Check back on your own and find out so you're not just taking the word of one person you don't know. Get several accounts, they're all over the place including FR, and weigh for yourself which accounts you find more believable.
I have checked all over. I am not taking Russia's side, I am simply looking at the politics in the region and the certain inevitabilities. One certain inevitability was that if Georgia attacked S. Ossetia, Russia was going to pound her hard. As I said earlier, it's like a chihuahua going after a Rottweiler. Why in the hell would Georgia do that?
Yes there had been skirmishes back and forth prior to this, but even the most anti-Russian articles list Georgia as having "invaded S. Ossetia."
The simple fact is that Russia took the most aggressive move it has taken outside Russia proper in more then a couple of decades. Who could have possibly predicted that ?
Anyone who knows anything about Russia. Even all the Russian experts say that this was a predictable response from them, when something like this happens on their doorstep.
Because the West wanted to find out what Russias intentions were. Very few people thought Russia would risk everything for Georgia. After all, tiny country, a couple of pipelines. Now we know. Russia will go for broke over Georgia. Russia now also knows the US/Eastern Europe will go for broke for Georgia. The opening clash is coming in Tblishi. IMHO.