Michelle Malkin » Bush to address Russia crisis at 5:15pm Eastern; Update: “Unacceptable”

Bush to address Russia crisis at 5:15pm Eastern; Update: “Unacceptable”

By Michelle Malkin • August 11, 2008 03:36 PM

Update: Bush…” “Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century,” Bush said a hastily announced statement at the White House.”

***
A press event is scheduled in the Rose Garden, according to USAT and other news outlets.

An interesting blog angle here on the government of Georgia’s efforts to communicate in the face of Russia’s cyberwar.

Computerworld has details:

Hackers, perhaps affiliated with a well-known Russian criminal network, have attacked and hijacked Web sites belonging to Georgia, the former Soviet republic now in the fourth day of war with Russia, a security researcher claimed on Sunday.

Some Georgian government and commercial sites are unavailable, while others may have been hijacked, said Jart Armin, a researcher who tracks the notorious Russian Business Network (RBN), a malware and criminal hosting network.

“Many of Georgia’s Internet servers were under external control from late Thursday,” Armin said early Saturday in an entry on his Web site. According to his research, the government’s sites dedicated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and the country’s president, Mikhail Saakashvili, have been blocked completely, or traffic to and from those sites’ servers have been redirected to servers actually located in Russia and Turkey.

As of midnight Eastern time on Sunday, Georgia’s presidential and defense ministry sites were unavailable from the U.S. Although the foreign ministry’s site remained online, the most recent news item was dated Aug. 8, the day Georgian and Russian forces first clashed.

Armin warned that Georgian sites that appeared online may actually be bogus. “Use caution with any Web sites that appear of a Georgia official source but are without any recent news [such as those dated Saturday, Aug. 9, or Sunday, Aug. 10], as these may be fraudulent,” he said in another entry posted midafternoon on Sunday.

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#201

On August 12th, 2008 at 4:11 pm, Little Ma said:

Well, Yashmak, a true confession here. I’ve stridently opposed Juan McShamnesty for reasons I don’t need to mention, but he threw me for a loop today! Now I find myself reconsidering my position. I mean, hey! Not only does he have convictions about the Russian invasion of Georgia, but he has the courage of those convictions.
#202

On August 12th, 2008 at 6:19 pm, Yashmak said:

Well, foreign policy IS his strong suit, so it’s only natural that in this situation he shines.
#203

On August 12th, 2008 at 11:39 pm, von Rum said:

On August 12th, 2008 at 11:03 am, Little Ma said:

On August 11, 2008 at 11:43 pm, von Rum said: “…If you look at the many moves made in the past few years to restore not only the architecture of the Tsars but to rehabilitate the actual Romanov family you will see a major change in Russia.”…”Putin has been especially adept at realizing that Russia needs a Tsar….”

What? Is Putin whispering in your ear, suggesting that you’re in line for the throne? True, the Russian people feel secure when they have a strong leader. But you’re saying they want to bring back a “Little Father”? I don’t believe it.

I am hardly receiving instructions from Putin, but rather from Russian history and culture. I meant, not a Tsar in the form of a Monarch, but in the form of a father figure leader. This is part of the Russian national psyche whether in the form of a Tsar, a Stalin or a Putin.

And even if they did by some wild chance bring back the monarchy would that be any worse than anything the 20th century has given us in countries that overthrew monarchies?

Just for the sake of academic argument would the world have been worse off if 1920 had seen a Hapsburg in Austria, a Hohenzollern in Germany and a Romanov in Russia? I hardly think so.
#204

On August 13th, 2008 at 10:23 am, Little Ma said:

von Rum said:

I apologize. When you spoke of the return of a Tsar I thought you were speaking literally.

When I said, “…the Russian people feel secure when they have a strong leader” I meant exactly the same thing you said in your reply: “…a father figure leader. This is part of the Russian national psyche….” Your version is the more eloquent!

I’ve never thought about what would happen if the monarchy were returned. Interesting question to ponder.

“Just for the sake of academic argument….?” Hmmm. I think I agree with your conclusion.

Again, please accept my apologies. Sometimes I go off half-cocked. As my grandchildren would say, “My bad.”
#205

On August 13th, 2008 at 10:43 pm, von Rum said:

Little Ma, no need at all for an apology.

In the short, vaporous forms of posting that we all adhere too there is ample room for misunderstanding.

I am glad that we are agreed. I sincerely thing the US needs to reevaluate its views on Russia, from both the State Department and the mass media (largely useless).

We do not live in the world that many of us (over 30) grew up in. In many ways it would be easier if we did but facts cannot be wished away.

When it was just the West and the Soviet Union life was much simpler.