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Russia seizes Georgia base, opens second front
AP ^ | Aug 11, 2008 | MISHA DZHINDZHIKHASHVILI

Posted on 08/11/2008 8:16:28 AM PDT by Jeff Head

TBILISI, Georgia — Russia opened a second front of fighting in Georgia on Monday, sending armored vehicles beyond two breakaway provinces and seizing a military base and police stations in the country's west, the Georgian government and a Russian official said.

GEORGIAN FORCES

RUSSIAN FORCES


(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: caucasus; energy; geopolitics; georgia; georgianconflict; russia; russianinvasion; southossetia; war
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To: redstateconfidential
The Russian Deputy minister was smiling on CNN telling the reporter that Georgia is an American satellite and it will pay for that.The Russian’s he said will not agree to a cease fire. Smiling the whole time he said the Georgia counted on our iad , and that they would not get it.

There you have it. This is about showing the world (or at least their satelites) how impotent the US is.

I hope they live to regret those self-aggrandizing smirks.
321 posted on 08/11/2008 11:14:43 AM PDT by Antoninus (McCain/Palin in 2008!)
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To: modest proposal

Yes, calling on Mr. Obama, The Leader of the World. Where are you Obama? How do we handle this? Ask them nicely to stop invading other countries?


322 posted on 08/11/2008 11:15:37 AM PDT by autumnraine
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To: Post-Neolithic

I must say I am more than dissapointed in President Bush. I have supported him in alot of his policies, especially in foreign policy, but in this case he needed to have left the games when our ally was invaded.

It does look like the reading to Kindergardners moment.


323 posted on 08/11/2008 11:17:08 AM PDT by autumnraine
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To: Jack Black

My understanding is that the Georgians never crossed into Russian territory. Am I mistaken?


324 posted on 08/11/2008 11:17:16 AM PDT by Schwarzeneger
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To: Arkinsaw
Hmm, if we toss the ball to the Old Europeans they will do nothing. They don't care about Georgia.

I'd like to see the former captive nations unite and reinforce Georgia. A united Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Bulgaria and most of all POLAND would start to be an effective counter to Russian ambition.

This would have great moral power because it would demonstrate solidarity among all those nations that were held captive by the Russians for 50 to 100 years. \

While the militaries of those countries, except Poland, are pretty small it would still send a powerful message.

325 posted on 08/11/2008 11:18:17 AM PDT by Jack Black
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To: Schwarzeneger

Turkey is not interested in becoming enbroiled in Georgia. The free flow of OIL is their main concern and the money it generates for their economy. Turkey may turn a blind eye to overflight actions in US bases in Adana and Ismir.


326 posted on 08/11/2008 11:18:43 AM PDT by Mashood
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To: r9etb

I think you are right. I think 08-08-08 will be a day to remember. We will know more later, after all the cards are out because I don’t see this as a random act.


327 posted on 08/11/2008 11:19:33 AM PDT by autumnraine
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To: autumnraine
Who is a half-wit. Putin or Bush?

You guess. Who's the half-wit here? The man who looks into the eyes of a cobra and is sure he sees a friend and kindred soul, or the cobra who looks back into the eyes of the man, convinces the man he's his friend and that the man has nothing to fear from him.

328 posted on 08/11/2008 11:21:12 AM PDT by E. Cartman (Would you want your surgeon graduating at the bottom 1% of his class?)
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To: Schwarzeneger

Folks, we have a few hundred thousand here and few hundred thousand there and our army is stretched to the max, the truth is, our Army is some 20 times too small, Bush did nothing because we can do nothing (lasting). When we were debating the “Surge” it was a huge fight over 30,000 troops and yet 80,000+ people attend a Michigan football game. We are trying to defend a nation of 300 million with an extremly small army. China could easily amass an army of 50,000 million, and don’t think for a moment they cannot. The truth is, our Military is way, way, to small.


329 posted on 08/11/2008 11:22:17 AM PDT by Scythian
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To: Schwarzeneger
"The timing of this was purposeful with the Olympics in play and the American President in China. The Russian?s are acting very deliberately and they know that the US is weak now with elections pending the economy in mess. This shows you that perceived weakness will be taken advantage of and we are way late in responding to this."

The cost of Europe and the US's "talk" response will be more than we will ever directly know. How many former Soviet states will suddenly get a lot more cooperative with Russia? Will Ukraine decide that is must accommodate a Russian military presence permanently? What about the oil and gas rich 'stans who now will either have their access to the West cut off or will have to cater to Russia to make sure that their oil gets through? etc. etc.

330 posted on 08/11/2008 11:25:06 AM PDT by Truth29
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To: pgkdan

Whoa, I missed that. What did Putin say about Poland and the other Baltic states?

This is huge if they are threatening those countries.


