GEORGIA: FIGHTING RAGES IN S. OSSETIA, RUSSIAN TANKS HEAD FOR BATTLE

[trailhound]

. Since Russia supports S. Ossetia plus they dont want to be a part of Georgia, so therefore if S. Ossetia secedes Russia wins, after Kosovo seceded Russia lost.

duh nevermind. sometimes im a bit of a dull tool

[Wanted]

Great points. Why would Georgia attack now all of a sudden? It doesn't make sense, they haven't dared to for 16 years, and now a sudden invasion. Only makes sense if you look at how they're now all of a sudden buddies with the US and how the US has been trying to piss of Russia for months now. Look at this, it's complete madness. Russians bombers in Cuba, US trying to build a missile shield around Russia, Russia pointing it's nukes at Europe. This must be Brzezinski. And Obama hasn't even taken office yet.

At the rate they are going, they wont even need Obama too win. 

[Wanted]

Friendly Fire
http://www.kommersant.com/p1009149/Georgia_and_South_Ossetia_too_close_to_war/

Georgia and South Ossetia were about to start war
Yesterday South Ossetia and Georgia got close to a new war as never before. The peace-keeping contingent deployed in the region was not able to somehow influence the situation and only watched the activities of the fighting parties. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili defused the tensions a little bit when declaring unilateral ceasefire during live broadcast, and eagerness to conduct negotiations, whatever the counterparts and the format.
“We’re preparing to get into Heaven”

The fighting that started in South Ossetia a week ago was about to develop into full-scale hostilities. All day long there were bitter skirmishes in the area of South Ossetia’s Prissi, Sarabuk and Dmenis villages, and Georgia’s Nuli and Avnevi settlements, with heavy artillery used along with other guns. Meanwhile, Tbilisi and Tskhinvali put the blame on each other and made triumphal statements. South Ossetia’s Defense Ministry reported, “The onset of the Georgian units, which attacked the Prissi height, has been repulsed.” Georgia’s Interior Ministry spokesperson Shota Utiashvili was quick to issue a press-release reading that no one attacked Prissi, and the “separatists” that machine-gunned the Sarabuk height, which is occupied by the Georgian forces, “were repelled.”

As evening approached, the scale of the clashes got even more threatening. The media reported knocked out Georgian IFVs (infantry fighting vehicles) and those killed and wounded with both parties (however, yesterday’s reports read there was one Georgian soldier and one Ossetian soldier killed). Tskhinvali was sure Tbilisi concentrated its troops and armored machines near the city preparing to launch a storm. “We’ve been encircled by Georgia’s BM-21 "Grad" launch vehicles of rocket systems, howitzers and tanks. They have accumulated so many machines as though they were going to wage war against China. It all is happening with international organizations turning a blind eye. The village of Khetagurovo has been almost burned down, and now they’re machine-gunning Tskhinvali,” Irina Gagloeva, the Chief of the South Ossetian Information and Press Committee, told Kommersant. “We’re trying to hold the line. But we lack the forces. We’re preparing to get into Heaven, I hope. There’s no place for us here, on earth.” Ms Gagloeva was indignant over the position of the Russian peace-keepers, who, according to her, “only registered how often the ceasefire agreement was violated, and nothing else.”

At the same time Georgia’s mass media reported that South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity and the breakaway republic’s military ministers left the capital preparing to direct the hostilities from Java, where Russia’s volunteers had arrived.

“We have no desire to wage war against you”

Yesterday’s key intrigue was whether direct talks of Tbilisi and Tskhinvali will be held. Georgia’s State Minister for Reintegration Timur Yakobashvili announced them a few days ago pointing out that it was the only way to avert war. However, South Ossetia’s Deputy Prime Minister and co-chairman of the Joint Control Commission (JCC) Boris Chochiev told Kommersant that the Ossetian party objected to a bilateral meeting and insisted on negotiations in the JCC format (the commission includes representatives of Georgia, Russia, South Ossetia and North Ossetia).

