Russia/Georgia Situation News & Updates

VIDEO - Putin: U.S. orchestrated war



(CNN)

Putin:

- The U.S. orchestrated the war for political reasons.

- Russia has evidence that U.S. personnel were on the ground, in the conflict zone - not just observing or training Georgian forces but actually taking part in combat operations against the Russians.

- Russian officials say a U.S. passport - bearing the name of a Texas resident - was discovered at the operating base of the Georgian Special Forces.


Some interesting stuff there.

The 2nd point would concern me the most, if it's true.

reply to post by Mammoth


There was some talk about Americans (they said that they knew that they were Americans because at least one was black and Georgia does not have black soldiers) captured on the first day(s), but I didn't see any follow up on that.

reply to post by pluckynoonez


It's no surprise that Russia's Asian partners prefer to stand aside during this affair.

China and India have been growing more moderate lately. Their main focus now is economic, and they do not want to risk their prospective economic growth - even for an alliance with Russia. Perhaps China finally became a true businessman abandoning its Maoist dogma's in the process.


Another reason why they don't throw their lot with the Russians - is that they face their own separatist and ethnical struggles. Taking a stand in favor of S Ossetia's or Abkhazia's independence will cast their own local efforts in doubt. At this point they cannot afford that.

If you remember neither China nor India rushed to recognize Kosovo for the same reason.



It would appear as if Russia is indeed alone here. U.S. has cast much of the world in its image during recent decades - including China and even Russia.

Now what you have is not capitalism vs communism, or democracy vs oppression - but U.S vs U.S. wanna-be's. Russia and China today are becoming more and more like the U.S. - rather than communist. Communism is crumbling and is in the last stages of decay.

reply to post by ArMaP


Yeah it is awkward that there were no updates on the "Western mercenaries" captured by Russia. Russia and Georgia already exchanged captured personel. Georgian prisoners were shown being transported back to Georgia, and it did not look like they have anyone of African decent among them.

So Russia is either still holding them, or this was a false rumor all along.

Russia, U.S trade barbs over Iraq, Kosovo at UN

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 28 (Reuters) - U.S. and Russian envoys exchanged sharp words on Thursday over Iraq and Kosovo at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Georgia, at which Russia found little support for its actions in the Caucasus.

(AlertNet)

Worth a quick read.


This bit:

Russia's U.N. envoy, Vitaly Churkin, suggested Wolff's statement was hypocritical and referred to the U.S.-led March 2003 invasion of Iraq, which Moscow strongly opposed.

"I would like to ask the distinguished representative of the United States -- weapons of mass destruction. Have you found them yet in Iraq or are you still looking for them?"

Made me 'LOL'.

reply to post by chips


It's about bloody time somebody started asking these obvious questions. It's like everybody is amazed by the hypocrisy, but nobody never says a thing. I can't understand how Europe and the USA can get away with such shocking double standards. All the big players are just as bad as each other, but for some strange reason, the Western powers seem to think they're the only ones who can literally get away with murder.

We live in a strange world.

Cheney to give Georgia more U.S. reassurances

WASHINGTON, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney in his first visit to Tbilisi next week will assure Georgia that the United States stands firmly with its ally which is reeling from a decisive military defeat at Russian hands.

(AlertNet)

I reckon they did it because they want to put a big Baghdad or camp bondsteel style military base in georgia.. right by the pipeline . You notice how the other bases in s asia are on or are by projected pipelines. Where theres a pipeline theres a base. Except without this Russian 'invasion' ... large scale militarization , missile sites and bases in georgia would appear provocative and excessive , now they can be said to be ...responsive and appropriate.

Georgian people and EU might not have liked to see US troops all over the place Iraq style without a good excuse. The Georgian people will see US troops as protecting them rather than as interlopers or worse.. occupiers, therby avoiding the trouble of having 'insurgents' to fight. It's altogether a better PR exercize to be perceived as 'defenders' than as a hawk perched periously close to it's prey .

They can then have a large number of troops in georgia, and any caspian sea nations in the area , if they feel threatened , will be given the seemingly reasonable excuse that these are only 'peacekeepers' to prevent further hostilities from Russia.

A big base in Georgia will be strategic in that opens up a new front near Iran's northern border, it'll have force projection for any kind of further military push into the caspian sea area and also blocking Russia off from Iran. And acting as a general deterrance for any Russian expansion ideas towards the former soviet energy rich nations in the region . It will tie in with the new geostrategic imperative being voiced regarding emphasis on southern asia/ caspian sea rather than the ME.

Maybe a new naval port at Poti with upgraded railway structure across Georgia to Baku in Az , then along the existing supply lines across the caspian sea through Turkmen / northern (friendly) Afghanistan will alleviate the logistic problems they have and help bypass the dangerous pakistan/ kyber pass route . Also , lessening US dependence to some degree on Pakistan.

