Vicious Warmongers
The words of the vicious warmongers trying to take over the White House in November:
“Ukraine and Georgia have also been developing their ties with NATO. Their leaders have declared their readiness to advance a NATO Membership Action Plan, MAP, to prepare for the rights and obligations of membership. They are working to consolidate democratic reforms and to undertake new responsibilities in their relationship with the Alliance. I welcome the desire and actions of these countries to seek closer ties with NATO and hope that NATO responds favorably to their request, consistent with its criteria for membership. Whether Ukraine and Georgia ultimately join NATO will be a decision for the members of the alliance and the citizens of those countries, after a period of open and democratic debate. But they should receive our help and encouragement as they continue to develop ties to Atlantic and European institutions.
“NATO enlargement is not directed against Russia. Russia has an important role to play in European and global affairs and should see NATO as a partner, not as a threat. But we should oppose any efforts by the Russian government to intimidate its neighbors or control their foreign policies. Russia cannot have a veto over which countries join the alliance. Since the end of the Cold War, Republican and Democratic administrations have supported the independence and sovereignty of all the states of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and we must continue to do so. President Putin recent threat to point missiles at Ukraine is simply not the way to promote the peaceful 21st century Europe we seek.
And this:
Earlier this month at the NATO summit, the United States sought to win support for the extension of Membership Action Plans (MAPs) to Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia. These plans are the final preparatory step for states seeking to join the Alliance. Both Ukraine and Georgia have established themselves as Western-looking democracies and are worthy candidates for NATO membership
Unfortunately, some NATO members balked in the face of strong Russian opposition, and because NATO works by consensus, both countries’ bids failed. While the United States failed to secure MAPs, the administration did succeed in securing a pledge in the final communique that in the future, Ukraine and Georgia “will become members of NATO” and that MAPs could be extended as early as December. This was a major success after a damaging setback. While MAP is a tangible step, it does not promise membership. The communique signed by NATO leaders did.
These vicious warmongers want former Soviet territories to join NATO. This is vicious warmongering at its absolute worst, right?
Yeah, but the first quote is from Barack Obama and the second is from Joe Biden.
Yet when Sarah Palin says that Ukraine and Georgia should be admitted to NATO, the left - and the media (same thing) - screech that she is a warmonger. That she is “taking a hard line” that she wants “war with Russia”.
Fact: Here is the exact wording of Articles 5 and 6 of the NATO Treaty:
Article 5
The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security .
Article 6 (1)
For the purpose of Article 5, an armed attack on one or more of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack:on the territory of any of the Parties in Europe or North America, on the Algerian Departments of France (2), on the territory of or on the Islands under the jurisdiction of any of the Parties in the North Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer;
on the forces, vessels, or aircraft of any of the Parties, when in or over these territories or any other area in Europe in which occupation forces of any of the Parties were stationed on the date when the Treaty entered into force or the Mediterranean Sea or the North Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer.
Joining NATO means a member has the expectation of a mutual, armed response to aggression against the member. War against one is supposed to be treated as war against all. Period.
The left insists on having it both ways here. But their candidates called for the exact, same thing Palin did.
There is a word for this. It starts with an “h”. Figure it out.
Via Memeorandum and The Corner.
By Sam L., Friday, 12 September , 2008 @ 9:46 am
I’d like to buy a vowel, Pat. I’ll try a “y” for the second letter.
By martian, Friday, 12 September , 2008 @ 1:15 pm
This is typical liberal posturing. Again and again we see a conservative or even moderate Republican attacked for saying or doing something that a liberal has done or said and gotten away scot free. The most blatant example is Bill Clinton and his apparent total lack of ability to keep his pants zipped around women. He got a total free pass on this from the liberals. But any Republican that gets caught in any kind of sexual situation, even one where no sex ever occured (I’m thinking of an airport restroom) and that Republican gets hounded from office. “It’s just sex!” only counts if the subject is a liberal. In the same way, liberals get a pass on pretty much anything, even if it blatantly violates the principals for which they are suppused to stand.
Oh, and I’ll add a”p”.