Georgia: War in South Ossetia
See Global Voices special coverage page on the South Ossetia crisis.
Following clashes and allegations of the shelling of Georgian villages by separatists in the breakaway territory of South Ossetia, there are fears that war will once again rage in the volatile South Caucasus. With the media reporting that Georgian troops have surrounded the capital, Tskhinvali, all eyes are on how Russia reacts to the latest developments. Writing on BattleForums, Uncle_Vanya says that this is war.
The war has just begun yesterday, Georgia began massive military operations to capture South Ossetia, so far the civilian bodycount is 15 dead. South Ossetian capitol of Tshinvali is surrounded by Georgian forces and is being pounded by Georgian airforce. A few minutes ago Russian Peacekeeper HQs in the region reported that there were direct artillery hits on the barracks of the Russian peacekeepers and there were wounded. Russia is going to war, we haven't moved the troops yet but with our peacekeepers wounded we now have no choice, Russia is at a defacto state of war with Georgia. There is a report by Georgian ministry of Defense of a pack of Russian Su-24 ground attack aircraft dropping bombs of a Georgian city of Karel, the main city police building has been heavily damaged with bombardment, no reports of casualties as of yet. As I said, weeks later Russian forces have already been assembling at the North Ossetian-South Ossetian border and will most likely begin mobilizing towards the conflict zone some time today. […]
Georgia already considers Russian peacekeepers in the territory to be a party to the conflict, and the situation is made even more volatile by the fact that most South Ossetians hold Russian passports. Some media sources also report that Russia is alleged to have struck targets in Georgia proper. B & C Go To Georgia, a Peace Corps blog, already reports there are some signs that this might be true.
Brenden left for Khashuri this morning to go to a session for the trainees […], whereas I remained in Tbilisi. He was supposed to come back to Tbilisi this afternoon, but at some point after they passed Gori, the highway by Gori was blown up (this is my understanding–this hasn't been reported in English language media yet). […]
With all that said, the situation here is worse than it has been in the time we've been in Georgia. This is my own personal opinion (not the opinion of Peace Corps or the U.S. government), but I think this might develop into a full-scale war.
Aid Worker Daily posts a video and ominously titles the entry “South Ossetia – If this isn’t war I don’t know what is,” while Horizons Unlimited advises global travelers to stay away from Georgia.
Its all booting off now in Georgia … The Georgian military have stormed into one of the two wannabe breakaway zones, South Ossetia … and the Russians are vowing to defend their “compatriots”. Russian peacekeepers have been among the casualties. President Medvedev has summoned his security council, PM Putin has vowed there will be a response from Russia. Georgian President Saakashvili has called up all reservists.
Might be an area to avoid.
Nachspiel at Polemarchus’ says that the conflict in South Ossetia is a test for the New World Order, but is unsure whether the United States or Russia will allow it to escalate further.
[…] I’m not an expert on this matter, or even on international relations at all. But I do notice one thing: an absence of the kind of confronational rhetoric categorizing the cold war. Admittedly, the big guys themselves haven’t started commenting yet, leaving the speaking to the diplomats. But that might also mean neither Moscow nor Washington are prepared to let this escalate into a major international crisis.
This is a test of the new world order after the Cold War, as fighting erupts on Russia’s doorstep. Let’s hope this won’t be proof of the new cold war neoconservative Robert Kagan claims is in the making. As yet it’s too early for an uninformed being to make predictions. I’m waiting for European and later American commentators to wake up and tell me what we can expect.
groul as a'housekeeper [RU] is updating its readers on the situation, but also reports that several web sites in South Ossetia might already have been hacked or blocked. But in a region where frozen conflicts and ethnic tensions threaten stability, perhaps the last word should be left to two cups of tea which says that “war is killing beautiful South Ossetia.”
War has come to a new part of our world today. As in all wars, innocent lives are affected in tragic ways. This does not come as a surprise on any of the party’s involved in the conflict.
It is sad however that Georgia, Russia and South Ossetia cant come to a peaceful solution.
[…]
We can only hope and pray peace, brotherhood and the willingness to listen to the people of Ossetia and Georgia, will win over pain and war.
More updates will be posted later.
248 comments
The sooner Russia will do heavy bombardment of Georgia itself, the better. Tbilisi should be bombarded and then Georgian ordinary people will understand what the real war is. Russia is always very patient and allows killing its own people. Moreover, people in Ossetia have Russian citizenship and must be protected.
The US provided a lot of weapons for Georgia and now we see the result. Everywhere in the world where the US puts the nose it is getting worse and not better.
Russia, go and bomb Georgian military bases inside Georgia and the war will be over. Ossetian people want independence.
Sorry for my bad english!!!
