Russia Threatens Poland with Military Strike

Those arguing that Russia's invasion of Georgia was a one-off and that Russia was unlikely to flex their muscles further into their near abroad may have to rethink that position: A top Russian general said Friday that Poland's agreement to accept a U.S. missile interceptor base exposes the ex-communist nation to attack, possibly by nuclear weapons, the Interfax news agency reported. ...

John McCain: Shadow President?

John McCain is taking advantage of Barack Obama's "foreign vacation" in Hawaii and using the crisis in Georgia to showcase his foreign policy prowess. He's dispatched his minions, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, to Georgia.  TPM's Greg Sargent figures, The idea is to showcase himself as a man of action during a time of international crisis and to remind people that the ...

Russia Orders Georgia ‘Cease-Fire’

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has ordered what the press is describing as a "cease-fire" in Georgia. Given that he is not withdrawing Russian forces and is going to keep killing Georgian troops in South Ossetia in violation of international law, however, that term doesn't quite seem to fit. NYT: The president said Russia had achieved its military goals during five days ...

Russia Makes Move on Abkhazia

Emboldened by the lack of international response to its invasion of Georgia to take South Ossetia, Russia has began Phase 2: the taking of Abkhazia. Swarms of Russian jets launched new raids on Georgian territory Monday and Georgia faced the threat of a second front of fighting as Russia demanded that Georgia disarm troops near the breakaway province of Abkhazia. While a ...

Georgian Forces Retreat, Wonder Where Friends Are

Georgian forces have been routed and have retreated from their South Ossetia province after being outmatched by the Russians.  Now, many Georgians are wondering where their Western allies are. Tony Halpin for The Times of London: As a Russian jet bombed fields around his village, Djimali Avago, a Georgian farmer, asked me: “Why won’t America and Nato help us? If they won’t ...

Russia Invades South Ossetia, Georgia Shoots Down Russian Planes

Russian tanks have moved into the disputed Caucasus region of South Ossetia, dramatically escalating already high tensions with Georgia. Russian television reports that Russian troops are moving into South Ossetia. The development comes hours after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned Georgia that its attack on South Ossetia will draw retaliation. Channel 1 television showed a convoy of Russian tanks that it said entered ...

Pakistan ISI Planned, Supported Indian Embassy Bombing

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency helped plan and provided logistical support for last month's bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan according to U.S. intelligence reports leaked to the press by various "officials." Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt report for the NYT that, The conclusion was based on intercepted communications between Pakistani intelligence officers and militants who carried out the attack, the ...

Yet Another Blow to the FARC

Via the BBC: Farc 'co-ordinator' held in Spain Spanish police say they have arrested the representative of the left-wing Colombian rebel group Farc in Spain. Maria Remedios Garcia Albert, a Spanish national, was detained near Madrid, as part of a joint operation by the Spanish and Colombian authorities. [...] It is claimed that Ms Garcia helped co-ordinate the group's wider activities in ...

Obama Berlin Speech After Action

Barack Obama's speech to the throngs gathered at the Berlin Tiergarten Park was a solid effort, saying most of the right things about the Transatlantic relationship along with some unfortunate banalities. The allusions to our shared history with Western Europe in general and Germany in particular were well done. The reminder of our efforts in the Berlin Airlift and helping ...

Iraq War Now Peacekeeping Mission?

Michael J. Totten weighs in on the  Iraq War is Over and We Won argument and decides that, while he's "reluctant" to answer that question in the affirmative, "The war in Iraq is all but over right now, and it will be officially over if the current trends in violence continue their downward slide. " [Michael] Yon is braver than the ...