[Mariner]

"Georgia can’t defend itself with a hostile Russian-occupeid S. Ossetia, any more than Czechoslovakia could defend itself after losing the territories the West told them to surrender"

Georgia could never defend itself from Russia...at least for the last 200 years. It's also apparent they will never be able to do so.

While I have nothing against Georgia, and am NOT a fan of a newly aggressive Russia, I do recognize the FACT that this is clearly within their sphere of influence. They have legitimate security interests in the Caucasus region...to include Chechnya and Azerbaijan.

Only an incursion into Turkey or Iran would cross the threshold of acting outside their historical sphere...and into international (and US) interests.

We have a POLITICAL interest in seeing a cease-fire around agreed borders and that's about it. Short of mutual agreement on borders, we have an interest in avoiding a power vacuum in the Caucasus.

[hellbender]

The original sphere of influence was the environs of Moscow. Everything else was seized by military conquest. Russia's entire raison d'etre is militarism, imperialism, and bullying. They basically triggered WW I with their endless meddling in Austria's "sphere of influence." Russia is a piece of crap, a centuries-old criminal outlaw state. To hell with them and their "sphere of influence." We should be working to build a ring of deadly hostile and powerful free states until the KGB regime is liquidated.

[ScreamingFist]

Only an incursion into Turkey or Iran would cross the threshold of acting outside their historical sphere...and into international (and US) interests.

And interestingly.....Russia has already named the US, Turkey and Israel has co-conspirators with Georgia. The want to make sure all their propaganda machine is firmly established, if this does indeed escalate. Russia won't screw with the Turks, they know that will give every reason for NATO to bring the hammer down, and for us to sortie airstrikes from Incirlik, Merzifon, Diyarbakır etc. However, I fear you're correct that we will do nothing but sit on our hands until/if the make a move toward the south of Georgia.