After having gone to war with Georgia, then occupying the little country and then doing its level best to dismember it by recognizing the breakaway provinces as independent states, Russia finally stumbled into disapproval that mattered:Criticized by the West, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday asked China and four ex-Soviet nations to sign a declaration of support for Russia's role in the conflict in Georgia.But Russia's hopes of gathering support were dealt a huge blow when the five countries denounced the use of force and called for respect for every country's territorial integrity. The joint declaration from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization deepens Russia's international isolation.Medvedev had appealed to the alliance - which consists of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - for unanimous support of Russia's response to Georgia's "aggression."After a fashion, Russia has created a situation with South Ossetia and Abhkazia, which...(Read Full Post)