A well written, deeply researched, intelligent article about the Georgia invasion. What it clearly demonstrates is the Bush administration–with its typical doggie-bag diplomacy–not only gravely misjudged Russia’s intentions, it also missed Russia’s growing strength as a new military power. Myopically focused on terrorism and mired in the morass of Iraq, Bush's ineffectual response not only showed the world just how weak America has become, it also allowed America to be backed into a diplomatic corner. Bush’s reaction: let’s really provoke Russia by rushing the new missile defense system.

Very thorough journalism that lays out the dynamics within the Bush administration and with the Georgian and Russian governments leading up to the Georgia/Russia conflict. The article highlights a number of conflicts of interest, including the differing opinions between Cheney and the State Department, the mixed signals sent to Georgia regarding quid pro quo for their participation in Iraq, the lobbyist ties to Georgia of McCain advisor Randy Scheunemann, as well as the assumptions made by Saakashvili about American support in the face of Russia's growing power. Stopping short of making a case for unintended consequences of the Iraq war, the article DOES highlight examples of how U.S. rhetoric and behavior may have contributed ... More »

A balanced reporting of the events (over years as well as months) that led up to the Georgian/Russian conflict, including many US/Georgian/Russian miscues. In spite of the sensitivity of the subject, many of the key sources are identified.

This story is well-written and has more background than most of NYT's coverage of Georgia. But the main point--that the US missed the signals--isn't credible. After Chechnya, is it possible, to quote ex-Ambassador Collins, that “We have probably failed to understand that the Russians are really quite serious when they say, ‘We have interests and we’re going to defend them'"? Also the story ignores the dramatic militarization of Georgia: its military budget is 16% of its GDP. This isn't a bad article, but a lot of important context is missing.

In this report, the astonishing arrogance of George W. Bush shows itself, with Bush ignoring clear statements from Vladmir Putin that Georgian accession to NATO was unacceptable to Russia. The gross miscalculation of the Georgian president was based partly on his giving too much weight to the hero-worship received earlier this year during a visit to Washington. The neocons including John McCain (and his Georgian lobbyist/foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann) urged Georgia to disregard Russian warnings not to attempt a military solution to the problem of independence-minded provinces with primarily non-Georgian populations.

The article leaves one with the impression that there could be a lot of blow-back for the U.S. This is complicated by the fact that the U.S. is still looking at Russia through Cold War spectacles. The whole thing right now is a mare's nest which could escalate into another foreign policy disaster like Iraq.

Will americans ever learn to see the big picture? I'm sorry but that will happen only after they realize that they are just another country. That time may come sooner than most people think.

This is a typical shill piece published by the same people that stated Saddam Hussein had atomic weapons. There is a reason that the Times is loosing money ... its readership is tired of the lies. This article distorts facts to the point of being criminal. I am surprised that NewsTrust even includes it as part of their site presentation. I won't continue with this site if it keeps wasting my time. Sincerely, Ed Porter