Ceasse-fire, n. Surrender
Russia, having signed a cease-fire, has not ceased firing. Ruissian troops are marauding, taking border towns, blowing up rail lines, and even burning a national park.
It turns out that when the cease-fire says that Russian troops wiill withdraw from Georgia proper, that means that Russian troops will stay wherever they want for as long as they want. How long will that be? Why “as long as necessary,” says the Russian Foreign Minister.
“Additional security measures” means whatever Russia wants to do, including apparently establishing zone of permanent occupation within Georgia proper as a “buffer zone.” Russian troops are to be replaced by outside peacekeepers as soon as the U.N. approves, which means as soon or as late as Russia wants, including never.
Apparently the “referenda” on the anschluss with Reich joining the Russian Federation are expected within days. .
I think the Nobel Peace Prize may be out of reach, maybe Sarkozy and Rice could share the Samuel Hoare Prize for Utter Capitulation. I’m not saying a better deal was on offer, but it’s hard to see what a worse one would have looked like. We’ll know whether Sarkozy was a dupe or a co-conspirator when we hear him complain or not.
Don’t know about you, but my money is on “not.”