[Enchante]

an unsympathetic look at Georgia’s leadership:

Georgia: Reckless Saakashvili took on Russian Goliath Putin

Michael Evans, Defence Editor

Georgia’s attempt to seize control of the secessionist South Ossetia region has been a gamble too far, reckless in its timing and founded on a fundamental misjudgment.

President Saakashvili of Georgia thought that he had the West on his side but he has been outsmarted by Vladimir Putin, the Russian Prime Minister, who now holds all the cards.

Although Mr Saakashvili has had American military personnel training his army to serve in Iraq, there was never any question of Washington taking on the Russians on his behalf.

The military adventure had all the hallmarks of rushed planning and a fingers-crossed strategy, launched in the hope and expectation that the Russians would not react, but that if they did, the Americans and Georgia’s other Nato friends would come to his aid in one form or another. With President Bush at the Beijing Olympics, was, perhaps, the US eye off the ball when the Russians moved in?

After only three days, the Georgian leader has had to pull back....

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4500160.ece

[neverdem]

Thanks for the link. I wonder what we pay the CIA and State Department for?