GEORGIA STILL ON OUR MIND

 Posted at 8:25 a.m. ET

The 24-hour news cycle sometimes makes us forget stories as soon as they're out of the headlines for a few hours.  But we must constantly keep Georgia on our minds.  The Russian invasion of that country has produced the greatest crisis in West-Russian relations since the end of the Cold War, although the usual suspects are out in force trying to minimize the problem.  It's the same crowd that fainted out loud when Ronald Reagan demanded that Gorbachev "tear down this wall."  No one is suggesting we send over the missiles or level the Kremlin, and we should certainly take into account the historic complications of Russia's relations with Georgia and other surrounding nations.  But our response must be firm, and the Russians must understand that actions have consequences.  From the AP:

NATO was set to send a strong signal of support for Georgia, as the United States urged allies Tuesday to boost military ties with the former Soviet republic on Russia's southern border.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was backing the setting up of a permanent NATO-Georgia Commission to solidify ties between the Western alliance and Georgia. Diplomats said Washington also supports increasing training for the Georgian military.

At the same time, NATO foreign ministers were discussing possibly scaling back high-level meetings and military cooperation with Russia if it does not abandon crucial positions across Georgia.

Douglas MacArthur once said that all military disasters begin with two words:  Too late.  Georgia had been proposed for NATO membership, but Germany blocked entrance last year.  I'm sensitive to those who honestly believe that expanding NATO membership provokes Russia.  However, if Georgia had been a member of NATO three weeks ago, it's unlikely that Russia would have invaded.  It's hard to conceive of Moscow invading a NATO nation.  Denying membership to Georgia was a blunder.

NATO is awaiting Russia's promised military pullout after a brief war with the ex-Soviet republic -- a conflict that has exacerbated tensions between Moscow and the West.

But as the NATO meeting began on Tuesday, Russia's military held onto crucial positions across Georgia.

NATO was expected to restate its commitment to eventually offer alliance membership to Georgia -- despite Russia's fierce opposition.

''We said (Georgia) would eventually become a member of NATO alongside Ukraine, and that's certainly the position that we will be advocating today,'' British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said.

Good.  Now let's see what actually is done.

August 19, 2008.