Proof that Russia/Putin tries to manipulate the rest of the world with lies:

Mr Putin said Georgia was committing "complete genocide".
He said the territorial integrity of Georgia had "suffered a fatal blow", suggesting that it was unlikely that South Ossetia would re-integrate with the rest of Georgia after the conflict.

He said the conflict had created at least 34,000 refugees.
This figure wildly conflicts with that cited by the UN refugee agency, which it says is based on information supplied by both sides.
The UN estimates that about 2,400 people have fled South Ossetia to other parts of Georgia while between 4,000 and 5,000 have crossed the border into Russia.

Knowing that no one will dare take on Russia, they just want to take another chunk of land from poor and defenseless Georgia. This brings to mind the expansionist politics of the old Soviet era. Let's see what the Georgian president has to say:

President Saakashvili told the BBC on Saturday that Moscow wanted to take control of energy routes to Europe and accused it of "war crimes" against civilians.

SHAME ON YOU RUSSIA!

Originally Posted by Big_Z

Who says the US or NATO has to take on Russia? Maybe the thought of that war is enough to scare Russia into submission. Russia isn't the powerhouse it used to be. I bet a simple Opfor exercise is enough to make them think twice. I bet 5 Brigade's in Georgia could end this. It is only a exercise right?

Or it could provoke them into even greater action on top of this what makes you think the Russians see the US as a "powerhouse" either lets be realistic here if China decided to call in its markers the US economy would collapse overnight.

Originally Posted by Lunatik

Proof that Russia/Putin tries to manipulate the rest of the world with lies:
Knowing that no one will dare take on Russia, they just want to take another chunk of land from poor and defenseless Georgia. This brings to mind the expansionist politics of the old Soviet era. Let's see what the Georgian president has to say:
SHAME ON YOU RUSSIA!

At the very best/worst SO will gain some form of independence (along the lines of Kosovo I would guess) and they may then choose to become part of Russia but that will take years so I doubt this can be considered "expansionist, and as for poor defenceless Georgia well here is a hint right out of the Manuel Noriega play book "Dictators for Dummies" dont declare war on a country that can fit your entire country into a suburb it just doesnt work.

Lol true on the China thing. How don't they see the US as a threat? I know I do not need to discuss history with you. How long did it take Russia to get kicked out of Afghanistan? Before you bring up Vietnam we actually won those battles, the Russians got their asses handed to them. They are not stupid people, they would rather build their economy and force then wage a war. Is this tiny province worth waging a full blown war over it, is your pride worth it? This is what Russia would be asking itself and I bet I could come up with the answer.

Originally Posted by Big_Z

Lol true on the China thing. How don't they see the US as a threat? I know I do not need to discuss history with you. How long did it take Russia to get kicked out of Afghanistan? Before you bring up Vietnam we actually won those battles, the Russians got their asses handed to them. They are not stupid people, they would rather build their economy and force then wage a war.

Because you are talking about the two primary nuclear powers they simply are not going to put themselves in a position that will ensure mutual destruction which means they will not risk direct involvement on a battlefield unless there is a strategic reason for both parties to be there and I hate to break it to ya but a mountain range in the middle of nowhere is probably just not going to be strategic enough.

Now given that the Russians are already there the USA will not risk sending troops of its own on top of this from a purely logistical point of view any US "campaign" in the region against a well equipped and supplied opposition (even a technically inferior one) would be almost untenable.

No, not an "open" confrontation. You are not tracking on how the US works. A simple "training" mission for our "Iraqi" allies is something entirely different. And yes we do have troops in Georgia training them for Iraq so what would stop us from sending more? Georgia sent troops to Iraq for us, thats hard to ignore. I do not think the US would openly declare war on Russia short of them attacking us.

Originally Posted by Lunatik

SHAME ON YOU RUSSIA!

Too bad we couldn't put them in time out or the penalty box for 15 mikes.

Originally Posted by Big_Z

No, not an "open" confrontation. You are not tracking on how the US works. A simple "training" mission for our "Iraqi" allies is something entirely different. And yes we do have troops in Georgia training them for Iraq so what would stop us from sending more? Georgia sent troops to Iraq for us, thats hard to ignore. I do not think the US would openly declare war on Russia short of them attacking us.

Because its just not worth the effort to be honest:
1) I think its pretty clear that this is not an invasion of Georgia itself while they may be sending troops in the SO region its not really expanding beyond those borders.

2) I doubt that a couple of hundred "advisers" would prevent a full blown invasion if they were to launch one.

3) Lets be realistic here shall we, this is little more than a Russian power play it will run its course and the Russians will be back home by the end of the week/month and everything will carry on as normal it simply will not evolve into anything more than a storm in a teacup.

Obviously, that would be different if Georgia were already a NATO member. I would be surprised if it goes any larger scale but ya never, the world is funky.

The US already has a couple hundred "advisers" there, 10,000 would be an entirely different thing. Russia has overstepped its boundaries, literary. You want to level one of your own cities to the ground fine, we will ignore that. They are now crossing into an American friends territory, dangerous ****. We have a saying, "Stay in your own lane". Russia has failed.

Must see video of Georgian president:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7551753.stm