She's back: Condi Rice ends vacation to tackle Georgia

Condoleezza Rice is back at the State Department.

After a buzz of criticism in the media and on the blogosphere -- Agence-France Presse reported that the secretary of State had been "noticeably absent on the diplomatic scene, having failed to interrupt her holidays" -- she returned yesterday to tackle the Russian attacks on Georgia.

In a public statement, Rice said she had conferred today with leaders of the G-7 (that's all the world's largest economies except Russia) and warned that the attacks on Georgia must stop.

"These military operations need to stop," she said, reiterating that the United States supports Georgia's "democratically elected government and its people." She also pledged to continue to work the diplomatic phone lines.

Countdown to Crawford reported earlier that Rice had been on vacation. Shortly after the item was posted, the State Department returned our call to say that Rice had returned and "is here in the building."

Spokesman Noel Clay said he would not discuss when Rice returned or "the timetable of personal leaves." He also declined to comment on Sen. John McCain's suggestion that she convene an in-person global power meeting on the topic.

"We're not going to comment on what a presidential candidate says," Clay said.

-- Johanna Neuman

Comments

[Itay Dror]

Just saw in yesterday's headlines: apparently, Mr. Saakashvili ordered a few days ago that all Russian citizens be prevented from leaving Georgia. Held as hostages??? Alright, Mr. Saakashvili, here's my respectful opinion as an Israeli: Russians have so far done precisely what Israel would have done to any country that dared attack it: disrupt your military supply routes and destroy the positions from which your army shelled the Ossetian capital. Now that you have ordered Russian tourists held as hostages (if it is confirmed that this is indeed so), Russians would be perfectly within their right to do what Israel would have done to any terrorist leader...

In the meantime, Turkey is probably planning a takeover at the first convenient opportunity of Georgia's other restive autonomy, the Muslim-populated Ajaria (which Turkey already controls economically). I would not be surprised if someone in Ankara was already on the phone with Moscow to discuss the partitioning of Georgia. Turkey has been itching for two centuries to get its revenge on Georgians for anti-Turkish pogroms and the forced deportation in 1944 of all ethnic Turks from Georgia to Central Asia by Stalin and his henchman Beria, both ethnic Georgians. Russia saved Gerogia from Turkey and Persia in early 19th century. Whom does Georgia turn to now?

[Itay Dror]

A response from Roman: As a person with first-hand experience in anti-terrorism in Israel, I would like to point out that there is a huge difference between the blanket cluster bomb shelling of a city, which Saakashvili's forces did on August 7-8, and the Russian response, which was to disrupt Saakashvili's military supply routes, including the ammunition depot in Gori. Russians' victims are collateral damage; Saakashvili's are victims of state terrorism. I concur with your take on what happened in Grozny in 1995, except that Saakashvili's neighbor in the cage in The Hague should be Yeltsin, not Putin who at the time was a minor provincial politician. Too bad Yeltsin is dead.

"Russian neo-Nazis chase kill and behead central asians, armenians, azeriis and georgians to save racial purity of the mother russia" - I share your concerns on this point, too, but this has little to do with Putin or Medvedev. Last I checked, when I was in Russia last year, Russian neo-Nazis were mostly affiliated with the opposition National Bolshevik party, while their chief opponent in the streets of Russian cities, the "Anti-Fa", come from various pro-Putin youth groups.

[john baguta]

AMERICA HAS NO VOICE IN THE WORLD
America and that too Bush-Cheney Government has no moral right to tell any one including Russia to stop killings and destruction of Georgia because America and Britain has nakedly attacked Iraq and destroyed the ancient civilization, killed more than million human beings against the will of the World Nations. Bush-Cheney has made "Regime Change" as the fashion of the bully Nations by ignoring the voices of other Nations and the U. N. too. America has also encouraged Israel to attack Lebanon and continue the killings and destruction of Lebanon for many days against the plight of the world.

[sani]

WHERE DID CONDI RICE GO ON HER VACATION???

[Peter]

you have no idea about the real situation, you are brain washed puppet politician. by the way did you find chemical weapons in Iraq? not yet. good luck! watch your nightmare dreams. people like you let the other nations to hate my country. people like you use my tax money for buying coffins to our troops in Iraq. shame on you. shame on the government which target is the war instead of piece and progress.
eventually you found out that Georgia started aggressive war against Osetia.
yes, with one s. at first learn how to spell, than start war. you knew about that aggressive attack of Georgia from the very beginning, because you conducted that war. policy of double meanings is your policy.
t