Special Envoy of the Russian Foreign Ministry Yuri Popov set off for Georgia, where he attempted to persuade Tbilisi to resume the work of the JCC. Yesterday he managed to conduct a series of talks. Nevertheless, neither party agreed to make concessions. “We stuck to our positions. Georgia’s State Minister considers it necessary to reform the negotiation format. From our viewpoint, it’s essential to keep on with the activities in the framework of the JCC,” said Mr Popov after meeting with Timur Yakobashvili. The latter, in his turn, stated that Georgia was not going to resume its participation in the JCC format because the commission “died long ago.”

At some moment you could think that no compromise was possible, and there was nothing to stop the outbreak of war. However, Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili unexpectedly interfered in the situation in the evening. First he gave a unilateral ceasefire order to the Georgian military telling them not to respond to the firing of Ossetia’s battlegroups, and called on the government in Tskhinvali to do the same. After it all TV channels broadcast a video address of the Georgian leader, where he agreed to hold talks in any format and offered Russia to be the guarantor of South Ossetia’s broadest autonomy within Georgia. “Stop the fire immediately. I beg you. We have no desire to wage war against you. Let’s avert escalation and begin talks – direct, multilateral – whatever,” Mr Saakashvili said.

He added that the Georgian party had lost several soldiers, and many houses had been destroyed. He suggested that they start immediate negotiations with Tskhinvali to discuss a peace-settlement plan stipulating that South Ossetia would be given the rights of an “unlimited autonomy.”

“Too little optimism so far”

The statement of the Georgian leader defused the tensions in the zone of the conflict. The parties ceased to fire before the broadcast finished. Marat Kulakhmetov, the Commander of the Combined Peace-keeping Forces in South Ossetia, told Kommersant, “Both parties ceased to fire. Hopefully, the firing won’t resume, though there’s too little optimism so far.” The general denied the information that the authorities of South Ossetia were urgently evacuated from Tskhinvali.

After the address of the Georgian President the government in Tskhinvali crawfished. Late at night Yuri Popov stated that on Friday Timur Yakobashvili and Boris Chochiev will conduct negotiations, with Russia being the mediator. “We managed to arrive at an agreement that the talks will start at 1 p.m. The meeting won’t be held in the framework of the JCC, whereas the JCC remains the only negotiation format. We’re planning to discuss the ways out of the current crisis, and launch the security strengthening process,” the diplomat explained.

Nonetheless, Tbilisi hasn’t abandoned the plans to overhaul the peace-settlement format in Tskhinvali. This weekend Grigol Vashadze, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia, is to arrive in Moscow. He is going to suggest Russia an alternative variant of resolving the dispute.

Whatever the outcome of the forthcoming talks, it’s clear now: the international community will have to switch its attention from Abkhazia, which has become a favourite destination of several high-ranking diplomats proposing their own variants of settling the Georgia-Abkhaz dispute, to South Ossetia. The escalation of the situation in that breakaway republic can be regarded a warning to the West: you can expect a sudden war in Georgia – either with Abkhazia, or South Ossetia. And it happens at the moment when NATO considers giving Georgia the MAP in December.

[gabba2k7]

The war has begun already. Georgia officials is talking bullshit from TV. as always.

[David Rothscum]

There was a ceasefire, but I think it's over by now.

Georgia: Russia bombing Georgian villages
Published: Friday 08 August 2008 09:38 UTC
Last updated: Friday 08 August 2008 10:17 UTC
Heavy fighting between Georgia and its breakaway province of South Ossetia has left at least 15 people dead. Even though both sides agreed a ceasefire on Wednesday, they are now accusing each other of violating it.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili says that Russia, which supports South Ossetia in its bid for independence, has taken an active role in the fighting and that Russian planes have bombed two villages in his country. Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says his country has been forced to respond to Georgian military actions in South Ossetia.

Although the United Nations Security Council has held an emergency debate on the situation, it was unable to reach an agreement on a call for the two sides to stop fighting.

South Ossetia broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s. Most of the region's inhabitants want to either join Russia or become independent. Georgia, however, is determined to retain its territorial integrity.

[David Rothscum]

CNN reporting that Russian troops invaded South Ossetia, Russian Tanks are on their way.

[David Rothscum]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0808/georgia.html
Russia confronts Georgia in South Ossetia
Friday, 8 August 2008 12:50

Heavy fighting is taking place in the southern Caucasus after Russia responded to clashes between Georgian forces and separatists in South Ossetia.

