South Osetia under attack

[Hangtime]

What should the US do? What should the EU do? How about the EU jump in and stop Russia. You are already next door afterall. If you guys start getting your tulips whuped we'll come help.

Europe has spoken... by doing nothing. Georgia will be handed to the new Soviet.

Perhaps, the new soviet will allow europe to keep their soccer match schedules as a magnanimous gesture of thanks.

My mother in law; an 88 year old refugee from WWII is beyond words... all she had to say is 'it will happen again. it IS happening again... cowards. they are cowards."

She's still in tears.

Good luck; europe.

[soda72]

Russia has also called for an emergency meeting with Nato on the conflict.

Georgia's foreign minister is due to meet Nato on Tuesday, but Russia says the organisation should hear Moscow's side before making any decisions.

Nato's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has accused Russian of using disproportionate force and violating Georgia's sovereignty

Looks like an emergency meeting is in the works..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7554507.stm

[mg1942]

Just wait for Ukraine to join NATO. 

Because of what happned to Georgia, it should hasten Ukraine's entry to NATO.  Ukraine is the 2nd most powerful nation in the C.I.S. states

[Elfie]

Just a minute, this is not a state, it's a bloody county:

No, it's not a country. It is still a province of Georgia. No country has recognized South Ossetia's independence, neither has the UN.

[soda72]

with all the press coverage going on, maybe it would be a good time to hit Iran's nuc facilities?

 

[Elfie]

South Ossetia wants to be free of georgia and as a freedom lover i think they should get their wish and not get bombed by Georgia.

That is up to the Georgians and Ossets to resolve, not you, me or the Russians.

Sudentland and South Ossetia can not be compared. SO has a _____far____ larger population of Russians that wants to be free from Georgia than was the case in Sudentlend.

Wrong......the Russian citizens in South Ossetia are ethnic Ossets, not Russians, who have been given Russian passports. That would make them dual citizens, ie...citizens of both Russia and Georgia, yet they remain ethnic Ossets.

I belive those who start wars shal lose them. And in this case Georgia did.

It is still not known which side started it, both sides claim the other did. Stop listening to the Russian propaganda machine.

Looking at what is happening in Georgia now, it sure looks like Russia was just waiting for an excuse to go land grabbing.

[FrodeMk3]

1. do nothing
2. do nothing

3. Just wait for Ukraine to join NATO.  Georgia was promised NATO invitation, but that won't happen for a couple of years.

If we leave Georgia out to dry, the Ukraine might not be so incesnsed with NATO membership. And It's looking like Georgia won't survive long enough to make it to full-fledged member status.

[soda72]

interesting write up with lessons learned....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7553390.stm

[scot12b]

Time  for Ivan do go Home

[FrodeMk3]

History teaches that the the Europeans will continue with appeasement.. until it's to late. Sad to say, I'd like to see the Georgians enthusiastically supported. But reality dictates that just won't happen. If we can't get free Europe to defend free Europe, why are we wasting our time and money protecting them via NATO?

Time for the withdrawal of US troops from all european locations and pull out of NATO.

The hell with europe. Let the Bear have them.

To be honest Hangtime...Other than looking at Georgia as a prospective NATO member, they don't really have any ties from the EU. We are the ones' that have been extending military aid, developing them as an ally, and have had them as a part of the U.S. led coalition in Iraq/Afghanistan. They came and helped us when we asked. Russia wins' a much greater victory than claiming either Ossetia or Georgia out of all of this, If we do nothing. Ghi said it almost spot on in his post.

This really, after a fashion, isn't a Euro problem at all. It's one of what the U.S. does' for it's friends, even ones' that have come to our aid. This would be like Russian troops' actually forcing a fight somewhere with Britain, possibly on her own shores, and the U.S. sitting back and saying "Thanks' for helping us in Iraq, but this fight for your life at homes' none of our business...".


Little bit more news...

