Russians halt Nato co-operation

Only idiots play poker when the other side knows your hand and it has been quite clear since Georgia invaded South Ossetia and the Russians retaliated that the west was not prepared to start WWIII over Georgia. And yet we have listened to right wing windbags - Bush, Cheney, McCain, Cameron - and their left wing counterparts - Brown, Miliband - act as if they are going to dictate the terms of how this all pans out.

They have portrayed the entire conflict as an act of Russian aggression and have totally ignored the fact that, despite Bush's claims of Georgia's "territorial integrity" that the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia do not wish to be part of Georgia. They were always stupidly playing with fire... and now they have an inferno:

Russia has told Nato that it is halting military co-operation over the continuing crisis in Georgia, an alliance spokeswoman has said.

The move follows a statement by Nato that there would be no "business as usual" with Russia unless its troops pulled out of Georgia.

However, the alliance had stopped short of freezing co-operation with Moscow.

Meanwhile, Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia have held mass rallies calling for independence.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow's response to their pleas would depend on the conduct of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

So, Saakashvili either agrees to abide by the terms of the peace treaty, in which he promised both regions a vote on whether or not they wished to remain with Georgia, or Russia is simply going to annexe the area anyway.

Europe is utterly dependent on Russia for gas supplies, so I simply don't understand why Brown and Miliband felt that they could attempt to have Russia agree that she was the baddie of the piece when it's blatant to anyone paying attention that this simply is not the case.

Russia have now upped the ante big time. And Bush and Co are left looking like a three foot high drunk in bar on a Friday night, threatening to knock everyone out but always shying away from an actual fight.

Their conduct since Saakashvili's disgraceful invasion has been simply pitiful. I said the other day that I find all this posturing slightly embarrassing. They are, in gambling terms, constantly doubling down when Russia knows what cards they hold.

Saakashvili agreed to the peace terms which Bush is now attempting to, in effect, renegotiate. By stating that Georgia's "territorial integrity" in non-negotiable, Bush is ripping up the peace terms whilst failing to declare war.

It's moronic. Putin is in the right. And not only that, he has the power to start turning off lights all over Europe.

What makes these f#ckwits think that they can win here?

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