On August 8, 2008, a region between Russia and Georgia, called South Ossetia, was attacked by Georgian forces without warning, although it comes after years of tension. BBC foreign editor, Richard Beeston explains some history and lays out the stakes in his article, ("Why This Conflict Matters to the West."e)
The attack came a month after the U.S., Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Ukraine conducted a NATO exercise in Georgia beginning July 5th.
The relationship between the U.S. and Georgia also includes 2000 Georgian troops in Iraq which makes it the third largest contingency, right behind Great Britain and the U.S. These will be withdrawn for troops to be utilized in the current conflict.
There seems to be evidence that the Georgian military not only had United States training, possibly U.S. mercenaries participated in the attack.
Florida resident Joe Mestasl, who was visiting Ossetia when the attack occurred, had these comments;
“I thought that since U.S. is supporting Georgia there would be some control over the situation in South Ossetia and that there would be a peaceful solution to the conflict. But what is happening there now it’s not just war, but war crimes. George Bush and [Georgian president] Mikhail Saakashvili should answer to the crimes that are being committed – the killing of innocent people, running over by tanks of children and women, throwing grenades into cellars where people are hiding.”
“The war is when military fight against military. But the Georgian army is killing innocent civilians. This is genocide, he added.
The Russian army began a counter offensive, and it continues.
And now Bush and Cheney are making all kinds of pronouncements about how Russia has gone too far and our relationship is at risk.
So let me get this straight. We enlist Georgia to be a part of our "War on Terror" and provide training, weaponry support and perhaps mercenary troops that helped stage a preemptive strike in Ossetia, a region with Russian support. And, adding fuel to the fire,much to the distress of Putin and other officials, the neocons decided to jump start the cold war by [placing missiles in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic - which was opposed by 70% of the Czech population. population.
What if Russia decided to put missiles in Canada and Mexico? Besides the missile defense system being a boon doogle, Scott Ritter's analysis in 2007/ describes the tragedy of American unilateral approach.
My friend Bruce Gagnon, who keeps us all informed about weapons in space has [written an article that outlines the oil and gas interests in the Caspian Seal and suggests this conflict too, is "all about oil."
Justin Raimondo pf Antiwar.com, suggests this is the beginning of a wider war.
It certainly is no time to be bellicose. But the individuals making these decisions are the same ones who lied about the safety of the air quality on 9/11, torture, listen to conversations without warrants, manipulated the Congress into a war on terror, threaten Iran with a preemptive strike, bankrupted the nation and have little concern for truth, rational thinking or reasonable analysis. They are criminals in need of impeachment, trial and conviction for War Crimes and for not upholding and defending the Constitution of the United States.
Will American citizens wake up to say "Enough is Enough?"