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U.S. flying Georgian Troops Home to Fight Russia

thinkprogress.org — Georgia has called its 2,000 troops home from Iraq to help in the fighting against Russia in the breakaway province of South Ossetia and asked the U.S. military to help transport them. The official says that the U.S. military has agreed to their request and “some flights have already begun.”

Who dugg this? Made popular Aug 11, 2008

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  • DigzDogg, on 08/10/2008, -5/+66I wish they will transport our boys back to their homes too!
  • thelastcivilian, on 08/10/2008, -13/+60Georgia just seems like a loser boyfriend spurned. South Ossetia thought they were just friends at first (being grouped in the same governing region under Soviet rule), but then realized that Georgia understood the situation as "going steady" and took things a little too far (claiming the territory upon dissolution of the USSR). Now, South Ossetia wants out of the relationship (two referendums, de facto independence) and Georgia can't handle it, so he picks a fight with South Ossetia's new boyfriend (who happens to be big and strong).
  • inactive, on 08/10/2008, -16/+54great, let's drag us into another stupid war. it's looking like Georgia is the bully in this situation, trying to purge S. Ossetia of Russian loyalists, not Russia.
  • barcelona10, on 08/10/2008, -22/+59that makes sense-- I feel bad for those soldiers, fighting a war in Iraq and now Russia is invading their country. ouch.
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -2/+32lol 2000 troops????

    What difference is that going to make?

    Russia currently outnumbers them 54 to 1.

    Silly president should just disband the army and fight guerrilla-warfare style.

    Going toe to toe with Russia is suicidal.


  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -6/+36Think about this with me for a minute. An American plane loaded with Georgian troops gets shot down, accidentally on purpose. What does the Bush regime have?
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -2/+31I don't like any of this.

    :(
  • shaitanx, on 08/11/2008, -12/+39Americans will never be able to understand what's happening right now (or ever) out there in the former soviet union.. Russia is not simply "attacking" Georgia. They are assisting the province that wishes to separate from the destroyed, power hungry Georgian government. Matters out there in the east are far more complicated than the media may make it seem.

    And to the comments willing the US to intervene: If the US knew what was good for them (as well as the rest of the world), they would keep out of foreign affairs.

    Go ahead, bury me.
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -5/+31The Georgian president is a complete idiot.

    He has endangered the lives of his fellow country men by launching a cowardly attack on Russian citizens whilst completely miscalculating the consequences.
  • DCMacHead, on 08/10/2008, -4/+29Yeah, pretty sh*tty situation. Sounds like their government made some major miscalculations regarding who would come to their aid if they picked a fight. I think a ride home is the most the Georgians are going to get out of this. Let's hope the Russians don't take shots at our aircraft.
  • Hangly, on 08/11/2008, -1/+24A causus belli?
  • DCMacHead, on 08/11/2008, -4/+25I actually thought Russia was legit in its immediate response to the actions in South Ossetia, but once your country expanded its military action beyond there you start to look like thugs. When you start bombing apartment buildings it's a whole different ball of wax.

    I'm hopeful your country will realize that if you start expanding the theater beyond South Ossetia, you start to catch other countries' attention and cause concern. You're laying the groundwork for a new Cold War.

    I remember when I was a kid, we used to have drills during school where we'd get under our desks in preparation for a Soviet nuclear attack. Based on the past few days' events, I'm fearful my son will grow up much the same way.
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -8/+27They can't even manage to transport themselves from one killing field to another?
  • jmpeagle, on 08/11/2008, -4/+22Georgia has already retreated and is pleading for a truce
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic ...
  • Maninthemiddle, on 08/10/2008, -15/+33This is about Georgia's dalliance with the West, and that nice fat pipeline that is an obstacle to Russia's hegemony over supplies to Europe - as is their oil port.

    It is being reported that the port facilities - through which 1 million barrels a day flow - has been destroyed. The capital of Tbilisi has been bombed.

    The pipeline has been attacked several times, and has been severely damaged.

    The Russians not only have bombed Georgian targets in the western province of Abkhazia, but have massed significant armor and mechanized infantry.

    Abkhazia (which is part of Georgia), you see, is flat - all the better to sweep into central Georgia if the conflict continues.

    I too had hopes for a change in the new Russia. At this point, however, support of Putin ranks of the same mental detritus that led the far left to - for so many years - bestow moral equivalency with the West on the Soviet Union.

    This really is about imperialism and oil.
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -1/+19Tell the man what he's won!
  • blackmesa, on 08/11/2008, -2/+17Don't get hysterical
  • mcla007, on 08/11/2008, -5/+20What's so non-viable about a country of 70000? If 70000 people want to be left alone it's nobody's business to tell them, let alone through coersion, that it's not viable. And what do you mean Georgia tried to defend "their" territory? No place is anybody's territory. Ossetia belongs to the people who live there, just like Chechnya belongs to people who live there. This argument over their territory and our territory sounds like dogs pissing on sign-posts.

    Peace.
  • nyx210, on 08/11/2008, -4/+19Georgia's nuts. How can they even think about going against Russia?
  • BotchaMcCoola, on 08/11/2008, -1/+15That is Bush's kind of a guy.
  • steeldude01, on 08/11/2008, -4/+18I am an American troop who just completed a tour in Iraq. I was supposed to go back home to the US two days ago but can't get out of country because our planes are flying Georgians back home.
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -4/+18Get ready to see Georgia wiped off the map.

