Throw the Bush down the well.

The scene is simple. Clutching the podium with both hands the ‘Dis-cid`er’, as in one who decides, addresses the world on CNN and tells Russia – ‘git out of Georgia!’. ‘We don’t want yur kind here’… "Psst.. George, it’s Georgia, not Georgia," chides his Press Secretary.. "Oh yeah, we’ll get out and respect the freedom of yur neighbors" Bush gives his double neck thrust, you know the ‘I have spoken nod’ and stages left.

‘Throw the bush down the well…..so our country can be free’ should be the new South Ossetia Anthem. As reported in the media, the headlines read, "Bush tells Russia to get out." At first my eyes crossed in disbelief at the sheer hypocrisy.

The masher of Baghdad is giving ethical advise to their old Cold War adversaries, Russia.
But let us not forget that the Russia of today is not the Soviet of yesterday, and the conflict that prompted Russia to enter South Ossetia was first sparked when Georgia attacked, resulting in Russia’s intervention. Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, invaded, knowing full well that
South Ossetia would resist and knowing that his forces would have to take on Russian peacekeepers already installed.

South Ossetia was once formally the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast with the Georgian
Soviet Socialist Republic, which broke away in the 1990’s after the fall of the Soviet Union. It declared independence from Georgia during the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.

Unfortunately the United Nations have never recognized its independence from Georgia,
which is why the Russian peacekeepers were installed there in order to force South Ossetia
autonomy which they clearly desire.

So why is Bush siding with Georgia? Politics make funny bedfellows. Mikheil Saakashvili is a good politician, a master manipulator.

Gifted in English, French, Russian and Ukrainian, with some command of Ossetian and Spanish, he is a man of international influence. He was born in the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1967, he received a fellowship from the United States State Department in 1993, and a Masters of Law from Columbia Law School in 1994. The following year he took classes at The George Washington University Law School. Then in 1995 he returned to Georgia and ran for public office and won a seat in the parliament as a party member of the Union of Citizens of Georgia. By 2001, he would resign from his position in government, declaring his former colleagues corrupt, and formed the United National Movement, a left of center political party similar to the Social Democrats in Europe. By 2004, he was elected President by 96% of the votes cast.

Since his election, he has sought to be a strong ally with the US by supporting the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, with troops. Further, he is actively seeking membership in NATO and the European Union. He has also made movement in reducing former corruption in Georgia and is seen as a social reformer, which is greatly applauded by the US. However, in a speech in January of 2004, two weeks after taking power, he directed his Justice Minister "to use force when dealing with any attempt to stage prison riots, and to open fire, shoot to kill and destroy any criminal who attempts to cause turmoil. We will not spare bullets against these people."

But the man who is known as the youngest national president in Europe, a social reformer with a public distain for old corruption, is quick to pull the trigger when it comes to foreign policy. Before Georgia attacked South Ossentia, U.S. officials warned Saakashvili not to provoke Russian militarily by sending Georgian troops into South Ossetia. Further, the U.S. and Russia have been involved in a struggle for influence in Eastern Europe, which at first glance calls into question the
motivation of the U.S. support of Georgia.

These two positions seem to be in opposition with each other since Georgia’s military entry into South Ossentia was motivated by Georgia’s desire to completely control both North and South Ossetia. If successful, U.S. allies would have gained a greater influence of Eastern Europe through the acquisition of territory.

But when is comes to the foreign policy of our neighbours to the south, we have seen them fulfill their intention through military action. They have publicly bragged that their intelligence community is active in the manipulation of political and social structures of other countries.

These actions usually precede escalated policy implementation. We saw this during the Iraq war and suspected it in the Vietnam Conflict, Mogadishu and other miltary actions. So what is the U.S. supporting Georgia in this conflict?

George Bush has publicly opposed a new US friend by requesting Russia’s removal from the G8 and has publicly ordered all Russia’s troops out of South Ossetia. He has chosen a relationship with Georgia over what can been seen as a more internationally stable relationship with Russia. In doing so, Bush has sought international support for the man, Mikheil Saakashvili. This moves seems fool hardy and maybe even dangerous. One must ask, what does Mikheil Saakashvili have
that Vladimir Putin doesn't?

Answer: American education and American grooming.