Georgia, Ossetia & Russia

[Detomah]

If you aren't aware of the situation, some info can be found here:

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Peace bid as Ossetia crisis rages

Discuss. In a sensible manner please.

[teflon]

From what I can tell, and it's far from clear at the moment, the separatists mounted attacks on the Georgian military, and when they tried to fight back, the Russians saw their chance to expand a bit.
Georgia are completely snookered, they can't fight Russia and nobody would dare turn up to help them. It's actually quite good tactics by the Russians because they know the only possible outcome is Ossetia joining them.

It's tough for a proud country like Georgia to let go of a whole region like that, but I really can't see any other option. You don't fuck with Russia.

[Mars]

It's sad that after the collapse of communism, the former soviet states
have turned on each other like this, rather than working together to
make the transition to democracy, and join the rest of the free world in
trade, etc, they are just squaring up to one another and dogfighting,

I also hate the way that all their economies are black market, and everything is controlled
by the russian mafia, that Putin guys also scares the crap outta me, to think he's
got his finger on the nuclear button too...

[meow]

I think the leaders an politicians should fight it out themselves personaly in a televised "battle royale"

[LippoW]

WW3 inc, dodge if possible. Parry won't work

[Tagred]

Georgia called a cease fire now, s things will be quiet for a couple weeks maybe.

[Detomah]

Originally Posted by Tagred

Georgia called a cease fire now, s things will be quiet for a couple weeks maybe.

Georgia move fails to halt raids

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Georgia move fails to halt raids

This aint going quiet at all and by a long long way.

Russia and the people of South Ossetia are openly accusing Georgia military of ethnically clensing in Ossetia.

Russia and the media are showing constant streams that prove beyond any doubt that Georgia are still fighting in Ossetia and are firing rockets and the likes at Russian targets.

Russia are not just attacking Ossetia, they are also attacking Georgians in and beyond Abkhazia and have armed the rebels in that region too.

Russia is still dropping bombs on Gori and even on targets in and around Tbilisi itself.

This is far from over, this is just the beginning. Russia is just starting to flex it's muscles and right now a whole array of governments are seriously worried what Russia plans on doing next.

[teflon]

Originally Posted by Detomah

Russia is just starting to flex it's muscles and right now a whole array of governments are seriously worried what Russia plans on doing next.

Russia turning expansionist again would be slightly worrying. They still control the utilities of a lot of the former USSR countries including Georgia so could cut them off and it would be like a modern-day siege.

[Tagred]

I dunno, Russia flexing its muscles is one thing, it helps to remind these tiny wannabe countries that there is still an overlord. I think though that Russia can only do so much unless and until they really move to sell their resources worldwide, perhaps these are moves along those lines.

If they dont re-establish their super power status through selling resources then i think that their little brother China will need to start supporting them. Of course im talking a decade or so ahead.

Its only interesting to us because of the gas pipeline now, otherwise you can bet none of us would have heard of ossetia.

Nothing will be done if russia do decide to take over georgia, so why do we need to be worried? It's 1956 all over again almost.

[Osborne]

At the end of the day, these areas in question, there are two now, how a majority of people who want nothing to do with Georgia.

Georgia itself is a relatively new country, there is no shame in my opinion in rewritting the maps over terrotory.