The Pause That Deposes
posted at 8:05 am on August 12, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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A number of reports have the Russians halting their military advance in Georgia, supposedly to negotiate a peaceful end to the conflict in the Caucasus. However, the Russians have something very different in mind. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov refused to negotiate with Georgia’s elected government, saying publicly that Mikheil Saakashvili “has to go”, while President Dmitri Medvedev ordered his troops to “crush” any remaining Georgian resistance.
If that sounds like peace, it’s the peace of the graveyard:
Medvedev ordered the military to quell any signs of Georgian resistance.
“If there are any emerging hotbeds of resistance or any aggressive actions, you should take steps to destroy them,” he told his defense minister at a Kremlin meeting.
Russia’s foreign minister, meanwhile, said that Georgia’s president must leave office and Georgian troops should stay out of the pro-Russian South Ossetia region for good.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow won’t talk to President Mikhail Saakashvili and Saakashvili “better go.”
The game plan has been revealed, for those who still hadn’t realized Russia’s larger plan. Putin doesn’t want Western-friendly governments in the former Soviet republics; he wants puppet governments answerable to Moscow. He supported the separatists in the Caucasus in order to deliberately provoke a incident he could exploit to depose the freely-elected government in Tbilisi and impose Russian rule through a proxy government imposed by force.
The demand for Saakashvili to resign should offend every free nation on Earth. Saakashvili represents Georgia, not the newly-birthed Russian Empire, and Moscow has no right to demand that a freely-elected president resign under force of arms. Free nations should also look toward Ukraine and recognize the next victim on Putin’s list.
For those who call this a peace, it is no such thing. The Russians have their boot on Georgia’s throat, and have only paused to get a surrender. (via Mark Impomeni)
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Yeah Klaus I’m sure you know who attacked who first in the Caucauses. It’s a moot point. But if you want to continue thinking that there are clearly good guys and bad guys here… by all means enjoy the illusion. I would like to see Georgia be a successful independent nation but they aren’t helping themselves by attacking the Russians.
lexhamfox on August 12, 2008 at 5:39 PM
It’s not good guys and bad guys. It’s allies and enemies. Georgia is an ally. Russia, regardless of pretenses, has established itself as an enemy.
MadisonConservative on August 12, 2008 at 5:57 PM
A true ally does not initiate a mission which could precipitate a crisis to shore up local political support without consulting its allies first.
lexhamfox on August 12, 2008 at 6:01 PM
The enemy of my enemy is my [gulp} friend.
Johan Klaus on August 12, 2008 at 6:01 PM
Georgia didn’t initiate anything. They reacted to attacks by South Ossetians, and Russia used the reaction as a casus belli to move in and take over. You may find “who attacked who” moot, but in reality there are acts of aggression, and reaction to those acts. The reaction is, often, something that cannot be done after waiting to approve actions with all allies.
MadisonConservative on August 12, 2008 at 6:15 PM
Why did the Russians pull back? They could have taken the entire country. Any thoughts?
NaCly dog on August 12, 2008 at 6:32 PM
Maybe they were afraid of what George would do.
Johan Klaus on August 12, 2008 at 6:39 PM
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of what’s un folding as we watch. Russia’s invasion of Georgia – a calculated, unprovoked aggression – is a crisis that may have more important strategic implications than Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
Let’s be clear: For all that US commentators and diplomats are still chattering about Russia’s “response” to Georgia’s actions, the Kremlin spent months planning and preparing this operation. Any soldier above the grade of private can tell you that there’s absolutely no way Moscow could’ve launched this huge ground, air and sea offensive in an instantaneous “response” to alleged Georgian actions.
As I pointed out Saturday, even to get one armored brigade over the Caucasus Mountains required extensive preparations. Since then, Russia has sent in the equivalent of almost two divisions – not only in South Ossetia, the scene of the original fighting, but also in separatist Abkhazia on the Black Sea coast.
The Russians also managed to arrange the instant appearance of a squadron of warships to blockade Georgia. And they launched hundreds of air strikes against preplanned targets.
- Ralph Peters
MB4 on August 12, 2008 at 6:56 PM
:rolleyes:
MB4 on August 12, 2008 at 6:58 PM
I think Putin may have under estimated President Bush. Many people have. We need to wait and see what P. Bush has planned.
Johan Klaus on August 12, 2008 at 7:07 PM
……… spot on!
Seven Percent Solution on August 12, 2008 at 10:56 PM
From the scuttlebutt I’ve been hearing, the Georgians are fighting a lot better than the Russians predicted, and thier own troops are doing worse.
MarkTheGreat on August 13, 2008 at 7:20 AM
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