Russian Georgian Conflict Intensifies
Monday the Russian Georgian conflict became greater, as Russian Forces invaded a second seceding province seeking to remain independent of Georgia and the Russians continue to overpower the military of the pro-western Russian neighbor, that just a little less then two decades ago was under the tight grip of the Soviet Union.
Calls for a ceasefire seem to have multiplied in numbers but have borne little fruit, even though some reports say that the Georgians have come out in favor of such a ceasefire pushed by amongst others, the French. Russia, however continues to roll forth, insisting this a component of a peace keeping mission that has turned into all out aggression between Russia and the small neighboring country of Georgia. Additional fronts have now opened in Abkhazia, another breakaway province in Georgia that has come under the control of Russian forces.
GORI, Georgia — Russian soldiers plunged into Georgia today to open a second front in the two countries’ 4-day-old war, storming out of the Russia-backed breakaway republic of Abkhazia to seize control of a western army base.
The Russian occupation of the base near the town of Senaki, close to the Black Sea, came as Georgia’s military struggled to regain ground lost to Russia in South Ossetia, another Moscow-backed region seeking independence from Georgia. Reservists in flip-flops and drawn, dirty soldiers mingled on the outskirts of South Osstia today, taking cover under trees and overpasses while Russian warplanes hammered the roads.
The emergence of a second front is another sign that Russia intends to continue its punishing campaign against Georgia, bringing the force of its military might to bear on the smaller, poorer neighboring country.
Meanwhile Georgia, the third largest contributor to troops in the small pool of U.S allies that have foreign forces in Iraq (2,000 Georgian forces to be specific)is extracting its forces from there, in response to the combat that continues to unfold in thier native land.
Russian Prime Minister Vladmir Putin and the Russian government, in response to the outrage expressed by the U.S and other western nations, over thier relentless and overpowering millitary response to Friday’s invasion of South Ossestia by Georgian forces; that it is meerly seeking to fullfill its peacekeeping duties and protect the people of South Ossetia.
President Bush has labeled the conduct of Russia thus far as “unacceptable” and Cheney has done his Neocon bit where he issues vailed cavalire threats.
