The conflict in Georgia, what is the truth?

Question

Hi, the only coverage i have seen of the above is from the BBC really and I was hoping for a balanced view of what's going on?

Could someone IN THE KNOW tell whether this is all down to Russian agression as the BBC suggests, or whether there's more to it than that. Have Georgian actions in this affair been legitimate, or have they also been inappropriate in some way.

Thanks

Answer 1

In the 1990's Georgia had an essentially puppet government that did what Russia told it too. The georgians were sick of this and forced change.

The Russians didn't like this and started conspiring against Georgia. Their main tactic was handing Russian passports to South Ossetians, a 70,000 strong ethnic group who had never really got on with the majority of Georgians, and who had been settled across the Georgian border via North and South ossetia as a deliberate tactic.

South Ossetia has been used as a "black area" for drugs running, identity theft, kidnapping and all sorts by the kleptocrats in the Kremlin, it's a bit like Enron having off balance sheet debts in the Cayman islands, only this is Russian style, so it's cheap and violent instead.

So the Russians have recently stepped up the pressure in response to the Western looking Georgian president, they shot down a Georgian UAV (the video of this is on liveleak if you want to watch it) and carried out bombing against Georgian observation posts keeping an eye on the South Ossetians.

When violence occured between Georgians (who are not sweet little innocents) and Ossetians in the 1990's, the Russians also sent in the "peace keepers".

So it was all coming to a head, especially with American trainers helping the Georgian armed forces out.

At some point there was gun battle between Ossetians and Georgians (it is not clear who started it) and Georgia launched an attack into South Ossetia, and we have been watching the Russian responce.

The Russians are also sending in hundreds of ultra nationalist militia men, if you think Yugoslavia was bad for ethnic cleansing, wait till these guys get going.

Western based NGO's have stated than Russian claims of 1600 dead civilians in S.O. is wrong, they can only trace 44 deaths, and the Georgian claim of shooting down 80 Russian aircraft is looking closer to 4 at the moment.

I expect those 30,000 South Ossetians who have been Russian citizens for all of 6 years have never felt so loved by mother Russia.

Any who, the Russians have engineered a confrontation with Georgia and are now carrying out mass murder through direct and indirect (militia) methods. The cold war is back on, and your taxes are about to go back up.

P.S. there's also an oil pipeline there, but don't let that get over-hyped by the "it's all about oil" junkies.

Answer 2

In the short term, South Ossetia rebels attacked Geogrian forces, so Georgia went in with the Military then Russia responded.

In my opinion it is niether Russia's nor Georgia's fault.

Answer 3

All Georgia has proven is that the USA WILL NOT defend its allies. Russia now knows where and when it can hit its allies with zero western intervention. I'd say this event undermines the US as a superpower because it can't and won't defend important allies like Georgia who its sworn to protect. I would say this conflict has proven the USA is no longer a Superpower. An alliance/military partnership with the USA now means nothing.  

Answer 4

i thought tht even bbc admitted recently, tht georgians started the war, guess i was wrong..

once again, u can check on the german media, cuz they have it all in a different way, or of course u can check the russian one, but hey u keep repeatin tht russian media is controlled by the government, dont u? lol

ibfmarxists is lying and tht can already be seen by the thing he said bout HOT GEORGIAN women... lmfao hot georgians XD yeah right.. lol sht tht was funny )))))))

2rrru: yeah they wanted to protect and thts why they used the GRAD systems bombin the region all night, killing 2k civillians. another brainwashed one :)

Answer 5

the truth is only one. georgians just entered tskhinvali to protect the georgians living there. tskhinvali is said to be russian but there still are georgians living there. they were shooted for whole 4 days and then the georgians entered the region. and that was all the russians wanted to enter georgia passing through roki , and saying they were trying to protect their people they started bombing the capital of the country and other cities. seeing as you ask that question i don't think you have a full view of the situation. i have cos i'm georgian, and the one who lost friends who were trying to save ppl in the willages and cities which russians entered or bombed...just don't read russian web sites so you get the right information, that's the only country saying awful lies...  

Answer 6

Georgia attacked, Russia counter attacked.

Answer 7

Its simple.  A major oil line runs through Georgia - control of that would seriously affect the west.

Control the oil supplies and you have a major hand of cards to play.

Russia isnt stupid - it realises that.

Answer 8

Georgian troops began firing at Russian peacekeepers and South Ossetian troops possibly while relying on the olympics to divert attention. Russia wont stand for this and fired back

Answer 9

The Russian Army have annexed Ossetia which is part of Georgia.

What the Russians have done is exactly what Adolf Hitler did in occupying the Sudetenland before WW2.

The Russians claim that because the Ethnic mix of Ossetia is Russian, it must therefore be part of Russia.

Wrong, Ossetia is part of Georgia in the same way that Kent is part of England.

Russia is like Saudi Arabia, it has lots of gas and oil, but is not a military power.

The world Superpower is the United States of America.

Georgia is a free democratic and pro-western nation with powerful allies - including the USA, UK, France and all of NATO.

The Russians should just withdraw from Georgia - end of argument.

Battle Standard of St. George and National Anthem of Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCBpNC6SN...

Answer 10

False flag op by Russia so it could attack Georgia.  You'll find Russia-made scrap in those civilian neighborhoods of S. Ossetia.