3 minutes ago
 


MOSCOW - Georgia's president says Russia's troops have effectively cut the country in half by seizing a strategic city that straddles the country's main east-west highway.

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President Mikhail Saakashvili made the statement in a national security council meeting on Monday, about an hour after officials claimed Russian troops had captured Gori, about 60 miles west of the capital Tbilisi.

The news agency Interfax cited a Russian Defense Ministry official as denying the reports of the seizure.

But a top official at the Georgian embassy in Moscow, Givi Shugarov, said Russian troops appeared to be moving toward Tbilisi and he alleged Russia's goal was "complete liquidation" of the Georgian government.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080811/ap_on_re_eu/georgia_south_ossetia

[Hangtime]

We established how we honor commitments in Vietnam.

I don't see any evidence of a sea-change on the horizon.

How I personally feel is evidenced in my sig.

It's not consistent with the opinion of the majority of citizens in this nation or in europe. I'm an an anachronism. The time of folks like me passed in 1972.

<S!>

[ROX]

The American backed puppet regime, built on the dead bodies of our socialist brothers and sisters who dared to stand up to the soon to be ill fated Georgian government, will fall to the heroes of Mother Russia as our proud men fight to gain the freedom of those oppressed there!  

Comrades!! Gori has fallen!!  Our heroic troops are only 45 km from the enemy capital of the imperialist suck-ups!  

Soon, the land of the birth of Comrade Stalin will be returned to Russia!!  

Our Brother Vladimir Putin has said that the American Imperialist running dogs that have airlifted 2,000 Georgian troops to Gerorgia, and have created an aura of war by doing so!  America is instigating acts of war against Mother Russia!  These acts will not be ignored!  

I implore all my socialist brothers to ....<skreetch>....<skreeeeeeeeetch>.....ah...










Sorry...








I was having a Boroda moment.  






ROX

[FrodeMk3]

I was having a Boroda moment. 

Where's he been, anyway? I'd have thought we would have seen him posting at least every hour on the hour during this...

[Nilsen]

History teaches that the the Europeans will continue with appeasement.. until it's to late. Sad to say, I'd like to see the Georgians enthusiastically supported. But reality dictates that just won't happen. If we can't get free Europe to defend free Europe, why are we wasting our time and money protecting them via NATO?

Time for the withdrawal of US troops from all european locations and pull out of NATO.

The hell with europe. Let the Bear have them.

  Ill settle for this. What i really feel about you would get me permanenlty banned from this place.

[killjoy1]

Question: How much planning would it take to send two armored columns into a hostile country?  Lets say with 400 tanks?

Answer:  Many months of planning and supply.

Question: How many Russian tanks have been destroyed?

Answer: Initially Georgia reported 40 Russian tanks destroyed.  We all doubt those figures.  Still Georgia did hold up the Russian column at the border for a good while considering.  If the US has lost 20 tanks, it would be huge news.  Russia also lost at least 2 jets confirmed.  Possibly several more.  I assume Georgia has been supplied with some really nice anti-tank and anti-air systems.  Until they were overwhelmed, it looks like they worked well.

<opinion>  There is a long game to all this.  Putin is attempting to bring down the Us the same way the US brought down Russia.  Putin will sit on the pipeline until he is pushed out.  Note that the pipeline is closed in Turkey due to an attack by Kurds.  but the oil is being off loaded at Georgia ports.  that is until Russia bombed the ports and put them out of commission.

Cut the oil pipeline.  The price of oil goes to $200 and the US fails.  If Europe gives aid to Georgia, Russia refuses to sell oil and gas to Europe.  Putin holds all the cards on this one.

Israel and France are big players.  Expect action from France first.  Israel will supply defensive systems covertly.  The war and occupation in Georgia will go on for as long as it takes to bring the US to it's knees.  (economically speaking) 
</opinion>

Here is a good write-up of the players and stakes in this game.
http://szamko.gnn.tv/blogs/17155/Pipeline_Time