<p>Could someone explain to me in laymans terms the problems w/ Russian troops and invading Georgia, and how even though they say they are going to move out, they are actually moving further in. Every article I read is so chalk full of info that I don’t exactly understand what is going on…but really want to understand and be able to discuss it w/ others. Any summaries, links to good recent articles that might be more comprehendable, etc…</p>
<p>Anyone got any predictions about what is going to happen in the future or what will result from Russia’s claim to withdraw troops? Will it really work…I’m skeptical.
Thanks.</p>
<p>short summary of events:
when USSR fell apart georgia declared independence from USSR
two regions of georgia also declared independence and after civil war got defacto independence protected by russian troops
georgia tried invading one of them
russia struck back. hard.
russia is now using its troops there as a lever against the West–kind of like saying “look at what we can do” since the west, and the U.S. especially, is trying to let georgia into NATO, which is pretty much a red line for russia.
russia has been saying it will withdraw for almost a month now, I doubt the Europeans even believe this latest statement. Russia previously said one of the conditions for withdrawing is that Georgia sigh non agression pacts with both South Ossetia and Abkhazia (the two breakaway regions) which is not happening before the second coming.
russia isnt moving further in just keeping troops near georgia’s largest port and main east-west highway</p>
<p>What I find interesting is that American politicians have been spinning this as a Russian aggression against Georgia, when there is a lot of evidence to suggest that the aggressor was Georgia, seeking to upset the status quo of the region which has held for about 20 years. I agree with LongPrime - I suspect that there’s a reason that some politicians want us to think that (as John McCain said) “We are all Georgians tonight.”</p>
<p>I don’t want to be a Georgian. I don’t want anyone telling me more WMD-style stories designed to make me think we really, really need to get involved in some conflict over the political affiliation of an “autonomous region” or whatever the hell South Ossetia is. I actually think it’s probably not legitimately our business to take sides between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia. Maybe the opinions of the people who live in South Ossetia should be considered? Just a radical suggestion…</p>
<p>Borderlands are very messy places, politically, culturally, ethnically. While the US chooses to see Russia as the big Bad guy threatening little Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia are ethnically diverse and the cultural affinities and political loyalties of their populations are not clear (at least to me).
As well, Georgia’s request (supported, even egged on by the US) to join NATO is seen by Putin as a new attempt at encirclement.
We have our Monroe Doctrine. Georgia and the breakaway republics are Russia’s near abroad, the equivalent of our “backyard.”
This is by no means to condone what Putin has done either in Georgia or domestically. The man threatens to become another Stalin (who was Georgian, by the way). But it suggests that our capacity to affect developments in Russia’s near abroad is quite limited.</p>
For the West it’s about oil, specifically the BTC pipeline. For the Russian Federation, it’s about NATO.</p>
<p>In the international chess game, South Ossetia is a pawn, Georgia a rook, the US king, and Russia queen (especially in regard to its near abroad). Putin is a Grandmaster.</p>
<p>Last I checked, Georgia, which includes Ossetia, is a sovereign state, so, they could not invade themselves (post #3). But, marite is correct in that such borders can be messy, as Churchill wrote years after he chose to not break up Iraq.</p>
<p>It would be like if the US offered everyone in Toronto US citizenship, and then the US invaded Canada b/c they were treating the people who live in Toronto badly.</p>
<p>“^^yeah, but NOT recognized by the UN or any other world body.”
and Kosovo is? what would America do if Serbia invaded Kosovo, began shelling Camp Bondsteel, and killed 12 American troops there? The Georgians actively shelled Russian troops–seriously, what did they expect?</p>
<p>“It would be like if the US offered everyone in Toronto US citizenship, and then the US invaded Canada b/c they were treating the people who live in Toronto badly.”
If you want to ignore the historic context. Russian law allows citizens of the Soviet Union who do not have passports from any of the successor to get a Russian passport, as Russia is the legal successor. Needless to say, the South Ossetians did not have Georgian passports while living seperate from central authority. Sure, Russia isn’t exactly doing this for altruistic reasons, but remember that South Ossetia was given to Georgia by Stalin in the first place.</p>
