How the U.S. Invited a War in South Ossetia

[seemslikeadream]

http://www.counterpunch.org/walberg08122008.html
August 12, 2008

How the U.S. Invited a War in South Ossetia
War a la Carte
By ERIC WALBERG

Last week, Georgia launched a major military offensive against the rebel province South Ossetia, just hours after President Mikheil Saakashvili had announced a unilateral ceasefire. Close to 1,500 have been killed, Russian officials say. Thirty thousand refugees, mostly women and children, streamed across the border into the North Ossetian capital Vladikavkaz in Russia.

The timing — and subterfuge — suggest the unscrupulous Saakashvili was counting on surprise. “Most decision makers have gone for the holidays,” he said in an interview with CNN. “Brilliant moment to attack a small country.” Apparently he was referring to Russia invading Georgia, despite the fact that it was Georgia which had just launched a full-scale invasion of the “small country” South Ossetia, while Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was in Beijing for the Olympics. Twenty-seven Russian peacekeepers and troops have been killed and 150 wounded so far, many when their barracks were shelled by Georgian forces at the start of the invasion. Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Temur Yakobashvili rushed to announce that their mini-blitzkreig had destroyed ten Russian combat planes (Russia says two) and that Georgian troops were in full control of the capital Tskhinvali.

Russia’s Defense Ministry denounced the Georgian attack as a “dirty adventure.” From Beijing, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said, “It is regrettable that on the day before the opening of the Olympic Games, the Georgian authorities have undertaken aggressive actions in South Ossetia.” He later added, “War has started.” Russian President Dmitry Medvedev vowed that Moscow will protect Russian citizens — most South Ossetians hold Russian passports. The offensive prompted Moscow to send in 150 tanks, to launch air strikes on nearby Gori and military sites, and to order warships to Georgia’s Black Sea coast.

Georgia’s national security council declared a state of war with Russia and a full military mobilisation. US military planes are already flying Georgia’s 2,000 troops in Iraq — the third-largest force after the United States and Britain — back to confront the Russians. By Sunday, despite early claims of victory, Georgian troops had retreated from South Ossetia, leaving diplomatic rubble behind which will be very hard to clear. Truth is stranger than fiction in Georgia.

[Karenina]

1. Know your players!

;-)

[malaise]

3. And Saakashvili should have remembered that when one looks in the mirror

he/she should never mistake a sardine for a shark.

[theboss]

2. Russian peacekeepers?

Good heavens.

[enough]

4. That first sentence is the one that gets left out of almost every explanation of the situation:

"Last week, Georgia launched a major military offensive against the rebel province South Ossetia, just hours after President Mikheil Saakashvili had announced a unilateral ceasefire."

Thanks for posting this.

[moodforaday]

7. Targeting civilians, too

*as well as* Russian peacekeepers - which may have been intentional as easily as a commander's blunder. But Georgia launched its offensive purposely during the opening day at the olympics, perhaps hoping that the Chinese fireworks would deafen their own guns, killing civilians left and right.

[bemildred]

8. Hey, they had no idea there were any civilians in that area.

Cities often have no civilians in them. There was no "intentional targeting of civilians" involved. Just good military bureaucrats following orders. Completely ethical behavior for military bureaucrats.
:sarcasm:

[FogerRox]

5. There are 3 routes for oil out of the Caspian Sea

Russia
Iran
Georgia

[formercia]

6. Saakashvili was counting on Putin being out of touch in Beijing

and that the messenger to Moscow would run out of horses before the invasion of South Ossetia was over.

Old American saying: You can outrun a Chevy, you can outrun a Ford, but you can't outrun a Motorola.

[ColbertWatcher]

9. Here's a file photo from July 9, 2008 of Rice with Saakashvili...

[bemildred]

10. Boy, you can just feel the sexual tension.

Hot hot hot ...