That it seemed to have some effect on the US election is probably a sideline but useful additional benefit.


[edit on 29-8-2008 by Gun Totin Gerbil]

Originally posted by maloy

China and India have been growing more moderate lately. Their main focus now is economic, and they do not want to risk their prospective economic growth - even for an alliance with Russia. Perhaps China finally became a true businessman abandoning its Maoist dogma's in the process.


Another reason why they don't throw their lot with the Russians - is that they face their own separatist and ethnical struggles. Taking a stand in favor of S Ossetia's or Abkhazia's independence will cast their own local efforts in doubt. At this point they cannot afford that.

If you remember neither China nor India rushed to recognize Kosovo for the same reason.

Excellent analysis.

This is 100% correct. Recognizing a secessionist group's sovereignty in another nation would open a can of worms when it comes to Tibet/Kashmir, etc.

[edit on 28-8-2008 by _Del_]

Will Turkey Abandon NATO?

Will Turkey side with the United States, its NATO ally, and let more U.S. military ships into the Black Sea to assist Georgia? Or will it choose Russia?

A Turkish refusal would seriously impair American efforts to support the beleaguered Caucasus republic. Ever since Turkey joined NATO in 1952, it has hoped to never have to make a choice between the alliance and its Russian neighbor to the North. Yet that is precisely the decision before Ankara. If Turkey does not allow the ships through, it will essentially be taking Russia's side.

(The Wall Street Journal)

Russia may cut off oil supply to the west

Fears are mounting that Russia may restrict oil deliveries to Western Europe over coming days, in response to the threat of EU sanctions and Nato naval actions in the Black Sea.

Any such move would be a dramatic escalation of the Georgia crisis and play havoc with the oil markets.

Reports have begun to circulate in Moscow that Russian oil companies are under orders from the Kremlin to prepare for a supply cut to Germany and Poland through the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline. It is believed that executives from lead-producer LUKoil have been put on weekend alert.

"They have been told to be ready to cut off supplies as soon as Monday," claimed a high-level business source, speaking to The Daily Telegraph. Any move would be timed to coincide with an emergency EU summit in Brussels, where possible sanctions against Russia are on the agenda.

Any evidence that the Kremlin is planning to use the oil weapon to intimidate the West could inflame global energy markets. US crude prices jumped to $119 a barrel yesterday on reports of hurricane warnings in the Gulf of Mexico, before falling back slightly.

It is widely assumed that Russia would cut gas supplies rather than oil as a means of pressuring Europe. It is very hard to find alternative sources of gas. But gas cuts would not hurt the United States. Oil is a better weapon for striking at the broader Western world.

The price is global. The US economy could suffer serious damage from the immediate knock-on effects.

Telegraph

Edit

Link didn't go to the right page.


[edit on 29-8-2008 by Gun Totin Gerbil]

France's Kouchner Has "Sick Imagination" -Russian Foreign Min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner had a "sick imagination" for saying that Moscow had designs on the Crimea, Ukraine and Moldova.

"This takes a sick imagination," Lavrov told reporters in response to Kouchner's allegation that, after recognizing the independence of two rebel Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russia could threaten other parts of the former Soviet Union.

nasdaq.com

Russia accuses UN of double standards over Georgian regions

Russia has accused the UN Security Council of having double standards over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and of lacking understanding of the conflicts in the separatist Georgian regions.

"Abkhazia and South Ossetia have much stronger grounds for independence than Kosovo," Russia's envoy to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, told an open session of the Security Council on Thursday.

RIA Novosti

The mentioning of Kouchner reminded me of what was posted here, where he said that the Russians were going to make an ethnic cleansing that night.

Did anyone saw more about it, or is this just one more of those comments that disappear as they never had been made?

reply to post by ArMaP


I only found this, which has a little more info on what he said.

The French Foreign Ministry later explained that Kouchner was referring to violent acts by South Ossetian militias against the Georgian population in the town of Akhalgori cited in reports by Human Rights Watch and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

NZ Herald

Here's the followup on the passport of the acclaimed US citizen.
After Russian peacekeepers cleared the heavily defended building, a passport belonging to a Texan named Michael Lee White was discovered inside.

Georgia says cutting diplomatic ties with Russia

TBILISI, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Georgia will cut diplomatic ties with Russia over the Kremlin's recognition of two Georgian rebel regions as independent states, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said on Friday.

"We have received instructions at the Foreign Ministry and we will cut diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation," Vashadze told reporters. "The final decision has been made."

(AlertNet)

Tanks ‘Not Heading To Tbilisi’

Georgia’s deputy interior minister has rejected reports Russian forces were heading from the Georgian city of Gori toward the capital Tbilisi.

Witnesses had earlier said a column of Russian tanks had been seen heading from Gori towards Tbilisi, amid reports killing and looting was taking place.

So... we knew this was BS... Again Georgia admitting they were lying.

[edit on 29-8-2008 by Vitchilo]