Breaking Fox news banner only - Georgian official reports shootdown of two Russian aircraft

Fox news ^ | 8/8/08 | na

[SueRae]

uh oh

bigtime

[ETL]

As many as 1,000 killed in fighting..

I think most of them were civilians.

[Mac94]

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gBUz-0G8S6qhgykA4kPbXI_VGWXg

“Georgia says it has lost sections of South Ossetia capital
1 hour ago

TBILISI (AFP) — Georgia has lost control of parts of the South Ossetian rebel capital of Tskhinvali amid Russian bombardment, a spokesman for Georgia’s interior ministry said, after earlier claiming control of the city.

“Russian armed forces are bombarding Tskhinvali,” the spokesman, Shota Utiashvili, told AFP in Tbilisi.

“We have lost control over some parts of the city,” he added.

Separatist forces have begun to retake the city, the leader of South Ossetia’s unrecognised government Eduard Kokoity was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

“The fourth batallion of the South Ossetian army, responsible for the southern side of Tskhinvali’s defences, has begun forcing out Georgian troops from this part of the city,” Kokoity said.

He added that “hundreds of civilians” had been killed in Tskhinvali.”

[ETL]

Wow. I had no idea. Thank you for those links.

You can thank the head-up-their-butts snooze media for that.

[ETL]

Frank Marshall Davis

Obama’s Red Mentor Praised Red Army
AIM Report | By Cliff Kincaid | April 30, 2008

Barack Obama’s childhood mentor, Frank Marshall Davis, a member of the Moscow-controlled Communist Party USA, wrote a poem dedicated to the Soviet Red Army. “Smash on, victory-eating Red Army,” he declared. He also wrote poems attacking traditional Christianity and the work of Christian missionaries.

The “Red Army” poem goes beyond hoping for the communists to beat the Nazis in World War II and hails the Soviet revolution. It says:

“Show the marveling multitudes
Americans, British, all your allied brothers
How strong you are
How great you are
How your young tree of new unity
Planted twenty-five years ago
Bears today the golden fruit of victory!”

http://www.aim.org/aim-report/obamas-red-mentor-praised-red-army/

________________________________________________

"'The Black Book of Communism,' a scholarly accounting of communism’s crimes, counts about 94 million murdered by the supposed champions of the common man (20 million for the Soviets alone), and some say that number is too low."
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZmY0MjI1MDgyYjg1M2UwNDMzMTk2Mjk5YTk0ZTdlMWE=

____________________________________

[Vermont Lt]

Putie will just say he is the prime minister, not the President.

[NavyCanDo]

“US military trainers in Georgia accounted for”

Marine Mom in my office is breathing easier. Thanks for the update.

[Mr. Silverback]

It could get really bad for the Georgians simply because they don’t have any serious air superiority assets. I wonder if the two Russian jets they’re claiming were shot down by SAMs or AAA, because the best fighter assets I’m finding listed anywhere are MiG-21s and Mig-25s. If this goes on much longer, expect Russia to have air dominance in short order—more fighters, better fighters.

[Junior_G]

I wonder what China will do if these events overshadow their Olympic spectacle. Won’t make them too happy.

Maybe they'll invade Siberia 30 years ahead of schedule.

[SE Mom]

Indeed- and who will step in to aid Georgia? What a mess.

[McGruff]

If this goes on much longer, expect Russia to have air dominance in short order—more fighters, better fighters.

I can't see Bush letting this happen but we shall see.

[ETL]

Re: "separatist forces", backed by Putin, perhaps, who wants to reclaim the former glory of the Soviet Union?

From FoxNews...a brief summary

Parts of Russia's 58th Army — including 150 tanks and armored vehicles — reportedly were moving Friday on the capital of South Ossetia after Georgian troops entered the city in an attempt to crush separatist forces seeking to control the breakaway province.

Kakha Lamaia, a member of Georgia's National Security Council, told Reuters the two countries are "very close" to war, if not already at war.

"If it's not war, then we are very close to it," Lamaia said. "The Russians have invaded Georgia and we are under attack."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,399962,00.html

[Centurion2000]

I can't see Bush letting this happen but we shall see.

What choice does he have? Do we want to start a shooting war over South Ossetia?

Personally I don't give a rat's butt about the region. We don't have a dog in this fight.

[ETL]

"You can thank the head-up-their-butts snooze media for that. "

Sorry, I meant 'thank' them for not providing better coverage of these major stories as they happened.

[Drumbo]

Marines and Georgians move to the field [Marines near the base bombed by Russia today]

[MinorityRepublican]

Greece would be on the side of the Russians.

[dragnet2]

I can't see Bush letting this happen but we shall see.

What do you suggest he does? Send in 150,000 troops? Start a draft? Send in bombers to attack the Russians? Talk mean to the Russians?

[SE Mom]

I haven’t read all the posts yet- but there’s an interesting Q & A at SKY NEWS here:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Georgian-Conflict-In-South-Ossetia-Questions-And-Answers/Article/200808215073598

~snip~

Why is it significant?

Georgia is an ally of the United States and is of key strategic importance as a gateway to the Middle East for the West.

Relations between the West and Russia have deteriorated significantly and some say we are in the midst of another cold war.

With this in mind, if the Russians were to become fully involved with the conflict, we could see the formation of a material frontier in South Ossetia in the clash between East and West.

~snip~

Has this got the potential to affect things in the West?

The Baku-Supsa Pipeline runs between Azerbaijan and Turkey through Georgia and is a key provider of energy for the EU and the United States.

Unofficial separatist sources have claimed that if the conflict was protracted they would be prepared to sabotage the pipeline and that would have huge ramifications.

~snip~

[Mac94]

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSIST00224320080808

“ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has agreed to a request from neighbor Georgia to supply the country with electricity amid the conflict in the breakaway South Ossetia region, a senior Turkish Energy Ministry source told Reuters on Friday.”

[Mac94]

Take with a grain of salt considering the source but Russian news is reporting most of the Georgian Air Force has been destroyed on the ground.

[SE Mom]

Oh boy- this is going to bring out some strange alliances, eh?

PER FOX- Obama says “all sides should enter into direct talks”...