[mick]

FROM THE ARTICLE:
“The Russian army itself is taking no part in the looting, said Georgian National Guard Lieutenant Guja Bichashvili, who fled the city after donning civilian clothes. “It is the (Russian) cossacks and the Ossetians that are causing mayhem. The local population is actually relieved to see regular Russian troops in Gori, hoping that the soldiers will protect them from the marauders,” he said.”

Me thinks there is a whiff of “settling of scores” in the air......the hatred between all groups seems palpable....I think Putin may have unleashed something that he and his storm troopers might not be able to contain....from the reports on the russian web sites mentioned here on FR, the cossacks are a murderous bunch when given a free hand.

[litehaus]

"the hatred between all groups seems palpable"

,

The 'All In All' of human war history in one word---TRIBES !!

[Zuben Elgenubi]

These are border wars. What do you expect the budding Russian Empire to do?