did they know that the almighty red army from their northern neighbour, Russia will roll down their tanks to kick some butts. It was a historical misjudgment on the part of the policy wonks at Tbilisi, to think that Russia will let them have their way in South Ossetia, unanswered. A school of political science would have added, and why didn't Russia crush Georgia's separation from the former old Soviet Union if invasion is the proper means of securing back a disgruntled break-away region like South Ossetia? It was just three days after 
Georgia launched a military assault aimed at reclaiming the breakaway province of South Ossetia, that a bellicose Russia is defending the province with artillery and bombing campaign it began against Georgia in response.
Anyway as the entire world tries to pull back the now awakened sleeping bear - a former world su
per power, let the other little guys around the world take a lesson in what is unfolding in the Baltic State and learn how not to poke a stick in the eyes of a giant. Also let the big guys take a cue on how not to be a firepower-bully from America's stance with Cuba - America who could easily have crushed Cuba if it wanted but tolerated both countries co-existence within just 90 miles from each other despite all the sabre rattlings cum provocations. The people at Washington chose to wait Fidel Castro out and they are succeeding. Russia and China, this might be the way to go 
against little neighbours of yours; after-all don't you already have enough mouths to worry about, why desire some more? It is mutual reciprocity that is the only meaningful key to peace on earth. Luckily, the other possible flash-point, Taiwan has recently toned down their rhetoric against mainland China and there is presently, a relative calm on the strait of Taiwan - the little pond separating Taiwan from China. Hopefully the world will be able to persuade the Russians to 
pull back their charging tanks and allow Georgia to be and try to put back what has been decimated. Icheoku says did the people at the helm of affairs in Tbilisi consult Washington before embarking on their misguided provocation of the Russians? Also did somebody somewhere assure them that the Russians will not come charging down with their tanks to crush such mis-adventure? Remember France's Chirac gave similar assurance to the then mad man of Baghdad, "Sad man Insane" that Americans will not attack his country! Men with power as well as countries with power will always have their way; so little guys deploy your brains instead of your Lilliput army which will never be a match against the heavy hitters, which unfortunately still includes Russia; this is a beginners class in diplomacy 101!
Georgian Pr
esident Mikhail Saakashvili said Sunday his troops were retreating against Russia's superior firepower; to which Iche
oku says, you should have known that before sending your army up north to the "breaking-away" South Ossetia. Georgia, you should have been fully seized of the fact that South Ossetia was a bait which Russia was waiting for you to bite with your botched invasion, befor
e charging south to teach you a lesson in how to be a submissive neighbour.Possibly the men of power of this world including America's President Bush, European Union's President 
Sarkozy, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Russian other ceremonial President Medvedev, (depending on who is in-charge in Russia) will see reason to amicably settle what may turn into a major world showdown. Icheoku prays that some bloated egos are bottled up quickly enough in the interest of peace; otherwise the developing crisis in the Balkans may force a glob
al conflict of unimaginable proportion. Believing that Russia will be persuaded to cease and desist from further attacks on Georgia, Georgia's Mikhail Saakashvili and the Russia pu
ppet at South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoity should please take some civics lesson and be smart by half; in the future, please avoid kindling a fire that might turn into an inferno and eventually consume your sorry little asses! Next time both of you may not be this lucky, Icheoku says!
Putin defends Georgia offensive
ReplyDeleteBy Bridget Kendall
BBC diplomatic correspondent, Sochi
Putin defends Georgian actions
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has made an impassioned defence of Russia's military intervention in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.
Mr Putin accused the Western press of an "immoral and dishonest account of what happened".
He said Russia had had no choice but to intervene following what he alleged was Georgian aggression.
And he went on to dismiss out of hand European criticism of Russian force as "disproportionate".
"What did you want us to do? Wave our penknives in the air and wipe the bloody snot off our noses?" he asked, adding: "When an aggressor comes into your territory, you need to punch him in the face - an aggressor needs to punished."
He added that Russian tanks had, after all, only been 15km from Tbilisi and could easily have taken the Georgian capital and ousted President Mikhail Saakashvilli if they had wanted to.
Mr Putin also accused the US of behaving like the Roman Empire by believing it could pursue its own interests and extending its influence to the Caucasus without regard for Russia's point of view.
"God forbid that we should tread on US toes in its backyard," he said, expressing frustration that the United States seemed to think it was alright to arm Georgia on Russia's border - a move which he repeatedly argued had provoked Georgia to take up military action.
'Anti-Russian hysteria'
On wider relations with the West, he insisted that current tensions did not amount to the start of a new Cold War, and dismissed arguments that Russia might suffer diplomatic or economic isolation because of the crisis.
SOUTH OSSETIA & ABKHAZIA
Q&A: Conflict in Georgia
Who started the crisis?
But he also said Russia was prepared to work with Western partners and wanted a constructive relationship with the European Union but only if what he called "realities" were taken into account.
Russia, said the prime minister, should be treated as an equal partner and all sides agree on new common rules of behaviour based on international law.
"The problem is not with us," Mr Putin said, "it lies with political groups in the West who use old phobias to whip up anti-Russian hysteria."
However, he warned that tensions between Russia and the EU may well worsen if, as expected, US missiles are deployed in Poland as part of the controversial missile shield.
He said he expected that to be the moment that Russia would reposition its missiles to point at European targets.
"Why have you placed missiles under our nose?" he said, and warned it would ratchet up an extra notch the nuclear arms race in Europe.
UK relations
Mr Putin also indicated that relations with Britain were unlikely to improve while Russian emigres remained in the UK despite Russia's requests to extradite them to stand trial - an apparent reference to the Russian business tycoon Boris Berezovsky and the former Chechen spokesman, Ahmed Zakayev.
Many South Ossetians feel closer to Russia than Georgia
"Why do you allow UK territory to be used a launching pad to fight Russia?" he asked.
"Imagine if we gave sanctuary to armed members of the IRA - that's why its not possible to build normal relations with Britain," he said.
Mr Putin also threw new light on the crisis in South Ossetia.
On 8 August, when he was in Beijing for the start of the Olympic Games, he had spoken to US President George W Bush soon after hearing of the attack by Georgian troops on the South Ossetian capital - but the United States had failed to intervene.
In Beijing, he had already raised the question of Russia recognising Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent territories with the Chinese government, and told them Russia did not expect Chinese support.
This is an interesting comment that suggests Russia was already planning to recognise the two enclaves from very early on in the crisis.