Comments on: Georgia/South Ossetia/Russia/Us (being the West) http://www.twonilblankblank.com/2008/08/08/georgiasouth-ossetiarussiaus-being-the-west/ Every RPG I have ever played is a lie Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:30:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: admin http://www.twonilblankblank.com/2008/08/08/georgiasouth-ossetiarussiaus-being-the-west/comment-page-1/#comment-358 admin Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:22:27 +0000 http://www.twonilblankblank.com/?p=803#comment-358 I don't think it was about destruction of infrastructure. I think it is likely to turn out to be something Saakashvilli had done previously and not had a Russian response. A Google Archives search showed a very similar thing happened in 2004 with no Russian response. I think this indicates that Saakashvilli badly miscalclulated and dropped everyone into a situation they were trying to avoid. It validates the French and German positions re. Georgian Nato membership. While there's no mutual defence pact in the terms the media reports it, there would have been the potential for even more pointless confrontation. I've posted a link to a run-down of the 2004 incident written in 2004: http://www.twonilblankblank.com/2008/08/13/2004/ I suspect Russian/Western relations will be normalised far quicker than most pundits think. There's significant economic incentives to do so. The 2004 incident is all over Google Archives: http://news.google.com/archivesearch?hl=en&tab=vn&ned=us&q=shelling+%22South+Ossetia%22&ie=UTF-8 It was no doubt all over a Lexis-Nexis search too - but as far as I am aware not one talking head or pundit has referenced it. I don’t think it was about destruction of infrastructure. I think it is likely to turn out to be something Saakashvilli had done previously and not had a Russian response. A Google Archives search showed a very similar thing happened in 2004 with no Russian response. I think this indicates that Saakashvilli badly miscalclulated and dropped everyone into a situation they were trying to avoid.

It validates the French and German positions re. Georgian Nato membership. While there’s no mutual defence pact in the terms the media reports it, there would have been the potential for even more pointless confrontation.

I’ve posted a link to a run-down of the 2004 incident written in 2004:

http://www.twonilblankblank.com/2008/08/13/2004/

I suspect Russian/Western relations will be normalised far quicker than most pundits think. There’s significant economic incentives to do so.

The 2004 incident is all over Google Archives:

http://news.google.com/archivesearch?hl=en&tab=vn&ned=us&q=shelling+%22South+Ossetia%22&ie=UTF-8

It was no doubt all over a Lexis-Nexis search too – but as far as I am aware not one talking head or pundit has referenced it.

]]> By: Ken http://www.twonilblankblank.com/2008/08/08/georgiasouth-ossetiarussiaus-being-the-west/comment-page-1/#comment-354 Ken Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:02:41 +0000 http://www.twonilblankblank.com/?p=803#comment-354 I too find the Georgian attack difficult to fathom. Maybe it's down to the personality of President Saakashvili! But, I wonder if one motive could have been the destruction of South Ossetian infrastructure, creation of a refugee problem, etc., This would weaken their position in any future attempt at independence. I too find the Georgian attack difficult to fathom. Maybe it’s down to the personality of President Saakashvili!

But, I wonder if one motive could have been the destruction of South Ossetian infrastructure, creation of a refugee problem, etc., This would weaken their position in any future attempt at independence.

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