Putin Defiant As Georgians Die In A Hostile Takeover
What reason, what logic does Putin and the new Russian regime have for this….
Photo Reuters
Bush who is just as guilty for his war crimes, sat in China watching the Olympics while Putin rushed back to Russia for his all out assault on a sovereign nation. Georgia, a small sovereign nation about the size of South Carolina with about 26,000 in the Georgian military, and about 17,000 of them are in the army. Verses Russia, who could fit Georgia in their back pocket, has an army 20 times larger; about 641,000 are in its armed forces and 320,000 of whom are in the army.
In the now fashionable 21st Century world leaders use Orwellian lingo “war is peace”
“We are enforcing peace,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who reported that the death toll was at 1,500 and climbing. That figure could not be confirmed.
Washington Post Foreign Service; Monday, August 11, 2008; 4:47 PM
“At this hour, the invading army of the Russian Federation has entered Georgian territory outside the conflict zones of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” the government said in a statement issued shortly before 8 p.m. Monday local time. “The Georgian army is retreating to defend the capital. The government is urgently seeking international intervention to prevent the fall of Georgia and the further loss of life.”
- The Russian moves sparked increasing Western criticism, with President Bush complaining that Russia’s actions were “disproportionate” and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling on Moscow to accept a Georgian cease-fire offer.
- “There is no justification for continued Russian military action in Georgia, which threatens the stability of the entire region and risks a humanitarian catastrophe,” Brown said in a statement Monday.
- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dismissed the criticism and denounced the United States for airlifting Georgian troops home from Iraq and inserting them “effectively into the conflict zone.” Georgian officials said nearly all of the country’s 2,000-member contingent in Iraq has returned to Georgia.
In a previous post, I knew Putin would smack Bush for moving Georgian troops from Iraq to Georgia.
Guardian. UK; Monday August 11 2008 21:55 BST
- But tonight sources in Moscow and Tbilisi and observers on the ground confirmed that Russian troops had advanced tens of miles into Georgian-held territory from Abkhazia.
- Russian troops and armoured vehicles were in control of a Georgian military base at Senaki, 25 miles into Georgian territory from the Abkhaz boundary, UN military observers confirmed. The Russians had also seized Georgian police stations in Zugdidi after a Russian commander delivered an ultimatum to the Georgians to surrender their weapons near the Abkhaz frontlines. The western towns of Kutaisy and Kurga, previously Georgian-held, were also said to be under the Russians or their Abkhaz allies.
- Georgian officials claimed that Russian tanks and armoured vehicles seized Gori after advancing south from South Ossetia, smashing the Georgian lines in two places to take control of the town that straddles the country’s main road connecting the eastern and western parts of Georgia. Residents were reported to be fleeing south towards Tbilisi in panic and to a soundtrack of crashing Russian tank shells.
I’m sure Putin could give a rats behind about what Bush had to say. I wonder if Bush saw this coming when he looked into Putin’s eyes.
Bush said it appeared Moscow was trying to overthrow the elected government of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, a close U.S. ally.
“Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century,” Bush told reporters at the White House.
“There is evidence that Russian forces may soon begin bombing the civilian airport in the capital city. If these reports are accurate, these Russian actions would represent a dramatic and brutal escalation of the conflict in Georgia.”
“Russia’s actions this week have raised serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region. These actions have substantially damaged Russia’s standing in the world,” he said. “And these actions jeopardize Russia’s relations with the United States and Europe. It is time for Russia to be true to its word and to act to end this crisis.”
I truly hope we are not pulled into this mess. Hey, has anyone seen Cheney?

A Georgian reservist gestures as he sits in a bus in central Gori, 80 km (50 miles) from Tbilisi, August 9, 2008.









August 12th, 2008 at 8:30 am
My position is not a popular one, but the simple fact of the matter is that it is Georgia who is responsible for these scenes of violence. The corrupt quasi-dictatorship in Georgia decided to seek a diversion from all of the economic and political failures of the Georgian Government through the act of military action (sound familiar?,) and they took on someone with both the willingness and the means to destroy their abilities to ever do so again.
August 12th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
JR:
Glad to see you again.
I will agree that Georgian government is a corrupt. Their fascination with Bush and classing him as a hero is suspicious at least. Their president will probably end up on the long list of U.S. back dictators.
For me Russia’s response was out of control based on strength and resources. Georgia’s president greatly underestimated the power of Russia and the serious of their poor judgment.
All the mad men involved are guilt.
August 16th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Just a couple of statements:
Georgia attacked the capital of South Ossetia first for civilian targets.
South Ossetia is an independend region/state.
Why no pictures from South Ossetia? There’s lots more civilans killed there.
August 16th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
CarlT:
Interesting you should ask for South Ossetia picutre, at the time of this posting, pictures available were of Georgia only. The only picutres I ran accross for South Ossetia were the Russian tanks rolling through the mountains towards Georgia.
So you can say that once again the media is one sided.
In my opinion everyone involved is at fault, including NATO and the EU.