Bush Announces Support Through Rice and Allies

Bush announced his support for Georgia by sending Condoleezza Rice and establishing an air bridge of assistance and resorting to his European allies

Thursday, August 14, 2008 – WASHINGTON – Mohamed Said – President Bush expressed concern about Russian military operations in Georgia, calling for Russia to cease all military activities in Georgia and withdraw its troops from Georgian territory, which was part of the former Soviet Union. “We expect Russia to fulfill its obligations to stop all military activities in Georgia, and we expect the withdrawal of all Russian forces, that recently entered Georgia,” Bush said in a statement next to ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates in front of journalists at the White House on Wednesday. “Russia should keep working to put an end to this crisis,” he added.

He said that he will dispatch Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Paris to consult with French President Nikolai Sarkozy, who was acting as a mediator between Georgia and Russia on Tuesday and reached a six point agreement. After that she will visit the Georgian capital of Tbilisi to show U.S. support for the Government. Bush explained that Rice will “continue our efforts to rally the free world in the defense of a free Georgia.”

President George Bush also called on Russia not to hinder U.S. military humanitarian operations, transported by aircraft type “C -17.” He pointed out that “in the coming days we will use American aircrafts in addition to the Navy to transport humanitarian and medical supplies.”

Bush spent Wednesday morning in the White House’s “operations room,” which is considered to be the backbone of the Center for National Security and contains sophisticated technological equipment.

Bush stressed his country’s full support for the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the territory of Georgia. “Russia has stated that changing the government of Georgia is not its goal. The United States and the world expect Russia to honor that commitment.” he said.

Bush also added that “Russia has also stated that it has halted military operations and agreed to a provisional cease-fire. Unfortunately, we’re receiving reports of Russian actions that are inconsistent with these statements.”

Bush expressed his concern at reports indicating that Russian forces had taken positions on the eastern side of the city of Gori, which paves the way for dividing the country and threatening the capital, Tbilisi.

He also expressed concern about the entry of Russian troops and their positions in the city of Photi, the obstruction of Georgian armored vehicles to reach the airport, the interception of Georgian ships and for all the citizens of Georgia from multiple ethnic origins. Bush said that all forces, including Russian troops, are indispensable to the obligation to protect these innocent civilians.

He said, “To begin to repair the damage to its relations with the United States, Europe, and other nations, and to begin restoring its place in the world, Russia must keep its word and act to end this crisis.” He warned that American support for Russia’s accession to the “diplomatic, political and economic structures and security in 21st Century” is “at stake” because of the behavior of Moscow in Georgia.

An official at the U.S. Defense Department (Pentagon) said that the U.S. wishes to terminate future joint exercises between the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) and Russia because of Russian military operation in Georgia. This was followed by Britain announcing on Wednesday that it had amended its joint maritime exercises “unfavorable” with Russia. The spokesman of the Ministry of Defense announced that “the Royal Navy will not participate in the exercises of the Quartet, which would be a disadvantage in the current circumstances,” in reference to the dispute between Russia and Georgia. It was scheduled to join the British Navy frigate “HMS Kent” in the exercises, which will take place from August 15th to August 22nd in the Sea of Japan along with France, the United States and Russia. The Trokosi maneuvers have been conducted by the Quartet annually since 1988 in order to improve dialogue between the four countries.

On the other hand, the government of President Bush evaded the consequences of any decision by Georgian President Mikhail Saakhashvili to militarily confront Russia. The New York Times said that “despite the accusations against the United States for inciting Saakashvili to make the “wrong” decision, the conflicting messages sent by the United States to Georgia in recent years, may have made Georgians ignore recent warnings from senior U.S. officials.”

The newspaper quoted that Rice warned Saakashvili during a special dinner on the ninth of July against entering into military conflict with Russia and that Tbilisi would not not win it. Rice told to the Georgian President in a closed-door meeting that Georgia should not undertake any use of force.

However, Rice used a different tone in public pronouncements upon arrival in Tbilisi and included a suggestion to support Georgia in the face of Russian pressure, saying, “I want to visit a friend; I do not expect comments about the United States visiting one of its friends.” The U.S. officials said that they warned the government in Tbilisi about provoking Moscow to the fighting and they were surprised that Georgians did not take the advice.

The senior American envoy to the region, Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried and other officials in the administration, warned Georgians until the last hours before the start of attack in South Ossetia. However, the two visits paid by Rice to Tbilisi affirm that the accumulation of conflicting messages from Washington to Tbilisi over the past years was not heard from the Georgians.

The United States has taken several steps in recent years to strengthen the influence of Georgia and has sent advisers to build the Georgian army as well as conducted maneuvers with the Georgian troops. The United States pressured heavily for Georgia’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO), and it has supported Democratic ripening on the southern borders of Russia as Washington publicly expressed their support for maintaining Georgia’s sovereignty.

However, interviews with officials at the U.S. State Department, Pentagon and White House have shown that the Bush administration never wanted to support Georgia in any military battle waged against Russia. The officials in the White House, the Pentagon and U.S. State Department said that President Saakashvili had not informed the Bush administration, officially, about attacking.

One of the Officials said that the Georgians were sure that Washington would refuse to grant permission to attack South Ossetia. However, a number of critics believed that the United States gave Georgia sufficient grounds for hope.

Fried was at the U.S. State Department when he was contacted by Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili last Thursday, who told him that her country was under attack. All Fried could do was tell her that “Georgia must protect its people.”

It is noteworthy that Rice did not respond to her Georgian colleague, but left the job for Fried. The American official said on this issue, “I do not think anything would have changed if she had responded to the communication herself. Georgians knew our message to them.” An American official said, “We were very clear. Do not take the bait, and do not respond” to Russia.

However, the Director of the Center for Stratford Intelligence Analysis in Texas, George Friedman did not rule out that the Bush government in the future will work on weakening Russia’s position in many regions of the world.

He said that the United States was informed of the Georgian government’s schemes, but stressed that this does not mean that the United States stood behind “the Georgian attack.” He holds Georgia responsible for igniting the conflict in the Caucasus, noting that “Georgia’s politicians have committed heavy political mistakes and do not want to listen to its allies.”