Posted on 08/11/2008 8:16:28 AM PDT by Jeff Head
TBILISI, Georgia — Russia opened a second front of fighting in Georgia on Monday, sending armored vehicles beyond two breakaway provinces and seizing a military base and police stations in the country's west, the Georgian government and a Russian official said.
GEORGIAN FORCES
RUSSIAN FORCES
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
“We are flying their forces back on our aircraft....offload with a lot of...extra equipment.”
Large scale fighting will be over soon, US isn’t involved and won’t meddle.
Only thing coming off those planes is 2,000 units of bear chow.
Yea the leer of treachery and bad dental hygiene.
> America appears afraid of Russia.
They are.
If this is Poopin’s way of reclaiming Russian’s perceived former glory, is he in for a big surprise. Bullying a small nation of four million people around makes Russia look like a spoiled brat on a playground, with tanks and attack aircraft. That’s not a very flattering image.
The median income in Georgia is about $2,500 per year. Comrad Poopin sure is a brilliant military strategist. What an amazing victory for the Russian people. I’d be embarrassed to be led by such a thug.
Russia is taking this “excuse” to take back the Georgia Republic before they can gain membership in NATO (thus making it much more difficult to take them back).
We are at a crossroads - we either take action, or turn our backs on the small country that has been our friend.
But the apparent lack of any meaningful action by GW indicates that he is willing to stab his friends in the back like any good politician...
Probably only carrying their personal weapons. Heavier stuff would require a long, sustained air lift. I doubt we're going to send C-17's & C-5's into MiG infested airspace.
Reality is bud, there are no good direct options for us (in the short run on this one, outside of all out war...and that ain't a good option).
Furthermore, Georgia, by all OSINT, did not give any heads-up to what they were looking to pull off here, when they took action - That puts them in the spot of having to deal with any and all consequences (again, in the short run).
Is the Bear looking to now have a 'show of force'.....Obviously. Do we stand by the people of Georgia. Of course we do. But that plays out over months...not days....
> I’d be embarrassed to be led by such a thug.
Believe it or not, many Russians are.
Sure looks that way.
The Russians want the whole enchilada — and will take that pipline intact.
BBC now saying that Gori has fallen to Russia forces and Georigian forces are now hurrying to prepare positions to defend the capital Tbilisi.
WE don’t have planes based in Europe or other areas close by? WE couldn’t in some way offer up at least some air defenses from Russian planes that have spent a couple of days shooting at and bombing civilians? If we cannot act in a timely matter such as this, then what is the point of basing any of our assets around the world?
That force will drive on Tiblisi. Probably trying to get there and shut down the airport before too many of our aircraft can bring the Georgian troops form Iraq home.
It's becoming more clear by the hour that Russia may well be blatantly going to force a regime change at the point of the gun on one of our most loyal allies in the area...and taunt us the entire time while doing so.
We need to act quickly if we are going to forestall that. Those transports need to be headed en masse to Tiblisi with very heavy fighter escort...and a number of F-16's loaded up for gorund work, so if we are attacked, they blunt the offensive on the capitol.
If we are not attacked, then those aircraft maintain CAP over Tiblisi as we ring in material support for the Georgians.
The contest is on, with impllications far outside Georgia, and if we are going to be taken seriouslt by this rogue, Putin, we have to take some calculated risks and be in his face while doing so.
Jeff: Does the pipleline run through Gori? I’ve seen maps depicting the pipline, but none of them show town names or topography.
I believe it runs across the country to the south of Tiblisi.
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