331 posted on 08/11/2008 11:26:43 AM PDT by autumnraine
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To: UCANSEE2
“If Mexico claimed border town in Texas or Arizona, would we be “idiots” for fighting them?” Hasn’t that ship already sailed?

I know you were being sarcastic. Still the qeustion is worth asking. Unfortunately Clinton set a new standard that ethnic groups can opt of of their nation on a state by state basis anytime they become the majority. I still don't think most people realize what a massively destabiliizing effect that has.

Russia now says: The break away, ethnic Russian population of this part of Georgia no longer wants to be Georgian. We are "supporting their human rights" preventing "ethnic cleansing" and "humanitarian disaster". The words are so utterly parallel to those Madeline Albright used to justify stripping Serbia of Kosovo that there is little doubt that they are gettting back at us in all this.

So New Mexico becomes 75% Mexican/Latino. (Many counties are already 65% Spanish speaking.) Then they decide they want to be seperate, or part of Mexico. Under the Clinton/Albright rules we have a moral duty to allow them to go their own way, and if we attempt to use force to hold them in a union they do not desire then we are the bad guys. Russia would be justified in bombing our cities, just as we claimed to be justified in bombing the capitol of Serbia to ensure Kosovo's ability to secede.

If this stands (and it probably will) we will now have TWO examples of "nations can not hold recalcitrant minority precincts against their will" as a new defacto international law.

Good for Free State Wyoming, I guess, bad for parts of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.

332 posted on 08/11/2008 11:27:41 AM PDT by Jack Black
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To: Mashood

I disagree. In fact I think the Turks are very interested in both the Iraqi situation and in anything near its borders. They are NOT big fans of the Russian’s. We have a bunch of bases in Turkey including Sinop, Diyarbikir, Incirlik, Malatya, Eskashir, and Izmir. The Turks could easily be influenced to not only allow fly overs but also to participate, especially if we allow them more control of Northern Iraq (which we should have done form the beginning IMO) Also I hate to say this but they also want to become part of the EU and become more a part of the West. Our help in that area and our relationship with Turkey in general is something I don’t think the Turks want to give up. In either case, everyone needs to see that the US will not abandon an ally. Doing the right thing is always the right thing...even when its hard.


333 posted on 08/11/2008 11:27:59 AM PDT by Schwarzeneger
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To: UCANSEE2; autumnraine
“If Mexico claimed border town in Texas or Arizona, would we be “idiots” for fighting them?”

Jorge and Juan MacCain would go on prime time television to sing "La Cucaracha," tell us all how the aggressors had good family values and to stop being xenophobes. Ya gotta luv' our Jorge: billions to defend someone else's borders but can't seem to find a paltrey million to protect our own. Who says he isn't happy to sell America out for dreams of his new world order?

When the history's in, he'll probably go down as Benedict Bush

334 posted on 08/11/2008 11:28:13 AM PDT by E. Cartman (Would you want your surgeon graduating at the bottom 1% of his class?)
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To: DevSix

Ok, so you don’t go to war overnight.

What does that have to do with anything? The US Diplomats have made it clear they won’t go to war at all.

So your overnight comment is not relevant.


335 posted on 08/11/2008 11:29:10 AM PDT by autumnraine
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To: autumnraine
What kind of message is this sending to the world to have our leader smiling and happy watching a foot race while a country that sacrificed it’s own men to help us is being stomped out?

That China owns us, and when your masters in Beijing say, "Stay and watch the games," you stay and watch the games.

336 posted on 08/11/2008 11:29:36 AM PDT by E. Cartman (Would you want your surgeon graduating at the bottom 1% of his class?)
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To: Lucius Cornelius Sulla

These bloody Russkies, they’ve been entering the high arctic over Canada as well. I think we’ve scrambled our F-18’s several times in the last couple of years to intercept their aircraft, which is probably why our PM is increasing our arctic defence budget.


337 posted on 08/11/2008 11:30:12 AM PDT by Catholic Canadian ( I love Stephen Harper!)
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To: Scythian

<<< China could easily amass an army of 50,000 million, and don’t think for a moment they cannot. >>>

I think not.

They’d need 100,000 million boots.


338 posted on 08/11/2008 11:30:29 AM PDT by SkyShot (Jesus is coming.....Look busy!)
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To: autumnraine
Yes, but I am talking about the article I read this morning with a US Diplomat saying “There isn’t much we can do at this point. Russia is helping us with Iran...”

Source? thanks.

339 posted on 08/11/2008 11:30:51 AM PDT by FreeReign
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To: DevSix

And you should try reading an entire conversation instead of butting into a conversation half way through and thinking you have any idea of what is going on.

Thanks


340 posted on 08/11/2008 11:30:52 AM PDT by autumnraine
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