but in fairness to the Americans, the Georgians have been part of the Iraq adventure, so there was a purpose to that. Oh, I'm not saying the training was a preparation for this conflict - merely that I doubt the Georgian President kept his plans a secret.
I can't imagine he expected no argument from Russia when the great majority of the Ossetian population define themselves as Russian, and got Russian passports when they were offered to them. I think Saakashvili made an attempt to force the people who are pro-Russian away (which has succeeded to a point, all refuges head for Russia) and simultaneously claim the land, while Russia saw an opportunity to take steps to prevent Georgia from joining NATO.
It's all a major propaganda war in the media, but I have to say some brutal truths were said in the UN. Things I've only heard muttered before, and never by official representatives. The Cold War might have ended in the form it had twenty years ago, but it's a delusion to think old alliances and objectives have been buried and forgotten. Dressed up for the sake of PC, yes, but never too deep under the surface.
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Date: 2008-08-11 02:48 pm (UTC)Oh, I'm not saying the training was a preparation for this conflict - merely that I doubt the Georgian President kept his plans a secret.
I can't imagine he expected no argument from Russia when the great majority of the Ossetian population define themselves as Russian, and got Russian passports when they were offered to them. I think Saakashvili made an attempt to force the people who are pro-Russian away (which has succeeded to a point, all refuges head for Russia) and simultaneously claim the land, while Russia saw an opportunity to take steps to prevent Georgia from joining NATO.
It's all a major propaganda war in the media, but I have to say some brutal truths were said in the UN. Things I've only heard muttered before, and never by official representatives. The Cold War might have ended in the form it had twenty years ago, but it's a delusion to think old alliances and objectives have been buried and forgotten. Dressed up for the sake of PC, yes, but never too deep under the surface.