This could be the real goal of the Russian invasion. Map of the Baku-Supsa and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipelines throught the nation of Georgia


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Pipelines.gif

This is getting worse by the minute. WTF people???

Classic, the quick version, it is for the region a big ball of wax. Stalin "gave" Ossetia and Abkhazi two small regions or "countries" to Georgia in the early part of this century. Stalin was originally from Georgia. Fast forward to 1991. Soviet Union falls, a loose federation of 15 different countries from the Baltic's down around to Kazakhstan forms. Georgia is one of these countries. The Ossetians and Abkhazi have wanted to be their own sovereign country, or to be absorbed back into Russia since 91, and there have been separatist issues and rebellion this whole time, with "peacekeeping" forces from Russia on the ground since 91.

Georgia finally tipped the scale in this one, killed a Russian soldier, and pissed of the Russian Bear. In short, and oversimplified maybe, but true. As far as warfare for the region goes....they are a little more morally flexible then us pansies in the west perhaps.

The early part of this century?

Good pictures.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/200...h_ossetia.html

Russia's invasion of Georgia is no worse than America's invasion of Iraq. In fact, America's illegal invasion of Iraq is worse. Russia says people in Ossetia are being oppressed and have suffered through atrocities, (kind of like the people of Iraq) so the big military rolls in and kills everyone.

I would be willing to bet the same people who support the war in Iraq are against the actions of Russia when they do something very similar.

Radar, saying our trying to win the GWOT in Iraq as well as elsewhere is illegal has never had the least basis in fact, and I tire of how desperately you try to lie about it. Do you take us for being as bad at foreign policy as yourself, or what?

Congress said to the President, "As CINC, fly at 'em and try and win." That is what the resolution to use military force was, Radar, as is plain to everyone except you and a collection of far-left fascists who desperately want America, and democratic humanity of which we are the spearhead, to lose that their totalitarian dreams may be realized.

You're exceedingly ill-advised to adopt the views of far-left fascists, whose lack of societal success is absolute, whose future is all in the past, and whose dickheadedness was exceeded only by that of the Communists. In other words, no example to follow, no philosophy to adhere to, unless you have but the intellect of a two-year-old bent on world domination if only he could figure out how it was spelled.

Yet it is an example you follow. I call that abominably bad libertarianism -- to insist that totalitarians be left alone rather than be replaced with something more nearly libertarian. What bollocks. Where is your desire to destroy totalitarianism, totalitarians, and tyrants?

It's been cut off, with several other important brain and body parts, it would seem.

A libertarian needs a liberationist mindset to amount to anything.

I don't know whether it's right or wrong for Russia to be invading Georgia or not. I don't really know much more than the basics which is pretty much what Joe shared with us.

I do feel very strongly that if the US insists on injecting themselves in the situation, it's going to end in tears. A river of them.

What I think is most interesting is the timing of the invasion. Who stands to gain by either encouraging or deciding to this invasion? When the eyes of the world are on China, I wonder.

I guess mostly China is probably happy people are talking about some other arseholes instead of Tibet for a while.

Sheesh, what year am I in???? Yep good catch. Sorry. Last century.

Great pics Bruce. Thanks.

If you want an accurate look of the current terrain google maps isn't the place to go. At least in my town there are some landmarks on there that are well over a year old so I don't think it is very up to date. Very cool pics however.

I'm drawing the line at Alabama.

They can have Alabama and while they're at it take Arkansas off our hands too.

As usual UG is completely wrong. The President is not commander in chief until called into service by a formal declaration of war. Congress may only make a formal declaration of war when it is in the common defense of Americans. Congress is not allowed to "authorize" the president to make war. They are given no such power.

The war in Iraq is illegal and I'll continue to make that factual statement no matter how much you dislike it.

Libertarianism can not be spread at the point of a gun and your beliefs that it can are directly in contradiction to the words of our founders, and every libertarian author who has ever existed.

Id say thats a definite. Now that they have developed some of their old muscle back, they want to take control of the oil that goes to Europe. The US is in no position to do anything about it. Its not like we can threaten them with anything but talk.

And anyway...The US did do something very similar..in Iraq. Not that that very expensive gambit is going to pay off for us...the peak oil and current credit crisis is going to end up doing us serious harm.