Background: South Ossetia

Last night Georgia surrounded and shelled Tskhinvali, the capital of the breakaway province, leaving at least 15 civilians dead.

Amid spiralling tensions, there are reports that Russian aircraft have attacked Georgian targets and that Moscow has moved 150 tanks and armoured vehicles into South Ossetia.

It is understood that a number of Russian troops on peacekeeping duty in South Ossetia have been killed.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has accused Russia of conducting a large scale military operation against his country, and he has now ordered the mobilisation of military reservists.

The EU and the OSCE have led international calls for a ceasefire in South Ossetia - which broke away from Tbilisi's control in the early 1990s. Georgia accuses Russia of seeking to take over South Ossetia.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is currently discussing Moscow's next move with his advisors, while Prime Minister Vladimir Putin earlier warned that 'Georgian aggression' would incur a Russian response.

Russia is the main backer of South Ossetia's separatists, who have been trying to break away from Georgia since the early 1990s.

The UN Security Council has been unable to agree on a Russian-drafted statement calling for an end to fighting in the southern Caucasus.

Meeting in an emergency session in New York, the Council failed to reach consensus on a statement that would have called for an end to fighting between Georgian troops and separatists in the break away republic of South Ossetia.

[David Rothscum]

Saakashvili: Georgia Downed Two Russian Jets
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 8 Aug.'08 / 15:42
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18964
Georgian forces have downed two Russian military aircrafts, having breeched the Georgian airspace, President Saakashvili said on August 8.

Saakashvili made this statement while speaking at a press conference with foreign journalists. He, however, did not give any further details.

Earlier on August 8 the Georgian media reported that Georgian forces downed one Russian aircraft near Gori. The Russian Defense Ministry, however, denied that report, saying that this was one more provocation.
If with downed he means shot down, there's now a Georgian-Russian war.

[Godfather77]

Russian deaths will not be tolerated - Medvedev
August 8, 2008, 15:13
http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/28666

President Dmitry Medvedev has promised that "Russia will not close its eyes on the deaths of Russian citizens in South Ossetia." Several Russian peacekeepers have been killed in fighting with Georgian forces. Meanwhile, Russian civilians are reported to be taking shelter in basements in the capital Tskhinvali.
 
"It is my duty as president of the Russian Federation to protect the lives and dignity of Russian citizens, wherever they may be," Medvedev said on Friday.

Marat Kulakhmetov, Commander of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone, echoed reports of intensifying Georgian artillery fire aimed at Russian peacekeeping positions.

Yuri Popov, Russia's Co-Chairman of the Joint Control Commission, who is in the conflict zone, earlier told the Itar-Tass news agency, "The headquarters of the peacekeeping forces have been partially destroyed."

The Georgian military claims it has downed a Russian fighter jet over South Ossetia, but the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday morning denied it had lost any aircraft in the region.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is heading a meeting aimed at halting the violence.

The Kremlin press service issued a statement saying the meeting was also focusing on measures to protect the civilian population and Russian citizens in the conflict zone.

Russian peacekeepers, said the statement, “have a mandate…to safeguard Russian interests in the region".

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, currently on a visit to Beijing for the start of the Olympics, warned that Georgia's actions would meet a "response."

Civilian fears

The Russian president's envoy in South Ossetia Dmitry Medoyev warned that Tbilisi is planning a “policy of ethnic cleansing in South Ossetia.” Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, he said: “They want to cleanse South Ossetia of [ethnic] Ossetians, and this is what the Georgian armed forces are doing now”.

The South Ossetian information committee said that Russian citizens among South Ossetians hiding from Georgian shelling have taken shelter in basements in the region’s capital, Tskhinvali.

The region’s hospital has been destroyed by shelling, according to the Interfax news agency.

The extent of civilian casualties as a result of the fighting has not yet been determined.

Georgia has announced a three hour moratorium on fighting so a humanitarian corridor can be opened up. The move follows a request from the Red Cross to deliver supplies to civilians in the conflict zone.

Refugees have been fleeing the region since fighting began early on Friday, Press Secretary Constantin Poltoranin told Interfax.

Russia's Federal Migration Service says it’s ready to recieve refugees from the hostilities.

