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See the original image at latimes.com —

Russia Agrees to Truce; Blows Up Crucial Georgian Bridge

latimes.com — A key railway bridge was blown up by Russia and its allied forces, effectively severing all east-west transportation routes within Georgia, officials said.

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  • jfran, on 08/16/2008, -11/+68thats not cool
    • Ventolin, on 08/17/2008, -3/+2"Dynamite drop-in, Monty."
    • N01SE, on 08/17/2008, -1/+6Seriously? In that order...that was a dick move.
      "Okay...okay..okay everyone stop firing, hey everyone, stop firing........okay lets just settle down, I think we should stop.............we've stopped okay...............BOOM...........just kidding, I'm rich biiatch!"
    • x060t, on 08/17/2008, -3/+0Ok, it's pretty possible that the bridge was blown by our army to cut all rail connections between western and eastern Georgia. However, it confuses me that a side section of the bridge was demolished, not central. It's common to destroy central one since it's much more difficult to repair. And this looks like an intention to inflict an easily repairable damage (they say it'll only take them 10 days to fix it now). In addition, blowing up this bridge several days ago when the conflict was in "hot" phase would be as easy as yesterday, cause less discussions and have more sense. Blowing it up now can be as well a provocation to create more fuss about "occupation".
      • CapitalPro, on 08/18/2008, -0/+4pretty lame either way my soviet friend
    • browntiger, on 08/17/2008, -6/+2I disagree with blowing up bridges, but since when looser dictate if he can keep military installations?

      Yes we built those bases, I understand why US is soo unhappy about them blown up. Our economy
      is in the crapper, last thing we need is waste money on Georgia.

      Fact remains, I think Bush & Cheney encouraged Georgia to attack ossetia. I don't think for a moment that
      SaackOfShilly would undertake this step w/o consulting Bush & Cheney. NATO shipped them 185 tanks.

      What were they thinking? Georgia massive military spending for peace?
  • wezults, on 08/17/2008, -36/+14war is war
  • pmctosh, on 08/17/2008, -17/+31So much for truce. Apparently the translation for truce is let's blow up a bridge. And the world watches.
  • geoken, on 08/17/2008, -46/+108This article is a great example of how biased reporting works, and how inconclusive facts can be twisted to suit any intent.

    Witness how the writer clearly details the events, as if they're established fact, only to throw in a brief sentence at the end of the paragraph noting that all the previous information was based on Georgian claims. Conversely, when she details the Russian's side of the story, she makes sure to preface the entire paragraph with something along the lines of "according to the Russian's,......"
    • Stormwern, on 08/17/2008, -23/+47So the Georgians blow up their own bridge while the russians, who shouldn't even be in the country, are innocent? Besides. if you're expecting continued war, as the georgians probably are, about the stupidest thing you can do is destroy your own infrastructure..
      • minoss, on 08/17/2008, -8/+23No, he's simply pointing out the subtleties of biased reporting.
      • SIRBERUS, on 08/17/2008, -3/+5While I don't believe they did blow up their own bridge, attacking your own people to gain support for a war/sympathy from other countries has been done before.
      • emjaymj, on 08/17/2008, -1/+2In before somebody responds to SIRBERUS with "9-11"
      • ZenMojo, on 08/18/2008, -3/+3He's simply commenting on how reporters can get people like you and the 13 people who dugg you up to jump to unsubstantiated conclusions.

        And if you're expecting war, the stupidest thing you can do is bomb out a city you consider part of your territory, but that didn't stop Georgia from leveling Tskhinvali.
    • utahnkid, on 08/17/2008, -12/+30The story is that a bridge was blown up.

      Are you HONESTLY trying to say Russia didn't do it? That the silly Georgians did just to show themselves how dependent they are on it?

      Stop focusing on the meaningless details and try to pay attention to what matters.
      • sdipaola, on 08/17/2008, -3/+2HONESTLY ( as in the facts ....

        actually other sources have strong evidence that THE RUSSIAN DID NOT DO IT, Georgian rebels did it. SO yes the people of Georgia did it ( albiet Georgian rebels who are in the russian minority).
    • outoforder, on 08/17/2008, -6/+17So are you saying the Russians didn't blow up the bridge?
      • geoken, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1No. I'm not trying to make any claims about what actually happened.
    • AeroMerde, on 08/17/2008, -3/+10Echoing what was said, what's your point geoken? What are you claiming actually happened? Is it biased if it's the truth?
    • Frenchy79, on 08/17/2008, -2/+4Not when you're trying to win an information war
    • geebs61, on 08/17/2008, -3/+8It looks more apparent to me that he was pointing out the terms and traits used in the article that make it more biased, and less like its delivering the facts to the reader.

      I thought you made very good points, geoken.
    • Aeric, on 08/17/2008, -6/+15Inaccurate. Russians say it happened before the cease fire.

