-
Archives
- January 2010
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
-
Meta
Tag Archives: South Ossetia
Georgian Mutiny Put Down
Georgia has stopped a tank battalion mutiny. Naturally the Russians are suspected of being behind it. I’ve been wondering if President Obama will continue support for Georgia, and cause the ire of a belligerent Russia.
Georgia’s Tapes
Who jumped first in South Ossetia has become a bit of a information war between Georgia and Russia. Today, the Georgian government went a ways toward resolving it by releasing recordings of intercepted radio traffic preceding the Russian invasion. The … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs
Tagged ceasefire, Daily Telegraph, Georgia, Georgian army, infrormation war, intercepts, invasion, irrationalism, lies, peace, Putin, radio, recordings, Russia, Russian invasion, South Ossetia, strategy
3 Comments
A Shattered Idol in the Black Garden
(photo: Rahim Alizadeh) In Verdi’s opera Nabucco –the namesake of the western gas pipeline to Europe that holds the promise of partial independence from Russian energy reliance– the Jewish patriots take the daughter of the Babylonian king hostage, in order … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged Abkhazia, administration, Aliyev, Armenia, Artur Rasizade, Azerbaijani, Azeris, Babylon, Baku, black garden, Boris Yeltsin, Clinton, crypto-fascism, Denena, Dick Cheney, Dmitry Medvedev, Elmar Mammadyarov, energy, ethnic, Europe, Henry Kissinger, hostage, imports, Iran, Jerusalem, Karabakh, King, Kommersant, Medvedev, miltiarism, Moscow, Nabucco, Nabucco pipeline, Nagorno-Karabakh, natural gas, opera, OSI, Persia, petrocracy, Rahim Alizadeh, Russia, security, South Ossetia, Soviet Union, United States, Verdi, Washington, Yagub Eyubov
Leave a comment
China and Provincial Secessionism
Extremely interesting post from Seth Weinberger on the opportunity for pulling China in the pro-Georgia camp, after the SCO failed to endorse Russian actions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Seth is as mystified as I am that the Russian foreign … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged Abkhazia, China, expansionism, foreign policy, Georgia, ideology, Mao, prc, Russian foreign ministry, SCO, secession, secessionism, separatism, Seth Weinberger, South Ossetia, taiwan, tibet, United States
Leave a comment
Georgia Cuts Loose
Saakashvili has finally severed all Georgian diplomatic ties with Russia. A bit overdue, I must say. Meanwhile, Putin, in his ongoing effort to legitimize the Russian invasion of Georgia, again compared his country’s actions to the NATO intervention against Serbia … Continue reading
Posted in Around the Web
Tagged Brussels, diplomacy, Europe, Georgia, Putin, Russia, Saakashvili, Serbia, South Ossetia, United States, White House
Leave a comment
War of Conquest
A couple of days into Russian-declared, universally unrecognized independence (excluding Hamas and Belarus), South Ossetian officials have expressed their desire to be annexed by Russia. The brave new defenders of Russian imperialism on the American Left have thus suddenly found … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged American, annexation, Belarus, Boris Yeltsin, comonwealth, conquest, Georgia, Hamas, imperialism, independence, left, Russia, self-determination, South Ossetia, trade
1 Comment
The Truth About Russia in Georgia
Michael Totten is in Georgia interviewing actual Georgian soldiers and finding out what went on behind the scenes of this conflict. Turns out Saakashvili didn’t start it after all.
A Unity of Black Hearts
Russian Major General Vyacheslav Nikolaevich Borisov, in command of occupied Gori, has finally received orders to do something about the Russian allied irregulars who are rampaging in Georgia committing atrocities: “Ossetians are killing poor Georgians, this is a problem and … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged atrocities, caucasus, children, elderly, ethnic cleansing, Georgia, Gori, Institute for War and Peace Reporting, murder, occupation, rape, Russia, Slobodan Milošević, South Ossetia, Thomas de Waal, Tony Halpin, Vyacheslav Nikolaevich Borisov, war, war crimes, Yugoslavia
Leave a comment
The Belligerent Peacekeeper
Robert Amsterdam speaks with Geert Jan Alexander Knoops, an expert on international law governing peacekeeping missions, who concludes the Russian claims of acting as belligerent peacekeepers, have no legal foundation in international law. Amsterdam further observes that by citing the … Continue reading
Blameless are the Bellicose?
