[edcoil]

What really started this?

Did Georgia attack separatists in the region causing Russia to respond, did the separatists attack Georgia and the russians followed up at Georgia defended itself or, is Russia just attacking.

[marron]

Yes. Exactly.

[Nathan Zachary]

Russia wants control of Geogria so they can take control of the pipelines running from the capsian sea, therefore controlling all ME oil to Europe.

[Nathan Zachary]

and not just Europe, Turkey, other break awy former soviet countries, Israel, etc.

If they control Georia, they control all the oil flowing east.

[marron]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2061239/posts?page=64#64

This is a good (backward) recounting of the events, but in reverse order. Starts several days before the Georgians actually crossed the border on Thursday.

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

It appears that Georgia attacked a camp of separatists. Russia sent some fighters that bombed some military sites in Georgia (but outside of South Ossetia), and Georgia either did, or at least attempted to, shoot down some of the Russian fighters.

Russia then sent in tanks and troops.

Russia was there as “peacekeepers” but have likely been arming and training the separatists for the last decade or so.