    Georgia is like a small, physically weak bully who started a fight thinking his tough mates (US and NATO) will back him up... only to realize that they won't do ***** because they never really cared about Georgia anyway.
  • JCPahl, on 08/11/2008, -0/+13Who else would need to?
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -0/+13Except for the hookers.
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -4/+17They will if Mexico attacks us for no reason because Putin tells mexico he will supply them with weapons and miliitary assistance when the conflict breaks out, then mexico starts indiscriminately killing people in nevada.
  • khaosx2030, on 08/11/2008, -1/+13Ready? We've been in WWIII for a while already.

    Just because your backyard isn't getting exploded doesn't mean someone else's isn't.
  • Kanten, on 08/11/2008, -0/+11I take it you don't remember why the Cold War was such a big deal.
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -6/+17Tell your retarded commander in chief that he shouldn't have given Russia a legitimate reason to annihilate your country.

    Shelling a town full of Russian citizens wasn't a smart move.

    America's reason for entering WW2 = 2,403 dead at Pearl Harbour
    Russia's reason for invading Georgia = 2000+ dead in South Ossetia.
  • GovernmentSp00k, on 08/11/2008, -1/+11lol. an all expense paid trip to Guantanamo ; )
  • Hangly, on 08/11/2008, -1/+11Ooh ooh ooh!

    Is it a draft card?
  • ZenMojo, on 08/11/2008, -1/+11Georgia says they've retreated. South Ossetia, Russia, and Abkhazia disagree.
  • RSS14, on 08/11/2008, -8/+18This is sounding like some pre-World War III ***** . . .
  • Kanten, on 08/11/2008, -0/+10Tell that to Napoleon.....wait a minute.
  • Lunarsight, on 08/11/2008, -4/+14Well, to play devil's advocate, Georgia wasn't in the right here either.

    It's easier to blame Russia, but has anybody taken the time to see what Georgia did last Friday that started the whole ball rolling?

    I think what is needed here is arbitration from outside parties, and a cease-fire in the meantime.

    Something definitive needs to be decided for the status of South Ossetia, which isn't going to be easy, since you have villages of differing races all intermixed.
  • wootup, on 08/11/2008, -1/+11"Only Russian can believe that a population of about 70000 can constitute a viable country"

    Considering human beings lived in communities of 150 or less for the 95% of our history before the agricultural revolution, I hardly see how SEVENTY THOUSAND GOD DAMN PEOPLE would be somehow unable to run their own affairs.
  • roxya, on 08/11/2008, -2/+11THIS! IS! GEORGIA! *kicks Medvedev down a well*
  • AshamedAmerican, on 08/11/2008, -3/+12Why? This doesn't seem like any of our goddamn business.
  • Hangly, on 08/11/2008, -1/+10Oh bugger :(
  • specialK16, on 08/11/2008, -0/+9Can somebody please tell me why? If the US gets directly involved then it will be Russia against US.... who else would want to go into that?
  • Shirleycakes, on 08/11/2008, -8/+16The article says Georgians are"overwhelmed by Russian firepower in a conflict that threatened to set off a wider war."

    So...wait a minute. (South) Ossetia wants to be independent of Georgia, so the Georgians shelled their capital and invaded. Now Russia is stepping in to help and we feel bad for Georgia?
  • ZenMojo, on 08/11/2008, -2/+970,000 people's too small for a country, huh? ***** Lichtenstein and the Vatican, then, because someone needs to take back their privileges.
  • JSPKZ, on 08/11/2008, -4/+11cygnus2112 that is not true.
    Georgia broke 16 years ceasefire and attacked SO
  • ZenMojo, on 08/11/2008, -2/+9There is if Georgia gives you permission to be a peacekeeper back in 1992 under terms of a ceasefire with South Ossetia and Abkhazia and then proceeds to raze a city to the ground.

    Just saying. It's on paper.
  • AussieVesti, on 08/11/2008, -4/+11Well if the US is actively assisting Georgia in this way, I'm personally concerned about the reaction by Russia in the coming days or even hours.
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -1/+8NATO.. which has 70% of the worlds nuclear military funding.
    Which doesn't matter since Russia has sophisticated MIRV delivering systems, nuclear subs, nuclear bombers, mobile launch sites, and thousands of nukes.
  • Azerael, on 08/11/2008, -2/+9I would have loved to be in the room when the Georgians decided to attack South Ossetia... there must have been a lot of alcohol involved.
  • lxcid, on 08/11/2008, -6/+13Wow, killing the 2k civilians down at Ossetia considered defending their territory. Where's all your logic? Just that alone will means war crime to Georgia. Wait, I did forgot to mention USA trained Georgia military?
  • travis1982, on 08/11/2008, -1/+8If that war was to happen, the US would never be the same again..regardless if they won or lost. It's done. If the cold war actually blew up into a war...I highly doubt America would be as stable as it is today. US vs China, Russia even North Korea...would be disastrous.
  • inactive, on 08/11/2008, -3/+10Georgia isn't even a member of NATO. Plus bombing 2,000 civilians isn't really helping their cause.
  • specialK16, on 08/11/2008, -0/+7Why?
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