The Russians have romped through Georgia.  When taken to task, they asked rhetorically, if Uncle Sam can invade Baghdad, why can’t the Bear invade Tbilisi.  Secretary of State Rice retorted that this was not Czechoslovakia in 1968.  With all due respect, Dr. Rice drew the wrong analogy.  Cold War thinking isn’t helpful here.

     To find an accurate historical analogy to today’s situation, she would do better to hark back to 1885.  For decades British India and Tsarist Russia had been playing a chess game in Central Asia.  The Russians had designs on a vast region, which they considered a natural part of their sphere of influence.  Victorian Brits feared that Russian aspirations extended beyond the Caucasus and the Steppes.  In their minds, India, the jewel in their queen’s crown, was the ultimate stake in the game.

    Early in the game, Britain tried to control Afghanistan as a buffer to perceived Russian lust for the Indian subcontinent.  The first Anglo-Afghan War (`1838-42) ended in an English disaster.  From a column of some 16,000 British troops retreating out of Kabul, only one survivor emerged to tell the grizzly tale.  The Brits later took their revenge, razing Kabul.  The second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-81) was a win for the Lion.

     Four years later, the Empire was ill prepared to counter Russian incursions in Central Asia.  In 1884 General Sir Peter Lumsden, a member of the Joint Afghan Boundary Commission formed by the two “super-powers,” warned that the Russian Bear was stirring in the region once more.  Then, in January 1885, came the news from a relief force sent south along the Nile from Egypt that Khartoum, capital of the Sudan, had fallen to a self-proclaimed Islamic Mahdi.  Worse, the British icon, General Charles “Chinese” Gordon, who had organized the defense of Khartoum, had been killed.  Although the British, who effectively ruled Egypt, had planned to abandon the Sudan in the face of the fanatical Islamic forces, Gordon’s death left them honor-bound to avenge him.  Lumsden’s warning, that the Russians would be on the move “as soon as a large portion of our forces are locked up in Egypt and the Sudan,” proved itself prophetic.  

      The Russians seized some additional Central Asian territory, the British issued diplomatic warnings and marshaled troops along India’s northern border, and in the words of historian Peter Hopkirk, “the tremors of the crisis were being felt throughout the rest of the world.”  He adds, “In America, where the news had rocked Wall Street, all talk was of the coming struggle between the two imperial giants.”  However, no repeat of the 1854-56 Crimean War occurred.

     In his 1992 book, The Great Game, Hopkirk --- a London Times reporter who traveled extensively in Central Asia --- referred to the 1979-89 Russian debacle in Afghanistan, when he introduced his account of the 19th century: “If [my] narrative tells us nothing else, it at least shows that not much has changed in the last hundred years.  The storming of embassies by frenzied mobs, the murder of diplomats, and the dispatch of warships to the Persian Gulf --- all these were only too familiar to our Victorian forebears.  Indeed, the headlines of today are often indistinguishable from those of a century or more ago.”

      Now, some 20 years after the Soviet Bear departed Afghanistan, tail between its legs, we are hearing the same echoes reverberate down the long corridors of history from those distant days when Great Britain --- our only staunch ally today in Afghanistan and Iraq --- fought a sometimes-cold, occasionally-hot, war for control of the vast land of the “Stans.”  As in 1885, and in 1979-89, Western and Russian forces will not clash directly with one another.  Rather, we will work to outmaneuver the Bear.  Russo-Ursus  will work just as hard to regain its earlier influence in those oil-rich lands, which broke free in 1989-1990, when the USSR crumbled like the Berlin Wall.  The Great Game will go on, the 21st century continuing the patterns of geopolitical power struggle that characterized Central Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries.

What can I do to stop the bloody war?

GREAT POST DMITRIY!!!,,,MAKES SENSE TO ME.

ALL SHOULD READ IT CLOSELY.

The Georgian soldiers awaiting departure from Iraq to fight the Russians in Georgia say that their experience in fighting the terriorists in Iraq will help them to fight the Russians.

The only way soldiers that dumb could help Georgia is for them to stay in Iraq.

They've never faced a tank, The Russians have tanks,,,,They' never been attacked by a jet going 500 miles an hour,,Russia has jets,, ,,they've never been bombed by stratigic bombers, Russia got them,,,,,they,ve never been subjected to intelligence that knows exactly where they are and when they leave,,,Russian intelligence may not be as good as the American military's but it's ten times better than the terrorists'.

