Georgian breakaway city in ruins (Russians kills Russian citizens)

cnn ^ | 8/10/2008 | cnn

[tobyhill]

Tskhinvali, the capital of the separatist Georgian province South Ossetia, lay in smoldering ruins Sunday after three days of fighting between Georgian troops and Russian forces.

Russia's deputy foreign minister said at least 2,000 people, mostly South Ossetians who claim Russian citizenship, have been killed in Tskhinvali.

The fighting had spread well beyond South Ossetia, with Russian airstrikes on Georgian cities and with thousands of Russian troops in the breakaway province of Abkhazia.

The United States warned Sunday that "disproportionate" actions against Georgia could have a "significant long term impact on U.S.-Russian relations."

[Chgogal]

If true, than the Russians have learned nothing from history. Well, we all know that the Russians were NOT interested in the Russians in Georgia. They are interested in the pipeline, the infrastructure and the port. Georgia and the “Georgian Russians” just happened to be in the way.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Wonder where the world outcry of Russians killing civilians is. Israel kills terrorists and they are labeled Barbarians. Russia kills civilians and it is business as usual.

[hosepipe]

Russians killing Russians is no big deal.. Stalin murdered almost 100,000,000 of them in the last century.. that is murdered or made them wish for death.. in his Gulags.. Russian citys were barely little better than Gulags.. for a almost hundred years..

"The death one is a tragedy, the death of 1,000 is merely a statistic.."- Stalin..

[illiac]

My comments exactly from an earlier post.

Guess the world has a double standard.....

[McCloud-Strife]

[Bringbackthedraft]

The United States warned Sunday that “disproportionate” actions against Georgia could have a “significant long term impact on U.S.-Russian relations.” ........................How much is talk selling for these days? Still cheap?

[tobyhill]

Oil is everything to Russia at this time but the problem for Russia is that to take over the pipelines would require 10 times more resources in security than ever was in Afghanistan.

[VeniVidiVici]

Urkaine, a former Soviet republic like Georgia, said it might prevent Russian navy ships involved in the blockade from returning to their bases in the Crimea, an spokeswoman with Urkaine's foreign ministry said.

Good for the Urkaine!

(should I be surprised CNN misspelled this twice?)

[muawiyah]

More likely the Russians are using this situation to send a message to the Khazakhs, Uzbeks and Chinesed regarding Russian settlements in Central and East Asia.

Good opportunity for Putin to show the Mongols and their successors that the Russians are just as tough as they were in the days of Ivan, or Boris, or Peter.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

...How much is talk selling for these days? Still cheap?

so you are anxious to send Americans to do the defending that Europeans won't do? Whose Kids yours or others.

[Chgogal]

With infinite amount of return on investment, so to speak. Europe has no strategic reserve and no natural resources to speak of. Europe is becoming Russia’s puppet because of Europe’s lack of vision and inability to recognize reality.

[tobyhill]

Russia can't afford to be drawn into a long drawn out conflict like they were in Afghanistan. I don't think there was any doubt that Russia could beat Georgia but for how long can they beat Georgia is the question?

[elhombrelibre]

The Georgians should pursue a hit-n-run policy against the Soviet - oh, I mean Russian - invaders. They should use IEDs and other asymmetrical tactics to force the Putin Empire to pay a heavy cost for its neo-imperial adventure.

[Chgogal]

I am sure that is part of it. But I am convinced this is an oil play to keep Europe in line.

[elhombrelibre]

Russia, under Putin, has become the aider and abettor of the terrorist states of Iran, Syria, and Venezuela. As such, and with this disproportionate response in Georgia, we should do what we can to see them pay a very high price for their renewed militarism.

[chpmass]

UN Security Council live right now on CNN.com.

[Tzimisce]

Russia’s victims are white Christians (in other words, not politically correct), so Libs won’t care.

[Melinda]

Russians killing Russians? That’s just another Olympic sport to Putin.

[tobyhill]

I bet there's covert ops going on to do just that. Russia should be very careful about how much they would like to invest in vulnerable areas.