In other countries do not show and do not speak that war there has begun Georgia!!! Because of these Georgian idiots people (<1400 peoples) were lost!!! This beginning of war! Russia should tear on pieces of these Georgian idiots!!!
For American Anarchy.
That is your country which wants Georgia and Ukraine to confront Russia. Russia is not interested in wars now because it’s interested in economic prosperity. Seeing that, you guys invented a smart strategy to collide those nations.
In addition, fyi if you don’t know. people of Ossetia and Abhazia want to be independent from Georgia. So, you double standards are visible when you support Kosovo independence and do not want to see Abhazia and Ossetia.
Lie is the official policy of the US now which is just a disgrace.
To Andrew Thompson…
You said .
What are you talking about? Just look at the world map and investigate where the Russian troops are and where the Americans…You guys invaded Iraq for oil and destroyed the whole country and your troops are everywhere, i.e. in Europe, Asia, Japan, Indian ocean…Wake up and have a look. You Americans think people in the world don’t see that…You are mistaken, which is why we voted against our ex-prime minister and our troops are going from Iraq now and I’m happy. Nobody supports you and Europe now realized that you are a destructive force for the world. Europe wants peace with Russia, you guys want war all over the world. What is amazing is that you gys even don’t care…You care more where the closest Mac is than how many innocent civilians died because of your weapons.
Diar terrestrials who can’t speak on different language from english.
If you realy respect people who different from you, do try to read news on different language from that obstructed your hearing. Don’t read BBC, read our news.
Use services for translate (www.translate.ru). It’s simply. Copy-past text and get truely result. Read this resources: http://echo.msk.ru/, http://www.lenta.ru. Perhaps another resources.
US state georgia that near Russia is a den of the terrorists, where US tests their tactics weapon on peaceful citizens. Russian solders didn’t kill civilians in georgia or osetia. Unlike georgian solders with an american menagment. Georgian solders are killers, and don’t need to talk another words or I don’t need to evidence for this accertion, because people near us says this and tears for perished brothers, sisters, sons, mothers. Pro-english new s services even undependence services wrong. Why? Are you evils for us all? Even our undependence services say another things.
I hope you would comprehend the true.
stupid Georgia who kill their own ppl because of US
Goodness, this is so F*-uped. Who needs another war? What for? What is there to gain? And who gains the most?
I speak 4 different languages including Russian, I read a lot of different news. All of them lie! Absolutely all!
The US media however produces the most horrendous lies, counting on the ignorance and desensitization of US population.
Why does US back all of those small time fascist dictators all over the world? Just because they are loyal to US? They are not! It looks to me like US is deliberately destabilizing the situation in places where it has a vested interest, such as military bases or oil profits.
This is horrible! If US and Russian interests clash this could mean another cold war. And this is just dumb.
I refuse to live on this planet! Give me another globe…
To people who believe russian press, please open your eyes, there is no such a thing as freedom of press in russia, unless its says “Long live Putin”. As for the Ossetians being citizens of Russia and need to be protected by Russia: how about Russia will take all their citizens to Russia since they want to be Russian citizens so bad? Also you think because some idiots will touch and American business men in Moscow, US should launch full scale military action in Moscow? Russia is not USSR, and although ambitions are flying high, there is not much but alot of hot air and attacking Georgia will not proove anything to the rest of the world. Russia is a second class in terms of power and it will stay that way untill peopel in the government stop pocketing the money from the oil and gas.
Once Georgia had supplied wine and other produce to Russia, living also on tourists from Russia. Then their living standard had been very high. After Russia refused to buy the Georgian wine (which, according to Georgia’s former Minister of Defense, was made of faeces) and their faked mineral water, and Russian tourists stopped visiting the area, Georgia’s economy collapsed. The enraged Georgia started looking for another sponsor. And there came the USA. The economic situation did not change for the better yet. A way out? – An old trick in an attempt to distract the nation’s attention from the real situation and to unite it: to make up an outside enemy! And Georgia’s president Hitl… Saakashvili did it. Now he will have a pretext to beg for Western aid (in cash, please!).
By the way, if the landlord breaks, in the middle of the night, into the house of his tenant, shoots dead the tenant’s wife and children and says, with a smoking gun in his hand: “I am restoring my legitimate order. And I seek peace.”, what would be your response like? Didn’t he really mean “requiescat in pace”? And that’s how Georgia acted!
Also, American ‘volunteers’ and ‘freedom fighters’ are always ready to join any bunch of sadists, perverts and bandits (the more so when they are paid therefor) because it is an opportunity of doing what is forbidden in their own country. They are always willing to make peace, the peace of the kind they have brought to Afghanistan and Iraq (say to those killed in terrorists’ attacks!). The words of some Susan Winters prove it once again.
To Susan Winters: Ain’t you or your friend a veteran of Iraq? Isn’t your real name Lindie England?