Posted on 08/24/2008 8:09:58 AM PDT by maquiladora
The Russian troops who occupied Georgia's military base of Senaki have gone. But they didn't forget to leave a parting message to the United States graffitied on the wall.
"Thank you Uncle Sam for the uniforms you presented to the Russian paratroopers!"
The Georgian flag Saturday was flying from the mast of the base for the first time since Russian troops poured into Georgia after it launched a bid to regain control of the breakaway province of South Ossetia on August 8.
But Georgian troops came back to their base opened just in 2006 in the west of the former Soviet republic to find it had been looted, stripped of its modern equipment.
Colonel Alexander Kiknadze, back in his office for the first day in over a week, looked decidedly unamused as he gazed up balefully at the "Thank you!" slogan daubed on his wall, in English.
The United States has helped train and equip the pro-Western ex-Soviet state's military. For the Russian troops the uniforms could just as well have been designed and made in Washington.
The uniforms were not all the Russians made off with from the base, one of the most important military centres in a country seeking to join the Western military alliance NATO.
Five massive US-made Humvees, which either belonged to or were donated by the US army were seized by Russian troops on August 19 in the Black Sea port of Poti.
"It's terrible, they destroyed everything," said Colonel Kiknadze as he toured the base with his troops, looking impotently at the barracks brazenly vandalised by the Russian soldiers.
The Russians may have left Senaki but they are still present in this region south of Abkhazia, another pro-Moscow breakaway republic from where Russia poured in troops into western Georgia.
Russian troops have still been holding checkpoints around the Black Sea port city of Poti, a move that has outraged Georgians who fear Russia is planning an occupation by stealth of the country.
Part of the base is littered with hundreds of Georgian uniforms, military boots and mess kits scattered on the floor -- the Georgian equipment the Russians could not be bothered to take back with them.
The doors have been forced open and the windows broken. Inside the base is the same desolation.
Three military lorries are parked nearby, apparently out of order due to Russian sabotage.
"Those people are animals. Human beings just could not do that," said Nani Sanaia, a civilian employee at the base, holding her head in her hands.
The cupboards at the small clinic inside the base have been forced open and are empty. The floor is strewn with the medical records of Georgian soldiers.
Adding to the surreal desolation, a cow wanders around the metal-framed beds in the dormitory apparently after straying from the rest of the herd that is kept on the outskirts of the base.
Here’s a message for the Russians, we come from a nation and an economy that can afford to outfit our military and doesn’t force them to larceny for pants.
So they can’t afford their own uniforms? Did they thank us for the underwear too? Was it used?
Given the enormous stores of military equipment that Western militaries inherited when the Russians were kicked out of the Warsaw Pact countries, I think we’re just slightly ahead.
I have some ammunition for them too.
A little note to the Russians: I happen to see some graphic photos taken during your little adventure into Afghanistan. These were private photos belonging to an aquaintance who was there at the time...
The subject was Russians being tortured and SKINNED alive by Afghanis.
Have a nice day....
Where’s those old smallpox blankets?
The joke is on them. The uniforms were made in China (at least the berets were).
The Russians haven’t changed from what Cornelius Ryan wrote in his book, “Last Battle,†Soviet Siege, Ultimate capture, and Pillaging of Berlin in WWII.
The dairty buggahs!
They will pay for this!!!!
LOL.
Russians for the most part, suck. Since the fall of the Soviets thousands and thousands of them have moved to the NY Tri-state area. With very few exceptions I have found them to be the most obnoxious, belligerent, and crooked ethnic group I’ve ever met.
Take them as long as you GTFO. We'll see who is the victor when this is finally done (which may be years away).
The undisciplined behavior of the troops points to one thing, their weakness. I wonder if they also have alarm clocks strung around their necks?
great 200,000 less russians!
My thoughts exactly. If you get the chance to see Charlie Wilson's War, watch it. They show the delight that Russian helicopter warships had in routinely strafing farms, cities and villages. The intent was to spread fear and chaos. These helicopters were armored, such that small arms fire did nothing but attract attention to the shooter.
Charlie Wilson, a Senator from Texas (if memory serves) sat on a congressional board with discretionary funds. He gave money to Pakistan, who bought Russian weapons from Israel, and had them routed to Afghanistan. The intent was to arm the Afghans, so they could fight back. And fight back they did.
Like all bullies, the Russian army is a cowardly army when their prey decides to fight back. In a short period of time, Russia discovered that RPG's were very effective against low-level helicopter warships who were otherwise busy strafing women and children at schools and hospitals.
An organized and disciplined army is a force to be respected and feared. An army that loots, robs, rapes and vandalizes is little more than a gang that has gone to the trouble to wear identifying uniforms.
Russian army’s elite paratrooers - mere drunken looters.
What a total joke Russia has become.
Did they even win any 50 medals in the Olympics?
Let's hope that the resulting population explosion in Georgia means that in 2027 their army size can be greatly increased.
(Although Obama amd Biden will probably argue that these need to be the first items replaced by US aid rather than anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles to fight the Russians in the future).
Bronze medal winners get one case of vodka, silver medal winners get two cases and gold medal winners get three cases. Losers are sent to vodka-free camps in Siberia.
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