[Biggs]

Georgia & South Ossetian rebels agree 3 hour ceasefire to let civilians get out of dodge

Georgia offers rebels ceasefire 

Georgian jets attack separatists in South Ossetia

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7548715.stm
Georgian troops are expected to observe a three-hour ceasefire to let civilians leave the besieged capital of separatist South Ossetia, say reports.

Georgia has launched a major offensive against rebel strongholds and claims to have surrounded the capital Tskhinvali.

Russia, who Georgia accuses of arming the rebels, has warned aggression would lead to retaliation from Moscow.

At least 15 civilians are said to have died as well as several Russian peacekeepers based in Tskhinvali.

Nato, the US and the European Union have all called for an immediate end to the hostilities.

  This is very sad and very disturbing and, of course, this will provoke actions in response

Vladimir Putin
Russian Prime Minister


In pictures: Unrest in Georgia
Send us your comments

Georgian President Mikhail Saakasvili called on reservists to sign up for duty and accused Russia of sending fighter jets to bomb Georgian towns - claims denied by Moscow.

Residents of Tskhinvali were reported to be sheltering in basements as massive explosions rocked the city. Both sides blamed each other for breaking a ceasefire on Thursday.

Georgia says the three-hour ceasefire would come into force from 1100GMT to allow civilians to leave Tskhinvali.

The international Red Cross had earlier said it wanted to see "humanitarian corridor" to the area to take in ambulances to retrieve wounded civilians.

ICRC spokeswoman Anna Nelson said they had received reports that hospitals in Tskhinvali were having trouble coping with the influx of casualties and ambulances were having trouble reaching the injured.

Sheltering

Irina Gagloyeva, a South Ossetian official in Tskhinvali, described the scene in the beseiged city overnight after the Georgian military action started.

 SOUTH OSSETIA TIMELINE
1991-92 S Ossetia fights war to break away from newly independent Georgia; Russia enforces truce
2004 Mikhail Saakashvili elected Georgian president, promising to recover lost territories
2006 S Ossetians vote for independence in unofficial referendum
April 2008 Russia steps up ties with Abkhazia and South Ossetia
July 2008 Russia admits flying jets over S Ossetia; Russia and Georgia accuse each other of military build-up
7 August 2008 After escalating Georgian-Ossetian clashes, sides agree to ceasefire
8 August 2008 Heavy fighting erupts overnight, Georgian forces close on Tskhinvali

"Virtually all the people of the city are in shelters, myself included. It started at midnight, and has barely stopped for a minute," she told the BBC. "Can you hear? That's rockets. All my windows have blown out. Thirty-five thousand residents of our capital have become the hostages of Georgian fascism."

A spokesman for the Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia told Interfax news agency that Georgian shells directly hit barracks in Tskhinvali, killing several peacekeepers.

Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze said Georgia had simply run out of patience with attacks by separatist militias in recent days and had had to move in to restore peace in South Ossetia.

"As soon as a durable peace takes hold we need to move forward with dialogue and peaceful negotiations," he told reporters.

Georgia accuses Russia of arming the separatists who have been trying to break away since the civil war in the 1990s. Moscow denies the claim.

Russia called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to respond to the crisis, but members failed to agree on a Russian statement calling on both sides to renounce the use of force.

Russian passports

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev later convened his national security council and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin promised a response to what he called Georgian aggression.

The defence ministry issued a statement saying: "We will not allow the peacekeepers and citizens of the Russian Federation to be hurt."

The BBC's James Rodgers in Moscow says Russia has always said it supports the territorial integrity of Georgia but has also said it would defend its citizens. Many South Ossetians hold Russian passports.

Hundreds of fighters from Russia and Georgia's other breakaway region of Abkhazia are reportedly heading to aid the separatist troops.

Mr Saakashvili's claims of Russian jets bombarding Georgian targets have been rejected by Russia and have not been independently confirmed.

China, where the Olympic Games opens on Friday, called for worldwide truce during the sporting event.

