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•••• The Korea Times reports that the U.S. and South Korea will meet to discuss rogue state North Korea and other issues. President Barack Obama will select an envoy to North Korea, who will have to deal with that country’s obstinate leaders. (The Korea Times)

•••• The discussion comes just in time. Sources report that North Korea is set to test-launch a ballistic missile capable of reaching Alaska and perhaps the West Coast.

A Korea Institute for Defense director, Baek Seung-joo said, “The missile is pointing at Obama. North Korea thinks that with such gestures they can control U.S. foreign policy.” (LA Times)

•••• Russia and NATO disagree over Russia’s plans to base troops in the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia.

“The short version of this is that they agreed to disagree…The exchange of views on Georgia was very frank, was very clear, and certainly there was not a meeting of minds on that issue,” said a military alliance spokesman. (Tehran Times)

Last year, Russia invaded Georgia after the country invaded South Ossetia. Weeks after the violence, Russia and Georgia negotiated a cease-fire. Russia claimed troops that remained in the region afterward were peacekeepers and part of the cease-fire agreement.

 
Newsflash: Russia has issued another warning. Any sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Georgia, President Dmitry Medvedev said today, would backfire.

Russia boasts that it’s too big for sanctions to have any effect. “If attempts are made to introduce sanctions, damages will be symmetrical.”

Russia’s back in the cold war game. Had it ever left?

The U.S. and other countries were critical of Russia for invading Georgia last month, although Georgia struck first in South Ossetia. Russia has taken its time moving troops out of the region after the countries agreed to a cease-fire.

Medvedev warned of sanctions backfiring after NATO’s Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer traveled to Georgia to show support. Georgia has made no secret of wanting to join NATO, which Russia opposes. Additionally, the European Commission proposed to give Georgia $700 million over three year to help with invasion recovery efforts.

(Source: CBS/AP)

 
Independent Television News (ITN) reports that Russia plans to leave Georgia by Friday.
 
The conflict began earlier this month when Georgia attacked a small province called South Ossetia. Russia responded by counter-attacking in South Ossetia and advancing into Georgia. The countries involved agreed to a cease-fire last week.
 
According to ITN, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that “most” of his country’s forces will withdraw at the end of the week, with some troops left in a buffer zone. Some sources are reporting that there have been no large-scale pullouts. At a NATO meeting in Brussels, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Russia is “becoming more and more the outlaw in this conflict. They intend and probably still do intend to strangle Georgia and its economy.”
 
William D. Zeranski, writing for The American Thinker, also notes Russia’s withdrawal has been slow. He adds that Poland’s missile defense agreement and Ukraine’s reported offer to integrate its early warning missile with Europe “may have been fortuitous” in light of Russia’s actions.
 
There’s nothing fortuitous about it, actually. Russia is a military powerhouse, relatively speaking, and lesser equipped countries know they need to be prepared for possible attacks.

(Map source: American University)