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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Georgia 'overrun' by Russian troops as full-scale ground invasion begins
2008-08-12
Big EFL; this is a long summary to provide a starting point for today's discussion. Many pictures at link. Much of the news in this post was provided yesterday on the Burg.

By the way, Richard Fernandez of the Belmont Club has a great regional map that you can view here.
Georgian officials tonight claimed the country had been 'overrun' by Russian troops after a full-scale ground invasion. Amid reports that Moscow forces had taken the town of Gori - and were marching on the capital Tsblisi - Georgian soldiers appeared to be in full retreat.
If the news today mentions unrest in Ajaria, it will send the unmistakable signal that Putin wants it all. Ajaria is the south-west most part of Georgia on the Black Sea, has a population that also doesn't want to be in Georgia, and has revolted in the past.
Troops were apparently in complete chaos as a full-scale rout pushed them back through the countryside.

Meanwhile, the civilian crisis intensified with thousands of refugees fleeing the seemingly unstoppable advance of the Russian army.
Posted by:Steve White

#26  I really dislike this Putin Guy...
I vote for Rods from Hell, so in the future a meteor just happens to visit wrath on those in the way of the Great Satan...
Posted by: 3dc   2008-08-12 19:14  

#25  John, you really dislike this Saakashvili guy, don't you?
Posted by: Spike Uniter   2008-08-12 14:13  

#24  jc5628: Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, Africa, Afghanistan, Serbia

Let me suggest that this is nothing to do with Communism, and is more of the same Imperial Russia phenomenon that saw other European countries clash repeatedly with them over their relentless expansion. This is part of the reason the Western powers had to go east - to keep Russia from grabbing it all. It is also, in part, why the West acquiesced to China's annexation of East Turkistan (Xinjiang) - the alternative was Russian conquest.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2008-08-12 12:00  

#23  If the news today mentions unrest in Ajaria

This may join South Ossetia and Abkhazia as "independent" regions. It will be the final humiliation for Saakashvili, reversing his military action in 2004.
Posted by: john frum   2008-08-12 07:44  

#22  JG:

Actually I wasn't referring to your anguish, since I don't detect same. Most of these pages have a 100 views, and the presence of stalkers without spell-check suggests multiple look-sees. So why would an anon mouthpiece get exasperated at comment with low currency? A contrary opinion would hardly be taken as a mortal blow to anyone but the self-absorbed and mentally weak. Its a parlor game.
Posted by: McZoid   2008-08-12 05:58  

#21  So McZoid, you'd rather back a real and present danger to peace and to europe and the former soviet states, you back an expansionist militaristic thug Putin in Russia, all to satisfy your fantasy world of pretending the current Georgians are all Stalinists?

Come on, nobody can be that stupid for real. Comem on and tell us you have trolled us.

You have yet to prove any of your points, your junk is thinly soruces, and almsot all of it predates the rose revolution.

And you give a free pass to the massive invasion of Georgia by Russia, and then have the stupidity to claim Georgia NEEDS russia, the NEED this invasion?

Try explaining how you will get "anti-jihadists" from this action! Let see your explanation.

Do you really expect a vassal state Georgia controlled by Iran's ally, Russia, will be of ANY help against your dreaded international Islamofascist conspiracy?

Are you stupid enough to continue to repeat the lies, to insist that the the Goergians will be better off in a corrupt puppet regime installed by Russia - like the Shevardnaze regime?

I am amazed at the mental damage you are displaying.
Posted by: OldSpook   2008-08-12 04:19  

#20  Okay! Wait for me here Saturday, because I do really care!
Posted by: Jiggs Chiter5628   2008-08-12 04:13  

#19  Someone gets it, as will the rest of you get it by Saturday. We'll see who dug themselves into a rhetoric pit. I laugh at your anguish and comic-resolve. Actually, I am listening to Rawdog comedy on satellite radio.

http://brianakira.wordpress.com/2008/08/11/arrogant-georgians-dug-their-own-grave/

Get with the program!

Posted by: McZoid   2008-08-12 04:11  

#18  Reagan? Yes, he lived a long time and I even enjoyed his movies. He was a wise patient man.

He may be dead but he took down the USSR before he passed, with honor.

Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Wesley Clark? Why those 3 stooges? Many of Americas problems are because of the first two.

Posted by: Jiggs Chiter5628   2008-08-12 03:59  

#17  jiggs:

At least you don't appear to want another Cold War. I could get a chill from the neo-Bosnia/Kosovo rhetorical circuses. Yah, erect statues to Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Wesley Clark. Reagan is rolling in his grave over the misuse of the "freedom" concept.
Posted by: McZoid   2008-08-12 03:51  

#16  ~50
Posted by: Jiggs Chiter5628   2008-08-12 03:10  

#15  Oh I forgot to mention E Germany after WWII. They were only supposed to help them rebuild but then held them in an iron grip for 60 years.

