This foolish, endless public commentary was an all-too transparent effort to stay on top of the news cycle, and to portray the US President as directing events rather than merely responding to them.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: How to make Egypt safe for democracy

However foolish Mr Saakashvili was to give Russia a pretext for invasion, he should stay in office until Georgians themselves throw him out.

ECONOMIST: NATO and the invasion of Georgia