georgia's image in the West. To its great credit, Tbilisi has so far chosen the path of restraint and negotiation, as evidenced by Mr. Saakashvili's magnanimous diplomatic initiative."
I am no expert here, nor do I side with Russia on this, but it seems that President Saakashvili initiated the military action during the Olympics, instead of the heeded advice from you, Senator Lugar and others.
It also seems to me that our strategy for allowing membership into Nato by countries surrounding Russia is provocative in itself. We would not appreciate Chavez of Venezuela building similar alliances with Cuba and other neighbors of ours as we also reacted when Cuba was friendly with Russia and now the Chinese. It feels like we are sticking a sharp stick in the eye of Russia instead of working with them on the issue of Iran, War on Terrorists and things like this conflict.
I know you are busy and most likely haven't the time to respond. I am an average American, a financial supporter of yours again most recently and I am confused by the explanations. Why is it in our interest to cozy up and enter into Alliances like Nato with countries we most likely would not defend with our Blood and Treasure when we have our hands full now and the world knows it.
I appreciate your indulgence Senator. The average person is as confused as I am and this topic needs some time to educate us on this matter and a one page letter, even with links, doesn't do that.
Warmest regards,
Charles Amico
Larkspur, CA"
If the good Senator responds to my inquiry, I will post it here in an Update.
Dear Charles,
I'm sure you have been following the disturbing news regarding Russia's aggressive military tactics in Georgia, begun during the start of the Olympic Games. I wanted to make sure you were the first to read Joe's take on the situation.
Joe penned an op-ed on Georgia for the second time since April, this one in the Financial Times – just now up on their website. In it, titled "Russia Must Stand Down," he outlines the potential consequences of Russia's actions:
By acting disproportionately with a full scale attack on Georgia and seeking the ouster of Georgia's democratically elected President Mikheil Saakashvili, Moscow is jeopardizing its standing in Europe and the broader international community – and risking very real practical and political consequences...
Joe identifies what the next steps need to be for all parties involved and clearly summarizes what we could be facing if things do not change – fast:
The only hope for preventing this crisis from becoming a calamity for Russia's relationship with the west is for Moscow to immediately ceasefire, pull back its forces and agree to negotiations brokered by the international community – all steps that the Georgian government has agreed to. If the fighting continues, this moment could emerge as a turning point in the west's relationship with Moscow, and deny Russia the international standing it seeks. That is not the future the United States or Europe want – but it is the future Russia may get if it does not stand down and live up to its responsibilities as a force for progress.
Once again, Joe and Senator Lugar of Indiana were ahead of the curve on this critical issue. In April, they wrote an op-ed in the Washington Times that highlighted what a crucial region of the world this is. In that piece, "Stand up for Georgia," they said:
Georgia has done its part by refusing to overreact and continues to seek a diplomatic solution. The time has come for the trans-Atlantic community to show unity and commitment.
As always, please do not hesitate to share your opinions on this or anything else that matters to you. We appreciate hearing from you. I'll continue to pass along Joe's thoughts on this developing situation.
Sincerely,
Valerie Biden Owens
"Senator, I noticed this in your statement with Senator Lugar back in April, "Russia is clearly trying to provoke the Georgians into an over-reaction that will tarnish Georgia's image in the West. To its great credit, Tbilisi has so far chosen the path of restraint and negotiation, as evidenced by Mr. Saakashvili's magnanimous diplomatic initiative."
I am no expert here, nor do I side with Russia on this, but it seems that President Saakashvili initiated the military action during the Olympics, instead of the heeded advice from you, Senator Lugar and others.
It also seems to me that our strategy for allowing membership into Nato by countries surrounding Russia is provocative in itself. We would not appreciate Chavez of Venezuela building similar alliances with Cuba and other neighbors of ours as we also reacted when Cuba was friendly with Russia and now the Chinese. It feels like we are sticking a sharp stick in the eye of Russia instead of working with them on the issue of Iran, War on Terrorists and things like this conflict.
I know you are busy and most likely haven't the time to respond. I am an average American, a financial supporter of yours again most recently and I am confused by the explanations. Why is it in our interest to cozy up and enter into Alliances like Nato with countries we most likely would not defend with our Blood and Treasure when we have our hands full now and the world knows it.
I appreciate your indulgence Senator. The average person is as confused as I am and this topic needs some time to educate us on this matter and a one page letter, even with links, doesn't do that.
Warmest regards,
Charles Amico
Larkspur, CA"
If the good Senator responds to my inquiry, I will post it here in an Update.
Dear Charles,
I'm sure you have been following the disturbing news regarding Russia's aggressive military tactics in Georgia, begun during the start of the Olympic Games. I wanted to make sure you were the first to read Joe's take on the situation.
Joe penned an op-ed on Georgia for the second time since April, this one in the Financial Times – just now up on their website. In it, titled "Russia Must Stand Down," he outlines the potential consequences of Russia's actions:
By acting disproportionately with a full scale attack on Georgia and seeking the ouster of Georgia's democratically elected President Mikheil Saakashvili, Moscow is jeopardizing its standing in Europe and the broader international community – and risking very real practical and political consequences...
Joe identifies what the next steps need to be for all parties involved and clearly summarizes what we could be facing if things do not change – fast:
The only hope for preventing this crisis from becoming a calamity for Russia's relationship with the west is for Moscow to immediately ceasefire, pull back its forces and agree to negotiations brokered by the international community – all steps that the Georgian government has agreed to. If the fighting continues, this moment could emerge as a turning point in the west's relationship with Moscow, and deny Russia the international standing it seeks. That is not the future the United States or Europe want – but it is the future Russia may get if it does not stand down and live up to its responsibilities as a force for progress.
Once again, Joe and Senator Lugar of Indiana were ahead of the curve on this critical issue. In April, they wrote an op-ed in the Washington Times that highlighted what a crucial region of the world this is. In that piece, "Stand up for Georgia," they said:
Georgia has done its part by refusing to overreact and continues to seek a diplomatic solution. The time has come for the trans-Atlantic community to show unity and commitment.
As always, please do not hesitate to share your opinions on this or anything else that matters to you. We appreciate hearing from you. I'll continue to pass along Joe's thoughts on this developing situation.
Sincerely,
Valerie Biden Owens
Labels: Georgia, military action, NATO, Russia, Sen. Joe Biden, strategy
posted by Charles Amico at 4:38 PM
1 Comments:
thanks, i've been trying to understand this conflict since it seemed to explode all over the television
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