Defiant Putin accuses US of 'helping Georgia' as fighting escalates amid fears of ground invasion

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The US isn't in a position to do anything about this - and short of it turning into another Yugoslavia I don't imagine anyone else will either.

Russia is still militarily a very powerful country. Its not in anyone's interests to mess with that - though the land grabs (for oil) that seem to be going on (first in the arctic, now here) do seem to indicate a worrying trend.

The US Army is embroiled in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The USAF is still very much available, however.

Make no mistake, if the Russians actually use force to stop the USAF from airdropping Georgian troops in Georgia, not one major American politician will oppose what comes next.

Its not as straight-forward as that though - we can get away with this interventionist stuff in the far east and the ME against regional bullies - but directly engaging a major European power will cause a big problems - not least because China would probably get involved as well.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

The US isn't in a position to do anything about this - and short of it turning into another Yugoslavia I don't imagine anyone else will either.

Russia is still militarily a very powerful country. Its not in anyone's interests to mess with that - though the land grabs (for oil) that seem to be going on (first in the arctic, now here) do seem to indicate a worrying trend.

The US Army is embroiled in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The USAF is still very much available, however.

Make no mistake, if the Russians actually use force to stop the USAF from airdropping Georgian troops in Georgia, not one major American politician will oppose what comes next.

You know you are suggesting the end of civilization as we know.

which can be avoided, as long as Russia doesn't interfere with USAF airlifting of Georgian troops

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't think they will get involved to be honest - its just too risky. Especially considering its basically a provincial dispute.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Its not as straight-forward as that though - we can get away with this interventionist stuff in the far east and the ME against regional bullies...

Interventionist?

All I'm talking about is the American effort to return Georgian troops in Iraq to Georgia. That is hardly interventionist.

If the Russians fukc with that though - that'll be interventionist.

I don't think they will get involved to be honest - its just too risky. Especially considering its basically a provincial dispute.

Oh, I agree.

But all bets are off if Russia doesn't let the USAF drop those troops off.

[HAL 9000 96]

The US isn't in a position to do anything about this - and short of it turning into another Yugoslavia I don't imagine anyone else will either.

Russia is still militarily a very powerful country. Its not in anyone's interests to mess with that - though the land grabs (for oil) that seem to be going on (first in the arctic, now here) do seem to indicate a worrying trend.

I also seem to think so. But are the Russians the only ones up to no good?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Its not as straight-forward as that though - we can get away with this interventionist stuff in the far east and the ME against regional bullies...

Interventionist?

All I'm talking about is the American effort to return Georgian troops in Iraq to Georgia. That is hardly interventionist.

If the Russians fukc with that though - that'll be interventionist.

It doesn't sound particularly realistic to me - given the small scale of the conflict. If it becomes a full-scale invasion/war maybe things will be different - but I would imagine Russia is aware of what it can get away with - without dragging other countries into the mix.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The US isn't in a position to do anything about this - and short of it turning into another Yugoslavia I don't imagine anyone else will either.

Russia is still militarily a very powerful country. Its not in anyone's interests to mess with that - though the land grabs (for oil) that seem to be going on (first in the arctic, now here) do seem to indicate a worrying trend.

I also seem to think so. But are the Russians the only ones up to no good?

Well I guess that's the point.

We can't really talk given what we've been doing since 2003...

[HAL 9000 96]

Hence their unchecked moves. The next couple of weeks ought to be interesting.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The US isn't in a position to do anything about this - and short of it turning into another Yugoslavia I don't imagine anyone else will either.

Russia is still militarily a very powerful country. Its not in anyone's interests to mess with that - though the land grabs (for oil) that seem to be going on (first in the arctic, now here) do seem to indicate a worrying trend.

I also seem to think so. But are the Russians the only ones up to no good?

No kidding. Something's fishy about the whole thing. Right when the Georgian President signed a peace treaty, the Georgian military fired missles at the separatists.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Russian forces seized several towns and a military base deep in western Georgia on Monday, opening a second front in the fighting. Georgia's president said his country had been effectively cut in half with the capture of the main east-west highway near Gori.

...

The reported capture of the key Georgian city of Gori and the towns of Senaki, Zugdidi and Kurga came despite a top Russian general's claim earlier Monday that Russia had no plans to enter Georgian territory. By taking Gori, which sits on Georgia's only east-west highway, Russia can cut off eastern Georgia from the country's western Black Sea coast.

...

The news agency Interfax, however, cited a Russian Defense Ministry official as denying Gori was captured. Attempts to reach Gori residents by telephone late Monday did not go through.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080811/D92G94PG0.html

[HAL 9000 96]

#######

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

"They're kicking our a s s e s!"

"No we're not!"

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The news agency Interfax, however, cited a Russian Defense Ministry official as denying Gori was captured.

The two-front battlefield was a major escalation in the conflict that blew up late Thursday after a Georgian offensive to regain control of the separatist province of South Ossetia. Even as Saakashvili signed a cease-fire pledge Monday with EU mediators, Russia flexed its military muscle and appeared determined to subdue the small U.S. ally that has been pressing for NATO membership.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080811/ap_on_...a_south_ossetia

Saakashvili started this...

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Saakashvili started this...

By attempting to reassert control over his own country. How dare he.

*******************************************************

The first of the Georgian forces withdrawn from Iraq over the weekend have already arrived in Gori, 15 miles from the South Ossetian border, The Times can confirm, and appear to be in no mood for peace.

"We will drink Russian blood," said Badri, one of the contingent newly arrived from Iraq.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle4503176.ece

Edited August 11, 2008 by A.J.

[almaty 19]

russian is the pure aggressor here..they were against kosvo becoming independent..saying it was aprt of serbia./...now they attack a treaty land of georgia.////