[Biggs]

oh this is bad bad bad bad bad

Russian tanks 'rolling into Georgian breakaway'Story Highlights
Russian authorities said several of its peacekeepers died in a Georgian attack

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/08/georgia.ossetia/index.html

Vladimir Putin warned Russia would respond to Georgia's actions

Georgia accused Russian aircraft of bombing its territory

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer urged all sides to begin talks

TBLISI, Georgia (CNN) -- Russian television Friday showed a convoy of Russian tanks and said they were heading into the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia as escalating tensions over the region threatened to boil into full blown conflict.

 
Russia's Channel 1 shows heavy tanks purported to be on their way to South Ossetia.

 1 of 3  The move came after Russia denounced as "aggressive" a Georgian troops military offensive to regain control over the province, vowing to respond.

Russian authorities earlier said several of its peacekeepers died in a Georgian attack in South Ossetia, which borders Russia and has strong ties to its vast northern neighbor, and they vowed not to leave Russian citizens in the territory unprotected.

"The Georgian leadership has launched a dirty adventure," a statement from Russia's Defense Ministry said on Friday. "We will not leave our peacekeepers and Russian citizens unprotected."

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Georgia started the fighting and warned that Russia would respond to their actions.

"Heavy weapons and artillery have been sent there, and tanks have been added. Deaths and injuries have been reported, including among Russian peacekeepers," Putin said in comments carried Friday by Russia's Interfax news agency.  Watch more about the increased violence in Georgia »

"It's all very sad and alarming. And, of course, there will be a response."

Earlier Friday, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said in a televised statement that Russian aircraft bombed several Georgian villages and other civilian facilities.

He added that there were injuries and damage to buildings. "A full-scale aggression has been launched against Georgia," he said.

A Georgian official reported that seven people were hurt in the attack, the Associated Press said.

Saakashvili urged Russia to immediately stop bombing Georgian territory. "Georgia will not yield its territory or renounce its freedom," he said.

He also called for the full-scale mobilization of Georgian reserve forces as fighting continued to rage in South Ossetia's capital.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer issued a statement Friday saying he was seriously concerned about the recent events in the region, and called on "all sides to end armed clashes and begin direct talks."

The United States also urged all sides to bring an immediate end to the violence. "The U.S. has been in discussions for many months with all parties to find a peaceful resolution," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

"We urge all sides to refrain from violence and to begin direct talks."

Russian peacekeepers are in South Ossetia under a 1992 agreement by Russian, Georgian, and South Ossetian authorities to maintain what has been a fragile peace. The mixed peacekeeping force also includes Georgian and South Ossetian troops.

The latest events came just hours after the U.N. Security Council finished an emergency session to discuss a dramatic escalation of violence in Georgia and South Ossetia. The session ended Friday morning without a statement about the fighting.

Violence has been mounting in the region in recent days, with sporadic clashes between Georgian forces and South Ossetian separatists. South Ossetia declared its independence from Georgia in the early 1990s, but its independence is not internationally recognized.

Georgian troops launched new attacks in South Ossetia late Thursday after a top government official said a unilateral cease-fire offer was met with separatist artillery fire.

"The objective of the operation is to protect the civilian population, to ensure their security and then convince the separatists that there is not a military solution to this conflict," said Alexander Lomaia, the secretary of Georgia's National Security Council.

Lomaia said Georgian troops were responding proportionately to separatist mortar and artillery attacks on two villages -- attacks he said followed the cease-fire and call for negotiations by Saakashvili.

The official news agency of the South Ossetian government reported heavy shelling in the territory's capital, Tskhinvali, that left dozens of buildings ablaze.

About 2,000 Georgian troops attempted to storm Tskhinvali overnight and were regrouping south of the city, according to Russia's ITAR-TASS news agency.

Around 10 a.m. Friday, Georgia said Russian military aircraft violated Georgian airspace and dropped two bombs on Kareli, a part of Georgia that is about 50 miles northwest of the capital, Tblisi, and is not in the conflict zone, said Shota Utiashvili, spokesman for the Georgian Ministry of Interior.

Georgia, located on the Black Sea coast between Russia and Turkey, has been split by Russian-backed separatist movements in South Ossetia and another region, Abkhazia.

Georgian and South Ossetian negotiators had been scheduled to meet Friday in Tskhinvali, Moscow's chief negotiator, Yuri Popov, told the Russian news agency Interfax.

