Surely, some of our terms for peace will have to be modified to correspond to new realities on the ground and to achieve our ultimate ends, which are security for the Kosovars and peace and stability in the Balkans. Genuine autonomy for Kosovo that includes the presence in Kosovo of 5000 Serb military and security personnel is hard to conceive as practical anymore. I think it would be a pretty hard sell to convince Kosovars that it is safe to return to communities that are policed by the very people who so savagely depopulated them. Nor do I think it likely that the Kosovo Liberation Army can be persuaded again to accept any status less than independence.
—John McCain at a speech to CSIS in 1999, back when he opposed a country violently retaking a separatist ethnic enclave, and supported the use of a foreign military to impose an outside peace. It is unclear what changed his mind since.
Are Kosovo and South Ossetia really that comparable?
There is an argument to be made here, but I suggest your final question gives it short shrift. The situations are not just different because all situations are different, but only comparable in a few respects. In a great many respects they are not comparable at all. So, while asking what the differences are is a really good question, the question is not why he has changed his mind? Having an opinion in one instance is no ready guide to what it should be now so no changing of mind is required at all. It would be as legitimate, if not more, to question why we would view them the same?
Lot’s of problems with Joshua’s analysis. For example, we didn’t invade Serbia with the US army. And our methods were not the kill ‘em all approach of the Russians, using “dumb” bombs against civilian targets.
FWIW, I was against our involvement in Kosovo at the time. I’m not sure if I’d hold the same opinion today, my views on these sort of things has changed . . . but comparisons with Russia’s actions are out of line . . .
It appears Russia out and out lied about the “ethnic cleansing” and they may also be supporting their S. O. friend’s ethnic cleansing of Georgians. While Serb ethnic cleansing was likely overstated, it wasn’t part of a naked American lie to justify an invasion; the Russians lied to justify invasion.
It should also be noted that the military effort against Serbia over Kosovo was an alliance of some 20 countries. The Georgian War is being waged by Russia and decided by Russia, over an area it formally (and coercively) ruled. I think you have to dig pretty deep to make the comparison.
For this analysis, is South Ossetia a break away province of Georgia, or is Georgia a break away province of Russia?
After reading this post about A Second Hand Conjecture » Quote of the Day, I am not sure I understand what you are trying to relate. Please expand on your thoughts a little more. Thanks