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Power Grab
Posted by Duncan on August 11th, 2008
It looks like Russia’s military grab in the Georgian region continues even as Georgia presses for a ceasefire and has pulled its troops out of the disputed South Ossetia:
We helped in Iraq – now help us, beg Georgians
As a Russian jet bombed fields around his village, Djimali Avago, a Georgian farmer, asked me: “Why won’t America and Nato help us? If they won’t help us now, why did we help them in Iraq?”
A similar sense of betrayal coursed through the conversations of many Georgians here yesterday as their troops retreated under shellfire and the Russian Army pressed forward to take full control of South Ossetia.
Unfortunately, the Georgian’s are learning what happens when a reborn super-power knocks on your door, provoked or unprovoked. Your allies are reluctant to recreate World Wars I & II by fighting over a small parcel of land called Sudetenland South Ossetia. Russia is stepping lightly to see our response, and they’ll continue to press and absorb as much as possible until the West does more than just “talk”.
Swarms of Russian jets bomb Georgian targets
Georgia: Gori evacuated as fears of Russian advance into Georgia grow
But American diplomats conceded that the US had few options and ruled out military intervention on behalf of Georgia. “We have no good options,” a US National Security Council official told The Daily Telegraph. “We need Russia’s co-operation over Iran and derailing that over a localised conflict in Georgia makes no sense. We just have to hope that diplomacy prevails. The next necessary step is for Russia to respond positively to Georgia’s ceasefire declaration.”
Yep. Georgia, thanks for your help in Iraq. Sorry that Russia is all but in control of your nation, but we have other problems, bigger than yours apparently. Good luck, hopefully Russia will “respond positively to Georgia’s ceasefire declaration”. Either that or they’ll just annex your nation and make it part of the Russian Federation. Either way… your screwed.
August 11th, 2008 at 11:40 am
As I said, we have no national interest in this conflict. It hasn’t grown to a regional multi-nation war YET, and the US has no desire to get involved.
Interesting read here:
http://tigerhawk.blogspot.com/2008/08/true-colors-wheres-anti-war-movement-on.html
August 11th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
The problem I have Raven is that this is a U.S. ally, and they’re under a very brutal attack, and it is looking like the Georgians will need a miracle not to be completely overrun by the Russians. And by completely overrun I mean the “liquidation” of their present elected government and the installation of a
SovietRussian puppet one. An U.S. ally. When we start abandoning allies, it’ll be hard to keep the ones we have or get new ones. And I understand that we are in a predicament where we really don’t want an all out shooting war with Russia. But damn it, there Russians are making a blatant power grab under the pretenses of “peace-keeping”. An ally is all but BEGGING us, and we just stand there, life vest in hand, shake our heads, and say “sorry, friend. it’ll cost us too much to help.”We’re having a good discussion over at Misha’s place, here and here. And I begrudingly agreed with Misha that the Russians could come and defend their “citizens” in South Ossetia. But now, things are progressing to the point of The Bear™ flexing its muscle and seeing what the reaction of the West will be, which will be half-hearted exclamations of outrage, handwringing, and gnashing of teeth. And that’s it.
August 11th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Four More Wars!!
Four More Wars!!
August 11th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
I know Duncan. It shames me. It really does…hasn’t the US done this before? And where has it landed us?
As discussed before, the Liberal US doesn’t have the stomach for this either…there is little to know political support for helping…and in the end we will pay. Russia is nasty and we should know this based upon history. But have we learned?
No.
August 11th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
If I were President, I would be telling Russia to get out or face military action from the US…we have troops in the region (sort of) and I would not blink the eye. No bluffing. Get out or else. And if it came down to it, I would order action to assist Georgia to remove the Russians from their territory. The shit will fall where it will fall- might as well let it send a message to our allies current and future: WE STAND WITH YOU. And let it tell our enemies current and future; DON’T MESS WITH US, or our ALLIES.
:letsroll: