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Show 1 WORLDNEWS a - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27200 uiaic aun Russian parliament votes for independence sonable manner; the U.S. eco nomic situation is not good, Russia is on the rise," he said in an interview. "We need 3 Russian soldiers stand on the road just outside Gori, north of Tbilisi, Georgia, on Aug. (MCT) MOSCOW Russia's parliament voted unanimously Monday to recognize the independence of two Georgian breakaway regions that its military invaded earlier this month, intensifying the Kremlin's showdown with the United States. If approved by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the resolution would give a domestic legal basis for Russia to essentially take control of the areas, in defiance of the U.S. backed government of Georgia. In Washington, American officials condemned the measure, saying that it would be "unacceptable" for Russia to follow through. While it is not certain that Medvedev will give -- -- a green light to the leg- islation, its passage was a strong signal from Moscow. "Today the parliament was doing the paperwork on what has happened de facto: Russia has formally acknowledged that it is a protector of South Ossetia and Abkhazia," said Valery Solovey, a Moscow-base- d analyst with the Gorbachev foundation, a western leaning think-tanRussian leaders said they weren't worried that NATO would cut off cooperation in response and seemed confident that America and other western countries will come to terms with Russia's actions because they have no other choice. Medvedev said in Sochi, which borders k. the rebel area of Abkhazia, that he was not especially troubled that NATO might sever ties with Russia. "If they choose to break off this relationship, even the whole of it, nothing terrible will happen," he said, according to state news services. U.Sl officials contend that the Kremlin remains in violation of a French-brokere- d cease-fir- e agreement withdrawthe requiring al of all of its invasion forces. "There's no question that Russia hasn't lived up to the cease-fir- e agreement," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto. "We still see large numbers of Russian troops in undisputed territory. We see them maintaining 4. checkpoints." Asked about the Russian parliament's approval of the nonbinding resolutions, Fratto replied, "The status of those two regions in Georgia are not a matter for any one country to decide," adding that any changes would have to be done through the United Nations. Previous U.N. resolutions recognize the provinces as Georgian territory, Fratto said. "That's where the matter stands," he said. But Alexander Kozlovsky, deputy head of the foreign committee in Russia's lower house, echoed a sentiment held by many in Russian political circles. "I am positive that Europe and the U.S. will respond in a rea- - cooperation." A U.S. Navy destroyer is currently anchored in the Black Sea just off the coast of Georgia, reportedly to deliver humanitarian aid, and at least two more warships are en route. While South Ossetia and Abkhazia have little strategic value of their own, the fighting and subsequent Russian occupation of the two enclaves and a wide swath of Georgian terri-- g tory beyond sent a strong signal about Moscow's anger about western powers' expan- sion toward its borders. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, a White House favorite, enraged the Kremlin this year by aggressively pursuing membership in both NATO and the European Union. A NATO meeting in April that left the door open for eventual membership for Georgia and Ukraine, another former Soviet republic, set Russia and Georgia on a collision course, said Gia Jandieri, an analyst in Tbilisi. A major obstacle for Georgia's entry to NATO was Georgia's inability to control South Ossetia and Abkhazia, a situation it was apparently trying to resolve with its push into South Ossetia on Aug. 7, which Russia crushed in the days after. Russia had long been issuing passports to residents of both regions, setting up claims that it had a responsibility to protect its citizens against Georgia. "It created a competi-tiobetween the two sides, with one side trying to deal with these conflicts and the other wanting to blow them up," Jandieri said. In Moscow, a senior general made clear that n international monitors would not displace Russian troops in the two provinces, or in a buffer zone extending a few miles further. "We have to state once again that Russia has never given its consent to a replacement of Russian peac- ' freshman ferguson, Dixie Studen sore opf ion ca ekeepers in the conflict Edition zone with" units from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy of the Russian military's general staff. In Georgia, officials were dismayed but not surprised. Giorgi Kandelaki, deputy chair of the Georgian parliament's foreign relations committee, said Russia's intentions are obvious. "What they're doing is annexing parts of an emerging European democracy," he said. But he saw a silver lining: "This will only increase Russia's international isolation, the Russians are shooting themselves in the foot," Kandelaki said. (c) 2008, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. would continue President 111. - Delaware Bush's policies. And he Sen. Joe Biden took on chided that McCain is so the role of Democrat wealthy and insulated from average people's Barack Obama's new presidential running mate concerns that his version on Saturday, attacking of making difficult kitchen-tabl- e decisions is candidate Republican that "he'll have to figure John McCain and makout which of his seven ing clear that whatever ' doubts he'd previously kitchen tables to sit at." The appearance was expressed about Obama's the culmination of a frereadiness were gone. In a joint appearance netic week of speculation with Obama 12 hours over who would get the after Obama announced nod from Obama. In the e that Biden was his end, it was a choice for vice president, Washington figure whose Biden called Obama an Roman Catholic faith credenand inspiration to millions with "steel in his spine" tials - his net worth of d and "a $150,000 is decidedly pragmatist who will get the middle class among the millionaire membership job done." He went after McCain, t , of the U.S. Senate ' a longtime personal seemed intended to shore friend, as having given up Obama's electoral "into the right wing of weak spots. his party and yielded to Democratic leaders the very Swift Boat poliembraced Biden's selectics he once so tion, noting that Biden has served in the Senate deplored." He also said McCain for 35 years and has SPRING-FIEL- long-tim- blue-coll- ar clear-eye- -- been both chairman of the Judiciary Committee and of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The Republican Party line was to call the choice hypocritical, highlighting Biden's campaign contributions from special interest groups whose influence Obama says he wants to reduce and Biden's early assertions, when he was competing with Obama for the nomination, that Obama wasn't ready for the job. But some of Obama's Republican friends praised Biden, including Sens. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar. In Springfield, reaction to Biden ranged from enthusiastic to curious. "This was by far the best choice," said Russ Breckenndge, 31. "He strengthens Barack's foreign policy experience and can attack John McCain like Barack can't because Barack is the kind of individual that believe in being above the fray." Amy Stephan, 30, thought Obama's chief primary rival Hillary Clinton could have helped him solidify the women's and Hispanic votes. "But I knew that wasn't going to happen, it didn't seem like a good fit," she said. Judi Gentry, 68, had liked Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's moderate, prolife, outside Washington image. "I would really have like another fresh face there," she said. But she said she trusts Obama's choice with Biden. "I guess this is what he has to do to combat the constant attacks of 'he's too young, too inexperienced.1" Obama's introduction of Biden before a crowd estimated at 35,000 outside the Illinois Old State Capitol made clear what Obama felt Biden would bring to the ticket. He noted that Biden was a Roman Catholic bom in Scranton, Pa., who'd been raised working-class. Responding to criticism that Biden was a Washington insider who'd first been elected to the Senate in 1972, Obama said that the senator was "uniquely suited" to share the ticket with him. "For decades he has brought change to Washington but Washington hasn't changed him," Obama said. "He's an expert on foreign policy whose heart and values are firmly rooted in the middle class. He has stared down dictators and spoken out for American cops and firefighters." Obama said Biden had been tested by tragedy; center. 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He raised his boys weeken first as a single dad, then the rooi Towers alongside his wonderful facelift. wife, Jill." The couple also has a grown daugh- Errnitur recreatii four-y- E i Was ter. (c) 2008, McClatchy-TribunInformation Services. e Her rep wit hrrnitur S300,0( Youn student |