Who is on the course of self-isolation?

A senior U.S. State Department official said the Russians are on a course of self-isolation for punishing the Georgians, as reported on the New York Times. Well, really? Definitely not from the mouth of the head of the state of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan or even Turkey, a NATO member. Another sources stated that the trip the Veep Cheney has spent on the Central Asia was a failure.

The situation in Baku wasn't nice for our Vice President:

The Azeris made a departure from their traditional hospitality to visiting US leaders by accorded a low-level airport reception for Cheney. Further, Cheney was kept cooling his heels for an entire day until Aliyev finally received him.....Cheney ended up spending an entire day visiting the US Embassy in Baku....

Kazakhstan also defy the wishes of the Americans:

Kazakhstan is mulling its oil companies acquiring assets in Europe jointly with Russia's Gazprom.

How about the Tajikistan?

They have agreed to an expansion of the Russian military presence in Tajikistan, including the basing of its strategic bombers.

And now the Russians are talking to the Turks, hoping to consolidate its control on the Black Sea. And the Turks are warm to the idea of a "Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Pact", whose main virtue would be to provide Turkey with the option of remaining relatively neutral in this dispute, even if this was not "to everyone's satisfaction in Washington". Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan even visited Moscow on August 12 to discuss the proposal with the Kremlin.

No wonder the United States governmet has decided not to take direct punitive action against Russia for its conflict with Georgia, according to a report from New York Times. Quoting the Secretary of Defense Robert Gate: Washington prefers a long-term strategic approach. "If we act too precipitously, we could be the ones who are isolated."