      Either way, this article is biased and holds not one spec of evidence.
    • Bkaufman, on 08/17/2008, -10/+5I really don't understand the logic behind liberals on Digg who are defending Russia here. I'd really love it if one of you could explain it to me.
      • cjhowe, on 08/17/2008, -1/+5How is this a liberal issue? What, George Bush says Georgians are the good guys and that's all it takes? George Bush isn't a conservative.
      • melkat, on 08/17/2008, -3/+1It does seem as if everyone who is anti-Georgia here is anti-Bush, too. I'm not sure of the correlation, but everything I see spells out "Wrong, Russia". Even if they were justified in retaliation, they are NOT justified in continued antagonism.
      • Bkaufman, on 08/17/2008, -3/+1There is a strong correlation between liberals and people who are siding with Russia here. Is it really just because Bush is backing Russia? The partisan hatred is amazing.
      • mushoo, on 08/17/2008, -0/+2I wouldn't bring in liberal vs. conservative issues into this issue bub. Pretty soon you're going to start convulsingly convoluting yourself to defend Bush being the first US president to attend the olympics in a foreign country, in pinko-commie-China no less. And, hey wasn't he the one who looked into Putin's eyes and saw his soul? Oh, and that whole qualification Condolezza Rice you like to tout about her being a Russia expert, what happened to that?
        Oh yeah that's right it was all *****, just like the argument you're trying to make.
      • ZenMojo, on 08/18/2008, -0/+4You might want to ask yourself why the opposite is true? Given that we know for a fact Georgia bombed Tskhinvali to hell overnight, why are you defending them? Why do you think it's okay for a country to slaughter people it considers its own citizens in an overnight bombing raid during the Olympic opening ceremonies when it thinks no one is looking using GRAD rockets which the Human Rights Watch considers "indiscriminate?"

        Have you stopped to ask yourself that or are you busy covering for Georgia because the United States likes it.
      • Bkaufman, on 08/18/2008, -0/+1Note that I haven't decided which side is "more" at fault. In reality, both sides are partially responsible for this. I just find it amusing that the left seems to believe that Russia is completely in the right because it aligns well with their politics.
      • siszam, on 08/18/2008, -1/+2Where are getting the idea that the "left" is defending Russia without reason? No matter what side of politics you are on the fact is, someone started started the fight. Georgia was the one who started it. Right or left doesn't change that fact. Russia was defending itself with an impressive show of force. It is every countries right to defend themselves. How in the world is it "left" to believe that? Facts are facts. I realize that Fox news has convinced the Right that facts are nothing more than opinions but come on, grow a brain. Look up the word fact in the dictionary, turn off your television and learn to think for yourself.
      • Bkaufman, on 08/18/2008, -0/+3Yes, why don't we oversimplify. Russia did not defend its own land, it invaded a sovereign nation (one which coincidentally has a critical oil pipeline running through it). Yes, Georgia did shell its own civilians, and this is where they were wrong. However, Russia's reaction was far out of proportion to Georgia's, and it is little secret that they have been looking for an excuse to retake Georgia for some time. Oh, and I don't watch Fox News, but I would say it is no better or worse than MS-DNC or Huffington Spam.
    • treelovinhippie, on 08/17/2008, -1/+3It's great to see all these analytical comments on Digg. Just imagine if we'd had this Internet rationality back in 2001. Our trust in politicians has been shattered, and it's a bloody good thing.
    • fugazied, on 08/17/2008, -1/+3Journalisjm in 2008 is a freakin travesty. You have to actively hunt down non-bias sources of news, it's not easy when 95% of medica outlets are compromised or through the same distribution network.
    • sdipaola, on 08/17/2008, -1/+1actually other sources have strong evidence that THE RUSSIAN DID NOT DO IT, Georgian rebels did it. SO yes the people of Georgia did to ( albiet rebels who are in the russian minority).
    • forepus, on 08/18/2008, -0/+1source?
  • sheasie, on 08/17/2008, -34/+16better than ignoring a call for truce, nuking hiroshima - and then calling truce.
    • seldon452, on 08/17/2008, -20/+9What ***** up country would do that? America should invade their ass.
    • TJATL, on 08/17/2008, -6/+16boo, you suck at history.
      • t0x2c, on 08/17/2008, -10/+2Boo, you suck at sarcasm.
      • Frejesal, on 08/17/2008, -9/+1I enjoyed the lovely whooshing noise as the sarcasm passed right over TJATL's head, and the heads of whoever else buried seldon.
        *whoosh...whoosh whoosh whoosh*
      • sheasie, on 08/18/2008, -4/+2"A majority of Americans are stupid" - John McCain.

        I guess I fall into that category. ;)
    • Naieve, on 08/17/2008, -2/+15You mean the wishes of the Japanese who had killed 200,000 Chinese in brutal Biological Weapons testing for a negotiated settlement that left Allied forces from occupying Japan and leaving them with a good portion of what they had captured in War?

      That settlement?

      Perhaps the Japanese should have listened to the people in their government who called for outright surrender, then we would not have had to nuke them into compliance.

      Did you know that 5 days prior to nuking those cities we dropped leaflets warning the citizens of attack?

      Welcome to war, it's not glorious, it's not fun, but when involved in one you are much better off winning instead of becoming a statistic in some Biological Weapons experiment. Sometimes war is necessary. Sometimes the Rape of Nanking should not be tolerated.
    • secrity, on 08/17/2008, -0/+6The US was after nothing less than unconditional surrender, the Japanese were looking for a negotiated truce. The Japanese were beaten but wouldn't admit it.
    • JigoroKano, on 08/18/2008, -1/+5The truce they wanted would have left the same murderous people in charge of Japan.

