US military surprised by speed, timing of Russia military action
| The US military was surprised by the timing and swiftness of the Russian military’s move into South Ossetia and is still trying to sort out what happened, a US defense official said Monday.
[…] That the two countries were on a collision course was no surprise to anyone, but the devastating Russian response was not expected, officials said. “We were tracking it earlier in that week and we knew that things were escalating,” said a military official, who asked not to be identified. “I can tell you it moved quicker than we anticipated that first day.” |
So the US military was surprised. Was the CIA or any other intelligence agencies? If you’re among those that put your trust in these institutions, you’ve misplaced your trust. Look to the Lord Jesus!
Bush warns Russia to pull back in Georgia
| President Bush on Monday demanded that Russia end a “dramatic and brutal escalation” of violence in Georgia, agree to an immediate cease-fire and accept international mediation to end the crisis in the former Soviet republic.
Almost immediately after his return from the Olympics in China, Bush warned Russia in his strongest comments since the fighting erupted over Georgia’s separatist South Ossetia region last week to “reverse the course it appears to be on” and abandon any attempt it may have to topple Georgia’s pro-western government. “Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century,” the president said in a televised statement from the White House, calling on Moscow to sign on to the outlines of a cease-fire as the Georgian government has done. […] Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her colleagues from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations pledged their support for a negotiated solution to the conflict that has been raging since Friday, the State Department said. “We want to see the Russians stand down,” deputy spokesman Robert Wood told reporters. “What we’re calling on is for Russia to stop its aggression.” […] Wood said the United States was hopeful that the U.N. Security Council would pass a “strong” resolution on the fighting that called for an end to attacks on both sides as well as mediation, but prospects for such a statement were dim given that Russia wields veto power on the 15-member body. […] The Pentagon said it had finished flying some 2,000 Georgian troops back home from Iraq on C-17 aircraft at Georgia’s request. It said it had informed the Russians about the flights before they began in order to avoid any mishaps, but Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin harshly criticized the step, saying it would hamper efforts to resolve the situation by reinforcing Georgian assets in a “conflict zone.” |
I suppose one of Putin’s responses to all the foreign clamor is along the lines of, “Ho hum.”
Russia gives Georgia an ultimatum
| Russia issued an ultimatum to Georgia on Monday to disarm its troops along the boundary with the pro-Russian separatist enclave of Abkhazia as Russian tanks rolled across the internal border and occupied a military base in western Georgia.
The move was a sign that fighting could escalate on a second, western front after the conflict initially broke out last week around South Ossetia, the separatist enclave farther east. |
So is all this Russia’s fault or Georgia’s fault? Or whose fault?
Russians seize key city, open second Georgia front
| Russia captured the central city of Gori and its armored vehicles rolled deep into western Georgia on Monday, seizing a military base and several towns and opening a second front of fighting. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said the Russian forces had effectively cut his country in half. |
The Russians will quit when the Russians are done with what they’ve set out to accomplish. I don’t think any international uproar will do much. The West has lost its spine and is impotent against powerful aggressors. (Disclaimer: I’ve been wrong before.)
Georgia ‘overrun’ by Russian troops as full-scale ground invasion begins
| Georgian officials tonight claimed the country had been ‘overrun’ by Russian troops after a full-scale ground invasion.
Amid reports that Moscow forces had taken the town of Gori – and were marching on the capital Tsblisi – Georgian soldiers appeared to be in full retreat. Troops were apparently in complete chaos as a full-scale rout pushed them back through the countryside. Meanwhile, the civilian crisis intensified with thousands of refugees fleeing the seemingly unstoppable advance of the Russian army. […] Earlier in the day, Russian premier Vladimir Putin raised the stakes over the conflict by lashing out at the U.S. as the fighting continued to escalate in the region. The Russian prime minister rejected calls from Georgia for a ceasefire and declared that his country would pursue its mission to its ‘logical conclusion’. A day after a face-to-face meeting with President George W. Bush in Beijing who expressed ‘grave concern’, Mr Putin accused the U.S. of siding with Georgia by ferrying Georgian troops from Iraq to the battle zone. ‘It is a shame that some of our partners are not helping us but, essentially, are hindering us,’ said Mr Putin. ‘The very scale of this cynicism is astonishing.’ […] Amid fears Moscow intends to seize the whole country to gain control of its crucial oil pipelines, Mr Cheney declared Russian military action ‘must not go unanswered’. In a statement, he added: ‘Its continuation would have serious consequences for its relations with the United States, as well as the broader international community.’ Russia appeared to be totally defying the U.S. warning today, with Georgia claiming up to 50 Russian jets were roaming its skies ready to strike. |
I wonder how Christians are doing. My guess is that they are (or will be) among those sufferings the worst.