Posted on 08/09/2008 6:55:15 AM PDT by tcrlaf
President Mikheil Saakashvili has asked his parliament to approve martial law following Russia's aerial bombardment of the Georgian town of Gori.
Abkhazian announced it had begun a military operation against Georgian troops.
The crisis was sparked earlier this week when Georgia sent troops into the breakaway province of South Ossetia to quell a Russian-backed separatist uprising.
Russia responded by sending its troops into Georgia.
With the crisis worsening by the hour, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told US President George Bush that Georgia must pull its troops out of South Ossetia.
Russia's ambassador to Nato said the Georgians were committing "ethnic cleansing and genocide" in the province.
Georgia has called its entire contingent of 2,000 troops back from Iraq and its Foreign Ministry claimed Russian bombers had destroyed the Black Sea port of Poti.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
MORE: A senior Russian commander confirmed that two of their warplanes were shot down and 15 soldiers had died.
Georgian television showed footage of what reports said were the body of Russia pilot.
Speaking from near Gori, Sky News Moscow correspondent Alex Rossi said: "We should make no mistake: these two countries, Russia and Georgia, are now at war.
"If this conflict goes on - and the war machines of both countries are now gathering momentum - there really could be an enormous amount of bloodshed."
I think we should supply Georgia with weapons... just like Russia did with Iran and god knows what other countries they gave technology to use against our soldiers...
Sky News is showing footage of a Russian Air Attack on the city of GORI
Order has been restored, citizens, now please remember to carry this Russian passport with you at all times.
I don't know, they could call it the union of brotherhood republics or something.
I think that I read that native Georgians were forced out of South Ossetia by Russia during Georgia's move for independence ('91?). Is that not ethnic cleansing?
I guess it’d a wise thing to stay out of Atlanta. Firest Sherman, now the Russians. Life just sucks.
Slightly off topic, but related to any study of Georgia, Russia and Azerbaijan: Ali & Nino.
http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9780385720403?id=4165190424856
I don’t do Amazon (too blue state), but here is their take on the book, “Ali and Nino”: http://www.amazon.com/Ali-Nino-Kurban-Said/dp/0879516682
So Putin and his boys started this? By the MSM accounts, one might have thought the Georgians went into that town for no reason. Looks like Putin may have just taken step-one in returning Russia to the 'glory days' of the Soviet Union.
"the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century"
"World democratic opinion has yet to realize the alarming implications of President Vladimir Putin's State of the Union speech on April 25, 2005, in which he said that the collapse of the Soviet Union represented the 'greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.'
http://www.hooverdigest.org/053/beichman.html
From the Sino-Russian Joint Statement of April 23, 1997:
"The two sides [China and Russia] shall, in the spirit of partnership, strive to promote the multipolarization of the world and the establishment of a new international order."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/HI29Ag01.html
Russia, China flex muscles in joint war games
Reuters: Aug 17, 2007
CHEBARKUL, Russia (Reuters) - Russia and China staged their biggest joint exercises on Friday but denied this show of military prowess could lead to the formation of a counterweight to NATO.
"Today's exercises are another step towards strengthening the relations between our countries, a step towards strengthening international peace and security, and first and foremost, the security of our peoples," Putin said.
Fighter jets swooped overhead, commandos jumped from helicopters on to rooftops and the boom of artillery shells shook the firing range in Russia's Ural mountains as two of the largest armies in the world were put through their paces.
The exercises take place against a backdrop of mounting rivalry between the West, and Russia and China for influence over Central Asia, a strategic region that has huge oil, gas and mineral resources.
Russia's growing assertiveness is also causing jitters in the West. Putin announced at the firing range that Russia was resuming Soviet-era sorties by its strategic bomber aircraft near NATO airspace.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-29030120070817?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0
U.S. Navy Intercepts Russian Bombers Flying Near Ships
Monday, February 11, 2008
WASHINGTON (Associated Press) U.S. fighter planes intercepted two Russian bombers flying unusually close to an American aircraft carrier in the western Pacific during the weekend, The Associated Press has learned.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,330362,00.html
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"the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century"???
"'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=
I thought we already had. Sounds like they may need more.
I Think the Russians see this as the excuse to punish Georgia for it’s closer ties to the West.
And flex some muscle for the homefolks.
This probably has far more to do with Georgia seeking NATO membership, than anything else.
I am sickened by this. this is nothing new. Russia has always wanted to dominate and take all the Republics! the other freed republics of the former soviet Union ( ukraine, Latvia, etc) should now support Georgia. Fat chance of that though.
If America lets the russians take Georgia I will throw up!
What happened to the end of the Cold War and the Hungarian Freedom and the break up of the soviet Union?
And Europe? Those two faced weenie scumbags have been dealing with the Russians, with Saddaam, and with Iran FOREVER. Get ready Germany...the Russian Bear is at your door. First Georgia, then Germany.
I agree that the NATO thing really gets their hackes up, and they won’t allow it if possible. I think they will prevent it by establishing a Russian military presence there...just to prevent genocide, of course.
It goes way beyond that... Putin is being very clever here.
A lot of the eastern block countries believe that by becoming part of NATO, or being a good partner of the West, or by supplying troops to an American led coalition or place American defensive missiles on there soil or having American military advisors,etc, etc, that somehow they are under a U.S. defensive umbrella.
The Ruskies know that the U.S. will do nada and the most important message that Putin is sending is to all the other countries in the region as to who is boss and that if you think the West is going to start WW3 to save your sorry ass, think again...
We need to back up Georgia NOW! We will go down in ignomy and humilliation as a nation if we let the russians take over Georgia as well as losing a vital ally in that region!
Gori has a special place in the heart of Russians- it is the birthplace of one Mr. Josef Stalin.
I understand that Obama is in flight to Atlanta right now to make a statement regarding this situation.
Strategicly, and honestly, there isn’t a whole lot we can do for the Georgians other than provide “Humanitarian” Aid at this point.
Unless, of course, you want a full blown, mother-loving War with Russia.
Russia is the aggressor here. Will we stand by our allies or not?
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