      I take over half a continent, attack you, and then when you fight back I say ok let's stop now?
      That's kindergarten *****.
    • akamurph, on 08/18/2008, -1/+2You are the definition of crazy deuche-bag who only sees one point of view and that point is the only one that backs up their thinking/feelings/values.

      Get a life and look into both sides of a story to form a conclusion, and if you did that already before your statement than I guess you just fail badly.
      • Naieve, on 08/18/2008, -0/+1I see both sides.

        I know we forced the war through oil.

        I know we fire bombed Tokyo, leveled Dresden, etc...

        Allow me to reiterate my closing point.

        "Welcome to war, it's not glorious, it's not fun, but when involved in one you are much better off winning instead of becoming a statistic in some Biological Weapons experiment. Sometimes war is necessary. Sometimes the Rape of Nanking should not be tolerated."

        Don't start no ***** won't be no *****.

        They raped China, and it ended up with 2 nuclear bombs dropping on them.

        It was war, neither side was willing to compromise enough to end it. If we had invaded millions of Japanese would have died.

        The use of Nuclear Weapons actually saved lives.

        If you think Japan was going to give a surrender we would accept before the nukes, I would suggest some research.
  • djoobacca, on 08/17/2008, -27/+10yawn... *****. buried
  • Doxocopa, on 08/17/2008, -15/+2Well... a prophylatic move, to avoid more war...
  • Leadman584, on 08/17/2008, -26/+11They should have destroyed every inch of the Pipeline in Georgia, if they really wanted to cripple Georgia.

    The Russians don't have the luxury of 2 oceans to protect their entire Eastern, and Western borders. America has thrown the Russian government into essentially multiple "Cuban Missile Crises" all at once.

    You do realize Russia has thousands of Nukes still pointed at the US. China has thousands of Nukes pointed at the US, and thanks to Bill Clinton, they are very accurate.

    Maybe we should learn to play nice with our largest creditors.
    • utahnkid, on 08/17/2008, -3/+10China would support the US over Russia any day. Who else would they sell all their goods to? Third world, run down, broke Russia? Yeah right.
      • kylekeeton, on 08/17/2008, -5/+4Russia is far from broke!
      • Leadman584, on 08/18/2008, -1/+2China doesn't need us any more. America is the bully with a few marbles left, hoping to make a score. Iran, or China, or Russia will make us pay for our arrogance.

        How bout we learn to be responsible world citizens.
  • roxgod666, on 08/17/2008, -11/+3gotta put the icing on the cake
  • 2bsbc, on 08/17/2008, -24/+7This is the genius we are defending:

    http://digg.com/world_news/Micheil_Saakaschwili_lo ...

    Great plan, America...

  • aimnano, on 08/17/2008, -8/+96Anyone else realize why France is the only European country to stand up to Russia? Because 80% of their electricity comes from nuclear power, so they don't rely on Russian oil from the Caspian. They're a good independent moderator in my humble opinion.
    • TJATL, on 08/17/2008, -4/+53the USA could learn from France's choice of power source.
      • blup3ace, on 08/17/2008, -0/+13the US was too paranoid about atomic power after Three Mile Island, and to my knowledge, the last nuclear reactor in the US was made in the '70s. It's sad really, how the US had the tech to go forward, but still decided to stay with their older ways.
      • Stevanoski, on 08/17/2008, -2/+8"...the US was too paranoid about atomic power after Three Mile Island" Not the US, but the Left.
      • dasamps, on 08/17/2008, -0/+6Believe it or not, Bush actually got legislation passed to begin construction of many nuclear power plants. I think this is a good move for several reasons. Nuclear reactors are so well designed now that there is a infinitesimally small chance of them going critical. Even the lowly research reactor at Oregon State has countermeasures. So we will see more nuclear power and more wind power, but it will take a few years.
    • Cadenzah, on 08/17/2008, -9/+6The Russians are more dependent on EU buying their oil and gas than the EU is dependent on Russia selling to them.
      • aimnano, on 08/17/2008, -3/+5Yeah right. It's the closest, cheapest gas/oil they can get. And everyone knows you can't just hop an infrastructure to a new power source in a matter of years. It takes time.

        If Europe didn't buy it...someone would. Oil and gas are still some of the most important commodities in the world.
      • Cadenzah, on 08/17/2008, -1/+2Of course Russia would sell to someone else if the EU boycotted them. The difference is their gas export is such a large chunk of their total economy, and if EU stopped buying their profit margin would drop like a rock due to increased shipping costs. The EU buys 25% of its gas from Russia, while 100% of Russia's gas exports go to EU...
      • aimnano, on 08/17/2008, -2/+3I just don't think the European economy could afford to do that under any circumstance. France maybe, but those other European countries are just as dependent on oil as the US.

        And Americans bitch cause our gas is $4 a gallon...still some of the cheapest in the world. hehe
      • waydee, on 08/17/2008, -1/+4Remember that the EU isn't reliant upon Russia, a large portion of gas does come from the Russians but there's still a lot left in the North Sea and Norway, an EEA member, holds massive reserves. UK gas production has fallen but it's estimated there's still about half of the North Seas total capacity left in crude and gas.

        Then there's Africa, every big European and US company has operations in Nigeria and elsewhere, Nigeria has reserves of about 260trillion cubic feet.

