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Does Obama Plan to Abandon NATO?

by Conn Carroll | September 11, 2008 at 7:51 PM

The left is in full hyperventilation mode over Sarah Palin's statements about U.S. policy towards, Russia, Georgia, and Ukraine. TPM blares: "Palin Foreign Policy: War with Russia" and then explains: "EXCLUSIVE: GOV. SARAH PALIN WARNS WAR MAY BE NECESSARY IF RUSSIA INVADES ANOTHER COUNTRY"

Here is Palin's actual exchange with ABC News Charlie Gibson:

GIBSON: Would you favor putting Georgia and Ukraine in NATO?

PALIN: Ukraine, definitely, yes. Yes, and Georgia.

GIBSON: Because Putin has said he would not tolerate NATO incursion into the Caucasus.

PALIN: Well, you know, the Rose Revolution, the Orange Revolution, those actions have showed us that those democratic nations, I believe, deserve to be in NATO. Putin thinks otherwise. Obviously, he thinks otherwise, but...

GIBSON: And under the NATO treaty, wouldn't we then have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?

PALIN: Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you're going to be expected to be called upon and help.

So to recap: if Georgia joined NATO, and then, if Russia then invaded Georgia, Palin would defend Georgia. This isn't news. This is decades old mainstream U.S. foreign policy. The real news would be if Barack Obama believed otherwise. So we look forward to ABC News asking Obama whether he would honor America's militarty commitments under NATO, or if he plans to abandon the foundation of post-WW II U.S. national security.

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Comments

Leaving something out

Submitted by KJ on Thu, 09/11/2008 - 22:30.

You forgot to include the fact that McCain and I guess Palin support the Russion Satellites joining Nato.  That's where the crazy comes in.   Admittance to Nato is no small matter and it would be reckless to admit a state at war with Russia for exactly the reason you lay out.  We want Nato to mean something and we don't want to go to war with Russia.  I'm sure you don't actually think the American Public would tolerate a war with Russia over a faraway dispute, do you?  If you don't then supporting Georgia joining Nato is risking the credibility of this longstanding security organization.  We can help Georgia but it is reckless to admit them to Nato.  Although it may be fun to say the opposite, we are all not Georgians today or any day.   We are Americans.

This just seems to be more evidence that McCain/Palin love war.  Me, I hate war and I hate it when our soldiers die for reasons that barely effect our real security.  It sucks.

Have you thought the NATO argument out?

Submitted by ouztstopia on Fri, 09/12/2008 - 00:13.

Carrying your argument to its logical conclusion, you either believe

1.  The United States should not honor its obligations under NATO.  Meaning if Russia launches an unprovoked attack on - say - Poland, the Poles are on their own.

and/or

2.  We should never allow any country at war with Russia into NATO.  Russia could then dictate NATO membership merely by launching a preemptive attack on a nation if she opposes that nation's entry into NATO.

I don't think Charlie Gibson and the rest of his buddies on the left have thought this through.

Assuming Palin loves war because she has a better grasp on our NATO obligations is a pretty lame argument.

And if you really believe McCain loves war after his Hanoi experience - well, that is just ludicrous.  .

 

 

 

 

 

We can't run from aggression.

Submitted by davidfarrar on Fri, 09/12/2008 - 00:40.

But there is more than one way to fight aggression.  It is plain to me, Russia is now under the choke-hold of a fascist dictator. The last thing we can afford to do is run from this kind of aggression.

ex animo

davidfarrar

You forgot to include that

Submitted by Soren Dayton on Fri, 09/12/2008 - 11:19.

Obama and Biden support those countries joining NATO too.

The difference is that our international agreements actually mean something to McCain and Palin. For the Dems it is just so much paper. Of course you can sign another piece of paper when you are committed to making it mean nothing.

The U.S. has always borne...

Submitted by Darvin Dowdy on Fri, 09/12/2008 - 10:46.

...the heaviest load within Nato.  If we continue to expand Nato, we continue to pile more and more weight onto our own already heavy laden backs.   Many of us view Nato as a means for old Europe to get out of having to spend large amounts of money on their own defense.  The whole concept and idea of Nato is now 59 years old.  It may need to be revisited.  How is Nato helping the U.S. when we bear the heaviest burden of defending other nations that really don't want to pay to defend themselves?

There are other ways to punish Russia.  I would support helping the Georgians by sending in armaments.  Like we did against the Russians in Afghanistan.  If the Georgians are hungry for freedom, they'll fight for it.  That would especially be legit / appropriate now that the Russians are landing bombers in Venezuela, wouldn't it?  When the Russians start losing tanks, Hind helicopters and aircraft by the hundreds, they'll back off.  And we should also kick Russia out of the G8 and if the other members refuse, then we should pull out.  Darvin Dowdy

 

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