<p>Am I the only one concerned about the escalation in hostilities between Russia and Georgia?</p>
<p>No, you’re not. There’s a good article about it in the NY Times online:[Russia</a> Sends Troops Into Rebel Enclave in Georgia](<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/world/europe/09georgia.html?bl&ex=1218340800&en=d4c414f9c450e60e&ei=5087]Russia”>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/world/europe/09georgia.html?bl&ex=1218340800&en=d4c414f9c450e60e&ei=5087)</p>
<p>None of my friends ever believed me that Georgia is a country. I guess they will all find out now. I’m concerned, but i read on Yahoo! News that U.S. is trying to mediate the conflict. I was also surprised to find out that Georgia has the third largest amount of troops in Iraq in support for U.S.</p>
<p>Isn’t Georgia the home state of the late Soviet Foreign Minister, Edward Shavednazhe (spelling?). Wasn’t he one of the guys who suppored Boris Yeltsin by opposing the die-hards who wanted to roll back to the old Soviet dictatorship days?</p>
<p>I can’t say I really understand what Russia is doing? South Ossetia supposedly favors Russia and wants to or has separated from Georgia. Russia has sent in troops and destroyed a lot of the major city in South Ossetia. If South Ossetia favors Russia, why would Russia destroy the area. It would make more sense from Russia’s standpoint to just surround the area and tell Georgia to come at get the land they claim.</p>
<p>[Nation</a> & World | Russian troops raid Georgian town; scores dead | Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008087858_apgeorgiasouthossetia.html]Nation”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008087858_apgeorgiasouthossetia.html)</p>
<p>One of Ds best friends majored in Russian/physics & astronomy & wanted to be assigned to Georgia where she had spent some time after college but was assigned to Azerbaijan instead- which I believe is where she is now.
That is about my extent of knowledge of the area- but puzzling and scary.</p>
<p>EMK, one of D2’s best friends with whom she grew up and who is also in her field, is a refugee from Georgia. She is from Tblisi and not South Ossetia but as soon as I heard the news, I have been thinking of her family.</p>
<p>Ah, sadder still…now Russia has also bombed Tbilisi, our friends’ hometown.</p>
<p>Good article from 2006 on this conflict. It pretty much predicted that this would happen:</p>
<p>[Why</a> the Russia-Georgia Spat Could Become a U.S. Headache - TIME](<a href=“http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1542107,00.html]Why”>http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1542107,00.html)</p>
<p>Bush should have spent more time focusing on problems like this one that already existed not creating new ones–like Iraq.</p>
<p>Just wondering, what did Bush do to Putin to make Putin lose his respect for him? I remember back in 2001, the two got along. What has changed?</p>
<p>I do think its important to note that this thing started because the Georgians attacked Southern Ossetia. I also think the Russian response is WAY out of line – so I am in no way defending Russia. It’s just right now the metaphor of Russia as a “bear” makes a lot of sense – Georgia provoked the response, perhaps in a setting where Russia was all to happy to be given an excuse to wage war. See: [Georgia</a> bows to might of Russia - Europe, World - The Independent](<a href=“Georgia bows to might of Russia | The Independent | The Independent”>Georgia bows to might of Russia | The Independent | The Independent) for some more background </p>
<p>(Similar, I think, to when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, or when Hezbollah kidnapped the Israeli soldiers in 2006 – sometimes the bigger power fights back with all they’ve got).</p>
<p>Another good article:
[Georgia’s</a> volatile risk-taker has gone over the brink | Comment is free | The Observer](<a href=“http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/10/georgia.russia]Georgia’s”>Georgia's volatile risk-taker has gone over the brink | Thomas de Waal | The Guardian)</p>
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<p>There’s a very good article about the situation here, from the Christian Science Monitor:
[Russo-Georgian</a> conflict is not all Russia’s fault | csmonitor.com](<a href=“http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0811/p09s03-coop.html]Russo-Georgian”>Russo-Georgian conflict is not all Russia's fault - CSMonitor.com)</p>
<p>While the cat is away…</p>
<p>[Kremlin</a> Capers - WSJ.com](<a href=“http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121841206132928331.html?mod=loomia&loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r1:c0.253121]Kremlin”>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121841206132928331.html?mod=loomia&loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r1:c0.253121)</p>
<p>[The</a> War in Georgia Is a War for the West - WSJ.com](<a href=“http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121841306186328421.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries]The”>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121841306186328421.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries)</p>