“War has started” declared Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin referring to the commencement of bombing and a land invasion on the neighboring Republic of Georgia. Russian forces are responding to a recent offensive by Georgian troops in the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia, whose population are majority pro-Russia. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said he had mobilized Georgia’s military reserves.
Although no reports are in as to who has taken control of the capital of South Ossetia, it seems doubtful the small Georgian Republic - population 4.6 million - will be able to hold back Russian troops. Russia’s foreign policy stance has become increasingly emboldened and nationalistic since the ascension of Putin into the high leadership of the formerly communist country. Buoyed by sky-high oil prices, a commodity which Russia now ranks as the number two producer of worldwide, behind only Saudi Arabia, the Russian leadership has more and more frequently stoked nationalist sentiment as it has tightened its grip on power. Given how today’s military action serves little to no strategic purpose whatsoever, one would assume the point is to play to emotions of the Russian people, making them feel that through flexing its military muscles on a weaker neighbor, Russia has once again returned to the world stage - and all this on the opening day of the Olympics.
You can takepart by contacting the Russian Embassy and urging the Russian Government to cease hostilities in the conflict.
LINKS:
NY Times: Georgian and Russian Forces Square Off In Rebel Province
Reuters: Russia, Georgia seek control of South Ossetia capital
The Independent: ‘We are at war with Russia’ declares Georgian leader
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Tagged as:Georgia • Mikheil Saakashvili • Nationalism • oil prices • Olympics • Republic of Georgia • Russia • Russian Embassy • South Ossetia • South Ossetia military conflict • Vladimir Putin
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16 posts in the last 24 hours
Thats lie:
VictorThere were no words about war from Putin, that’s nonsense.
In the opening day of Olympics, in the same time - Georgia started an operation to overtake South Ossetia, not Russia.
Putin’s quote is featured prominently in the New York Times, linked above.
However, you make a fair point about Georgia starting their invasion the day of the Olympics. The question comes down to the sovereignty of South Ossetia, which until now has been internationally recognized as Georgian. A peaceful solution all around however, from both Georgia and Russia would benefit all parties involved, particularly the South Ossetians.
Jon PophamAnother war? Y?
My son wrote this awhile back.
WAR
loraSoldiers dying here and there,
Hear their cries throughout the air.
Women and children wait in despair.
Hear their cries throughout the air.
Eric Bruncke
Russia provoked this war because it seeks to control the Black Sea and the oil. In the end Russian “peace keepers” will occupy Georgia unless the United States does something. Maybe a joint military force from the US, Ukraine, Turkey and Poland can help Georgia.
JohnI say we send every apologist for US agression and imperialism over to fight the Russian Bear.
This is so precious–you chickhawks only invade nations too weak to fight.
The US little stoodge president bit off more than he could chew–and his brave, ’staunch’ ally, the US empire, won’t life a freak’en finger.
Again, let’s ship pro-imperialist chest-beaters to Georgia for ‘the good fight’ for US hegemony.
Your ‘might makes right’ savagry, and the attitude that always leads to the US murdering thousands of civilians always makes you folks look like brain-washed little Nazis.
James P.I hope Putin sends enough troops to completely overthrow the evil Harvard puppet thug that the US placed in power in Georgia. After the Russian Bear devours Georgia, they should go into Ukraine and also replace the New World Order CIA agent thug who now runs that US puppet state.
Who would have thought that the day would come when Russia represented the world’s only hope against US-Zionist imperialism.
GO PUTIN! GO PUTIN!
Al FalconeDoes anyone think of the innocents caught up in this? How would you cope? Sitting in your home when suddenly all Hell breaks loose and bombs rain from the sky or a tank turns into your street? Erics poem is the most sense I have read here! Unfortunately women and children no longer wait, they too are butchered. I hope that someone see’s the senslessness of this evil and stops it, now!
KerrisKerris, I thought the same thing when the US invaded Iraq–twice!
However, my concern for the children was drowned out by jingoist chest-thumping in the middle class enclaves of US suburbia.
Yes, war and violence sucks—but the entire economic system of the US empire depends on these pathological dynamics.
I am for peace, eliminating social class domination, and healing the earth.
To stop war requires one to not support one’s own part in exploitation and the war-mongering of its government.
James P.Big Bad Russia - the cowardly bullies of the Kremlin have again shown their true colors by attacking a small neighboring state. And once again NATO is shown to be without intestinal fortitude. What will the EU do when next Russia cuts off their energy supplies? Why have the European powers lost their balls?
Ivan B. NeziticDon’t believe that Russia “attacked Georgia”. It’s a lie! Saakashvili and georgian government FIRST started this mean war …… and they MUST be punished
Krivedkomany information sources provide LIE all over the world. Just don’t be deceived …… ALL countries must defend theis citizens. And 8 or 9 of 10 citizens in Osetia are Russians. Georgia attacked, Russia is defending. There are many situations when georgian soldiers killed a lot of citizens ….. an old woman ran across the street with two little children and georgian tank just went over her and she is DEAD …… and her children too …….. don’t believe the LIE around the conflict. Georgia understood, that it did a biiiiig mistake and now just trying to be “small attacked country”. Georgian government turned off all TV channels, which proveded RIGHT news. Even georgian people don’t understand how the situation goes on
Once again, it should be pointed out that South Ossetia is an internationally recognized sovereign territory of Georgia, not Russia. This being the case Georgia’s aggression into the troubled territory qualifies as an internal conflict - in much the same way I’m sure the commenter above would describe Chechnya for Russia. It is certainly not this writer’s intention to defend Georgia using force on the South Ossetians. But the widening of the conflict by Russia into an international war by attacking Georgia is wholly unacceptable.
