Bush's Georgian Aid Promise Dubious

Jonathan S. Landay of McClatchy Newspapers reports that Pentagon officials doubt that any U.S. Navy vessels would join an aid operation to Georgia despite a promise Wednesday from President Bush that humanitarian aid to the country was on the way. Landay quotes a "senior administration official" as saying, "The president was writing checks to the Georgians without knowing what he had in the bank."

The promise came before the Bush Administration could get clearance from Turkey to enter the Black Sea. Turkey, clearly wary of angering Russia, has been "nonresponsive" to administration attempts to get clearance to pass through the narrow straits Turkey controls that connect the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Furthermore, any hospital ships would take weeks to get to the region.

Meanwhile, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili took Bush's pledge and ran with it like he was Baghdad Bob, claiming that U.S. warships would break a Russian naval blockade and liberate Georgia's ports.

Due to the gravity of the situation in Georgia, the President went ahead and postponed his vacation to Crawford by one day. He leaves for Crawford today and will meet with Condoleezza Rice at his ranch tomorrow.

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