if (typeof YAHOO == "undefined") { var YAHOO = {}; } YAHOO.Shortcuts = YAHOO.Shortcuts || {}; YAHOO.Shortcuts.hasSensitiveText = true; YAHOO.Shortcuts.sensitivityType = ["sensitive_news_terms"]; YAHOO.Shortcuts.doUlt = false; YAHOO.Shortcuts.location = "us"; YAHOO.Shortcuts.document_id = 0; YAHOO.Shortcuts.document_type = ""; YAHOO.Shortcuts.document_title = "Bush and georgia"; YAHOO.Shortcuts.document_publish_date = ""; YAHOO.Shortcuts.document_author = "tsmmda@yahoo.com"; YAHOO.Shortcuts.document_url = ""; YAHOO.Shortcuts.document_tags = ""; YAHOO.Shortcuts.document_language = "english"; YAHOO.Shortcuts.annotationSet = { "lw_1218746653_0": { "text": "Bush Administration", "extended": 0, "startchar": 222, "endchar": 240, "start": 222, "end": 240, "extendedFrom": "", "predictedCategory": "", "predictionProbability": "0", "weight": 0.220613, "type": ["shortcuts:/concept"], "category": ["CONCEPT"], "wikiId": "George_W._Bush", "relatedWikiIds": ["Barack_Obama", "Bill_Clinton", "Dick_Cheney", "Hillary_Rodham_Clinton", "Iraq", "Israel", "John_McCain", "Pearl_Jam", "Ronald_Reagan", "White_House"], "relatedEntities": ["detailed statement", "free daily email newsletter", "global warming", "here", "hot science topics avoided by presidential candidates", "makes sense", "primararia: candidates and hot-button science", "top 10 ailing presidents", "top 10 surprising results of global warming", "white house"], "showOnClick": [], "context": "The Bush Administration has dispatched to Georgia the United States military to deliver", "metaData": { "visible": "false" } }, "lw_1218746653_1": { "text": "humanitarian aid", "extended": 0, "startchar": 311, "endchar": 326, "start": 311, "end": 326, "extendedFrom": "", "predictedCategory": "", "predictionProbability": "0", "weight": 0.315408, "type": ["shortcuts:/concept"], "category": ["CONCEPT"], "wikiId": "Humanitarian_aid", "relatedWikiIds": [], "relatedEntities": [], "showOnClick": [], "context": "has dispatched to Georgia the United States military to deliver humanitarian aid in the wake of Georgia\u0027s assualt by the Russian forces", "metaData": { "visible": "true" } }, "lw_1218746653_2": { "text": "Russia", "extended": 0, "startchar": 1260, "endchar": 1265, "start": 1260, "end": 1265, "extendedFrom": "", "predictedCategory": "PLACE", "predictionProbability": "0.939115", "weight": 0.22043, "type": ["shortcuts:/us/instance/place/destination", "shortcuts:/us/instance/place/ru/country"], "category": ["PLACE"], "wikiId": "Russia", "relatedWikiIds": ["Canada", "China", "France", "Germany", "Iran", "Moscow", "Poland", "Serbia", "Switzerland", "Ukraine"], "relatedEntities": ["abkhazia", "canada", "china", "czech republic", "georgia", "germany", "iran", "kremlin", "moscow", "ukraine"], "showOnClick": [], "context": "whose successful outcome is imprudently subordinated to the goodwill of Russia as it assumes Russia will not call Bush\u0027s bluff, and", "metaData": { "geoArea": "1.66189e+07", "geoCountry": "Russia", "geoIsoCountryCode": "RU", "geoLocation": "(108.83178, 59.461479)", "geoName": "Russia", "geoPlaceType": "Country", "type": "shortcuts:/us/instance/place/ru/country", "visible": "false" } } }; The Bush Administration has dispatched to Georgia the United States military to deliver humanitarian aid in the wake of Georgia's assault by the Russian forces. While humanitarian assistance would seem sufficiently credible as a rationale behind the deployment of American troops to the nation under attack, under the surface it has the appearance of a ruse on the part of the Administration to project power through a muscular show of force designed to keep Russians guessing as to the actual intent of the U.S.   The resort to a military option ---however symbolic---without even the slightest pretext at the consideration of the diplomatic effort crystallizes a mindset that remains intractably mired in an uncouthed sense of militarism that piously frowns at any tendency toward diplomatic practice . In this context, then, there can be no doubt that Bush is engaging in an enterprise whose successful outcome is imprudently subordinated to the goodwill of Russia as it assumes Russia will not call Bush's bluff, and hinder U.S. troops in their humanitarian operations. Relying on uncertain turn of events that are essentially inhibited by the absence of diplomacy between Russia and the U.S. in the current Georgia crisis is a risky strategy especially in the face limited and constrained U.S. options due to America's over-extended engagements on a global scale.

I'ts almost certain that most Americans have hardly ever heard of the country of Georgia, let alone know where it is located geographically. Hence the ongoing attack on Georgia by Russia does not elicit much outcry nationally other than at administrative level. But placing this emergent uncertainty in a strategic context there should be little doubt that it poses a seroius dilemma for the United States foreign policy which suffered a huge moral blow following the invasion of Irag by the Bush administration. The invasion left the U.S. international prestige in tatters, and its influence around the world dissipated. No wonder the Bush admimnistration watched, paralysed and in disbelief as Russia, unihibited by any constraints of international decency, bombarded Georgia. Afterall what could the Bush administration do when they themseves set the precedent in Iraq in defiance international law.    Furthemore, the invasion of Georgia cannot be seen in isolation from the reckless and ill-advised U.S. expansion into the former Soviet satellite states. This expansion to soon include Georgia, has aggravated Russia's security concerns and lessened its patience and understanding of U.S. security interests---legitimate or illegitimate---to the extent of Russia's resolve to challenge the U.S. at every turn, oftentimes just to prove they are still a force to reckon with following their bruised self esteem in the aftermath of the demise of the Soviet empire. If the extisting tension between the U.S. and Russia is not somehow eased, then, we are likely to witnessed a re-emergence of re-institutionalization of hostilities between the two nuclear powers. To make a bad situation even worse John McCain has promised expel Russia from the G-8 if wins the presidency. This shows the lack of understanding on his part of the imperative of maintaining the raproachment between the U.S. and Russia. This is an imperative of both nations. Any effort to sideline Russia is tantamount to throwing it into the hands of international outlaws and rougue states. The U.S. cannot afford to do that to a country armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons.