Georgia <-> Russia Conflict, what do you think?

[arrowspark]

Georgia is a US ally and Russia is not. BUT WTF was Georgia thinking, they attacked first. You don't punch the schoolyard bully first and then go crying to the teacher when the bully hits you back.

[BambooLounge]

At least 75% of America thinks the commies are invading Atlanta, GA right now based on thread titles and CNN headlines like this.

[Liqwid]

I think we need to kick some major Russia ass! That's what I think.

[Centauri]

Originally Posted by BambooLounge

At least 75% of America thinks the commies are invading Atlanta, GA right now based on thread titles and CNN headlines like this.

So true.

That's why I hate living in Oklahoma. Any mention of Georgia or Turkey always elicits moronic jokes around here.

Anyways, Georgia's got balls. Though I suspect they didn't proceed without some kind of safety net.

[Godstar]

I think it's going to be a pretty messy conflict, especially if the fighting gets bad.

[kch2003]

Everything I am reading says Russia hit first....so where are you getting that Georgia did?? I'm checking BBC and CNN...

[zombiequest]

Their "safty-net" is probably them thinking Us... friggin idiots. This would be just like Isreal attacking Iran expecting us to come along... fuck that, best of luck to you... we got our own problems.

[arrowspark]

Originally Posted by kch2003

Everything I am reading says Russia hit first....so where are you getting that Georgia did?? I'm checking BBC and CNN...

No, read teh articles carefully, Georgia hit russian positions in South Ossetia first, and Russia responded with Planes and Tanks. Georgia definitely fired trhe first salvo as the olympics began, hoping to catch teh russians off guard.

[Praetorian]

This is a pretty complicated topic, but I'm pretty sure this is being considered an invasion by Russia into Georgia. I say that because this whole conflict is because of the province of Ossetia. North Ossetia is inside of Russia while South Ossetia is in Georgia. Georgia's position is that they were attacked by Ossetian rebels and then retreated back into a 'neutral' zone. Georgian troops then went in after the rebels to capture them and the city. Except by the rules of war, if the city would be captured then Ossetia would be considered part of Georgia; even though part of North Ossetia lies inside of Russia.

Georgians and Russians have been fighting each other after the break up of the Soviet Union. Russia can't allow Georgia to to acquire part of its territory in such a manor, and therefore said they were supporting the efforts of the "separatists seeking freedom" (Ossetians). In their bid to support Ossetia, Russia bombed a Georgian airbase and some other areas; and as a result, lost two bombers.

My guess is that this will pretty much end without any further aggression from either side. They both made their point that neither side is willing to back down and both sides lost quite a few people in the process. It will be interesting to see what the Russians will do over the weekend, especially since the Olympics just started.

[LtLalue]

so who's the terrorists (or supporters of Terrorism) between Russia and Georgia?

I think Russia should help Iraq out, either way.

[Praetorian]

Originally Posted by LtLalue

so who's the terrorists (or supporters of Terrorism) between Russia and Georgia?

I think Russia should help Iraq out, either way.

What are you talking about, "who are the terrorists"??

[kch2003]

Originally Posted by LtLalue

so who's the terrorists (or supporters of Terrorism) between Russia and Georgia?

I think Russia should help Iraq out, either way.

Russia is supposed to (or already did) pull their troops out of Iraq due to this situation. They had the 3rd most troops there, under US and UK.

I'm guessing you mean who is the "terrorist", like who are "the US" condemning in this process? We are siding with Georgia I believe...since they are an ally? Although I don't know too much about the history and subject...sounds like Pretorian can clarify pretty well.

[arrowspark]

Originally Posted by Praetorian

This is a pretty complicated topic, but I'm pretty sure this is being considered an invasion by Russia into Georgia. I say that because this whole conflict is because of the province of Ossetia. North Ossetia is inside of Russia while South Ossetia is in Georgia. Georgia's position is that they were attacked by Ossetian rebels and then retreated back into a 'neutral' zone. Georgian troops then went in after the rebels to capture them and the city. Except by the rules of war, if the city would be captured then Ossetia would be considered part of Georgia; even though part of North Ossetia lies inside of Russia.

Georgians and Russians have been fighting each other after the break up of the Soviet Union. Russia can't allow Georgia to to acquire part of its territory in such a manor, and therefore said they were supporting the efforts of the "separatists seeking freedom" (Ossetians). In their bid to support Ossetia, Russia bombed a Georgian airbase and some other areas; and as a result, lost two bombers.

My guess is that this will pretty much end without any further aggression from either side. They both made their point that neither side is willing to back down and both sides lost quite a few people in the process. It will be interesting to see what the Russians will do over the weekend, especially since the Olympics just started.

Yeah, if russia keeps on attacking international public opinion will turn harder against them for picking on a small country. They'll probably declare a cease fire ina day or two and then mediators will go in and do some hand holding for the two sides.

[kch2003]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe...tia/index.html

State of War officially declared....That's NOT good.

TBLISI, Georgia (CNN) -- Georgia declared a state of war Saturday as fierce battles with Russia military over the breakaway region of South Ossetia entered their second day.
Georgian police help a wounded soldier in the town of Gori on Friday.

