What do you make of this? Seems to have come out of nowhere...
The West’s hesitation to lift a finger should frighten our weaker allies. Can Israel expect greater help from us than Georgia got? I rather doubt it.
Very interesting article which notes some developments I was not aware of:
“The development came as two US warships headed towards the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti, which remains ringed by Russian troops in contravention of the terms of the truce brokered by Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president.
While ostensibly on a humanitarian mission to deliver aid supplies, the presence of an American destroyer armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles has enraged the Kremlin.”
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The only US destroyer I was aware of had already docked at Batumi (sp?) with a load of humanitarian supplies. I was not aware any destroyers were headed to Poti where it appears the Russians are dug in and I believe there are also Russian boats around the port. Which the following would indicate is true:
“The Russian cruise ship the Moskva, which had been deployed off the Georgian coastline during the five-day war, was seen leaving the Crimean naval base of Sevastopol, headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
Early reports indicated that the Moskva was sailing south, possibly towards Poti - “ raising the possibility of a naval face-off between the United States and Russia for the first time since the Cold War.”
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If the following is true this thing is getting ready to escalate dramatically:
Mr Saakashvili said Russian forces had advanced to the strategic Akhalgori heights 10 miles from Tbilisi.
He warned that Georgia would respond with force if its capital was attacked and told the West to act more forcefully against Russian aggression.”
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Possibly the reason for the movement of the destroyers to Poti, to show the Russians the situation is being monitored?
Assuming the picture relates to the story, it appears that there is a Russian paratroop unit moving at will in central Georgia. My feeling is that they are trying to provoke the Georgians into attacking them so they can call Russian heavy forces down on the Georgians again. Note that it was Russian paratroops that took the Georgians prisioner in the port of Poti last week (along with seizing U.S. HMMWVs awaiting shipment back to Germany). Note also that it is Russian paratroops that are currently controlling the bridge entry point to Poti. Paratroop units are normally a nationally-controlled asset. So you have to wonder who is giving them direction to make these moves.
BTW, it is a U.S. Coast Guard cutter that will be entering Poti to land humanitarian supplies. USS McFall, the destroyer who landed supplies in another port to the south last week, will remain at sea outside the harbor providing cover.
This could get very interesting.
Akhalgori is a part of South Ossetia.
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/f/f6/SouthOssetia_region_detailed_map.JPG
Fixed gun emplacements ...
how medieval.
