Robert Amsterdam

Apparently Russia's Ambassador to NATO Dmitri Rogozin seems to believe that terrorist murder of thousands on U.S. soil is comparable to Georgia's attempt to reign in its own separatists. I believe this is offensive and incredulous, and yet another signal that Russia has no interest backing down from their actions.

"There are two dates that have changed the world in recent years: Sept. 11, 2001, and Aug. 8, 2008," Rogozin said in an interview, explaining the ramifications of the conflict that erupted in Georgia nearly three weeks ago. "They are basically identical in terms of significance."

"Sept. 11 motivated the United States to behave really differently in the world," he said. "That is to say, Americans realized that even in their homes, they could not feel safe. They had to protect their interests, outside the boundaries of the U.S. For Russia, it is the same thing. We were sitting in our homes, the national discussion was internal. Now this Georgian attack is perceived as aggression, and made us realize that we cannot stay home. We have to go outside our homes to protect ourselves on new frontiers."