Who started it--Russia or Georgia?

Question

And what should WE do?

Answer 1

Georgia attacked South Ossetia, one of two States that have been autonomous since the early 90's. Most of its citizens are Russian and a little more than half carry Russian passports and have relatives in North Ossettia which is also a autonomous region but on the Russian side of the border. The people are ethnically the same. There is less than 10% Georgians living in South Ossetia.

During July, Israeli and US advisors were "training" the Georgian military and even had a visit by Condoleeza Rice last month near the end of their joint training exercises. Both the US and Israel have been selling them military weapons. The South Ossetians reported that they saw a lot of "dark skinned" soldiers in the attacking army. I cannot comment on that but I am assuming that Georgians tend to be light skinned...I am just assuming the Israelis were still there.

Georgia has four large pipelines that provide much of the money that it depends on. Three out of four are currently shut down. One due to repairs and the others as a precautionary measure.

It is up to you to decide who is right in this conflict. South Ossetia maintains that it has the right to continue to be free and has cited Kosovo ie Yugoslavia and the Albanian precedent as an argument to the UN. The US opposes their freedom from Georgian rule and probably encouraged Georgia to attack this separatist state.

Europe is the recipient of most of the oil and has more of a reason to intervene in the dispute. The main pipeline is owned by BP and Norway at 25% each. France, Italy, Iran and Turkey have smaller pieces of it.

The Georgians blew the c**p out of its capital city targeting hospitals, civilians hiding in their basements and those fleeing on the roads. The Russians put a stop to it and you can see this for yourself in one of the many YouTube and BBC videos. The Russian Army is obviously welcome there and are strolling around in the center of the city without fear amongst their people.

Personally, I think the US should stay out of this since we do not have any irons in this fire except for our military wanting to build bases on Russia's border...  

Answer 2

Georgia started the war. Russia started the invasion.

We, as politicians, should win the war in Iraq first.

We, as average web-browsing nobody, should stay back and mind our own business.

Answer 3

Georgia started it. The region of South Ossetia was a Russian area given to Georgia in the 1930's by a Georgian named Joseph Dzhugashvili (a.k.a. Stalin) but the people there are Russian. When the Soviet Union broke up the people wanted to stay a part of Russia and fought to drive the Georgians out. They did, and had been running their own affairs since 1993, with Russian help. According to the cease fire agreement that ended the war, Russian troops went in as peacekeepers.

When the current Regime in Georgia came to power, they vowed to conquer the area. Last week, as the Olympics were starting, they launched a suprise attack on the capital, killing many civilians and 10 Russian soldiers.  

Answer 4

US had 250 of their military advisers in Georgia working out Georgia's invasion of Osettia. The US even sent Georgia hundreds of tanks and jet fighters along with weapons and they killed 2000 Osettias and began moving their tanks into the Capitol of Osettia. Then Russia came to Osettia's defense because Osettia is still a part of Russia and bombed Georgia's military and their 2nd wave of tanks before they got into Osettia.

Answer 5

Perhaps we should look towards to West (USA); after all it was our President Bush and his cronies who through diplomatic channels provide innuendos that America would provide support to their membership to NATO, and military training. Thus Georgia's President step right into a trap set by Putin for months. Putin has been goating the President of Georgia for months by inserting citizens of Ostessia to rally for their independence from Georgia.  

Answer 6

Georgian Troops more likely was draw into shooting at Russian Troops. This gave Russia all the excuse they needed to invade and take over Georgia. Just as Putin's plan to the take the rest of  the From er USSR states that broke free from Russia in the early 90's. We as the US must not allow this to happen, cause Reunited USSR is bad news for the US.

Also I wouldn't be surprise if Putin's another motive in fighting w/ Georgia is to take that oil pipe line that runs through it and destroy it. So the world would have depend more on Russian oil.

The US needs to stop Russia by force if needed before Russia tries to take back their former states in Europe cause some of those former states have nukes and aren't that friendly to Russia. They would use their nukes to stop Russia and keep their freedom. It would lead to Nuclear War in Eastern Europe.

