Ostensibly, the Kremlin claims it is merely acting to protect the large Russian population that lives in the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Posted on 08/13/2008 9:11:53 AM PDT by SJackson
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From Tbilisi to Tehran is only 547 miles.
"THAT IS where Iran comes into play. The ayatollahs are glued to their television screens, waiting to see how the West responds. After all, in recent years Moscow has stood by Iran's side in the face of mounting Western pressure. Russia has been supplying Iran with materials for its nuclear program. And the Kremlin is planning to ship advanced anti-aircraft systems to the Iranians that are aimed at making it harder for Israel or the US to take out their nuclear installations."
Any failure by Bush to fully support Georgia, including military action if necessary, will be seen by Iran as another in a series of green lights to continue their nuclear development that has been provided to them by a weak Western alliance. A very dangereous signal to send to the crazies in Iran. Very dangereous.
IIRC, the people of those two regions are actually ethnic Iranians (although Orthodox Christian and not Muslim).
In any case, it is rather odd that Iran has been so quiet about this.
Russia’s quest for a southern warm water port is the stuff of legend.
Russia is on a southward military march? I read about this in an old book but it’s probably just coincidence.
Thank you for posting this article.
” Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is testing the West’s mettle. He senses weakness, and is using the conflict with Georgia, a close ally of Washington, to see to what extent the US and Europe will stand up for their friends and their own interests.”
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I wonder if Rice is aware of this......as Iran watches.
Great graphic.
You are probably right.
However, AFAIK, the U.S. Navy is not particularly busy in Iraq and I cannot believe that the Russians are not at least a little fearful that a Carrier Group would plant itself off-shore from Georgia in the Black Sea and run air cover for the Georgian troops. How long would the Russian tank force last if we started running sorties into Georgia?
She is a Russian expert. My guess Iran has already seen all they need to see, encouraging them to believe the US won't act.
Like we are better than Russia. When Kosovo said I want to leave Serbia the US said go ahead. When thirteen southern US states want to leave the Union, the US federal government said rebellion, refuse to abandon certain installations and in the end fought a four and half year war to force the breakaway states to return back to the Union. That is why I am not keen on interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, because it opens the door for other countries (i.e Russia) to do the same. America’s priority should be trade and domestic, and military intervention and involvement if it is absolutely necessary. The concept of sovereignty was established by Europe after a long series of religious wars, where leaders of each country will not use the internal policies of other countries as the justification for war. Respecting sovereignty will reduce wars, chiseling it away will create more wars. Granted at times the internal policies of other nations may be appalling to our sensitivities, but I think if we learn to mind our own business, we will rebuild our treasury and strengthen our own society.
Certainly this does strengthen Moscow’s position logistically wrt Iran. Assuming Putin does indeed take control of all of Georgia there are practically two overland routes he could take into Iran he could go through Armenia or through Azerbaijan. Armenia has good relations with most countries with the exception of Turkey and Azerbaijan, and Russia does maintain a military base in NW Armenia for the express purpose of containing any Turkish threat. But Armenia would also like to join the EU and has been courting the West as well. Russia could go directly from Georgia through Armenia into Iran (I think although I’m not certain what the terrain is like at that tiny point where Armenia touches Iran and who knows if Armenia would willingly allow Russian transport across their country at this time).
At any rate Russia accomplishes a number of objectives by taking Georgia from geopolitical, to energy to logistical. If IIRC Russia also has some sort of mutual defense treaty with Iran.
WOW. Somebody actually sees the big picture. Very accurate article.
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