Yeah,

Of course we would want to be fair to the Russians because they're such a nice bunch.

You clearly have no idea what Russia going to war entails. You squeal about civilian casualties caused accidentally by western armies. Wait until you see how the Russians fight. Just look at how they handled the Beslan school massacre. "Heavy handed" has a picture of the Russian security apparutus next to it in the dictionary. Think Serbian army inside srebenica.

They are ruled by an ex KGB chief who has managed to maintain his stranglehold on power, subverting the Russian parliament and the office of president by appointing his own Flunky.

Russia has, under Putin, re instituted its aggressive behaviour in Europe and seeks to expand its influence by any means necessary. Russia's recent threats against former soviet states joining NATO is just one indication of this new aggression. The non-stop program of flights of Russian nuclear armed bombers on patrol as far as Britain has been restarted. Putin is sending a message loud and clear.

Your standard refrain that its the west that is BAD and everyone else is just one of our victims falls down mightily here. There are no nice guys in this fight. Georgia rightly doesn't wish to part with South Ossetia, anymore than Indonesia wishes to part with Acheh or West Papua. There are a plethora of other comparisons.

Further Georgia is a tiny country with a small military. Russia is Goliaths big brother in comparison. And Russia is looking to raise its influence in the region and send other troublesome neighbours a stern message. Don't Mess.

The loons are all around.

ASymeonakis,

Russia has sent tanks across an international border in Europe.

That is fact.

It is not a lie.

You suggest the US egged Georgia on to send the military to South Ossetia.

South Ossetia is part of Georgia. Georgia has every right to send troops there.

Russia accuses Georgia of mistreating the inhabitants of South Ossetia.

And you are prepared to take the word of Vladimir Putin on this?

Remember, Hitler accused the Czechs of mistreating the Sudetenland Germans. That was his excuse for sending the tanks into Czechoslovakia. I suspect that Putin is no more reliable than Hitler.

ASymeonakis

Do you consider it possible that Russia is motivated by the desire to exercise de facto control of the oil pipeline that runs through Georgia?

Or, in your universe, is it only Americans who go to war for control of strategic assets?

If you were the defence minister of Ukraine, another former Soviet republic, what lessons would you be drawing from this Russian intrusion into the territory of a sovereign neighbour?

stevenlmeye

1. Georgia signed a peace agreement with South Ossetia and a peacekeeping force with 500 members each from Russia, Georgia and North Ossetia was monitoring the truce. Georgians VIOLATED THE AGREEMENT AND ATTACKED THE CAPITAL CITY OF SOUTH OSSETIA BY AIRCRAFT, ARTIRELY AND ARMOR. THIS IS A CRIMINAL ACT, KILLING MORE THAN 1500 PEOPLE. Saakashvili HAD TO GO TO INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT AS HAPPENED TO MILOSOVITC!

2. YOU FORGET THE KOSOVO AND SERBIAN! I ASKED YOU " why people of kosove have the right for independance and not the people of South Ossetia?" stevenlmeye, WE ARE HONEST AND BRAVE MEN AND I ASKED YOU AGAIN. Why people of kosove have the right for independance and not the people of South Ossetia?

3. I wrote you what the AMERICAN analysts say. do you thing they are STALINIST TOO? They say "Many experts are at loss to explain why President Saakashvili decided to send troops into South Ossetia at this time. But many analysts, including Marshall Goldman from Harvard University, say that move was a serious miscalculation"
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-08-11-voa63.cfm
With your way, you lose your credibility, and I feel sorry, because you have plenty and good ideas, We can not build a better world if we hide the truth.

4. "Russia accuses Georgia of mistreating the inhabitants of South Ossetia" NO, South OSSETIAN people want their own state and separated from Georgia many years before start the KOSOVO STORY. The KOSOVO IS INDEPENDED BUT NOT SOUTH OSSETIA. WHY NOT?
5. "is it only Americans who go to war for control of strategic assets?" HAHA!! WHAT ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL LAW, INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT, THE UN? ANY ONE WHO MAKES WARS TO STEAL THE WEALTH OF OTHER COUNTRIES, STRATEGIC ASSETS OR NOT HAD TO BE IN PRISON. About Russians in this case they came second! Georgians attacked Russian peacekeepers and Russian citizens, the Russia respondet.
TELL THE TRUTH GEORGIAN ATTACKED FIRST, VIOLATING THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT FOR PEACE DURING THE OLYMPIC GAMES, THEY HIT CIVILIAN TARGETS WITH HEAVY ARTIRELY.

Continue

Part two

Paul.L
"The non-stop program of flights of Russian nuclear armed bombers on patrol as far as Britain has been restarted" REALLY? The world is full of American military bases, they violate international law, UN, they invade in any part of our planet, the whole world, (read BBC surveys) are sick from agreesive American foreign policy and you speak for Russia? They are weak at the moment! BUT IF WE DO NOT PUT AN ORDER IF WE DO NOT STRENGTH, SUPPORT THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, THEN IN THE FUTURE WE WILL HAVE BIG PROBLEMS NOT ONLY WITH USA AND RUSSIA BUT WITH MANY OTHER COUNTRIES!
It is to the benefits from humanity to create strong international law and order, and this could do not happen if we do not stop the cheap propaganda. The truth is the best tool to solve problems and promote peace and prosperity.

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Well said Asymeneokis. What you've said is accurate.

stevenimeyer>"Russia has sent tanks across an international border in Europe. "

What do you think happened when NATO invaded Serbia, a sovereign nation? This is no different from US unilateral actions against sovereign nations.

One million or so Iraqis are dead because of a US invasion of a sovereign nation.. that's what makes this all so funny when Bush says, "Georgia is a soveriegn nation...Russia is violating international law" or something like that..I had to groan out loud when I heard those words repeated as this conflict resolved itself. Even a five year old could recognise the embarrassing hypocrisy

Everyone keeps pointing the finger at Russia's supposed ambitions. Who exactly has all of their bases around the world and is invading random countries it disagrees with, destroying billions of $$ worth off property and killing hundreds of thousands of lives? It certainly is not Russia. How many Russian bases do you see across the world? Now how many American bases? It's quite obvious who is actually the international aggressor and the unlawful nation which topples democratic governments throughout the world, such as places in south america.