2008 Woodie Awards
Russia's new approach: Sticking up for the small guy
Kyle Nelson
Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: Perspectives
Many Americans woke up Sunday morning to the news that Russia had launched a full-fledged invasion of Georgia. I'm sure many reached for their shotguns before the news informed them Georgia was a small country in the Caucasus (the where?), but that's beside the point.
Ever since this war began, Western nations have decried the invasion, with daily calls for a ceasefire. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice even made a comparison to the Soviet crackdown of Czechoslovakia in 1968. "Ze Soviet spektor khas kome bek to spook ze vest, it happears."
But it's not that cut and dry. Russia may have responded a little excessively, but they did do the American thing.
According to the Associated press, on Aug. 8, President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia announced a unilateral ceasefire after several skirmishes in and around South Ossetia, a separatist region with nearly complete autonomy from Georgia since 1992. A few hours later, Ossetian militants shelled Georgian villages, said the Georgian government in an Associated Press article that same day. It was then that Georgia launched a major military offensive into South Ossetia to regain control of the region. This was specifically timed to coincide with the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which Vladimir Putin, prime minister of Russia, was attending. Saakashvili said to the AP that it was an opportune time to attack a small country. The Georgian military, according to the BBC, the AP and Time Magazine, began indiscriminately bombing, shelling and launching rockets at the region.
According to those same reports, some 2,000 citizens died in hours and the South Ossetian capital was nearly destroyed. To add to this, most Ossetians have Russian citizenship and Russia has had peacekeepers in the area since 1992. Of course the Russians were going to attack! That's why Georgia waited until the Olympics to start shooting. After all, wars are like pranks - if you pull one, you need to expect the counterattack to be double what you did. Saakashvili was probably hoping that Putin being at the games would slow the Russian response.
Ever since this war began, Western nations have decried the invasion, with daily calls for a ceasefire. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice even made a comparison to the Soviet crackdown of Czechoslovakia in 1968. "Ze Soviet spektor khas kome bek to spook ze vest, it happears."
But it's not that cut and dry. Russia may have responded a little excessively, but they did do the American thing.
According to the Associated press, on Aug. 8, President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia announced a unilateral ceasefire after several skirmishes in and around South Ossetia, a separatist region with nearly complete autonomy from Georgia since 1992. A few hours later, Ossetian militants shelled Georgian villages, said the Georgian government in an Associated Press article that same day. It was then that Georgia launched a major military offensive into South Ossetia to regain control of the region. This was specifically timed to coincide with the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which Vladimir Putin, prime minister of Russia, was attending. Saakashvili said to the AP that it was an opportune time to attack a small country. The Georgian military, according to the BBC, the AP and Time Magazine, began indiscriminately bombing, shelling and launching rockets at the region.
According to those same reports, some 2,000 citizens died in hours and the South Ossetian capital was nearly destroyed. To add to this, most Ossetians have Russian citizenship and Russia has had peacekeepers in the area since 1992. Of course the Russians were going to attack! That's why Georgia waited until the Olympics to start shooting. After all, wars are like pranks - if you pull one, you need to expect the counterattack to be double what you did. Saakashvili was probably hoping that Putin being at the games would slow the Russian response.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
Daniel
posted 8/25/08 @ 10:19 AM CST
From your title, I thought you'd be mentioning something about Chechnya. They're a breakaway region too... only they want to break away from Russia itself, so they get the bloody crackdown instead of "help" from the Bear. (Continued…)
Alex
posted 8/25/08 @ 11:33 AM CST
@Daniel
Let me tell you the difference between Chechnya (when it was 'free') and S-Ossetia. Here is the table, to make it easier for you to remember:
Chechnya S-Ossetia
Kidnapping
(also from neighbor regions) yes no
Slavery
(for those who were kidnapped) yes no
Drugs and weapons traffic,
fake money yes no
Attempt to attack the
neighbor regions yes no
Matthew
posted 8/25/08 @ 2:25 PM CST
Kyle, I'm afraid the scenario is more complex than the one you describe.
The wars in Abkhazia and Ossetia in the early 1990's were civil wars, not wars of independence. (Continued…)
mark
posted 8/25/08 @ 3:39 PM CST
Sad situation. Saakashvili hoped that everyone is distracted and use force on civilians to take South Ossetia. What is sad is that only Russia is talking about those civilians that got bombed and shelled by Georgia. (Continued…)
Steven
posted 8/28/08 @ 7:07 PM CST
Neither country is really "innocent" nor is either country completely at fault.
S. Ossetia and Abkhazia's claims of independence were never internationally recognized, and so one could argue that Georgia was entirely within its sovereign right to reassert control over the rebellious regions. (Continued…)
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