Russia, Georgia, America...

Stop that. Stop that now. We're too old for this kind of nonsense.

Russia - Stop being a bully. You've proved your point
Georgia - Let S.O. have a referendum. As a state alone; it's more democratic than yourselves.
USA - Stop interfering. The hypocrisy is monumental.

Georgia > < Russia

I was only thinking about this on the way to work this morning

As I understand it Georgia invades (maybe disputed I'm not sure??) a chunk of Russia. Russia moves to throw them out and Russia are the bad guys. Have I got thet right, or did Russia move in unprovoked?

Secondly, how can that muppet Bush have the audacity to preach to Russia about invading sovereign states. IRRC the US did that to an arab state not so long a go because they maybe/might have WMDs but have definitley got a load of oil

Originally Posted by Tris

I was only thinking about this on the way to work this morning

As I understand it Georgia invades (maybe disputed I'm not sure??) a chunk of Russia. Russia moves to throw them out and Russia are the bad guys. Have I got thet right, or did Russia move in unprovoked?

Secondly, how can that muppet Bush have the audacity to preach to Russia about invading sovereign states. IRRC the US did that to an arab state not so long a go because they maybe/might have WMDs but have definitley got a load of oil

South Ossetia declared independence in the early 90s after a civil war. Since then they've governed themselves and it's been relatively peaceful. During the opening ceremony of the olympics, just hours after an agreed ceasfire between the S.O. separatists and Georgians the Georgian Army stormed in to 'claim back' their land, bombing a few civilian buildings. The Russians (who have some of their people in the region) just flattened them in what was obviously a preplanned attack. They claim to be protecting their people and was acting as a peacekeeper.

The reason the Russians are being criticised is the brute force they went in with. Thousands of civilians are dead already, and the Russian forces seem to be approaching the capital of Georgia; as if it's going for a complete takeover.

Regardless of the current conflict in the Middle East, this situation just harks back to the Kosovo crisis. There the Americans stormed in to protect the 'independent state' of Kosovo, regardless of the fact it wasn't recognise internationally. The hypocrisy is so, so deep.

[the_lone_wolf]

I quite liked the american spokesman on the radio yesterday who said something along the lines of:

"It's amazing that Russia thinks there is a military solution to this problem..."

Strangely ironic

It's bloody drepressing.

Apparently there's a cease fire... linky. Let's see how long that'll last.

Pah... theres been loads of those.

[Mr Speirs]

The only reason georgia invaded was because of a cease fire. Maybe now theres another they'll give russia a go?

[arc123]

It was known that a serious confrontation had been building up. British Intelligence predicted this year that a war in the Caucasus was probable. The focus was Georgia, the West’s main ally in the region and the only export route for Caspian oil and gas outside Kremlin control.

It's pretty accepted that Georgia being the 'West's main ally' means that they are supplied and funded militarily by America. And with the prospect of them being invited to join NATO (read America's arm of military power in Europe), I am not surprised that the Russians feel a little threatened by this.

In my opinion, it's another war for resources and balance of power.

[embee]

A few people need a good slap on the back of the leg and made to sit on the naughty step for an hour or 2, then sent to bed with no milk and biscuits.

Just leave other people alone and get on with something useful. Bunch of spoilt kids................