[Jeff Head]

I heard that we are now consenting to carry the Georgian troops from Iraq back to Georgia on our aircraft...we have upped the ante to the Russiaans. They do not want reinforcements coming in and are willing to blackade to keep it from happening. Will they enforce an air embargo?

Would they shoot down US aircraft to prevent it?

Bush is big time calling a bluff here...is it a bluff?

I hope those C-17s or C-141s have good fighter escorts going in, preferably Raptors.

In addition, the Ukaraine is now saying that any Black Sea Fleet vessels involved in the blockade cannot return to Sevastapol. That is huge because it is Russia's primary base on the Black Sea, but it is owned by the Ukraine.

Chess pieces are moving all over the board here.

[El Gato]

I hope those C-17s or C-141s have good fighter escorts going in, preferably Raptors.

The Russians don't have anything that the F-15C can't handle, although they are working on them. Still Raptors would be nice, since they would not see the fighter escorts, until it was too late, way too late.

[SolidWood]

You know what the most bad-ass, daredevil action Bush could take would be? Flying straight from Beijing to Tblisi.

Okay won't happen... at least he should get back to DC.

[El Gato]

I hope those C-17s or C-141s have good fighter escorts going in, preferably Raptors.

Make that C-17s or C-5s. he last C-141 retired to the Boneyard in FY06, it was the "Hanoi Taxi", one of the birds used to return POWs to US control.

Maybe though, we could hire those Ukranian's flying those big Antonov An-124s. I saw one of those on the Army ramp across the runway from the civilian terminal about a year ago.

[Kevin J waldroup]

PRC is going to grab Russia far east!!!!!!!!!!

Beijing Military Region
Beijing Military Area Command
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/beijing-mr.htm
Shenyang Military Region
Shenyang Military Area Command
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/shenyang-mr.htm

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Chess game, indeed.

And the goal is twofold:
1. Oil
2. Dividing of the teams (USSR, ChiComs, Venezuela, Brazil?, Cuba (the New USSR mentioned putting missile bases on Cuba recently), and potentially India) vs. the rest of the world.