Posted on 08/08/2008 5:56:25 AM PDT by PurpleMan
South Ossetia seems to more in common with Russia than with Georgia. If the people there wish to be autonomous and aligned with Russia then what is that to us?
???
The Ossetians (the separatists in question) are Orthodox Christians. As are the Georgians fighting them.
There have been a few Islamists in Georgia, Chechens and Ingush who fled to the lawless Pankisi gorge after fighting the Russians, but far from being supported by Russia, Russia has actually invaded Georgia on several occasions with the excuse of trying to find and destroy them.
Agreed. Russia regards Georgia as being “treacherous”. Time to put them straight.
Nope...Russia has bombed a Georgian airbase outside of Tblisi and Georgia has shot down several russian jets. I guess the world is in for a demonstration of post Soviet, russian military capabilities.
Reuters:
PARTS OF RUSSIA’S 58TH ARMY ARE APPROACHING SOUTH OSSETIAN
CAPITAL, SENIOR MILITARY COMMANDER SAYS - RIA NEWS AGENCY
Georgias Army is technologically some centuries more advanced than the Mujahedin in Afghanistan were. However I doubt that the Georgians have the zeal of the Afghans... and probably no “big brother” like Saudi Arabia/Pakistan and the US were to the Afghans. I hope we don’t let our Georgian allies hang out to dry. Here is hoping that the Georgians shoot down more Russian planes and throw them out.
Are you kidding? Our “Mexican scenario” is the same situation Georgia is in, NOT Russia. For that matter the Serbs we fought were also in the situation the Georgians are in. If the Hispanics would secede we are in the situation the Georgians find themselve now.
Yikes.
Why not just hand it off to Obama and see how he does on the fly?
Or you could pile hippies about 3 bodies thick over a building made of organic pizza boxes. That should be enough!
???
Forgive me, Russian FSB (KGB) stirs up a revolt using little ‘c’ christian seperatists, the Georgians respond and now the Russians kick in the door and take back a former Soviet Republic.
Not really. The Ossetians are ethnically related to Iranians, are however Christian. The only thing that "links" them to Russia is the Northern part of Ossetia, which is part of Russia. This is the same situation as Kosovo with reversed roles. Georgia has the right to defend it's soverignity. The precedent we set with Kosovo is biting us back. However the Georgians should not suffer because of our mistake. The S-Ossetian rebels are Moscow puppets. The Georgians should crush them, and we should not back down.
This is a replay of the Iran crisis 1946, when the Russians tried EXACTLY the same trick with the Azerbaijan province of Iran. The US gave Iran full backing, the Soviets withdrew, the Iranians crushed the commie rebels. This needs to be replayed in Georgia.
I supported President Bush both times and to the maximum allowed by law... but I swear sometimes I wonder if he has his brain engaged... and the fact that he is bright and on top of things makes some of his actions incomprehensible.
LLS
This will also be a test of NATO. I don’t think Georgia is a member but I believe it co-operates with NATO.
Putin did this deliberately and he chose the timing.
The potential is there for this to spread unless Putin is kicked in the ass or is appeased.
Seems a similar guy started out this way in 1936 or so.
In a way the Cold War did not end in 1991. Like a broken corporation, Russia merely spun off its non producing Eastern European and Muslim territory states(with the West footing the bill for this), and has, under Putin, used oil revenues to build itself up again.
The last 17 years has been an interlude, not a cessation of Russian ambitions as a hegemon.
Putin: “War Has Started.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aYe2BpjIkHzU&refer=home
I know what you're saying, but I believe in keeping up the pressure. :)
Bush has to return ASAP!
I have a cousin in Atlanta. I hope the government does something.
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