Answer 7

Let me make it simple for you lefties. Pretend the US is Georgia and Mexico is Russia (militarily it will be more like that when Obama is President but pretend for now). Pretend there are hundreds of thousands of Mexican citizens in Texas (Don't need to pretend this is true). There are several thousand Russian citizens in South Ossetia. Now pretend Mexico is mad because Texas was once part of their empire (actually it was). Just like South Ossetia was once pert of the former Soviet Union. Now pretend Mexico wanted Texas to follow Mexican laws, culture, language and customs as well as travel freely back and forth across the international border between Texas and Mexico (actually this also is true). This is identical to the situation between Russia and the South Ossetia province of Georgia. Now pretend that Mexico wanted Texas back and wanted the US President removed and a Mexican sympathizer installed as the new US President (actually this may be true as well). So now let us invision Texans who are independent minded (as Texans are) want to keep Texas as part of the US and battle the Mexicans and eventually get help from the US Government (Obama would just let Mexico have Texas so you must pretend really hard). This has been the state of affairs between Russia and Georgia for the past year or two. Now suppose Mexico decided to take the fact the US Government sent help to Texas as an act of war so they invade the US and now is in Colorado and says they are stopping but tanks have just entered Kansas. This is identical to where the conflict is today. Now pretend Mexico is warning Canada Not to get involved or they are next. This is how Russia is dealing with all the Balkans and former states of the former USSR. Now pretend England is threatening Mexico by begging the UN to get involved. That pretty much explains the part the US is playing in the Russian-Georgian conflict. Now that is an explanation even a liberal democrat could understand.

What should we do? Arm the Georgian Army with antitank weapons and A10 Warthogs and send in lots of military advisors, CIA and Black Ops to make Russia miserable.

Answer 8

really russia, because georgia just wanted to reclaim the land that was legally theirs but russia started a war over it

Answer 9

Everyone can see this is a convenient time for this to happen... right near election time.  Also, Bush/neo con committees/McCain are all behind this and THEY knew about the situation between Russia and Georgia for sometime now and conveniently waited for it to boil over.  

I sincerely believe Georgia is at fault here.  

Answer 10

Georgia: by invading South Ossetia.

WE should stay out and mind our own business.

Answer 11

Russia claimed that Georgia started it, which is BS.  Russia started it.

We should use our influence in the UN and NATO to have economic sanctions placed against Russia.  If Russia refuses to withdraw from Georgia,  we can get a bit more aggressive.

Answer 12

Beef is actually correct. Georgia is a sovern nation and South Ossetia is a province (State) of Georgia. That is why there is a North Ossetia and a South Ossetia with the Russian-Georgian "International Border" between the two. Russian sympathizers started a revolution in South Ossetia and were winning so Georgia tried to squash the uprising. It is a problem in Georgia not Russia so Russia invaded a sovern nation to "protect its citizens living there". So whenever there is a war in a country that a lot of US Citizens live in we can invade them for that reason alone? (Remember recently in Lebanon?) South Ossetia is not part of Russia and several of you are wrong. Just shows how uneducated so many liberals are. The UN is useless just as there were 14 resolutions and international condemnation against Saddam Hussein and the United States and over a dozen other countries had to take matters in their own hands after a dozen years. (just like Iran now). So Georgia is doomed if we wait on those bribery ridden corrupt bureaucrats to do anything. Cover and supply Georgia is the only way.

Answer 13

Russia of course.

Answer 14

John McCain started this fight. He has been in contact with Georgia's President Mikheil Saakeshvili through a lobbiest working in his campaign. Saakishvili got the impression from McCain that if Georgia occupied South Ossetia the USA would back them up. South Ossetia is a breakaway state of Georgia and wanted to be part of Russia again. Georgia occupied Ossetia and killed the Russian peacekeepers there so Russia responded with force.McCain should be quiet. Saakishvili asked McCain if we are all Georgians why don't you help.

Answer 15

Georgia began bombing S. Ossetia first and the news articls that i got from google u also can go on google and check it out.