Obama's adviser 'West should consider Olympic boycott 2014'

[politicsisrotten]

At some point, the West should consider the Olympic option. If the issue of Georgia's territorial integrity is not adequately resolved (by, for example, the deployment in South Ossetia and Abkhazia of a truly independent international security force replacing Russian troops), the U.S. should contemplate withdrawing from the 2014 Winter Games, to be held in the Russian city of Sochi, next to the violated Georgia's frontier. There is a precedent for this. I was part of the Carter Administration when we brandished the Olympic torch as a symbolic weapon in 1980, pulling out of the Summer Games in Moscow after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union had planned a propaganda show reminiscent of Hitler's 1936 Olympics in Berlin. America's boycott delivered a body blow to President Leonid Brezhnev and his communist system and prevented Moscow from enjoying a world-class triumph....Zbigniew Brezinski foreign policy adviser to Barrack Obama said Thursday.

http://www.time.com/time/world/artic...2699%2C00.html

[mccafferty cat]

So Obama will boycott the winter olympics to stick it to Russia.......but will hold unilateral unconditional talks with North Korea and Iran - countries who sponsor terrorism?

What kind of bonkers foreign policy is that?

[fionnmccool]

So Obama will boycott the winter olympics to stick it to Russia.......but will hold unilateral unconditional talks with North Korea and Iran - countries who sponsor terrorism?

What kind of bonkers foreign policy is that?

And dont mention China whatever you do ...

[Squire Allworthy]

Utterly pathetic. Will this even be an issue in 2014?

[cancer]

We had boycotts in 76, 80 and 84 for the Summer Games and all it did was tarnish the Olympics
Every nation uses the Olympics to present itself in as positive alight as possible to the world
Didn't we use our Eurovision wins for the same purpose - greta outpourings of national pride.

It is this sort of popularity led Foreign Policy that has given McCain the lead in the US.
You have to wonder can the great democrat hope 'walk the walk'.

If the US simply recognised there 2 autonomous regions for what they are - entitled to self Government the issue would never have happened in the first place.

NATO and the US will never be able to project power into Georgia / Caucasus as a counter foil to Russia and should recognise this fact.

What is that the statue at the top of O'Connell St says - No man has the right to (you know the rest). If it applies to us it also applies in the Caucusus.

[Kf]

Daft idea. Somehow I can't see South Howsyerfather and Abhavingonemyself being international news in 2014. Anyway boycotting sports events is the cheapest, more unimaginative excuse for a foreign policy. If they are serious he can go for full econmoic sanctions between the US and Russia and leave the ice skaters and curling teams alone to scrap for medals.

[FutureTaoiseach]

I agree. But it's 6 years away and this could all be resolved by then. If McCain and Cameron are in their second terms by then I think this becomes more likely.

[wombat]

Must be what he means by looking to the future. I always thought he was more Jimmy Carter than JFK but surely this is a wind up?

[odie1kanobe]

So that rules out Chicago fron Olympics 2016 contention then.

[ManOfReason]

2014? - so Obama's team are alread planning their second term.