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!

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

:rolleyes:

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

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

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.

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

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.

lexhamfox on August 12, 2008 at 5:39 PM

The enemy of my enemy is my [gulp} friend.

But if you want to continue thinking that there are clearly good guys and bad guys here… by all means enjoy the illusion.

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.

TexasDan on August 12, 2008 at 1:18 PM

I would question anything in which Soros is involved.

I’m friggin’ tired.

Now tell me, was it worth it?

No more than you would support a full scale attack by Georgia on the local population centers in a surprise attack which left lots of civilians dead. The Russian attack came after the Georgian assault.

lexhamfox on August 12, 2008 at 4:45 PM

So no one from South Ossetia, which is a part of Georgia, attacked Georgia first?

Madison

No more than you would support a full scale attack by Georgia on the local population centers in a surprise attack which left lots of civilians dead. The Russian attack came after the Georgian assault.

Bigfoot on August 12, 2008 at 8:31 AM

True dat…

The Russians would argue that they are fighting for the freedom of South Ossetia. Just saying.

fossten on August 12, 2008 at 9:11 AM

And the Russians would be wrong–point of fact, they’d be lying. The Truth is not relative.