My guess—and it’s only a guess—is that the Russians are establishing some sort of “demilitarized zone” around South Ossetia and the other province. They’re moving into those towns and destroying Georgian military installations prior to pulling back, so the Georgians can’t make another move on their pet separatists.
Putin is cagey. He’s shown that many times in the past; the man is smart, and he’s dangerous. I can’t believe he’d be stupid enough to push the issue at this point, really. He’s gotten what he wanted. He controls the two “breakaway” Georgian provinces. He’s humiliated President Saakshavili, to the point that I bet he is out of power by his own people’s votes within a year. He’s humiliated the West, especially the US and NATO. He’s gotten the point across to his former satellite states that HE is the one they need to work with, not the West. Why not cash out and walk away from the table? Why force the issue further into Georgia?
}:-)4
Because you do not understand Putin.
” I can’t believe he’d be stupid enough to push the issue at this point, really. He’s gotten what he wanted “
Ike’s First Law — NEVER assume that your enemy is making the same calculations that you are....
We don’t *know*, at this point, exactly what it is that Putin ‘wanted’ from this exercise...
I think that is a very safe guess indeed. But the Russians will be back and my guess is that we’ll face off with them some late fall in a very few short years in Europe.