Ceasefires and the Definition of Insanity

Here is the latest from Georgia.

A ranking Russian military official today said Moscow plans to establish 18 long-term checkpoints inside Georgian territory, including at least eight within undisputed Georgian territory outside the pro-Russian enclave of South Ossetia…

“The president ordered us to stop where we were,” he said. “We are not pulling out and pulling back troops behind this administrative border into the territory of South Ossetia.”

The plans appear to violate the terms of a French-endorsed cease-fire deal signed late last week by the presidents of Georgia and Russia. It called for both countries’ troops and allied armed groups to move back to their positions before hostilities between the two countries’ troops led to a Russian military incursion early this month into the staunchly pro-U.S. Caucasus Mountain nation.

Furthermore, here is how Michael Totten describes eye witness events.

On Monday, I visited one of the schools transformed into refugee housing in the center of Tbilisi and spoke to four women—Lia, Nana, Diana, and Maya—who had fledwith their children from a cluster of small villages just outside the city of Gori. “We left the cattle,” Lia said. “We left the house. We left everything and came on foot because to stay there was impossible.” Diana’s account: “They are burning the houses. From most of the houses they are taking everything. They are stealing everything, even such things as toothbrushes and toilets. They are taking the toilets. Imagine. They are taking broken refrigerators.” And Nana: “We are so heartbroken. I don’t know what to say or even think. Our whole lives we were working to save something, and one day we lost everything. Now I have to start everything from the very beginning.”

Seven families were living cheek by jowl inside a single classroom, sleeping on makeshift beds made of desks pushed together. Small children played with donated toys; at times, their infant siblings cried. Everyone looked haggard and beaten down, but food was available and the smell wasn’t bad. They could wash, and the air conditioning worked.

“There was a bomb in the garden and all the apples on the trees fell down,” Lia remembered. “The wall fell down. All the windows were destroyed. And now there is nothing left because of the fire.”

Most of these events have occurred AFTER the latest cease fire agreement was signed. That cease fire was the third such cease fire. Since then Russia has shown no signs of abiding by it. In fact, Russia has since systematically violated that cease fire. The definition of insanity as all may know is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

It should be clear to everyone that Russia has no plans on abiding by any cease fire, unless abiding, means continuing to systematically pillage the country of Georgia. Yet, as this cease fire, now nearly a week old, has been systematically violated, the world community has done little or nothing but to continue to make strongly worded statements of condemnation. What is President Bush doing about this systematic violation of yet another cease fire?

President Bush reiterated his demand that Russia remove its forces from Georgia in a speech here Wednesday, stating that the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia andAbkhazia are part of the former Soviet republic and that "the United States will work with our allies to ensure Georgia's independence and territorial integrity.

What is NATO?

NATO has accused Russia of failing to honor the full terms of the cease-fire agreement brokered by the European Union last week aimed at ending the fighting in Georgia.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Tuesday that Russian forces were still inside Georgia despite the agreement to withdraw -- and despite Moscow saying they had begun pulling out Monday.

"We do not see signals of this happening," Scheffer said. "There can be no business as usual with Russia under the present circumstances."

What is the EU?

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Russia's president Sunday of "serious consequences" in Moscow's relations with the European Union, if Russia does not comply with its cease-fire accord with Georgia.

In a telephone call, Sarkozy told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that there must be a "withdrawal, without delay, of all the Russian military forces that entered Georgia since Aug. 7," Sarkozy's office said in a statement.

Here is a newflash to the world community. Russia is NOT going to leave Georgia unless they are forced to leave. No strongly worded statement of condemnation, warning, or diplomatic challenge will sway Russia. Neither will some flimsy piece of paper that demands that their troops be removed from the territory at a certain time and date. This is in the words of Sean Connery bringing a knife to a gunfight. The full force of the Russian military is NOT going to be swayed because Nicholas Sarkozy is disturbed that the agreement he helped broker still isn't going to be respected. The only thing that will sway them is a military force greater than theirs.