NYT reports on the Bush administration’s escalating rhetorical support for Georgia:
Russia’s military offensive into Georgia has forced the start of a wholesale reassessment of American dealings with Russia, according to senior Bush administration officials, and jeopardized talks on everything from halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions to reducing strategic arsenals to cooperation on missiles defenses.
The use of the term “forced” seems odd; perhaps Russia’s offensive caused a wholesale reassessment but surely it didn’t force it. The administration could have concluded that such matters as reductions in strategic nuclear arsenals, curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and cooperation on missile defense was more important than maintaining Tblisi’s sovereignty over Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Indeed, I would say those other issues clearly are more important than the Georgia conflict. But some evidently feel otherwise. Which is a debate worth having, but nobody’s being forced to change their mind about this issue.
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