NATO: A Roaring Mouse

C.T.

With the post on the 18th, Russia pushes and US is starting to push back. , I sure am glad I put in about the Euros cow towing to tyrannical lunatics. Unfortunately for me, my hopes were dashed upon the rocks. I figured the Europeans would gather some strength from US support against the despots in Moscow, well I was wrong. Again, this is going to be singularly up to the United States, with the Euros shouting insults at the Reds from behind us.

I don't think the Russians are to worried about the, "No, business as usual." NATO and the Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer issued. Here is the Russian ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Rogozin's response.

"The mountain gave birth to a mouse." [1]

Here is where the Euros fail miserably.

Although the allies said they would not convene any more meetings of the NATO-Russia Council until Russian troops withdraw from Georgia, they bowed to concerns from Europe — which depends heavily on Russia for energy — and stopped short of adopting specific long-term steps to punish Moscow for its actions. [1]

Fortunately, the news is not all bad. There are some doors that are still open for Georgia, NATO, and the United States.

In a small victory for the United States, NATO foreign ministers did agree to show support for Georgia's pro-Western government by creating a NATO-Georgia Commission to oversee the former Soviet republic's bid to join the alliance and begin providing military training to its army. [1]

There is still vehement US support for Georgia's entrance into NATO.

Rice maintained the alliance had rallied firmly behind Georgia by agreeing to stick to a December timeline to reconsider the country's NATO membership and by deciding to send specific technical assistance to assess damage and help reconstruct critical infrastructure like power networks, airports and hospitals. [1]

Most pro-isolationists and apologists in America will cry foul and say that this is attempt by the government to further isolate Moscow and antagonize them. What they fail to see is the timeline of Russian aggression that brought about the decision to propose Georgia's entrance into NATO. This is not something that the Russians just woke up and decided to do, it has been planned by the Kremlin for awhile.

Unfortunately, Georgian entrance into NATO has potential holes in it. Besides inevitable eroding European support, there is the possibility of an Obama Presidency with a Democratic controlled Congress. I really do not think I have to elaborate on that outcome.

C.T.

[1] NATO: Penalty Against Russia