llama66 llama66:
Russia had Casus Belli, whether or not South Ossetia was ever sovereign, like some have mentioned. Russian peacekeepers were killed when Georgia launched a massive missile attack on South Ossetia, killing a number of Russian peacekeepers. Of course the Georgia is important to the west, an Allied nation in the Caucasus region would be aces, I believe someone even mentioned Georgia would be a fantastic jumping point for Iran. But as there is no formal defensive type pacts with the west has to sit this one out. Russia has always been aggressive, but look at history, Mongols in 1223, Napoleon in 1812, Hitler in 1941, all attacked Russia without provocation. They have always had to defend themselves against others who would take their resources. Don't make Russia out to be a blood thirsty nation.
@llama66, good luck trying to educate any of the knuckledraggers on this site.
You know the old saying, "those who ignore history are doomed to repeat what they hear on FOX, or CNN or the CBC."
They've clearly forgotten (or, more likely, they never knew) about George Bush Sr.'s personal promise that NATO would not expand east of Germany.
They've clearly forgotten that Russia has already signed the conventional weapons treaty and moved heavy weapons east of the Urals while NATO countries refuse to ratify.
They've clearly forgotten the new US/NATO ABM sites going in to Poland and the Czech Republic.
They've clearly forgotten that the US unilaterally abandoned the ABM treaty.
They've clearly forgotten that Russian peacekeepers have been in S. Ossetia since the early 90's.
They clearly never knew that Russia has been trying to get Georgia to sign an agreement to keep troops and weapons out of S. Ossetia but Georgia refuses to sign.
They clearly dont know that Bush has been supplying massive amounts of military aid to Georgia in order to make all this possible (not to mention the US training Georgian forces and Israel supplying military advisers).
They clearly never knew that Georgian forces rolled heavy weapons and troops in S. Ossetia late Thursday/early Friday, and turned this simmering conflict in to a shooting war.
Even the National Post knows that:
$1:
Russia and Georgia came into direct conflict over South Ossetia this week after Tbilisi launched an offensive to regain control over its separatist region.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=713246All the while Georgian President Saakashvili was crying that the big, bad Russians picked a perfect day to attack little Georgia! It was in fact Georgia who picked the day to attack Russian peacekeepers in S. Ossetia.
They clearly never knew that on Friday, Georgia unilaterally declared a cease-fire then broke it a few hours later.
They clearly never knew that Georgia has bombed the main hospital in Tskhinvali
They clearly have no idea...
They do have one thing right, though. Underneath all the real fighting, there are Great Game politics at work here. No doubt that Georgia received tacit approval for their offensive from the US. No doubt Russia is pissed about Georgia trying to get into NATO. Russia's behaviour might have been different over the last several months if the USA had not recognized the breakaway Kosovo republic, in direct violation of UN rules. Tit for tat. The US has been looking for every opportunity to move their pawns in this region of the board.
If the US had peacekeepers in a breakaway republic in norther Mexico for the last 15 years and the Mexican army rolled into the region and started shooting at American soldiers, you can bet the US response would be swift and harsh.
Meanwhile, people are dying.
CKA Uber 
![[B-o]](./images/smilies/drinkup.gif "Drink up")