        Russian gas may be one of our current preferred sources but we're by no means tied down to continue to purchase it. The capacity exists elsewhere.
    • peticsu, on 08/17/2008, -6/+4the EU is pretty lucky this happened during the summer, if this happened in the winter time, Russia wouldve shut off the natural gas pipelines that feed East/Central Europe
      • waydee, on 08/17/2008, -2/+4Why would they do that?
      • dasamps, on 08/18/2008, -2/+2To let people freeze. European winters are unforgiving as it is with 20,000 people dying from the cold each year. Maybe it's time for global warming (no global warming will not cause a ***** ice age).
    • Stormwern, on 08/17/2008, -3/+15They are also currently hold chairmanship of EU, so it's their job to stand up to people. The energy independence probably plays a role though, another country may not have been so bold in their position.
    • wreckosaurus, on 08/17/2008, -8/+2Um, the reason is that France currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, why are people digging this up.
      • aimnano, on 08/17/2008, -1/+5The European Union doesn't govern countries' foreign affairs policies. Any of the many European countries would be completely justified in speaking out against whomever they wish.

        Granted the EU was form to "assert it's identity on the international scene," but that doesn't prevent individual countries from doing the same.

        http://www.eu-oplysningen.dk/euo_en/spsv/all/1/
    • ZenMojo, on 08/18/2008, -3/+3France was on the ground negotiating a ceasefire while Condi was crying with her thumb up her ass.
    • ummagummas08, on 08/18/2008, -1/+1LoL @ France 'standing up' to anyone.
  • killthekingx, on 08/17/2008, -28/+5Is anyone else suspicious that the Georgians might have blown up the bridge themselves to make the Russians look like aggressors. Seems like a ploy to gain political/military support from the west.
    • zeero, on 08/18/2008, -0/+1nah, the american media said that it was the russians. so it must have been them. now lets just continue watching the olympics and loving the Iraq war.
  • fcrow, on 08/17/2008, -14/+7"We come in peace!" [zzzzzaaaaapp!!]
  • lineweight, on 08/17/2008, -6/+34Blowing up a bridge is a strong metaphor.
    • T440, on 08/17/2008, -3/+4I'll probably never say it again, but you deserve way more diggs for that comment....moving on
    • ivandir, on 08/20/2008, -0/+1No, that's burning up a bridge is a strong metaphor.
  • dengzhi, on 08/17/2008, -10/+2thats cool
  • Cadenzah, on 08/17/2008, -11/+4The Russians are more dependent on EU buying their oil and gas than the EU is dependent on Russia selling to them.
    • Cadenzah, on 08/17/2008, -1/+1nvm this comment, it was meant to be a reply to another comment. digg me down
  • kinghajj, on 08/17/2008, -10/+4It was not a truce, it was a ceasefire. Perhaps their interpretation of "ceasefire" is limited to gunshots, not including the destruction of important bridges.
    • BrainInAJar, on 08/17/2008, -0/+2There is the possibility that the engineering team that did this simply hadn't heard the cease fire order. War is a crazy time and sometimes messages don't all get to where they should go
      • schnikies79, on 08/18/2008, -0/+2It's also possible that they just ignored it and blew it up anyway.

        Not saying that is what happened, but if just as possible as any other scenario you can dream up.
  • poidh, on 08/17/2008, -14/+27"As trustworthy as a Russian."
  • JernejL, on 08/17/2008, -10/+2http://georgiamfa.blogspot.com/
  • simplistics06, on 08/17/2008, -22/+3They deserved it.
  • takeo1775, on 08/17/2008, -15/+7Please dont force your political stance on a title.
    • fafnir314, on 08/17/2008, -3/+7Yeah, they should've titled it something that stuck to the facts, like "Russia Agrees to Truce; Blows Up Crucial Georgian Bridge"
  • Frejesal, on 08/17/2008, -2/+6So um...I'm guessing blowing up the bridge -wasn't- part of the truce?
  • k4rm4, on 08/17/2008, -28/+20Georgia attacked Russia.
    • VBDon, on 08/17/2008, -10/+19When?!!! Georgia attacked one of two of its provinces that were in rebellion. It was Russians that crossed the border and attacked Georgia. While Georgia wasn't innocent, the Russian response was overdone in order to intimidate Eastern Europe. Their brutal attack is now backfiring. Ukraine is asking for U.S. missles, Georgia an Ukraine are likely to receive membership in NATO, and Poland will have U.S. missles. All of these results were what Russia wanted to avoid and now has caused.
      • kinghajj, on 08/17/2008, -4/+5If there were thousands of US citizens in a village in the Free Zone in Western Sahara who were attacked by Morocco, would it be unreasonable for the U.S. to retaliate? That's essential what happened in South Ossetia: Georgia attacked South Ossetian citizens, most of whom hold Russian passports, and Russia responded to stop the attacks.
      • aimnano, on 08/17/2008, -0/+1Interesting. Based on your viewpoint...these people want to claim their Russian citizenship, but enjoy the benefits of a democracy.

        Sorry dude, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Otherwise ***** like this happens.
      • Tradegy, on 08/17/2008, -2/+1Stop talking about democracy. Democracy is not a form of organization that is 100% percent protected from being abused. Consider Georgia, county that is still pretty much poor, has 1 bln a year military budget and they start their operation to return break away territory not with help with some of these money and maybe economic incentives, but with rocket propelled artillery on a civilian city. Maybe it is the benefit of democracy you mentioned? Does it adequately agrees with your vision of democracy? I am sorry for you if it does.