But I'm not interested in old wars, it's the Russians who are crossing the line today.
Posted by: Jiggs Chiter5628   2008-08-12 03:09  

#14  McZoid, I don't see Stalin or Chechens involved except maybe those that Chechen mercenaries to help the Russians fight the Georgians.

It sounds to me like you have a chip on your shoulder on all Georgians but they don't control the jihadist going through the Pankisi Gorge.

If you want to bring up history how about:

Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, Africa, Afghanistan, Serbia

and you'll remember why you shouldn't be trusting these red bastards.
Posted by: Jiggs Chiter5628   2008-08-12 03:04  

#13  Georgia's Stalin2 - now deceased - was a pathological Russian hater, and Chechen lover. Please read this correspondence from Gamsakhurdia to Shevardnadze (successor to Stalin2 and former Foreign Minister of the USSR)

Assuming anyone worth communicating with knows how to use "Internet Archive," please type the following dead link in same:
http://www.geocities.com/shavlego/ZG_Letter_SH.htm

Georgia is lead by revenge seeking cut-throats; Georgians will turf them out in a couple of days. Georgia cannot survive without Russia. Anti-jihadis need to be on Turkey's north.
Posted by: McZoid   2008-08-12 02:45  

#12  President Dmitry Medvedev described Georgia's actions in the conflict zone as genocide. He has ordered Russian prosecutors to collect evidence of the crimes committed there. ”Georgia has exposed South Ossetia to a very crude and cynical aggression. People have died. Russian citizens have died, including local residents and peacekeepers. The actions of the Georgian side cannot be described as anything else but genocide. The information we have received suggests that horrible crimes were committed there. People were killed, burnt, run down by tanks, had their throats were cut,” Medvedev said. The President went on to say that “the operation to restore peace will continue and those guilty will be punished”.

Posted by: Jiggs Chiter5628   2008-08-12 02:35  

#11  PS - And I don't believe they are protecting South O's citizens or even give a damn about them. It's a cover!

They are already lying about Georgia performing ethnic cleansing.

This is there way of returning us the favor for Iraq, Serbia, and making friends with those they hate and broke off from the USSR.

We need to get MDI running and be prepared to move beyond middle eastern insurgents mindset.
Posted by: Jiggs Chiter5628   2008-08-12 02:31  

#10  We shouldn't doubt the unlimited corruptness of a Russian thug in power, there are a ton of examples.

Now we have Putin as godfather and Dmitri as puppet using every lie a dirty KGB agent can come up with.

We should not be projecting weakness. We need to be knocking their weak spot until they slow the momentum.

I think this is their way to deny the Black Sea oil from US.

Taking out the ally Georgia is 2 birds with 1 stone, while we seem weak.
Posted by: Jiggs Chiter5628   2008-08-12 02:26  

#9  What amazes me is Goergia didn't have a strategy to win

Saakashvili has a doctoral degree from Colombia U (on USDS schoolarship), answers your question?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2008-08-12 02:22  

#8  What amazes me is Goergia didn't have a strategy to win or at least to avoid losing. Not rocket science, given the single access route through the tunnel and gorge. Which says to me this was instigated by Russia to a plan, and Georgia merely reacted to Russian/S. Ossetian provocations.
Posted by: phil_b   2008-08-12 02:11  

#7  Original live 1986
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd42-uTLErM
Posted by: Jiggs Chiter5628   2008-08-12 02:01  

#6  great vid! I just watched an old Charlie Daniels vid the other day thinking of the connotations.
Posted by: linker   2008-08-12 01:58  

#5  Video
Posted by: 3dc   2008-08-12 01:52  

#4  Russia wants to add fuel to this fire and the US was caught off guard. Everything seemed fine then 120 US personnel evacuated to Armenia. Do we treat Georgia as a pawn or a line drawn?
Posted by: Jiggs Chiter5628   2008-08-12 01:52  

#3  IMHO these two song by Laibach would be more appropriate

Laibach - Final Countdown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4VMDxSyLAU
Laibach - National Reservation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y54CznvmGbw
Posted by: Phock Mussolini6924   2008-08-12 01:32  

#2  IMHO these two song by Laibach would be more appropriate

Laibach - Final Countdown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4VMDxSyLAU
Laibach - National Reservation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y54CznvmGbw
Posted by: Phock Mussolini6924   2008-08-12 01:31  

#1  As the world watches a democracy crushed, a song dedicated to the people of Georgia...

Why

(takes a moment to load)
Posted by: Snosing and Tenille9185   2008-08-12 01:17  

00:00