Answer 11

Very hard question. I'll try to explain.

There are people who want to build a free state. As Kosovo, as Palestine, as North Ireland. Those people are fighting with so-called"conquerors" (Serbia, Israel, UK).

United Nations decided to stop this bloody fight and peacekeepers come in region to prevent battle.

But one side of conflict starts fighting against other side and by the way attacks peacekeepers. Many civilian and peacekeepers died.

Peacekeepers follow its duty and stop the battle.

Diplomatic efforts are continue. New state establishes. Kosovo, for example. S.Ossetia will be the next. But UK never free North Ireland, it is pity.

That's all, folks!

PS

For rrru888

You said: "georgia has a good location which russia needs".

So, you are agree, that Iraq location is good for USA needs?

Answer 12

Here it is

1/ Dumb prick in Georgia cuddles up to Bush ,EU and NATO.2/ Bush,EU and NATO think missiles in Georgia aimed at the "East" eg Russia and a nice pipe line to boot.3/ Dumb prick in Georgia believes Bush,EU and NATO bullshit about protection from aggressor eg Russia 4/Dumb prick decides to have a pop at aggressor eg Russia 5/Aggressor eg Russia gives dumb prick in Georgia a good slap 6/Bush,EU and NATO **** themselves and drop dumb prick in Georgia like a fu*kin hot brick.7/Dumb prick in Georgia responsible for hundreds of dead and thousands displaced.8/Military coop in Georgia,ongoing conflict with aggressor eg Russia Dumb prick assassinated, Bush,EU and NATO tell the world its nothing to do with them.9/Georgia invaded by Aggressor eg Russia leading to years of misery for ordinary people. Russian, American and European arms dealers and manufacturers make a fortune 10/Another dumb prick is born elsewhere and we start again

Answer 13

From what I understand...

South Ossetia, where the violence is taking place, used to be Russian but has been in Georgian territory for a while (a few decades).  But there is still a strong Russian population in South Ossetia.

A group of people in South Ossetia with support from a large percentage of the population declared independence from Georgia.  The Georgians then sent their army in to regain control or the region, leading to many Russians living in South Ossetia fleeing to Russia.

Russia then reacted by sending in it's troops, saying that it was protecting the Russian people in South Ossetia and Georgia.

Russia regained control of South Ossetia but during the fighting many civilians were injured/killed and each side is blaming the other.

But on top of Russia regaining control of South Ossetia it also fired missiles and dropped bombs on other areas of Georgia.

Russia claim that they had to go into Georgia to protect the Russian people, while Georgia claim that Russia over-reacted and it was just showing off it's strength.

Georgia was also due to join NATO, which is opposed by Russia, soon.  This would've also raised tensions between the countries, with Russia not wanting a NATO member on it's border.

All the facts haven't come out yet but I agree that the BBCs view did seem rather one-sided against Russia.

Hope you got all that! :D

Answer 14

Although the BBC is supposed to be independent, it is still the British state's broadcasting agency. Therefore, it often is the mouth-piece of the ruling govt, especially on foreign issues. The BBC will not be able to give an impartial view because every editor brings to his/her material some political baggage, and an eye to the policies of the govt. We have not been on the best terms with the Russians and are bound to give them a bad press on anything. Whether Georgia was right to invade the separatist states and take them back will depend on whether the separatists were right to break away in the first place. Georgia will, naturally, say that S. Ossetia and Abkhazia belonged to them but that is disputed. On the other hand, that Tibet is part of China is enshrined in international law and treaties, and therefore the separatists have no legitimacy whatsoever. But if Georgia can show that S. Ossetia and Abkhazia belongs to it, then they have every right to crush the separatists, just as we crushed the IRA and kept NI.

Answer 15

no way

the Georgians were dealing with some insurgents

the insurgents invited  Russians

into Georgian territory

the Russians started a Blitzkrieg

Answer 16

There are a couple of facts that make things quite clear.

Fact: the disputed territory belongs to Georgia.

Fact: Russia occupied that territory under the guise of peacekeeping

Fact: Russia then invaded Georgia proper, the territory not in dispute

Fact: Putin's own thesis outlines the steps necessary to re-establish the Soviet Union. The pipelines that bypass Russian control belong to Georgia.

This is all, completely and totally a Russian invasion of a sovereign nation, in the same light as actions by Stalin and Hitler before him.

What you hear coming from Russians is pure propaganda, their armored column was being assembled for 10 days before the initiation of hostilities. It was a preplanned attack, with Russia instigating the attack. Georgia was warned by the US not to take the bait, but they did anyway. That is the only thing Georgia did wrong. They fought back, but it wouldn't have mattered. Russia would have invaded anyway.

The BBC's account if one sided is because there is only one side that is factual. I hate the BBC, but this time they got it right without lying.

Answer 17

georgians just entered tskhinvali to protect the georgians living there. tskhinvali is said to be russian but there still are georgians living there. they were shooted for whole 4 days and then the georgians entered the region. and that was all the russians wanted to enter georgia passing through roki , and saying they were trying to protect their people they started bombing the capital of the country and other cities.

georgia has a good location which russia needs, plus they can't stand the fact that the country that used to be their puppet is getting stronger now , and its saakashvili that's making it stronger, and that's why putin hates him that much (even some georgians don't understand that)

that's all i think..