        Consider US. Every time something is beneficial for current government your media suddenly starts to be very biased, and forgets to have it's own opinion on things. Every single outlet starts to repeat the same phrases, and be very attentive to a president who is let's say less than trustworthy at the way he presents political realities of the world to the demos. So, Americans, don't talk about democracy, you don't have the real one. You have the oldest pro-democracy country, but it is in need of reforms to close out all the loopholes people found in it over last 200+ years.

      • BrainInAJar, on 08/17/2008, -3/+2Umm... Russia's a democracy, idiot
      • Stevanoski, on 08/17/2008, -2/+2"...Umm... Russia's a democracy, idiot" lol, where do you live? Surely it is not on Earth. Russia is a dictatorship, sheeesh, public education.
    • jussipupu, on 08/17/2008, -7/+2when? When they got in bed with Bush, that's when.
      • minorgods, on 08/17/2008, -1/+2I was wondering when I'd see that statement,,
    • kuett, on 08/17/2008, -0/+4georgia did not go into the russian territory
      it attacket one of its separatist provinces
  • jetboyterp, on 08/17/2008, -11/+15Look out...the glorious United Nations might just set up a possible meeting, and discuss sending a "strongly worded letter" to Putin about this.

    What the hell is the UN here for anyway? Worthless pile of crud.
    • VBDon, on 08/17/2008, -8/+10Exactly who Obama wants to run U.S. foreign policy.
      • fugazied, on 08/17/2008, -3/+3The US isn't above the law like Steven Segal btw. The US is part of the earth and should be made to comply with international law and the international criminal court. Problem for the US is the fact that it's current leaders are guilty of war crimes. They'll tell you the international governing bodies are evil when it suits them.
    • DamienKarras, on 08/17/2008, -4/+4The UN is powerless as long as its most powerful member (the United States) doesn't want to cooperate with the rest of the world. Just because they didn't rubberstamp the Iraqi invasion doesn't mean we as a country have to go crying back to our corner of the playground and not play with the other countries.

      When we have a president who sees the United Nations as useful, hopefully we won't have morons like VBDon making baseless claims.
    • Jagdhund, on 08/17/2008, -1/+1The UN is powerless as long as the US doesn't cooperate? That's a hilarious and whiny statement. European and UN opinion and agenda run contrary to US agenda. Why should we cooperate? We already pay a full fifth of it's operational cost.
      • DamienKarras, on 08/17/2008, -0/+1Let me explain this in an analogy. Say you're walking through your neighborhood, and you drop a banana peel in front of someone else's walk, and that person slips and injures themselves because of your carelessness. By your logic above, you wouldn't take responsibility for your carelessness because the agenda of the person who is injured (making you take responsibility for your actions) runs contrary to your agenda (trying to keep yourself from being held responsible for the person slipping and injuring themselves). The global system is not one where one country (especially a powerful one) can go do whatever they please and to hell with how it might affect someone else. Because we have become so interdependent in recent years, every action taken by a government will have an effect (adverse or otherwise) on the rest of the globe. The United Nations is there to ensure that adverse effects are kept to a minimum. Why should the United States cooperate with the rest of the United Nations? Well, for one thing, being the most powerful country in the world, we are obligated to set an example for the rest of the world to follow: what right do we have to condemn other nations for violating UN resolutions if we choose to not play ball in the international arena?
    • ZenMojo, on 08/18/2008, -1/+1UN inaction and foot dragging is why Russia claims it went into Georgia. Which brings the irony full circle.
  • utahnkid, on 08/17/2008, -20/+31Come on, lets hear from the rest of the psychotic Russia supporters. Tell us all how this is actually Georgias fault and Russia was just trying to spread milk and honey throughout the land.


    Wake up and smell the bombs going off.
    • dhVyse, on 08/17/2008, -12/+13Russia had the right to protect it's citizens. Georgia sent troops into a demilitarized zone, thus breaking a treaty, and giving Russia the right to invade. This is common knowledge the media doesn't want you to know.
      • utahnkid, on 08/17/2008, -3/+4Why in the hell would Georgia (an obviously VERY militarily weak country) attack a spot of land with so much drama behind it? So much Russian support? Russia would have LOVED for the opportunity to dominate their southern neighbors under the shroud of self defense, with no chance of reprisal and everyone knew that.

        All you need is a little common sense to know that.
      • riseabove, on 08/17/2008, -5/+2because the white house said "we got your back" or something along those lines. this was a plan designed by the white house to benefit the candidacy of john mccain. karl rove meeting with saakaschvieli(sp) 3 weeks before this happens? a coincidence, i think not.
      • waydee, on 08/17/2008, -1/+9What do you mean the media doesnt wan't you to know?

        Every bloody report that surfaced made mention of the Georgian attack on South Ossetia, it was no secret and never has been. What provoked that response is quite another matter and is unknown but to say that the media has somehow been hiding something is completely false.

        The reason people are pissed off with Russia is because of the massively disproportionate response to this attack, there was no need to enter undisputed Georgian territory, attack civilians and foreign nationals, sink ships, blow up bridges... do you understand? Russia has clearly decided it is time to show off a bit and let the world know the bear is back and Georgia was a good opportunity to say "we don't give a *****" to the rest of the world.
      • fugazied, on 08/17/2008, -2/+2Utahkid, think about it just a little more. Georgia invading the area on it's own is just sheer madness, so the Georgian president must have thought he had western support or could push the UN and the west into supporting him after the Georgian invasion. The support didn't come so they got owned. Because Russia destroyed their military quickly it does not mean Russia started the situation.

