Georgia's South Ossetia Conflict - Political Commentary

[Ron Humphrey]

I wonder where they got the idea that they could invade a country just becasue they didn't like it's leader.

I know this is an opportunity you've been looking forward to to be able to say just this, but

The UN with all its problems still plays a big part in representing when or how exactly that could or should take place.

I don't exactly remember any resolutions related to Georgians
getting out of SO.

I know Lincoln is supposed to be the greatest president etc., but I don't know why anyone would want want to force people to stay in your country when they don't want to. Both Czechs and Slovaks are far better off than Georgians, S. Ossetians, Serbs or Albanians.

Wow did you really say that? I wonder how many of the Czechs or Slovak people would view that.

[Rank amateur]

Wow did you really say that? I wonder how many of the Czechs or Slovak people would view that.

Virtually all of them.

After a transition period of roughly four years, during which the relations between the states could be characterised as a "post-divorce trauma", the present relations between Czechs and Slovaks, as many people point out, are probably better than they have ever been.

No movement to re-unite Czechoslovakia has appeared and no political party advocates it in its programme. Political influences between the countries are minimal. Trade relationships were re-established and stabilized. After a short interruption, Slovakia's mountains are again the target of a growing number of Czech tourists.

I know this is an opportunity you've been looking forward to to be able to say just this,

When you're outnumbered, patiently waiting in an ambush is often the best tactical response. If you understand the situation, sometimes you don't need to wait very long, but since no one charged it, I have to assume that it wasn't a near ambush.

[Stan]

Pop in and take a gander at President Medvedev's working meetings and conferences

Beginning of Working Meeting with Minister of Internal Affairs Rashid Nurgaliev
August 11, 2008
The Kremlin, Moscow

DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Rashid Gumarovich, I have received information, and you have probably also heard this, that the Georgian authorities are forcibly detaining Russian citizens on Georgian territory. This is, of course, in complete violation of international law. I do not know why they are doing this. Maybe they think they can use these people as a human shield. This is a completely unacceptable situation.

I also want to say - and I want you to take this under your personal control – that all citizens of foreign states, who are legally in Russia, must not be subjected to any kind of discrimination and can remain in Russia in accordance with the agreements that our country has with the countries from which these people have come. Supervision of these matters is the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ responsibility and I ask you to ensure it is carried out.

RASHID NURGALIEV: Dmitry Anatolyevich, we issued just such instructions three days ago, when Georgia launched its aggression against South Ossetia. We immediately sent out precisely these instructions throughout the Southern Federal District, given that this is the part of the country where the biggest numbers of people from Georgia reside, and we also gave specific instructions to the Federal Migration Service to monitor these matters throughout the Russian Federation.

We understand that the people are not to blame for this aggression and we will therefore do everything we can to uphold the law and protect the rights and interests of citizens living in Russia or present on our territory.

We have ensured public order in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania over these last three days. Registered crimes have dropped two-fold and there has been a four-fold drop in the number of serious crimes.

All the necessary conditions are now in place for providing humanitarian assistance to the Republic of South Ossetia. In particular, a column set out directly for Tskhinvali at 5 a.m. this morning, and an extra 37 KAMAZ vehicles have been made available for transporting humanitarian aid - food, medicines and medical equipment – that will be used on the ground to help people.

DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Good, keep working, keep it under your control and report to me periodically on the public order situation in North Ossetia, in the North Caucasus in general and in the country overall, of course.

RASHID NURGALIEV: I will.

Much more at this link...

[wm]

Pop in and take a gander at President Medvedev's working meetings and conferences

Beginning of Working Meeting with Minister of Internal Affairs Rashid Nurgaliev
August 11, 2008
The Kremlin, Moscow



Much more at this link...

Great political theatrics--each speaker reads his script well. I am amazed that the Russians still play at these "Potemkin village" sham displays.

[Ken White]

Great political theatrics--each speaker reads his script well.

be an Oscar contender...

...I am amazed that the Russians still play at these "Potemkin village" sham displays.

Old habits die hard...

[wm]

Some folks have pointed to this as a quid pro qou for Kosovo and as a direct lesson to Georgia wrt to joining NATO.

One might wonder how much of this activity on the part of the Russians (particularly the new reports of incursions from Abkhazia) is pointed at the Ukraine--both wrt to its NATO membership aspirations and to the lease on port facilities in Sevastapol that expires 9 years hence in 2017. Russia's warmwater port issue is a long standing sore point.

Also the purported use of Cossacks is an interesting twist, given that sizeable remnants of Cossack "hordes" exist in both the Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The Russians have used an appeal to Cossack "nationalism" in times past to help them in their foreign affairs.

Has the Great Game moved from the "roof of the world" to the mountains on the other side of the Caspian Sea?

[Uboat509]

Just saw that the Russians have captured a city in Georgia, one that happens to be only about 50-60 miles outside of Tiblisi. I'm still thinking that the Russians will stop short of that while they still maintain a small amount of plausible deniability about their intentions but I am not sure. So what does everyone think, will they move on Tiblisi? What does it mean if they do? They can hardly say they were just trying to free poor oppressed South Ossetia if they attack Georgia's capital especially if they capture and occupy it. Georgia sounds desperate. I don't see Europe getting directly involved. The UN is... well... the UN. We're kind of busy. On the other hand, Russia has to be aware that there will be some diplomatic and economic penalties if they push this too far (which granted is hard to define).

SFC W