Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. Holds a Hearing On the Conflict Between Georgia and Russia

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Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. Holds a Hearing On the Conflict Between Georgia and Russia

SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS HOLDS A HEARING ON THE CONFLICT BETWEEN GEORGIA AND RUSSIA

SEPTEMBER 17, 2008

SPEAKERS: SEN. JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., D-DEL. CHAIRMAN SEN. CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, D-CONN. SEN. JOHN KERRY, D-MASS. SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD, D-WIS. SEN. BARBARA BOXER, D-CALIF. SEN. BILL NELSON, D-FLA. SEN. BARACK OBAMA, D-ILL. SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ, D-N.J. SEN. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, D-MD. SEN. BOB CASEY, D-PA. SEN. JIM WEBB, D-VA.

SEN. RICHARD G. LUGAR, R-IND. RANKING MEMBER SEN. CHUCK HAGEL, R-NEB. SEN. NORM COLEMAN, R-MINN. SEN. BOB CORKER, R-TENN. SEN. JOHN E. SUNUNU, R-N.H. SEN. GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, R-OHIO SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI, R-ALASKA SEN. JIM DEMINT, R-S.C. SEN. JOHNNY ISAKSON, R-GA. SEN. DAVID VITTER, R-LA. SEN. JOHN BARRASSO, R-WYO.

WITNESSES: WILLIAM BURNS, UNDERSECRETARY, POLITICAL AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[*] DODD: The committee will come to order. Let me welcome our colleagues as well as our witnesses in the audience this morning to be a part of this very important hearing; Russia's aggression against Georgia consequences and responses.

And we thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, for being with us this morning. We, once again, expressly apologies of my dear friend and colleague from Delaware, Senator Biden, who would normally be sitting here holding that gavel, but is -- I presume everyone in the audience know -- he's otherwise occupied. And so he couldn't be here this morning. So I'm -- I'm designated as acting chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and delighted to be filling in for him this morning on this very important hearing.

What I'm like to do is I'm going share some opening comments, turn to Senator Lugar for any opening comments he may have. We don't have a packed room of members yet, so any of my colleagues who would like to be heard on this issue, several, I know, have been to Georgia and can bring some particular expertise.

Senator Biden, in fact, was in Georgia himself in the midst of the events as they unfolded. And then we'll get to go, Mr. Secretary, and respond to some questions we may have.

At some point here, I'm going to try and put up a map as well. I always find having maps can help. It certainly helps me when I can see exactly the geography and where various elements are that have been the source of the difficulties over the last number of weeks.

So we'll get to that, if we have a chance, we'll put that up and then describe, in fact, where some of the ethic populations also reside, which I think may help clarify for those who are looking at this some of the difficulties that are posed by this issue.

Well, last month's war between Russia and Georgia began in a small region of South Ossetia. But it obviously cast a very long and broad shadow across continents. In the aftermath of the conflict, the United States and our allies certainly face some serious new challenges.

And as we survey the situation in Georgia today, we face three, as I see it, strategic questions. First, what can we do to shore up Georgia's democracy, economy, and its institutions?

Secondly, how do we convince Russian leaders that their actions in Georgia are anethetical (ph) to their own stated goal of becoming a successful, respected member of the international community?

And thirdly, what can and should the Euro-Atlantic community do to prevent the consequences of this war which has already taken every toll on Russia and Georgia from undermining ambitions of the entire region.

In many respects, the first question is the most urgent one. In the course of the conflict, tens of thousands of Georgians were driven from their homes.

In some areas entire villages were burnt to the ground by South Ossetian forces armed and supported by Russia. And their residents have been told they will never be allowed to come back.

As winter approaches, the situation could become a serious humanitarian crisis as well. Georgia's problems have been compounded by Russia's gratuitous destruction of critical economic infrastructure far outside the autonomous regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Georgia's main rail line, current cement factory and even it's national forests were all targeted by the Russian military.

There are two ways to undermine, if not, topple a democratic government, either militarily or by crushing and strangling the economy to make life so miserable that the government's mandate comes into question.

Many expert observers believe that having failed in the first approach, Russian now seems to have shifted to the second. Russ...

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