(photo: Pavel Trebukov | blog) From the gang who brought you the “because Georgia has invaded its own country we had to attack” rationale for the South Ossetian War, Poland has now apparently “made itself a target” for Russian nuclear … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs
Tagged advocacy, attack, ballistic, ballistic missiles, borders, Boris Yeltsin, frontier war, Georgia, ICBM, international relations, invasion, Iran, militarism, missile defense, nmd, nuclear, nuclear strike, Pavel Trebukov, Poland, propaganda, republics, salvo, security policy, South Ossetia, strike, target, targets, vanity, West
Leave a comment
Photos from the Front
89 amateur snapshots from the war in Georgia. Some are rather gruesome, so avoid this link if you’ve a weak stomach. It was good to see some US munitions and equipment in Georgian hands too.
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged amateur, equipment, front, Georgia, munitions, photos, Russia, snapshots, South Ossetia, US, war
Leave a comment
Russia as Rogue
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says “the world can forget about” Georgia’s territorial integrity. Quite a remarkable statement from the former permanent representative to the United Nations. As a statement of purpose or justification in his country’s war, it is … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged Abkhazia, charter, conflict, conquest, Cuba, foreign inister, Georgia, irridentism, Russia, separatists, Serbia, Sergei Lavrov, South Ossetia, United Nations, war
Leave a comment
When There’s Nothing Left to Burn You Have to Set Yourself on Fire
Sorry for my absenteeism on this, guys, but I’ve barely had the time to write on Registan.net about the war in Georgia (seriously, go there for some really in-depth discussions about what is going on), and have simply neglected copying … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs
Tagged absenteeism, blowback, Brussels, BTC pipeline, Caspian Sea, caucasus, conflict, Europe, Fidel Castro, frozen conflicts, Georgia, Medvedev, Moscow, NATO, policy, Putin, Registan, Russia, Saakashvili, separatism, South Ossetia, strategy, Tblisi, territorialism, Tskhinvali, war, western
9 Comments
The Invasion of Western Georgia
Russia has invaded Western Georgia (proper) and captured Senaki, far from Abkhazia. It’s being billed by a Russian official as a preventive move against Georgian troop concentration. This being yet another new rationale invented on the fly to justify further … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged 1998, Abkhazia, Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgia, invasion, puppet, Senaki, South Ossetia, trivia, war, Wu Wei
Leave a comment
So Ends the Kouchner Adventure
Russia wants Saakashvili gone and then categorically rejects the French ceasefire agreement Saakashvili signed. Even while the increasingly uncomfortable Medvedev says they’re all but finished with military operations. The humiliating exposure of Medvedev’s “presidency” is one of the more comical … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged Cold War, Estonia, Europe, foreign policy, French, IBM, Javier Solana, Kouchner, Russia, Saakashvili, South Ossetia, Soviet Union, Tbilisi, Toomas Hendrik Ilves
1 Comment
Arms for Georgia
Evidently immune to the historical irony, Israel halted arms shipments to Georgia months ago due to fears of a Russian attack. As an IDF veteran interprets that: “When we found ourselves in a similar situation, we expected the world to … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged armor, arms, arms trade, AT4, attack, C-17, Georgia, georgians, Haaretz, IDF, Interior Ministry, Israel, Javelin, missile, Operation Nickel Back, Russia, Shota Utiashvili. spokesman, South Ossetia, veteran, war, weapons, Yom Kippur War
Leave a comment
Found Him
Joshua hasn’t disappeared, he just isn’t gracing us with his opinions on the conflict in the Caucasus, but you can find them at Registan.net, here and here. Heh, Insty links to him, but describes it as peevish (Josh? Peevish? Also, … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lance's Page
Tagged Abkhazia, annexation, caucasus, conflict, Georgia, Joshua Foust, Putin, Registan, Russia, Saakashvili, South Ossetia, war
2 Comments
QandO Podcast
McQ, Dale and I discuss the Russian campaign against Georgia over South Ossetia. Generally I feel that our support should belong to Georgia. However, Georgia has severely miscalculated in this matter, and frankly our options are limited. At best, we … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lance's Page
Tagged Abkhazia, airspace, campaign, Dale, discuss, Georgia, Lee, McQ, NATO, negotiated settlement, peacekeeeping, peacekeepers, Putin, Russia, South Ossetia, sovreignty, US, war
Leave a comment
Glimpse of a Better Outcome for Georgia
When it seemed like escalation was the modal reality, outcomes looked bleak for Georgia. Dynamics change. Thus Georgia’s ceasefire in South Ossetia cannot be a bad thing under the circumstances. By putting up an initial fight, they drew the attention … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged 1812, BBC, Georgia, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Media, NATO, opinion, peacekeepers, Russia, South Ossetia, Tbilisi, war, war crimes
4 Comments
The “Serbian” Claim to South Ossetia
The point has been made more than once that the Russian incursion into South Ossetia is ideologically motivated as a retaliatory gesture for Kosovo independence. Wu Wei makes a fine point about why this is not plausible if so: The … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged Albania, Albanians, ethnic, Georgia, identity, kings, Kosovo, Macedonia, Milosovic, Ottomans, Russia, Russians, Saakashvili, Serbia, Serbs, South Ossetia, Wu Wei, Yugoslavia
1 Comment
The Trouble with American Alliances
Always demanding when they need you, useless and even obstructionist when you actually need them. Our friend Geoff Morrell can serve as something of a personification of that characteristic in fact: Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said the Georgians had requested … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs
Tagged Chinese, Geoff Morrell, Georgia, Kevlar, military, NATO, Russia, South Ossetia, veterans
2 Comments
Testy Times in the Bird’s Nest
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd witnessed a heated discussion between Bush and Putin over Georgia.
