Posted on 08/08/2008 3:43:05 PM PDT by SolidWood
Georgian tanks and infantry, aided by Israeli military advisers, captured the capital of breakaway South Ossetia, Tskhinvali, early Friday, Aug. 8, bringing the Georgian-Russian conflict over the province to a military climax.
Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin threatened a “military response.”
Former Soviet Georgia called up its military reserves after Russian warplanes bombed its new positions in the renegade province.
In Moscow’s first response to the fall of Tskhinvali, president Dimitry Medvedev ordered the Russian army to prepare for a national emergency after calling the UN Security Council into emergency session early Friday.
Reinforcements were rushed to the Russian “peacekeeping force” present in the region to support the separatists.
Georgian tanks entered the capital after heavy overnight heavy aerial strikes, in which dozens of people were killed.
Lado Gurgenidze, Georgia's prime minister, said on Friday that Georgia will continue its military operation in South Ossetia until a "durable peace" is reached. "As soon as a durable peace takes hold we need to move forward with dialogue and peaceful negotiations."
DEBKAfile’s geopolitical experts note that on the surface level, the Russians are backing the separatists of S. Ossetia and neighboring Abkhazia as payback for the strengthening of American influence in tiny Georgia and its 4.5 million inhabitants. However, more immediately, the conflict has been sparked by the race for control over the pipelines carrying oil and gas out of the Caspian region.
The Russians may just bear with the pro-US Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili’s ambition to bring his country into NATO. But they draw a heavy line against his plans and those of Western oil companies, including Israeli firms, to route the oil routes from Azerbaijan and the gas lines from Turkmenistan, which transit Georgia, through Turkey instead of hooking them up to Russian pipelines.
Saakashvili need only back away from this plan for Moscow to ditch the two provinces’ revolt against Tbilisi. As long as he sticks to his guns, South Ossetia and Abkhazia will wage separatist wars.
DEBKAfile discloses Israel’s interest in the conflict from its exclusive military sources:
Jerusalem owns a strong interest in Caspian oil and gas pipelines reach the Turkish terminal port of Ceyhan, rather than the Russian network. Intense negotiations are afoot between Israel Turkey, Georgia, Turkmenistan and Azarbaijan for pipelines to reach Turkey and thence to Israel’s oil terminal at Ashkelon and on to its Red Sea port of Eilat. From there, supertankers can carry the gas and oil to the Far East through the Indian Ocean.
Aware of Moscow’s sensitivity on the oil question, Israel offered Russia a stake in the project but was rejected.
Last year, the Georgian president commissioned from private Israeli security firms several hundred military advisers, estimated at up to 1,000, to train the Georgian armed forces in commando, air, sea, armored and artillery combat tactics. They also offer instruction on military intelligence and security for the central regime. Tbilisi also purchased weapons, intelligence and electronic warfare systems from Israel.
These advisers were undoubtedly deeply involved in the Georgian army’s preparations to conquer the South Ossetian capital Friday.
In recent weeks, Moscow has repeatedly demanded that Jerusalem halt its military assistance to Georgia, finally threatening a crisis in bilateral relations. Israel responded by saying that the only assistance rendered Tbilisi was “defensive.”
This has not gone down well in the Kremlin. Therefore, as the military crisis intensifies in South Ossetia, Moscow may be expected to punish Israel for its intervention.
Thanks..You are right and knowledgeable.
they better not mess with Georgia. Georgia is pro US and pro Israel and is very secular yet with a strong christian Orthodox base.
the Georgians have along history of hating the russians since they suppressed what was a free nation, Georgia.
Thanks for bringing this article to my attention...
Red Army Invasion of Georgia 1921
Democratic Republic of Georgia 1918-21
Stalin and fellow Georgian Bolsheviks were traitors to the true Georgia, who killed their "fellow" countryman for the sake of enlarging Soviet Russia.
I want a full economic boycott of Russia. No more favored nation status. Put tariffs on everything. Visa hassles for everybody. Assume all commercial Russian software whose source is not divulged has trap doors for the Russian government’s own use. May the mallet come down hard.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
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Interesting in view of
Israel warns Russia: We'll neutralize S-300 if sold to Iran
Israel's threat that they'll not only but Russia's system, but share the technology, beyond the US, meaning no one will buy it.
Anyone who continues to invest in the Russian economy is not really paying attention to world events.
Russia habitually aligns itself with our adversaries. Its self image is that of empire, squashing the little peoples around it.
America just lets Russia continue to do its bad stuff. E.g., we’re letting it continue to annex Chechnya, in exchange for participation in the WOT. Very bad deal, imo.
Ossetia and Georgia are more of the same.
Boycott Russia.
1,500 troops left yesterday after a training mission. Which I suspect had something to do with the timing. The permanent force is likely very small. The title commentary my overeaction, I knew they were there, didn't know they'd left.
Marines and Georgians move to the field [Marines near the base bombed by Russia today]
That's been the assumption since 1948, and it hasn't happened yet. Despite some rather significant opportunities, like the US arms embargo in 1948 broken by the Czechs, and the forced 1956 withdrawl from the Sinai
Leaving aside the fact the Israel and Russia have an essentially hostile relationship, this situation, like Kosovo, set precedents which could be harmful. We're not worried, there's no indication the southwest will fight for self determination, when they do, the precedent says Go Aztlan!
See the link in post 30. Other than whatever "permanent" force we keep there, we've used the base for training since 2002-2003, our troops left yesterday.
Just imagine, if Hitler only hated Gypsies, Poles and Russians, with no religious component, the majority of the Manhattan Project scientists would have been defending their homelands in Germany and Italy, rather than hanging out in New Mexico and the University of Chicago.
Why wouldn't you expect a Russian to support his country, Jewish or otherwise?
That when something bad happens, it's a fun project to look for the Jews involved.
thank you for the links. You are right..40 years ago Georgia wanted to become an American ‘state”...They have years of antipathy to the russians, and a long history of loving America !
Jewish Israel and Muslim Turkey are both backing Christian Georgia. Just noting, that’s all.
If anything, Israel and Indian will become closer as Israel/US relations falter.
For Israel has the expertise... and Indian has the manufacturing capabilities.
While both have a great incentive to stop the Muslim hordes.
hmmmmmm
Russia and Israel have hostile relations? Really big news
My son`s classmate serves in Israeli army, he visited us two years ago. He says, that knowing Russian and English is enough to live there. Some my acquainted have relatives there. Tourists from Russia can visit Israel without visas. Unlike USA. They say, some big Russian politicians and businessmen have Israeli citizenship
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