Russia did not want this crisis. The Russian leadership is in a strong enough position domestically; it did not need a little victorious war. Russia was dragged into the fray by the recklessness of the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili. He would not have dared to attack without outside support. Once he did, Russia could not afford inaction. Full Story »
Posted by Terry Gamble
This article takes a "party' line - ahem, in that it goes along with a lot of spin that is "balanced" in pointing out western maneuverings yet plays "sensitive" regarding American Domestic Politics. Russia is a big boy and is reminding of us that - which is in a way good. Nowhere here though (and nowhere else) is any mention made of Georgia's serving as a base for the conflict in Chechnya years ago. Payback? Yes, the U.S. is at fault for its hubris and Russia may stumble here. But the point is we are over a barrel of our own making and it is a brilliant tactical move on the part of Russia to exploit this for its own domestic consumption and to assert itself internationally. I think this article misses the point: that Russia is prepared to decisively act unilaterally in its own interest and that the assumptions and paradigms we (and global policy groups) have acted upon for the last 2-3 decades are changing, not "maturing"
historical background: 1. feeling of majority of populace in Ossetia and Abkhazia 2. Some info on Georgia’s acting as supply base for anti-Russian forces in Chechnya conflict 3. Where is info about American Forces in Georgia?