        And yes Russia was saying *&^you to the west and shaking it's fist at neighbours with the overwhelming show of force. Russia has some hardliners in government, and they don't like the hypocritical US lecturing them (US just invades whoever they want, bombing thousands then lambasts Russia for protecting citizens?).

        This is blowback. The US ignores international processes and criminial courts and invades other countries and guess what... Russia thinks it can do the same.
      • afatdigg, on 08/18/2008, -0/+0Yes, it may be that Saakashvili hoped US would help him, but I believe he is not _that_ mad. More likely he counted that in just 24 hours he will be able to overwhelm South Ossetia, declare amnesty to "separatist criminals" and - the deal is done. There would be no name "South Ossetia" on the map anymore (like there is no Adjaria now where his plan worked just fine). Same as Georgians took back from Abkhazians Kodori Gourge - if done quickly, it would be too late for Russia to interfere.

        Disclaimer: I was in Abkhazia when the 1992-1993 war started
    • Lunarsight, on 08/17/2008, -1/+1Perhaps it's not a matter of the Russians being innocent and the Georgians being guilty, or vice-versa. Perhaps the Russians overstepped their boundaries, and the Georgians did as well.

      The Georgians were not twiddling their thumbs prior to the Russian invasion. Research South Ossetia and see precisely what the Georgians were doing there in the week leading up to the Russian action. They were trying to re-unify it with Georgia, using some pretty destructive means to achieve this goal. (South Ossetia was being ruled as a de facto separate entity.)

      I'll say it for the umpteenth time - litigation from neutral parties is seriously needed here. It's civilians that are ultimately suffering from this.

    • Grolsch, on 08/17/2008, -2/+1No no, its Russias fault, because Georgia obviously tried to spread their love by killing 2000 civilians.
      Its a war, so you dont think something might get blown up? And NATO is pretty quick to tell Russia to get out of Georgia while they still in Iraq for how many years? yeah, shut up already. Thats what you get when you mess with wrong country.
  • homer420032003, on 08/17/2008, -16/+4
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  • TheImaginator, on 08/17/2008, -17/+5The question appears to acknowledge that Georgia - funded and supplied by the USA allegedly; has tried to prevent South Ossetia from rejoining Russia.

    It appears that Sarkozy and Bush have taken a hard stance against the Russian government for their response; disregarding their own complicity in the alleged deaths of 1.2 million Iraqi citizens, 12,000 of which were alleged to have been killed by insurgents.

    Insurgents; those who oppose the occupation; itself illegal due to a disregard of the refusal of the UN to approve.

    Besides which, the Iraqi occupation has crippled the Iraqi infrastructure.

    Despite the billions of US dollars put into rebuilding it; it is also alleged that 4+ million Iraqi citizens remain displaced.

    Finally, it is alleged that DU is a phosphoric heavy metal by product; a waste product; of the Nuclear power industry.

    Don't know what to do with it? Pepper suspect and outwardly enemy military and insurgent vehicles and any barriers made out of cars.

    The result? What is left is black powder; mixing with sand and blown on the winds; there are sandstorms occasionally. DU is also as said, a heave toxic metal, not entirely dissimilar in health hazard to lead.

    Gets into groundwater; drinking water.

    Babies are alleged to have been born deformed; pictures on the internet show babies without skin, oversized heads etc.

    They are gruesome pictures; if they show the truth...

    For Bush and Sarkozy to be taking the stance of accusition they have, is possibly a huge blunder - it leaves them looking like hypocrites.

    This is not a legacy - it is a tragedy.
    • jetboyterp, on 08/17/2008, -1/+4The UN passed 16 resolutions against Saddam...I suppose you'd like to see that with Russia now. More resolutions!

      And comparing Iraq to Russia's invasion of Georgia...?? C'mon now...
    • AeroMerde, on 08/17/2008, -3/+7Impressive. That's a lot of lies to concentrate into that many words.

      ***** *****. God you people are pathetic.
    • Optiks, on 08/17/2008, -1/+3How many times can someone put 'appears', 'alleged', 'allegedly', and 'if', into one post without saying a damn thing?

      Nine *****' times.

      Can someone check to see if that's a record?
  • dafragsta, on 08/17/2008, -9/+4And the next country to go nuclear is.... GEORGIA! Come on down and pick up your plutonium!
  • xander, on 08/17/2008, -20/+3Propaganda. Buried.
  • Maevirko69, on 08/17/2008, -12/+5testicles
  • sacxnz, on 08/17/2008, -5/+4How is Sarkozy complicit with the deaths in Iraq?
  • infosquawk, on 08/17/2008, -4/+1http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/europe/july-dec08/g ...