To pretend this military action by Russia is about a small piece of land with confused ethnic loyalties in the north of tiny Georgia is beyond naive however. This is a move for Russia to reassert itself while teaching its former vassal states a lesson not to step out of line and play ball with the Americans & NATO. It also exerts further Russian influence on its real concern - fossil fuel supplies throughout Eurasia.
Jon PophamWell, Jon, I think that Russia has ever right to protect the people of Ossetia in the face of US supported terrorism via Saakashvili and his Georgian storm-troopers.
Given the US history for engaging state terror and crimes of agression, I think that Russia is correct to insist that Georgia leave Ossetia and the neighboring break-away province–and that Georgia stop its military association with the US.
This is Russian sphere of influence, and the US is agressing on its territory.
Further, nobody is ‘confused’ about the what the Ossetian people want–they want no part of being abused by Georgia (with the blessings of the US nazi beast.)
Deal with it. You supporters of US terror are being put on notice. Stop or we will punish you.
James P.James,
Again, pretending Russia cares one iota about the people of South Ossetia is about as disingenuous as representing the Bush administration cares about the people of Iraq.
Jon PophamLooking at your “arguments” though this is hardly surprising. Believe it or not, the majority of Americans disagree with US Foreign Policy. Furthermore making the assertion that Russia can behave however it wants because America has made some major mistakes in its military aggression, most notably the Iraq War, is a ridiculous statement. It’s akin to the one brat in the classroom saying he can scream all afternoon “because Tommy does it”. Unfortunately, what we’ve heard coming from the Russian government and its supporters though throughout this episode is full of childish statements in an attempt to justify the country’s behavior, unbecoming of a serious nation that wants to reattain its place on the world stage. The cries of victimization at the hands of “the West” or “American hegemony” echoed all the way to the top of the Russian power structure is really kind of sad to watch. Worse yet, are these empty threats we keep seeing leveled at the United States which seem to yearn for the days of yet another Cold War, I assume so Russia can take another shot?? It’s time to wake up to a globalized world where actions like the recent one in the democratic country of Georgia are unacceptable. And yes, this goes double for US involvement in Iraq.
I’m one of the few conservatives who was against the war in Iraq before the war began. Ive always thought that our policy towards russia, since the end of the cold war, has been heavy handed. If they had tried to make alliances, for example, with Mexico and Canada, we would have reacted the same way as they did in Geoegia. That all being said, I’m sick and tired of the rest of the world taking our money, wanting to be like us, and then hating us. Let’s just take out Russia (those vodka swilling idiots) like we should have done at the end of WW2.
greg r.Jon,
Well thought out analysis. I must concur.
Certainly, provocative, but the fact remains that no major international body (to include the UN, EU, OSCE, CEU, NATO, etc) or no major individual power (to include Russia) has ever recognized South Ossetia’s call for (late-80’s, 1992, or 2006) independence. In fact, the referendums had no standing from Tbilisi, S. Ossetia’s central authority, and were thus discarded by all…including the Russian Federation.
Throughout time immemorial, the land of S. Ossetia has been Georgian, and locally governed by Georgian’s and S. Ossetian’s even under many imperial masters. The regions original name, Samachalbo, was named after the Georgian ruling dynasty of the region and allowed S. Ossetians to settle there after being driven out of their true homelands further North. Various states of autonomy resulted in the centuries that followed, but not even the Soviet Union recognized such a call for independence under its own political structure in the early 1990’s where it always remained part of the GSSR.
Disturbingly, few ethnic Georgians living in the region have been awarded the right to vote during previous referendums/elections and often remain disenfranchised through both political machination and fear ( they are around 25% of the population, by the way). Even after the first war in the 1990’s, the cease fire established that Georgia would maintain large portions of S. Ossetia under its control where it has since established an alternative government.
This is truly a convoluted situation where neither the US or Russian attempts to back key players are right in any sense. Each has motives, some outlined above, and rhetoric and action to leverage against each other. Only one thing is for certain, war is not the answer as each side has blood on its hands. The damage may be irreparable.
Further points to ponder…………………………….
Noticeably absent in recent discussion has been the Russian destruction of Chechnya on two occasions as it has sought increased autonomy. Kind of odd that they would support similar actions by S. Ossetian’s in Georgia for which they so ruthlessly meted out justice during two protracted wars, right? The same 9-11 rhetoric used by President Bush was President Putin’s guiding doctrine to rid the region of terrorists as Russia-US relations reached an all time high in major media outlets. Furthermore, Russia’s inability to help Georgian forces establish a strong border in the Pankisi Gorge region, crucial in order to prevent the flow of Chechen fighters in and out of the conflict zone, required the US (enter increased US presence in region) to fill the void and create a fully operational Georgian border patrol, much to Moscow’s happiness (See news/handshakes/smiles all around by Russian and US leaders as border patrol ‘hailed a success’).
Also, kind of odd for Russia to issue passports to S. Ossetians, many found unsigned…actually, its not too outlandish as it is quite similar to what Russia did in the 1960’s in China as it encroached on China’s Eastern border provoking military clashes with Chinese forces in a effort to seize more territory…a dispute that took almost 40 years to settle in 2005 when the border was formally established.
For full coverage of the situation in Georgia and the Caucasus, visit NewsGeorgia.net!
EditorI disagree
DerekCan you give more info?
I admit that I am not fully up to date on this blog, but I saw that Russia has dismantled a few roadblocks in South Ossetia. A small step, but anything for the positive, the better. How do you eat an elephant? ….One bite at a time… I wish for the best in disputed territories bordering Russia. We really need strong leadership, effective talks, and action all bases upon history and related dynamics. Good day all.
David S.