Thread: “August 2008 conflict was a proxy Russia-US warâ€

“August 2008 conflict was a proxy Russia-US war"

30 September, 2009, 12:07

Pretty good Video at the link

The Georgian army which took part in the August 2008 conflict in South Ossetia was created, trained and supplied by Americans, says professor and author Stephen Cohen.

“I hope Barack Obama learned from the Georgian war that it is dangerous and it has to stop, but he is being given different advice. It is important to understand the struggle. Some people were telling Obama: ‘Look how the Russians invaded Georgia, how bad and dangerous they are. We have to get NATO to Ukraine and Georgia right away.’ Never forget that there was a powerful, powerful lobby in Washington to put NATO in Ukraine and Georgia – and that lobby has to be defeated,â€

Georgia started South Ossetian war – report

01 October, 2009, 14:20
pretty good video at the link

Georgia is responsible for unleashing the Five-Day War in the Caucasus last August, says an investigative report carried out by the EU.

The report was commissioned by the Council of the European Union. More than 30 European military, history and legal specialists – headed by Swiss diplomat Heidi Tagliavini – compiled the document. The group concluded that it was Georgia who fired the first shot and the opening attack was not justifiable under international law.

"In the opinion of the mission, Georgia provoked the war when it attacked Tskhinvali early on August 8, using heavy artillery," Commission chief Heidi Tagliavini said during the presentation of the report, Interfax news agency reports.

http://www.russiatoday.ru/Top_News/2009 ... n-war.html

Read the full Report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia:

Volume I; http://www.russiatoday.ru/s/obj/2009-10 ... lume_I.pdf
Volume II; http://www.russiatoday.ru/s/obj/2009-10 ... ume_II.pdf
Volume III http://www.russiatoday.ru/s/obj/2009-10 ... me_III.pdf

Tears amongst the ashes: Ossetia’s mourning continues

09 August, 2009, 11:32
Video at the link

According to the Russian Prosecutor’s office, the Georgian attack last August killed 162 Ossetians and wounded 250. For people who lost relatives in the attack, the grieving continues.
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One year after the war, vigils are being held in the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinval to remember those who were killed in the Georgian attack.

Local churches will be holding dozens of memorial ceremonies over the course of the next four days.

“You know, a lot of children died during the first night of shelling by the Georgian side,â€

“Saakashvili did something very stupid and very wicked in attacking Tskhinvaliâ€

N. Caucasus violence masterminded by foreign security services?

03 September, 2009, 11:40
Video at the link

International terrorism is an international question, not just a problem of internal security, believes Giulietto Chiesa, an Italian journalist and Member of the European Parliament.
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He claims foreign security services have links with international terrorists operating in Russia in order to pursue their respective countries' geopolitical interests and are partly to blame for the situation in the North Caucasus.

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“The terrorist question is much bigger than the security problem. In my opinion, concerning Chechen terrorism, there was a very big involvement of foreign secret services,â€

Russia warns Georgia against seizing Abkhazia-bound ships

03 September, 2009, 17:55
Video at the link

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has warned that the Georgian practice of arresting cargo ships in Abkhazian waters may lead to “serious armed incidentsâ€

Russia to use force if Georgian shelling continues

02 August, 2009, 10:53
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Russia says it is prepared to use force to protect its troops and civilians in South Ossetia if Georgia continues its military provocations, according to Russian officials.
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Earlier on Saturday, the South Ossetian Defence Ministry claimed one of its lookouts in the border zone was fired upon, although no casualties were reported.

Although South Ossetian authorities do not report any casualties in these alleged attacks, and Georgian officials deny all allegations of launching them, Russia’s Defense Ministry has called the incident a provocation.

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"Events in August 2008 developed in line with a similar scenario, which led to Georgia undertaking military aggression against South Ossetia and attacking the Russian peacekeeping contingent," the Ministry officials said, as quoted by RIA Novosti.

According to Russian officials, this was not the first provocation in the last four days. The Defense Ministry says it intends to use all its resources to protect South Ossetian and Russian citizens in the region, including the peacekeepers.

"In case of further provocations threatening the republic's population and the Russian military contingent deployed in South Ossetia, the ministry retains the right to use all available means and forces to defend the nationals of South Ossetia and Russian servicemen," Russia’s Defense Ministry has warned.

Georgia's Foreign Ministry, in turn, named the Russian statements on Tbilisi's actions on South Ossetia "absolutely groundless" and said they are "an undisguised threat to Georgia".

The Georgian side said this position "is aimed at destabilizing the situation in the region and is leading to a dangerous scenario".

Georgia urged the international community to give an assessment of the Russian representatives’ comments.

Since recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states and signing documents on co-operation and defense, nearly 4,000 Russian troops have been stationed in both territories for defense purposes.

Even now, almost a year since the conflict ended, the local population continues to suffer from the trauma of the short war and these latest incidents, therefore, only aggravate the situation.

Russia and CIS expert, Leonid Gusev, explains:

“First of all, President Saakashvili is thinking about the promises he made when he was elected for his first and second terms in office, when he said that Abkhazia and South Ossetia would become part of Georgia's territory. So, his actions are addressed to Georgians and he wants to show the west that he is the person who can control the situation.â€