    RICHARD HOLBROOKE: . . . "As for the cease-fire, let's hope it holds. . . in the Bosnian negotiations, the cease-fire we had at Dayton was the 34th cease-fire in Bosnia and the first one that held. So I'm worried about cease-fires until they really take hold."
    • JanW71, on 08/18/2008, -0/+0Well, the previous cease-fire lasted 4 hours. 4 hours after the Georgians signed it, the Georgians started levelling civillian city blocks in the independant state of South Ossetia while hoping noone would notice because of the opening of the Olympics.
  • kukiweed, on 08/17/2008, -13/+22I'm from a country which was simply destroyed by Russia after WW2, when they imposed comunism on us and then proceeded to steal everything that was worth stealing. Like they relocated entire factories together with the workers to russia, they took all the gold deposits, they emptied bank accounts.. Yep, they stole everything and left us in the stone age to rebuild. And all the dissidents were rounded up and taken to siberia.
    So, As I was saying, russia destroyed us. So color me unsurprised when I see what are they doing in Georgia. Now they are destroying that country like they did to mine.
    Oh, and Putin is a kgb thug, he would kill his own mother if she would oppose him, so dont expect mercy, they are going for the kill while they pretend to sign ceasefires...
    • lense, on 08/17/2008, -13/+4USSR != Russia.
      • govsucks, on 08/17/2008, -2/+2Yeah, right, these collectivists are so much less dangerous than those collectivists.
        /S

        splits hair.
    • trollick, on 08/17/2008, -12/+4"country which was simply destroyed by Russia after WW2"

      Let me guess... Nazi Germany?
      • waydee, on 08/17/2008, -2/+6In your local library there will be plenty of books on European history post WW2, I suggest you get down there and take a look sometime.

        Also, look up Nazi in a dictionary.
    • wright3279, on 08/17/2008, -9/+5Looks like digg repliers are 10 to 1 in favor of Russia. But their support of Obama and Iran shows where they're coming from.
      • fugazied, on 08/17/2008, -2/+3Well I guess you must support illegitimate wars, corporatism of government, fraud, illegal wiretaps, torture, defacing the constitution, lies about WMDs, wholesale slaughter of civilians in warzones, and letting the big boys get away with it?

        You are itching to get into Iran and bomb the ***** out of it, make some more of those kids cripples and amputees? America ***** yeah.
    • amightywind, on 08/17/2008, -2/+1The people of Eastern Europe deserve a lot better. Lets hope NATO gets serious about arming Eastern Europe properly. On the positive side a Georgia style Russia armor attack on the west would be suicide. The US has spent 25 years perfecting the destruction of armor at a distance. There was nothing left to blow up in Iraq after 1 week of fighting. The Ruskies will not easily get into Eastern Europe with tanks or trucks.
    • ZenMojo, on 08/18/2008, -2/+4Funny, but didn't we firebomb Japan in that same war killing about a third of its population and then nuke them into the ground while they were asking us for terms of peace for the sole purpose of scaring Russia? I mean, according to Admiral Nimitz and Eisenhower, that is.

      Don't look in this direction, buddy, we're the last devil you want to deal with.
    • dubbase, on 08/18/2008, -2/+2"a country which was simply destroyed by Russia after WW2"

      Oh poor little harmless Romania!

      From wikipedia:

      In June 1941, after a brief period of nominal neutrality under King Carol, Romania joined the Axis Powers. Romania became a member of the Axis under the government of Ion Antonescu [...]
      Throughout the Antonescu years, Romania supplied Nazi Germany and the Axis armies with oil, grain, and industrial products. [...]
      Even after the fall of the Iron Guard, the Antonescu regime, allied with Nazi Germany, continued the policy of oppression and massacre of Jews, and, to a lesser extent, Roma. According to an international commission report released by the Romanian government in 2004, Romania murdered, in various forms, between 280,000 to 380,000 Jews in Romania and in the war zone of Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transnistria.
      Of all the allies of Nazi Germany, Romania bears responsibility for the deaths of more Jews than any country other than Germany itself. The murders committed in Iasi, Odessa, Bogdanovka, Domanovka, and Peciora, for example, were among the most hideous murders committed against Jews anywhere during the Holocaust. [...]

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romania_during_World_ ...

      What did you expect?
  • duffman03, on 08/17/2008, -10/+2Ron Paul predicted this?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya6JfFK_lYQ
  • jussipupu, on 08/17/2008, -16/+6I wonder if that bridge connected the street they named after George Bush? Hope so.

    You Go Russia!
    • aimnano, on 08/17/2008, -2/+4Hatemongering gets dug down. Try to say something with a little more substance next time.

      Like your mother told you when you were 10..."if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."
  • VitriolAndAngst, on 08/17/2008, -8/+9Both sides have broken the truce as far as I've heard. Why just report what Russia does without mentioning the protagonist in this story?

    Anyway, we should be talking about the failed Republican economic plan, and security schemes in this country and how we are going to put Democrats back into control. With Karl Rove not behind bars, he is free to sneak around and arrange these little distractions -- and people suffer for it.

    >>> 5th annual Yalta meeting one month before the Georgian attack on South Ossettia ;
    Attending;
    Richard Haas
    Karl Rove
    Bob Shrum
    Michael Shakashvelli
    • killthekingx, on 08/17/2008, -7/+0Protagonist? I hope you're not talking about the Georgians. If there's a protagonist in this story, it's Russia.
    • wright3279, on 08/17/2008, -4/+2You are one dumb -____. Can't get your mindset off of Bush Bush Bush. Incredible!
    • Jagdhund, on 08/17/2008, -1/+1So... Karl Rove planned this attack and the only 'proof' you have of this is his involvement in a meeting?