Posted in Around the Web
Tagged Australia, Bush, Georgia, Kevin Rudd, Putin, Russia, South Ossetia, war
Leave a comment
Policy Recommendations for the Demented
One can always count on the New York Times for publishing pernicious editorial advice on foreign policy. To duty, Helene Cooper is eager for the US to seize the opportunity of the South Ossetia invasion to…throw Georgia under the bus … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs
Tagged ally, Georgia, Helene Cooper, invasion, New York Times, South Ossetia, Stratfor, war
10 Comments
Who Owns Tskhinvali?
So who is in control of Tskhinvali right now? Russia says Russia, Georgia says Georgia, and the separatists? Take your pick: Eduard Kokoity, self-styled president of the separatist region, said a “second attempt” by Georgian forces to retake the town … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs
Tagged Boris Chochiyev, Eduard Kokoity, Georgia, Reuters, Russia, South Ossetia, Tskhinvali, war
6 Comments
US Begins to Align with Georgia
Slowly the gears turn, but Washington and Tbilisi’s positions inch further into concord by the minute. The infamous “unnamed senior US official,” behind all important news events of the last century has spoken: A senior U.S. official says Russia has … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs
Tagged administration, Bush, Georgia, military, Moscow, Russia, South Ossetia, Tbilisi, war
1 Comment
Peacekeeper No More
Alexander Stubb, chairman of the OSCE, states the obvious but necessary: Russia having become a combatant, can no longer serve in a peacekeeping role in South Ossetia. Which of course eliminates their rationale for intervention.
Posted in Around the Web
Tagged Alexander Stubb, Georgia, intervention, OSCE, Russia, South Ossetia
Leave a comment
Russian Strategic Objectives Changing?
Wu Wei believes Russia is now targeting the Nabucco gas pipeline in Georgia…while the Russian NATO envoy argues that strategic objectives are restricted to a South Ossetia protection and warns NATO to stay out. And now Iran gets into the … Continue reading
Posted in Around the Web
Tagged Georgia, Iran, Nabucco, NATO, pipeline, Russia, South Ossetia, war, Wu Wei
Leave a comment
Some Anonymous South Ossetia Endgame Analysis
Daniel Nexon gets an email from an anonymous Russia hand speculating on the grim possible outcomes for Georgia: This is not going to end well for Georgia. Russia has expanded its targets beyond the vicinity of South Ossetia, hitting not … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs
Tagged Abkhazia, Chechnya, Daniel Nexon, Georgia, independence, Russia, Russophile, Saakashvili, South Ossetia, war
8 Comments
The Conquest of Georgia?
In an unnerving development, the New York Times is reporting that Russia may be preparing for an amphibious assault on Georgia’s Black Sea coastline. Alexander Lomaya, Secretary of Georgia’s National Security Council: “Russia has clearly decided to redraw the borders … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged Alexander Lomaya, Black Sea, Georgia, Russia, South Ossetia, war, Washington
2 Comments
160,000 Deaths
At least 160,000 deaths in the suppression of Chechen independence by Russia. Just a reminder for when someone tries to set Russia up as the great defender of South Ossetia’s right of national self-determination. There’s a diplomatic argument for that, … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged Chechen, Chechnya, diplomacy, Georgia, independence, nationalism, self-determination, South Ossetia, war
Leave a comment
Choosing Sides on South Ossetia
After an ambiguous initial reaction, the State Department appears to have realized that despite whatever Russia contends, it is physically impossible for Georgia to invade its own country: “We call on Russia to cease attacks on Georgia by aircraft and … Continue reading
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged Condoleezza Rice, Georgia, Iraq, Russia, Sergey Lavrov, South Ossetia, State Department, Tbilisi, United States, withdrawal
2 Comments
Appetites of the Empire
(image: Marcelus G. Zalotti)
Posted in Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Tagged Abkhazia, cartoon, eagle, empire, Georgia, graphic, invasion, Russia, South Ossetia, state seal, war
Leave a comment