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Debka (SALT IT) Debka say Georgia Lost Russia tells US what to do.....
As Russian warplanes struck positions in Georgias second breakaway province of Abkhazia, Saturday, Aug. 9, President Dimitry Medvedev told President George W. Bush in a phone call that Georgia must withdraw its forces from South Ossetia for hostilities to end. Its leaders must also sign a legally binding document not to use force.The virtual ultimatum was delivered in reply to the US presidents call on Russia to respect Georgian sovereign integrity and for both sides to accept international mediation. After deploying 100,000 troops and armor to occupy most of South Ossetia and warplanes to blast the Georgian town of Gori and Black Sea port of Poti, Russias ambassador to NATO said Russia does not consider itself to be in a state of war and accused Georgia of ethnic cleansing. As they spoke, the Abkhazian foreign minister Sergei Shamba announced that the secessionist province had launched air and artillery strikes to oust Georgian troops from its positions in the Kodori Gorge. Russian jets earlier bombed those positions. The Georgian president said his forces had successfully repelled those attacks. DEBKAfiles military analysts: Tiny Georgia with an army of less than 18,000, having been roundly defeated in South Ossetia, cannot hope to withstand the mighty Russian army in Abkhazia, even after initial successes. Therefore, President Mikhail Saakashvili, who was planning to join NATO, must consider both breakaway regions lost to Georgia and gained by Russia. Moscow has thus achieved payback for the US-NATO success in detaching Kosovo from Serbia and approving its independence. The Russians have also signalled a warning to Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Asia against joining up with the United States and the NATO bloc in areas which Moscow deems part of its strategic sphere of influence After the severance of South Ossetia and Abkhazia from Georgia, four follow-up Russian steps may be postulated: 1. The two separatist provinces will proclaim their independence, just like Kosovo. 2. Russia will continue to exercise its overwhelming military and air might to force the pro-American Saakashvilis capitulation. 3. The Georgian president cannot last long in office after suffering this major loss of territory and national humiliation. Moscow aims to make Washington swallow a pro-Russian successor. 4. Moscows South Ossetia-Abkhazia victory against Georgia and its Western backers will serve as an object lesson for Russias own secessionist provinces such as Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushettia not to risk defying Russian armed might. Posted by: 3dc 2008-08-09 |
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