      Hard to believe the same class of people who tell others not to believe in something 'imaginary' can concoct such absurd conspiracies in their fragile minds.
    • VitriolAndAngst, on 08/18/2008, -1/+1I'm sure I'm starting another Liberal Conspiracy Theory.

      And you know what happens with those? A few months later they become facts that Conservatives like to distract us from.
  • DaleoftheUK, on 08/17/2008, -3/+3I thought they only made ram.
  • swatter22, on 08/17/2008, -1/+4I thought I heard news about that same bridge being blown up in the early days of the conflict...i guess that was another the single most crucial bridge in Georgia connecting East with West...
  • infosquawk, on 08/17/2008, -4/+1Prior to WWII, Hitler re-militarized the Rhineland in violation of the Versailles Treaty. If the allied powers had occupied the Rhineland at that moment, WWII, and the huge loss of life and liberty which resulted could have been avoided.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II
    • trollick, on 08/17/2008, -0/+3Sir, you are a great Monday morning quarterback.

      Although I don't see what blowing up a bridge has to do with re-militarization of Rhineland.
  • govsucks, on 08/17/2008, -7/+7But wait, a 12 year old girl said Georgia was the aggressor!? Russia would never lie, intimidate a child and her family or blow ***** up after they declared a truce!? They are just good hearted collectivists looking out for the common good aren't they!?

    /S
  • Gioware, on 08/17/2008, -2/+2http://digg.com/world_news/9_lies_and_9_truths_abo ...
  • bengrg, on 08/17/2008, -5/+3how would us like it if russia established based in mexico and cuba.

    military industrial complex just wants to start ***** wiith the Russians.

    NeoCons are also pissed that Russia reclaimed its resources and locked up Neo Cons stooges like the Yukos guy
    • amightywind, on 08/17/2008, -1/+1Russia may try to build a base in Venezuela. They are weak naval power though, and they know it.
    • DulcetTone, on 08/18/2008, -0/+1Can you offer me a count of US bases in Georgia? Zero? Yes, zero, right?
  • trollick, on 08/17/2008, -4/+6How dare they! Everybody knows that only USA can blow up whatever ***** they want.
  • falser, on 08/17/2008, -9/+2Anyone who thinks that Russia blew up this bridge is fooling themselves. This is a classic false flag operation and anti-Russia propaganda campaign by the Bush administration. The US military trained the Georgian troops for EXACTLY this operation:

    http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?option=com_cont ...

    It's like the Bay of Pigs all over again. And it is absolutely sick the way this being spun in the US media.
  • monkeynuts84, on 08/17/2008, -3/+2Saakashvilli sent his troops into a region that is 90% Russian then expects the West to save his arse when he gets a whipping! I don't think many Western governments are in position to berate Russia for an attempted regime change.
    • melkat, on 08/17/2008, -1/+0The world is not upset that Russia retaliated, get it? The world is upset that Russia has so disporportionately retaliated. If you saw a little guy pinch some big-ass dude and then watched the big-ass dude proceed to beat the little guy into a pulp, wouldn't you think that seemed a little less like an eye for an eye and a little more like something completely unfair?

      • vxp19, on 08/17/2008, -0/+0no.

        I'd call that a "***** with me and die" demonstration, at a time (unipolar world) when it's much needed.
      • monkeynuts84, on 08/18/2008, -0/+0This is a case of a small state allied to very powerful countries playing a dangerous game of brinkmanship by trying to invoke the powers of their allies. Look at the history of WWI - something all of us are not keen to repeat.
    • DulcetTone, on 08/18/2008, -1/+2S Ossetia is not 90% Russian. It is not Russian at all, and neither are many of its inhabitants.

      It has many Russian passports, sprinkled liberally about as Russia tried to undermine the authority of the parent republic to whom few Ossetians feel a strong affiliation. If you think that makes them Russian, would you count every person who had an AOL installation CD mailed to them an AOL subscriber?
  • nosamesame, on 08/17/2008, -1/+3It doesnt matter what the Russians and Chinese do. It doesnt matter how powerful any other country becomes compared to the United States.

    Good? Bad? We've got the Aliens.
  • UnMannedMission, on 08/17/2008, -0/+4So to Russia, the alternative to "don't burn your bridges" is to blow it up. Niiiicce.
  • AgainstObama, on 08/17/2008, -0/+3I'm still looking for the war protesters....
    • BohicaTwentyTwo, on 08/19/2008, -0/+1In Soviet Russia, war protests you.
  • Gioware, on 08/17/2008, -2/+1http://digg.com/world_news/What_belongs_to_whom
  • hakkola, on 08/17/2008, -0/+5Am I the only person wondering who these Russian allied forces are?
    • vengerov, on 08/17/2008, -0/+2It happens :) Allied forces are Abkhazian and South Ossetian regular army and militia. In 1993 these territories of xUSSR claimed theirselves independent from anybody else but was(and is) not recognized by world society. Georgia tried to use force against Abkhazia at 1993, but definitely failed. Their leader was evacuated from Suhumi(capital of Abkhazia) to Tbilisi by Russian marines and small air-bearing landing ship "Zubr"(now sold to Greece and renamed to "Kefallonia". Ship photo: http://www.almaz.spb.ru/home/pictures/zubr-rv.jpg ).

      I don't know exactly what was happened these years at South Ossetia because nobody from my background was in this region at that time.
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