Russia has launched a full-scale military invasion of Georgia, President Mikhail Saakashvili said during a brief news conference Saturday afternoon.

"We are dealing with absolutely criminal and crazy acts of irresponsible and reckless decision makers, which is on the ground producing dramatic and tragic consequences," Saakashvili said.

Saakashvili compared the Russian invasion, which he called unprovoked, to the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

President George W. Bush called for an immediate halt to the fighting saying the United States is "deeply concerned."

"We have urged an immediate halt to the violence and a standown by all troops, and call for end to the Russian bombings and a return by the parties to the status quo of August the sixth," he said in a statement Saturday.

Russian paratroopers entered the capital of South Ossetia on Saturday as part of a military operation that Russia said was intended to force the Georgian side to cease fire.

Separatist-backed South Ossetian sources reported about 1,600 people have died and 90 have been wounded in the capital of Tskhinvali after two days of fighting, but Georgian officials said the figure was inflated. The Georgians said they didn't have their own death toll, but it would likely be closer to 100.

Inna Gagloyeva, the spokeswoman for the South Ossetian Information and Press Committee, told the Interfax news agency the capital was being "massively shelled" with artillery guns.

It was also unclear which side was in control of Tskhinvali on Saturday, with the Georgian side saying fighting still raged but the Russians saying they have "liberated" the city.

"Battalion task forces have fully liberated Tskhinvali of Georgian armed forces and started pushing Georgian units out of the area of responsibility of the peacekeeping forces," said General Vladimir Boldyrev, commander of the Russian Ground Forces, in an interview with Interfax.

Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, told a news conference that the paratroopers will "implement the operation of enforcing peace" on both sides.

Nogovitsyn also confirmed that Georgians had shot down two Russian aircraft.

Russia said the troops were also reinforcing the Russian peacekeepers already in South Ossetia.

"Our peacekeepers, along with reinforcement units, are currently conducting an operation to force the Georgian side to accept peace," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said at the Kremlin, according to the RIA-Novosti news agency. "They are also responsible for protecting the population."

Interfax said 15 peacekeepers were killed in the Friday attack by Georgian troops. Russia has opened a criminal probe into their deaths, Interfax reported.

Georgia, a former Soviet Republic, is a pro-Western ally of the United States intent on asserting its authority over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which both have strong Russian-backed separatist movements.

Russia moved troops into South Ossetia early Friday after Georgia launched an operation in the breakaway region when its unilateral cease-fire was met with what it said was artillery fire from separatists that killed 10 people, including peacekeepers and civilians. Video Watch images of crashed Georgian war plane »

Russia charged that Georgia had targeted its peacekeepers stationed in the region. Video Watch Georgian minister describe fighting in South Ossetia »

Medvedev said Saturday that Georgia must be held responsible for the situation in South Ossetia.

"The people responsible for this humanitarian disaster need to be held liable for what they have done," Medvedev said. He said the humanitarian problems were caused by "the aggression launched by the Georgian side against the South Ossetian civilians and Russian peacekeepers."

Russian officials said more than 30,000 refugees have left South Ossetia and crossed into Russia over the past two days, since fighting began, Interfax reported.

A Red Cross official in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi was unable to provide refugee or casualty figures Saturday morning because she said aid workers were still gathering information and visiting hospitals in South Ossetia and western Georgia, where she said two towns suffered damage overnight.

Maia Kardava, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross delegation in Tbilisi, said Russian forces bombarded military and civilian targets the port town of Poti, on Georgia's Black Sea coast. Georgian officials said eight Georgians were killed in the port town.

In the town of Senaki, just inland from Poti, Russian forces damaged a railway line, a military base, and a center housing civilians who fled from nearby Abkhazia, another breakaway Georgian region.

The Georgian town of Gori, about 35 miles northwest of Tbilisi, came under attack from Russian aircraft, Georgian officials said.

Inside South Ossetia, civilians have been without water, electricity, and basic services for more than a day, Kardava said. She said the Red Cross was unable to reach colleagues based in Tskhinvali because their phones had lost power and they were huddled in bomb shelters.
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Also Saturday, the commander of Georgian troops stationed in Iraq said the 2,000 soldiers currently there will be withdrawn from Iraq "very soon."

Colonel Bondo Maisuradze said the United States would provide the transport to get them out of Iraq. He said he had no timeframe for the move.

[Praetorian]

That's actually really big news. I'm stunned that Russia would actually carry out an offensive into Georgia. Russia has now bombed a Georgian airbase, two towns, and have struck the capital of Ossetia that had been previously occupied by Georgia. That's a major escalation and could be considered a state of war.

I'm not sure what the position of the US would be because Georgia is a very close ally of ours. I'm confused about this though; Russia said that their invasion was to 'force' Georgia into a cease-fire. Georgia has offered the cease-fire, but Russia responded with artillery fire when the cease-fire was announced! I didn't at all see this conflict getting this bad this quickly. It looks like to me that Russia isn't recognizing the government of Georgia right now.

What the fuck is going through the minds of both Russia and Georgia??