Saakashvili announced Thursday night that he had ordered his troops to cease fire while the negotiators met, but Lomaia said the call was met with more attacks.


In addition, Lomaia said, hundreds of "mercenaries" -- or "volunteers," as the South Ossetians described them -- are pouring across the border from Russia to join the fight.

The commander of a Russian peacekeeping mission has told Georgian officials that his troops are unable to control the situation, Lomaia said.

[doublethink]

Georgian President Saakashivili on CNN right now

"Its not about Georgia anymore, its about America, and American Values, I love America"

hes pandering to us for aid, i hope others are watching.

[David Rothscum]

CNN now confirming reports of shot down Russians planes. Georgia seems to ask a ceasefire.

[Triadtropz]

he's looking for an ally in america to help him, I doubt he will find any help..there's no oil involved.

[Biggs]

I AM NOT SURE OF THIS SOURCE, BUT IF TRUE THIS SUCKS SOOO BAD, LET US HOPE BOTH SIDES PULL BACK FROM THE BRINK

Georgia says it downed Russian aircraft

07:13 AM CDT on Friday, August 8, 2008

Associated Press

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa080808_wz_gasoviet.276ae991.html

TBILISI, Georgia — Georgia's Interior Ministry spokesman says that Georgian forces have shot down two Russian combat planes.

Shota Utiashvili says the planes were downed while they were raiding Georgian territory, but wouldn't give their type or any further details.

Russia's Defense Ministry denied an earlier Georgian report about one Russian plane downed. It had no immediate comment on the latest claim.

Georgia launched a massive attack Friday to regain control of South Ossetia, using heavy artillery, aircraft and armor. Russia's television reported that a convoy of Russian tanks rolled into South Ossetia.

[doublethink]

Georgian President says Georgian attack is parallel to Poland Attack on Germany in 1939.......False Flag?

did I just hear him say New World Order?? WTF?!?!?

[Dok]

Georgia and Russia edge towards brink of war over South Ossetia
 
The clashes in the Georgia's breakaway province of South Ossetia have intensified on Friday as the Russian army entered the region. Georgian President Mikhail Saakasvili said 150 Russian tanks and armored vehicles entered South Ossetia. Russian aircraft attacked a military base near the Georgian capital Tbilisi, Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman told AFP.(UPDATED)
 

[Triadtropz]

they say the city of ossetia has been destroyed..the georgian presidents looking for help..i bet he gets none.

[doublethink]

150 tanks? they werent prepared at all...........

[David Rothscum]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L8669219.htm
Source: Reuters
RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS' COMMANDER SAYS SOUTH OSSETIAN CAPITAL "ALMOST TOTALLY DESTROYED" - INTERFAX

[Biggs]

this has all be incited by the usual NWO imperialists, all the US trainers and US marines in Georgia, guys there are like 500 US troops in Georgia who have been training the Georgian army that is now about to fight the Russians.

oh this is so not good, the worst new development for a while, I knew this was going to kick off, but I did not realise it would be so soon.

[Biggs]

150 tanks? they werent prepared at all...........

nope, no preparation here

[doublethink]

"timing more than curious" -CNN correspondent

[Cywar]

this has all be incited by the usual NWO imperialists, all the US trainers and US marines in Georgia, guys there are like 500 US troops in Georgia who have been training the Georgian army that is now about to fight the Russians.

oh this is so not good, the worst new development for a while, I knew this was going to kick off, but I did not realise it would be so soon.

Ok, I am a little slow on this story - I get it now.  I have never been able to form an opinion on Putin - NWO scum or not?

[Dok]

Russia Today reporting civillians from S Oseetia being evacuated to Georgia.
That just dosent sound right??

live video.http://www.russiatoday.ru/news/news/28652/video

[Aerioch]

Sounds like someone wants the military seaports & bases back, which they lost in the 1990's.

The middle east real estate is on blue light special, anyone with a military is free to stock-up. Good thing BushCo. started early.

[Triadtropz]

when saddam attacked kuwait..it was a huge problem..somehow I dont see this as being as big a problem to bush co....theirs no oil, or assets, to steal. so let the russians plunder them ..i'm sure thats bush co's response. we'll see if the US comes to the defense of this democratic nation...my 100 bucks says the US will do nothing.

