Also, Abkhazia (the other breakaway Georgian republic) has attacked Georgian troops located on its border.

For some context, here's the map of the region.

Isn't the Ukraine trying to get into NATO as well?

Yes, it is.

Ukraine's ethnic disputes aren't this severe. I suppose that could change if Russia really lobbied after it, though. Ukraine will have difficulties getting into the west, but nothing compared to this fiasco if the rest of the world wakes up and smells Georgia's shit is bad too.

Looks like Armenia's the semi-sane country in the Caucasus now. Maybe if it can kiss-kiss with Putting-Off-The-EU-For-Decades Turkey and Azerbaijan...I give it 500 years.

at rumpel

Not really, it is just as insane...the politician are completely stupid, though because they are so weak, they can never be a threat to anyone...

So will Russia except the Cease fire? I think they be smart to do so to end this dumb conflict.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1 ... 17,00.html



Just a few comments on this chicken hawk. He calls Russia's reason for it's current action illegitimate even though yet again I must state that it was Georgia who Launched the attack on Russian forces first. Regardless if GA was being shelled by separatists, they chose to open a can on Russian forces and those in Ossetia and they got burned. Whoops.

The second comment is puzzling. People still think the surge solved anything or that we're near a victory of something. I don't understand.

The last comment is very sneaky. He's calling for emergency military aid for Georgia. He'd love for us to get involved in a full blown conflict with Russia. The man is demented in my unprofessional opinion.

In other sources, I'd like to bring up what I think is american pro-GA media that I saw today with these headlines...

cnn.com "Russia's brutal aggression"
oeta "Broader Russian invasion" "Questions over Russian motives"
The news media showing the President of GA suggesting "ethnic cleansing" by Russia
cbs news "Russian assault" "Putin planning this attack on GA for years" (WHAT??)
"Used a nationalistic anti georgia campaign" (speaking of Putin)

I'm still trying to get over this anti Russia piece that CBS just played on the evening news.

In other thoughts, Obama and McCain don't care how this all started only that Russia is using it's overwhelming force to make a nation that used it's military against it to submit. Hhmm.

Also adding, his holy lord Cheney suggested that "this aggression must not go unanswered" whatever that means. This from the man who wants to dress up our troops as Iranians and fire on our own ships to set up Iran into attacking us thus giving us all the excuse in the world to bomb that country.

I just find it all curious how the media treats Russia as the aggressor here when it's the GA president who has wanted to control Ossetia and his forces that attacked first and his intent on trying to get GA into NATO. Does the "west" not think that Russia would find this disturbing having all these neighbors in eastern europe joining a cold war relic alliance that only makes Russia more threatened in addition to the continual missile shield ideas.

Yeah, but I can't remember the last time I heard about cracking down on opposition there.

Bush is making me a bit nervous with his rhetoric. I wish he'd cool down and the EU would get louder.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/08/11/georgia.crisis.russia.dpm.ivanov.cnn

So, what do you guys think about Russia's reaction? Definitely a different side to the story.

This is the most recent thing I remember
http://www.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2008-03-02-1157771636_x.htm

Here's what Bush said today: "Russia has invaded a sovereign neighbouring state.... Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century.... We have no doubts about it. This is a deliberate attempt to destroy an entire country and change the regime."

Words fail.

He can't be this blind and stupid. And yet he is. And he is our president. Clearly he has no credibility AT ALL. Which means that Bush has made the US basically impotent in dealing with Russia. Why would Putin (of all people) pay any attention whatsoever to what Bush has to say?

I think the big problem is that the neocons would love nothing more than the return of the cold war. They WANT tensions with Moscow. They WANT more militarism. And this conflict gives them the perfect cover to once again rattle their sabres and argue for more war, more war, more war.

lol. He really said that? The guy is really sad sometimes!

-

Imo this is one huge power play by Putin to expand Russian influence back to how it was.


Meaning by invading Georgia and defeating it this makes all of Eastern Europe weary of pissing of the Russians and some nations by become more friendly with the Russians instead of the Americans.

Seems like there's a ceasefire now.

I'm not sure what has been achieved here, aside from Georgia's humiliation and Russia's distancing from the West.



Well, at least it's blatantly obvious now, not that it wasn't so before, that Putin is more in control now than ever.

I tell you Putin is one scary guy.

Bush in 2001: "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue.

I was able to get a sense of his soul.

He's a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country and I appreciate very much the frank dialogue and that's the beginning of a very constructive relationship."

He's as incompetent at character judgment as everything else.

I wonder what will happen now to the anti-missile & radar systems that the United States has been pushing for...

the united states and the world Expect...

we're concerned about Reports...

A couple phrases from Lord Bush's statement at the white house. He is wanting to "rally the free world" against Russia and use our military to conduct a "humanitarian" operation. Is he just trying to potentially cause a wider conflict however improbable?

Another phrase he used alot was "we expect..." and threatening Russia about it's reputation and "place" in the world. This is such nonsense to me that he can sword rattle against a nuclear power while accepting the crushing of demonstration from Tibetans. Of course, Tibet has no oil for us so...

Another thing that annoys me with this conflict is the GA president's constant use of the term "ethnic cleansing" whenever he gets his dastard face on television. Let's not forget that it was his forces that rocket attacked the people of south ossetia and it's russian peacekeepers FIRST. Argh, I can't stand the media and pundits and even our yellow government side stepping this fact.

McCain today: "In the 21st century, nations don’t invade other nations."

He probably doesn't consider Iraq a nation.....


I would be surprised if he even knew what South Ossetia was before this happened.

I'm sure he'll come up with some weaselly explanation. But he doesn't get to declare Iraq a nation or not. And I'm sure he wouldn't want to be accused of being "presumptuous," now would he.



He might not have, but his top foreign policy consultant is a paid lobbyist for Georgia, which has raised some conflict-of-interest issues regarding McCain's vehement repudiation of Russia and siding so clearly with Georgia in the conflict.