So who really started the whole Georgian and Russian fight?

Question

http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.aspx?type=ss&launch=26441596,3842331&pg=5

Answer 1

It's about oil, and control of the Caspian Sea, the region of the third largest oil reserve in the world.

This article explains it well:

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/...

Answer 2

The final answer after the dust has fallen was that Russia baited Georgia into moving into the break away provinces by supporting S. Ossestian militia terrorist attacks into the loyal parts of Georgia.  So much for Russian 'peace keepers".  It set up a situation where the Georgian leadership either allowed the incursions and got dumped by the public or did their job and try to stop them.  It was pure genius on the Russian's part as no Georgian President could sit back and allow the attacks.  It is on par with the USA baiting Japan into a war it could not win by cutting off its oil supplies in 1941.  

Answer 3

Nobody is without dirt, Georgia used US to try and intimidate Russia while for the last 15 years Russia has tried to mediate a solution that Georgia refused to discuss and walked out of talks. So they tried to get US support thinking Russia would not intervene. Russia has huge interests in the region( it's a powder keg) with 200 differing ethnic groups all vying for control of areas and resources. the entire Caucasus is an area of real concern for stability that if war hit that powder keg, former Yugoslavian war will look like a boy scout camp cook out. these groups have fought each other for thousands of years, the longest peace has been the last 150 years of Russian rule, an area of the world were Washington should not meddle. Sadly Bush smells oil and the Caucasus have it, and arms deals to Georgia, so now we want to call them NATO allies. remember how WW3 almost started with USSR putting missiles in Cuba we have them in Poland and threaten to in Georgia right on the Russian border they would have only minutes to react if attacked.