[doublethink]

Theres plenty of oil in the area surrounding the Caspian Sea.

[Dok]

Fox news is claiming russian planes bombing georgian air bases.

[doublethink]

same with CNN

RUSSIA INVADES GEORGIA
georgia: russian planes dropped bombs

[doublethink]

Georgia is Due north of Iran,
Reminder, Iraq is to the West, and Afghanistan is to the East.

[David Rothscum]

Fox news is claiming russian planes bombing georgian air bases.

Retaliation for the shot down planes?
A senior Georgian security official says Russian jets have bombed Vaziani military airbase outside the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, Reuters reports.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,399962,00.html

[Dok]

Video of Russian tanks in Ossetia.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7549594.stm

[doublethink]

"Its about the World Order" -Georgian President

[Biggs]

excerpts from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7548715.stm

Georgian troops are currently observing a three-hour ceasefire to let civilians leave the besieged capital, Tskhinvali. so the real fighting will start when the ceasefire ends

Georgia is reported to have said any involvement of Russian forces in the conflict will result in a state of war between the two countries
Given the latest news on tanks coming in and Russian planes bombing a Georgian airbase, can we now assume that a state of war exists between Georgia and Russia???

Georgian President Mikhail Saakasvili told CNN: "Russia is fighting a war with us in our own territory." oh, that is not good at all

I must protect the life and dignity of Russian citizens wherever they are. We will not allow their deaths to go unpunished

Dmitry Medvedev
Russian President and this is even worse

"I must also tell you that Georgian forces have downed two Russian jet fighters over Georgia's territory." confirmed by the georgian poresident himself

International Red Cross spokeswoman Anna Nelson said they had received reports that hospitals in Tskhinvali were having trouble coping with the influx of casualties and ambulances were having trouble reaching the injured. as always it is the innocent people who suffer the most

Hundreds of fighters from Russia and Georgia's other breakaway region of Abkhazia are reportedly heading to aid the separatist troops.   i.e. the war could spread to Abkhazia too

[Triadtropz]

i heard him say that..he said the world wouldnt allow the NWO to do it..we'll see...i think the worlds a big puppet show..

[David Rothscum]

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18966
Georgia Pulls Out Troops from Iraq amid ‘Russian Aggression’
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 8 Aug.'08 / 16:36

President Saakashvili said Georgia was pulling out its troops from Iraq amid, what he called, open military aggression by Russia in South Ossetia.
 
“One brigade of the Georgian armed forces is in Iraq and we are calling it back tomorrow,” Saakashvili said in a live interview with CNN on August 8.

Georgia has 2,000 well-trained troops stationed in Iraq.

When asked by an anchor what would he ask President Bush to do for Georgia, Saakashvili responded that Georgia was now in the same situation as Finland was in 1939 when the Soviet Union attacked it. “It seems adventures are back… It seems that freedom and human rights are endangered again,” he added.

“This is the moment of truth for everybody, for President Bush, for the United States, for the rest of western world… This is really a crucial moment for the history of Europe and high time to wake up for everybody.”

[David Rothscum]

Two military bases bombed:
Georgia Says Russian Jet Bombed Vaziani Base
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 8 Aug.'08 / 16:00
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18965   

A Russian warplane has dropped two bombs on the Vaziani military base outside Tbilisi, the Georgian Interior Ministry said.

“No one was injured and no major damage has been caused,” Shota Utiashvili, an Interior Ministry spokesman, told Civil.Ge.
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=18967
Reports: Russian Jet Bombs Military Airfield in Marneuli
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 8 Aug.'08 / 16:55
         

A Russian military aircraft has bombed a military airfield in Marneuli, south of Tbilisi, Georgian media sources reported.

The airfield runaway has reportedly been damaged.

Earlier the Georgian side said its military base in Vaziani outside Tbilisi was bombed by Russian aircraft.
It's war folks, there's no denying it now.

[Dok]

BREAKING NEWS: Reuters reports Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov says he is "receiving reports of ethnic cleansing in villages of South Ossetia."

Developing story, will be updated

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,399962,00.html

[David Rothscum]

CNN: FOUR russian aircraft shot down