Posted on 08/12/2008 2:10:58 AM PDT by Flashlight
That means they have claimed those areas.
Just damn.
Not interesting at all. The Russians have no interest in occupying the whole of Georgia. As I’ve stated before think like a Russian commander in overall charge of this campaign. It was pointless stopping at the borders of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Georgians would simply shell and conduct airstrikes on the Russian forces there. They had to push back the Georgian forces and that involved limited incursions into Georgia proper. They also had to deliver a powerful message to Georgian forces that they wouldn’t accept them in positions surrounding these disputed regions.
Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Instead of thinking that this was an attempt to take over and occupy Georgia and make further moves on other nations think of it as a final solution to Russians problems in Georgia. They finally have South Ossetia and Abkhazia annexed. Problem solved for the Russians. No occupation of Georgia and no tying down of hundreds of thousands of forces as an occupying force.
The Russians have the territory that they came for. The Georgians know that they will never be able to retake those regions. They are lost to them for good. The Russian pull back to the borders of their annexed regions with the option of striking back at any Georgian force stupid enough to come within artillery range. All the Russians have to wait for now is an international peacekeeping force to deploy into Georgia and to set up buffer zones around the borders. Game set and match for the Russians.
As a military strategist and former military, what the Russians did is crystal clear, and obvious. They wanted to take and hold Abkhazia and South Ossetia; they needed to prevent supporting fire from the naval base, prevent reinforcement both via the railhead at Senaki and from Tbilisi. They took the railhead, while launching a spoiling attack at Gori, followed by a fixing force to prevent reinforcement via Tbilisi. They used artillery and penetration in depth to disorganize the Georgian forces until they accomplished their objectives.
The whole country did not partake in the Revolutionary War. Just a minor percentage did. No matter how bad the government schools get or how bad society in general becomes, they will always be a minor percentage ready to take up arms to defend our freedom. I believe the framers referred to them as being a well armed and regulated militia. By armed I believe they also were referring to being armed with the wisdom of knowing the actual costs involved with securing that freedom. Unfortunately quite a few people have died in Georgia. So those costs were great. Hopefully when the fog of war is lifted we will completely understand the factors causing this engagement.
Again you are still in the mindset of Russia taking the whole of Georgia. You are still in the mindset of the sky is falling and that Russia wanted to re-occupy the whole of the Caucasus.
How long will it be before all the armchair generals on freepers come out claiming that it was the U.S carrier battle groups or that President Bush threatened all out war with Russia? Most people didn’t stop and think exactly what the Russian aims were exactly. All they could think of is the the ‘Evil Empire is on the move again’ and that the sky is falling!
Did the Russian president check with Putin on this?
(Anyone here ever play the old Ghost Recon game??? Recap of game: Russia invades Georgia in the year 2008)
You might be right. This was a big gamble by Russia to keep oil prices high to keep their revenues high by forcing a monopoly supply of oil to Eastern Europe by taking out the pipeline through Georgia. Also gold prices are dropping too. Russia is a large supplier of gold.
Maybe Palosi’s recent flirtation with allowing a House vote on offshore oil drilling, was a signal to Putin that the US was serious about changing the oil equation? That assumes that Pelosi would actually listen to reason from those smarter than her on both oil and global geo-politics.
"The aggressor has been punished, having sustained considerable losses. Its armed forces have been disorganised," he added.
So exactly how does punishment fit into the Russian military strategy ? Are the Russians now the Judge, Jury and Punisher on the battlefield ?
Thank you Jer33 3.
But my nuclear program consists of some glassware with trace amounts of uranium in it.
You’re right: that’s precisely what Russia did.
‘peace enforcement’ operation?
Exactly and spot on! Very few people took the time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
Good point. Just a few were willing to die for that freedom, the rest were content to sit under the protection of the King.
Also, alot of the battles were won by the Scots Irish coming down from the Appalacians and they were already ticked off at Britain. So they had some grudges to settle.
Well yeah, there is this little thing called the Chechyan War which the Russians thought was worth 10's of thousands of their soldiers lifes ? Then they move 1,000 armor vehicles into Greater Georgia, and I think the facts are on my side. You are just hypothesizing about what the Russians might have been doing. Look at all the pressure that had to be brought about just to get them to stop and pull back ? Five Presidents of ex-Communists countries planning to fly into an active war zone ? Even after jets flew over the Georgian Presidents TV interview ?
Most people didn’t stop and think exactly what the Russian aims were exactly. All they could think of is the the ‘Evil Empire is on the move again’ and that the sky is falling!
Thats because the Russian goals were changing. First it was South Ossetia. Then it was South Ossetia and the autonomous region in the west. Then after getting both, they wanted the President of Georgia to answer for his 'war crimes'. We were all wondering just what the heck would finally satisfy the ferocious appetite of the Bear.
The Russians played the big stick. They used total and ultimate force to achieve their aims. They weren’t going to get suckered into years of tit-for-tat conflict over the disputed regions. For the Russians it was the final solution to the problem and they used their superior firepower to achieve their aims. Why is this so hard for you to understand?
The game set and match for the Russians will be when the international community are forced to send peacekeeping troops in and set up buffer zones. The Georgians have no capability to oust the Russians from those annexed regions so essentially the Russians have achieved their militay aims.
NATO peacekeepers must secure Georgia.
The Scotts-Irish were able to do to the British Empire in America what they were unable to do to the British Empire in Scotland. The difference probably was the advent of gunpowder. It nullified the British Longbow advantage.
Because the Russians look like fools sending 1,000 armored vehicles to only take two tiny provinces. Not only that but they destroyed an entire Sea Port. Utter fools.
The game set and match for the Russians will be when the international community are forced to send peacekeeping troops in and set up buffer zones.
How is that any better then the position they had ? They were the peacekeepers. They could do anything they wanted in those provinces.
The Georgians have no capability to oust the Russians from those annexed regions so essentially the Russians have achieved their militay aims.
The Georgians were already out of South Ossetia. That is why the tunnel was available for use by the Russians.
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