Another summer war in Georgia?

Telegraph Blogs (U.K.) ^ | July 1, 2009 | Sarah Marcus

[Schnucki]

In Georgia, summer brings not just sweltering days and holidays on the Black Sea, but also the lurking fear of invasion and attack.

The Caucasus mountains, for so much of the year the country’s stalwart defender while heavy snow cuts off the only road linking South Ossetia and Russia through the Roki Tunnel, are powerless to deter attack from May until the snows come again around mid September.

Pavel Felhgenhauer, columnist and defence analyst for Russia’s opposition Novaya Gazeta newspaper has written extensively about his belief that Russia is likely to finish off this summer what they started last year and repeatedly stresses that the summer months are the danger months.

Although Felgenhauer cleaves firmly to the pessimistic end of the spectrum when it comes to speculating about the possibility of a new war, he is not alone.

At the moment many Georgians seem to fear the worst while hoping for the best. The young and the educated have the perspective and the knowledge to see that talk of a new war is at present speculative, but many others, especially older people, are all but convinced that Russia will attack.

The recent words of a former economic adviser to Vladimir Putin, reported by Georgia’s Rustavi 2 television station, among others, added fuel to the fire of people’s fears.

The former adviser, it was reported, said at a press conference that Russia will invade Georgia again and intends to divide its southern neighbour into seven or nine warring regions, split along ethnic lines. The Kremlin wants to create ‘military and political porridge’ out of Georgia. Nice. The invasion, apparently, is likely to begin on July 6th.

This is one man’s opinion, albeit a highly educated and informed one. But opinions like this when reported in an already inflamed arena

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I clicked the link thinking “Damn, Lake Lanier is up and they are still trying to screw us out of our water.”

[ClearCase_guy]

Last year, if I remember correctly, Obama came out in favor of Russia and McCain came out in favor of Georgia.

Obama always sides with the leftwing dictator.

[lormand]

"If I were Putin, I would have done the same"

- Fake Conservative Talk show host, Michael Weiner, aka Savage

Besides Obama, Weiner is another fan of Putin's aggression.

[SampleMan]

There is absolutely nothing now to stop Russia from taking Georgia. The best we can hope for is a repeat of the Finnish defense of 1940.

[east1234]

I was hoping they spent the winter stocking up on portable SAM’s and anti-tank missiles.

[mallardx]

Good thing Hillary is Secretary of State.

/sarcasm