Evidence in Georgia Belies Russia's Claims of 'Genocide'

Russia's assertions that it was provoked into war by "genocide" in South Ossetia and that it is observing a cease-fire in Georgia came under new challenge Thursday, as the U.S. stepped up diplomatic pressure on Moscow.

Washington agreed to base missile interceptors on Polish soil, in a new sign of how Russia's invasion of Georgia is redrawing the geopolitical map.

On the ground in South Ossetia -- the contested region where fighting broke out last week between Georgia and Russia -- there was little evidence that Georgian attacks killed thousands of civilians, as Russia has said. Doctors said they had treated a few hundred people and one cited a confirmed death toll in the dozens.

Russia and Georgia agreed to a cease-fire Tuesday, and Russia has said it is keeping the peace in places such as Gori, the Georgian city where Russian tanks have taken up positions. That was belied by an incident inside Gori Thursday morning: A man seized the sport-utility vehicle of three United Nations officials at gunpoint, in full view of Russian troops who did nothing.

"Georgian cities remain...subject to hostile and aggressive behavior," said Georgia's ambassador to the U.N., Irakli Alasania. "Looting...and murder have become customary."

Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said his nation is a victim of a "disinformation campaign of spectacular proportions." He said Russian troops "have never occupied Gori."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have repeatedly said that Georgian troops committed genocide against South Ossetians last week when the war broke out. Mr. Medvedev on Tuesday referred to "thousands" of South Ossetians killed in the conflict. Russia has cited this as a main reason for sending troops into the region.

Other Russian and South Ossetian officials have pegged the death toll as high as 2,000

"Washington agreed to base missile interceptors on Polish soil"

Looks like the Bush Administration has been reading my posts! Better late than never!

;-)

.......
21. Send Georgia whatever military equipment it requests.
22. Fly satellites over Russian positions and deliver excellent intelligence to Georgia. Inform the world we are doing it.
23. Move further faster on missile defence with Poland and Czech Republic.
24. Deploy a large naval contingent to Russia’s East Coast.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2061606/posts?page=11#11

I like the idea of providing military support to Georgia.

If the Georgians can create a small, elite professional military that is armed with Western equipment (American, British, German, French, Israeli) and trained by Western personnel, I just about guarantee that they can give the Russians all they can handle.

The Georgians can never build up a force strong enough to completely stop the Russians, but if they can create one that will hurt the Russians badly enough that the acquisition of territory is outweighed by the destruction of their forces, it might be enough to give Moscow pause.

Here is a partial list of some of the equipment they should be given:
Tanks: Abrams, Challengers, Leopard II's, or LeClercs would work. Heck, even M-60's, Leopard I's or Centurions would be better than the T-55's and T-72's they are currently stuck with.
APC's: The ubiquitous M-113 has been around for many years and is still one of the finest personnel carriers around. While not as heavily armed or armored as a Bradley or Warrior, the 113 is a much better option than the open-top trucks the Georgian troops were traveling in, which left them vulnerable to shrapnel from artillery bursts.
Helicopters: There are several attack helicopter variants to choose from, including the American Apache, the European Tiger/Tigre, and the French Gazelle. At the same time, the choices for transport helicopter are numerous and range from the versitile UH-1 Huey to the CH-47 Chinook and from the Puma to the Lynx.
Aircraft: For a country with a limited operating budget that is in need of a fighter that can get down and dirty in the mud, the F-16 is a dream come true. While not quite as adapted for aerial combat as the F-15 or the Su-27, the F-16 is still an extremely capable platform that can be devastating in the hands of a skilled operator, to say nothing of its ability to hammer enemy ground targets. For transport aircraft, it is hard to go wrong with the C-130 for more reasons than I care to list here.
Warships: The Georgian Navy has never been a large unit, so it makes sense to equip it with the best small ships on the market. The Israeli Saar 5-class corvette is an extremely powerful warship for its size and can easily provide the core of a small force of fast attack craft, such as the German Gepard, the Israeli Saar 4, or the Norwegian Skjold-class missile boats.
Missiles: Two final bits of equipment that would greatly help the Georgians are portable anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles. Of all the various types on the market, the best would probably be the American Stinger and Javelin.

Thoughts, ideas, and suggestions are welcomed.

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