According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Condi Rice had three telephone conversations just today. Its pretty clear who the real parties to the conflict are, isn’t it?
AP reports: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: “The United States calls for an immediate ceasefire to the armed conflict in Georgia’s region of South Ossetia,” Rice said in a statement. “We call on Russia to cease attacks on Georgia by aircraft and missiles, respect Georgia’s territorial integrity and withdraw its ground combat forces from Georgian soil.” You gotta be kiddin, Condi?!
(Reuters) – An anti-war protester waved blood-colored hands in U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s face at a congressional hearing on Wednesday and shouted “war criminal!”, but was pushed away and detained by police. Rice, an architect of President George W. Bush’s Iraq policy, appeared unfazed by the incident, which occurred when she entered a House of Representatives meeting room to testify at a hearing on U.S. Middle East policy.
On Tony Karon’s excellent blog Mark Perry offers 10 reasons why Hamas, rather than Abu Mazen and his U.S. backers will prevail in the struggle for Palestinian hearts and minds. The Islamists today represent the Palestinian mainstream, while Fatah is broken from top to bottom. Even more importantly, Abbas is increasingly isolated within his own organization, most of whose grassroots and mid-level leadership want nothing to do with the U.S.
