Posted on 08/10/2008 10:13:43 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
OUTSIDE TSKHINVALI, Georgia, Aug. 10 -- The Georgian army, suffering massive casualties in the face of overwhelming Russian firepower, retreated from the breakaway region of South Ossetia on Sunday. Georgian leaders' recent expressions of defiance turned increasingly into pleas for a cease-fire and Western support in the face of a military debacle.
Russia ignored calls for a truce and continued to bomb targets deep in Georgia, with little apparent opposition, drawing new condemnation from the United States and other Western countries. President Bush spoke of his "grave concern about the disproportionate response," and the White House warned of serious setbacks in relations with Russia if the onslaught against a close U.S. ally did not end.
Russian airstrikes Sunday evening hit the international airport and a military factory in the capital, Tbilisi, as well as Georgian-held positions in Abkhazia, another breakaway region on the Black Sea. Russian warships were reported to be blockading a Georgian Black Sea port and to have sunk a Georgian gunboat.
It remained unclear Sunday how far Russian troops intended to advance.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Tomorrow’s Front Page in DC!
It remained unclear Sunday how far Russian troops intended to advance..................................................................................................................Thats the 64 trillion dollar question isn’t it.
Easy one, if Putin controls the pipeline, railroad, and no foreign military bases are allowed on Georgian soil, he's happy and back to a minimal presence. Someone will have to remind him to pick up South Ossetia on his way out.
There are three primary MSRs thru the caucasus.
The Caspian Sea coast, the Black Sea coast, and the Ossetia passes.
This is about Russia wanting to split the region from NATO.
They are pushing in Ossetia and look like they are on the Black Sea coast as well.
With Georgia split and fighting on two fronts, it falls, that puts Russia in position to do the same to Azerbaijan.
Two axis’ of attack.
Armenia is mopup.
Regain the caucuses and isolate the central Asian Republics from western support.
This is not about Georgia. This is about eight of the former soviet republics being taken or isolated from NATO so that Russia can take over at will. Eight of the 19 countries the Soviet Union lost to the breakup.
Belorusa is already defacto part of Russia. It never really was independent. (I do not count it in the 19.)
That means that Ukraine and Moldova will be the next targets after this operation completes.
This is about the Russian Empire regaining lost territories...
Georgian officials also said that Russian bombers have eight times attempted to hit an oil pipeline that crosses Georgia and connects Azerbaijan and Turkey, and is part of Europe's energy chain. "It is a direct attack on the energy security of Europe," Gurgenidze said. "Militarily, it makes absolutely no sense."
It most certainly does make sense, much more so than anything else I've read. Russia is destroying the competition, it's nothing personal just business.
See #5!
Exactly. Georgia is the keystone, no bases in Georgia, no NATO.
Meanwhile no part of oil shipment control for the west.
The smaller states will be unable to ally with the west, putting them under Russian control without being part of an obvious empire.
Ukraine will be more difficult
Putin has called the fall of USSR a disaster and wants to reassemble the control of empire but not the appearance of it. He will be like a ghost in control if NATO is stymied.
The first day of the attack Rush said Russia will attack as long as and go as far as it wants to, and that is the only limiting factor here.
Looks like they are heading toward straight toward the Armenian border. Capture the pipeline. Cut Georgia in half. And take the shortest land route to Iran.
Good analysis. Russia will continue to advance until it meets steel.
NATO should get involved. Not because Georgia is a NATO signatory (we all know it isn’t) but because Georgia is a critical buffer for that oil artery.
Georgia has no air superiority fighters of any consequence, just some MiG-25s and MiG-21s. Almost all their airpower is in ground attack.
Are they escorted with fighter aircraft?
Don’t know....
Russia Jets Bomb Georgia Oil Pipeline
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