America Must Choose Between Georgia and Russia

wsj ^ | SERGEY LAVROV foreign minister of the Russian Federation

[flyfree]

In some Western nations an utterly one-sided picture has been painted of the recent crisis in the Georgia-South Ossetia conflict. The statements of American officials would lead one to conclude that the crisis began when Russia sent in its troops to support its peacekeepers there.

Meticulously avoided in those statements: The decision of Tbilisi to use crude military force against South Ossetia in the early hours of Aug. 8. The Georgian army used multiple rocket launchers, artillery and air force to attack the sleeping city of Tskhinvali.

Some honest independent observers acknowledge that a surprised Russia didn't respond immediately. We started moving our troops in support of peacekeepers only on the second day of Georgia's ruthless military assault. Yes, our military struck sites outside of South Ossetia. When the positions of your peacekeepers and the civilian population they have been mandated to protect are shelled, the sources of such attacks are legitimate targets.

[TigersEye]

Ask someone from South Ossetia if they are glad the Russians came to their rescue. For 16 years they have been independent.

A little more history for you. There is more still if you really want to know about it.

Travels in the Former Soviet Union

[TigersEye]

Apparently some of us have a lot more reading under our belts, tough talker. Ignorance ain’t bliss.

[MarMema]

Oh that is so excellent!! Thank you for posting that link!

[TigersEye]

I read an article a few days ago that said the so called South Ossetians who were repeatedly attacking Georgians were actually Russians for the most part. Not S. Ossetians with Russian passports but Russians. Unfortunately I didn’t bookmark that article and it is lost in the flood of threads with the keyword “georgia.” Do you know the story I am talking about?

[MarMema]

I posted about one somewhere which was about a physician in Gori who said something like that. Check my posts - I posted the entire paragraph as a link.

[MarMema]

see number 59

[MarMema]

Oh my gosh I am truly losing it between all the threads....
I need to go to bed.

[TigersEye]

You’re welcome, MarMema. It’s a good story, fairly objective and an enlightening slice of how things were before the Russians invaded whole hog.

[Getsmart64]

You and your nuclear war scenario is just ridiculous...no one is advocating nuclear war and no one expects it...’cept Chicken Littles like yourself....neither side is willing to risk nuclear war over Georgia...but you can bet your ass there might be some conventional war going on....

[TigersEye]

I understand. I'm tired too. I read your link in #59 and that's a good story too. One of quite a few telling the same thing, Russia engineered the whole thing. Something they are actively doing in the Ukraine and other satellite nations. There is no accident here, no "bad guys all around" BS.

Have a good night and keep heart.

[TigersEye]

Excellent! Perfect reply.

[RusIvan]

Many of the people on the peninsula speak Russian, and I think Russia has given them Russian passports as well. Look to Russia “freeing” the Crimean Peninsula next.==

Accually Cremea is the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in Ukaraine. Cremea was taken form Russia during USSR time by act of ukranian General Secretary of CPSU. It was completely unlawful. 90% of Crimea population are ethnic Russians. They refuse NATO and want to join Russian Federation.

[RusIvan]

Some Georgians have said Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was asking for trouble when he launched an assault on South Ossetia, which was allied to Moscow. ==

Even in your source the journalist had to admit something he do not like. But he did it with bonejawing.

[bushfamfan]

Russia has always helped the terrorists in their bloodsport. They have been doing it by proxy against the USA and have never had any regard for Israel. They are evil after all and it hasn’t changed.

[Locomotive Breath]

Ever heard of the One Bite Rule

Russia just got their one free bite. In the future they must be assumed to be an aggressive animal.

[wardaddy]

I am all for regime change if it siuts our goals.

I would be very leery of backing that guy with all you reasonably suggest.

His judgement in granting Pution the opportunity Putin obviously coveted was poor.

I don’t think this guy merits it but I am in favor of of facilitating assasinating or removing foreign leaders when it works.

Examples who would have deserved it since WWII:

Saddam

Mullah Omar

Chavez

Castro

Allende

Noriega

Old Kadaffi

any Algerian Islamic revolutionary leader

Idi the voracious

Mugabe

several Sudanese or Somali warlord-leaders

I thought Church was wrong when they banned all that when I was in college.

[wardaddy]

What does Eff Them mean Tiger’s Eye.

It’s just angry talk.

If you want troops on the ground against Russia over Georgia then you want nuke duel.

And that is irrational.

All you floks can get angry all you want. What will be learned from this is how to watch the store better the last 6 months at Condi’s SOS. They should have worked harder to keep this Georgian leader from walking right into Putin’s defensestration.

[wardaddy]

I'm not ignorant sport but you're just angry and lashing out.

Our options are limited beyond what you seem to would prefer.....military confrontation

and aside from Putin's usual Bear appetite, the Georgian leader showed poor gamesmanship in dealing with such a big nasty neighbor and now wants us to bail him out

ain't gonna happen at least not like you guys want

we didn't fight Russia over Prague, Hungary, Afghanistan etc and won't do it now either.

especially when as a nation we can't even stomach a 4000 death 5 year war we obviously have won

let's see...WOT all over the place, Afghanistan, Iraq and now let's throw in a ground war in the Caucasus with intercontinental nukes at the ready for good measure....lol....I cannot believe usual reasonable freepers even consider that

[wardaddy]

so what is the appropriate response from all the tough guys comfortably ensconced behind their keyboards?

you are nuts if you think conventional war between Russia and the US is possible on Russia's SW border

this thread is boring me arguing with a bunch of hip shooting wolf ticket sales girls (except lurker who's an old timer)

i’m glad Bush even though they sorta got blindsided here at least has grown ups in charge

geez...oh yea....US troops on the ground in Georgia fighting Russia and breakaway separatists at the same time with ICBMs in place

i’ve never heard so much ballyhoo breast beating as on these Georgia threads

this is it....political and economic war on Putin, maybe supplies to a degree, some advisors and then how to get Pooty to behave after Georgia is partitioned and “peacekeepers” are in place...that is the course of this and he knew it when the Georgian leader miscalculated and Putin took the advantage...as did we.....the second the Russian peacekeepers died for whatever reason...I was in Rosemary Beach and turned to my wife and said ..well, now Russia has an excuse to peel off property for their ethnic kinfolks there.

and so it is....

the current Georgian leader will not survive this politically or maybe even physically...it's a tough neighborhood

[Sundog]

An article from Slate? Why not Pravda?