Colin Powell Disses McCain on Georgia Russia Conflict

From CNN's The Next President: A World of Challenges, Powell pretty well slaps McCain for his statements about Georgia here:

AMANPOUR: Except for, General Powell, it basically hopes that Russia is not going to be the aggressor. And if Russia is and you have to, you know, keep your NATO allies' security, aren't you then committed?

POWELL: Under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which is the NATO Treaty, when one member of the alliance is attacked from abroad -- meaning outside the NATO geographic limits -- then all members of NATO treat that as an attack.

AMANPOUR: And yet...

POWELL: Article 5 has only been invoked once in the history of the alliance, and that was on the 12th of September, 2001, when it was invoked in our favor, when the whole NATO alliance said we were attacked, the alliance was attacked on 9/11.

Now, in the current situation, the Russians acted brutally. I think they acted foolishly. But it was also absolutely predictable what the Russians would do. You could see them stacking up their troops.

And I think it was foolhardy on the part of President Saakashvili and the Georgian government to kick over this can, to light a match in a roomful of gas fumes.

SESNO: So you're saying the Georgians provoked this?

POWELL: They did. I mean, there was a lot of reasons to have provocations in the area, but the match that started the conflagration was from the Georgian side.

AMANPOUR: And yet...

POWELL: And that's a given.

AMANPOUR: And some debate in the presidential elections has basically been, "We are all Georgians now." What does that mean? It's the same as was said after 9/11.

POWELL: One candidate said that, and I'll let the candidate explain it for himself.

(LAUGHTER)

SESNO: You can help a little, if you'd like.

POWELL: No, the fact of the matter is that you -- you have to be very careful in a situation like this not just to leap to one side or the other until you've taken a good analysis of the whole situation.

This was something that might have been avoided if people had looked at the Russian troops that were stacked up, if people had realized that the Russians were serious about South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and if perhaps more guidance and suggestions had been given to President Saakashvili beyond those that he received, it might have been avoided.

But it wasn't. It's over. The Russians are the offenders right now. And we have to see that.

We cannot say to the Russians, "We are not going to allow the Georgians or Ukrainians or anyone else to start down the path toward NATO membership." It's not for the Russians to decide that.

But I think it is wise for us to look at the whole strategic situation and all of our equities before deciding how fast that should happen and whether it's the time to do it right now.

The Russian Federation is not going to become the Soviet Union again. That movie failed at the box office. But they do have interests. And we have to think carefully about their interests.

So you have to treat Russia as a proud country that lost a lot of its pride some 15, 16 years ago, and it's restored with a political leadership that is enormously popular in the country and with a level of wealth they've never had before, and with concerns about their near abroad, and treat them in a straightforward, business-like, objective way and not emotionally.

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[zollingen]

Agressor was Georgia not Russia! Its proven fact. Why continue brainwashing Americans in the spirit of Russophobia and hatred despite all reality?

[shurednichso]

Remember what he did to start the Iraq-war and than think about his integritiy in this speech.

[vaso442]

after Russian agression Georgia is still alive

[vaso442]

@zollingen you are proving that you are shithead

[zipacna1980]

@MuFfinman7037 Exactly, Georgia is falsely advertised as a 'little proud democracy' by Washington for a reason. Saakashvili was a crooked NYC lawyer installed by CIA there. National budget is built out of US taxpayer's money and the nation is a failed dictatorship. All the money are spent for enourmous military which is too extensive for a nation like that. A little bit is spent to build nice government building to make it look Western. Apart from a fake image there is neither jobs nor freedom.

[Rustaveli2k7]

this guy is such a snake thing I like about republicans and some circles with in it that they have Honor and have principals, this guy over here is pretty much saying, to let Georgia be alone with Russia without interfering that's like saying let one of our best allies go down without help, what man would do that, Georgian people Just like some people in Americas right have Honor and dignity , people don't know the History, this has been going on since 1993 it did not start in 2008.

[aviomaster]

USA bombed SERBIA March 24 1999 for 78 days with B-2 first time used in Combat bomber and B-52

The question is WAS Serbia such a THREAT so that USA has to use Strategic bomber force ?

Russia just follows USA policies , Nothing else nothing more.

[voron681]

@voron681 are you fucking kidding south osetian and abhazian population less that 400000 thausand people where you etting you information fron and what rebbel south oseta and abhazia was their own countrys before just like now than stalin combine them toogether because soviet union had no need for two small states. And what rebels georgia started that war

[Rustaveli2k7]

@voron681 what 500 000 people? Georgians who have been kicked out from their homes in 1993 you are clearly not qualified to make any statement concerning this issue you need to research and speak correctly on this manner, both of those lands are Georgian lands and 70% of homes there are legally owned by Georgian people who are waiting to be back to their home, rebel bandits who are supported by RUSSIANS are supporting separatists and blocking those people from going back to their homes.

[RManFlint]

@Rustaveli2k7 God, finally someone tells the truth about the Russian fascists.

[RManFlint]

@Khachturabian Putin's a Nazi and a fascist. If you're too stupid to realize that, that's your problem.