Did Saakasvili pull a little media stunt in having his body guards "throw" him to the ground and then "throw" extra armored bullit proof vests on top of him to graphically convey the Russian threat?

I think so.

And Georgia could also do without a president, who with their 32,000-man army, thinks it a great idea for  them to attack an army of 700,000.

Why the author of article says nothing that Georgian soldiers have made with peace Osset women, old men, children..... Why he has not asked them, for what they made violence over women, killed children..... Let's stop Georgia, in a genocide of the Osset people!

"They kill children! The girl passed street, ran in the cellar, and her have shot. Our neighbour, the fellow who has brought to us water in a bombproof shelter, have killed, only he has gone out of doors", - the woman is indignant. "By planes bombed," Hailstones "at us shot, tanks at us fired. So much people were lost, so much people! We still at all do not know those half who was lost", - another echoes it.

Why you do not speak that Georgia has made? Or, you think that Russia cshould shut eyes to an event, to admit utter annihilation of the Osset people? Georgia, in an opening day of Olympic games has entered the armies into South Ossetia!

Where is Bush?  Where art thou, o' great and strong on defense Republicans.  Great defenders of democracy GOP.  What has happened?  How do Republicans continue to perpetuate the myth that they are more strong on defense than Democrats?  Bush is impotent.  Republicans are impotent.  Can you imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth if a Democrat allowed the invasion of a sovereign European democracy?  For Lord's sake, we would probably risk nuclear armageddon to defend Israel?  Too bad there are not millions of ethnic Georgian voters in the US or the presidential candidates might pay more attention.  Hope Bush enjoys his huggy kissy with Putin at the Olympic games.

As in geology when powerful forces pull from the East and the Wes direction a stretching occurs and the affect is turmoil.  Changing these forces is virtually impossible unless we can begin speaking the Truth as responsible human beings.

Georgian public appeal to world community

We are the young democratic country with an ancient European traditions.

In our country there is war! Russia's aggression has no boundaries. Today, the bombing exposed the civilian population of Georgia throughout the country. Along with the Russian military, the Russian media declared war too. The country imposed martial law. We don't know what will happen tomorrow. Tomorrow must be a peaceful day! Victory for Peace!

We must achieve peace together! We are part of a unified world community!

Let's stop Russia! In this century we might be the first, but you will be the next! We should not repeat the historical mistakes. When Europe is passive, Russia becomes aggressive and reactive..

Supporting Georgia is the salvation of European civilization!

Remember:

The occupation of Ukraine by Russia - 1650s

Russia - Crimea - 1783

Russia - Poland - 1795

Russia - Eastern Georgia - September 21, 1801; April 1802

Russia – Georgia (1810-1864)

Mass murdering of 1 Million Caucasians by Russia - 1859-1880

Russia - Japan - 1905-1905

Russia -Poland - 1920

Russia - Azerbaijan - 1920

Russia - Armenia - 1920

Russia - Poland -1939

Russia - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia - 1940

Russia (USSR) - Finland - 1940

Russia (USSR) - Hungary - 1956

Russia (USSR) - Czechoslovakia - 1968

Russia (USSR) - Afghanistan - 1979-1989

Russia - Georgia - 1919, 1920 (April-May), 1921, 1924, 1991-93

Russia - Georgia - August 2008....................................... ????????????

Russia -....................?

www.occupation.tspteam.com

www.kvacha.com

just woke up, so, here is a corrected version...sorry

Once again us humans are at the mercy of the powers that reign: the G8 countries in which Russia and the USA are prime players. Small countries like Georgia have no chance as other small countries unless of course they are at the mercy or protection of a particular country in the powerful G8 nations. It is obvious , powerless countries have no rights. The only problem with this is that as long as the powers at be continue in this mayhem they will have maintain a unstable world in which no major crisis’s can be resolved, not even the problem of the degradation of our environment

Russia did not attack Georgia the first. Russia has started to protect ossetic people from the Georgian aggression. Up to when Russia has started to protect ossetic citizens and the peacemakers - it has been killed not less than thousand peace citizens of Ossetia. Treacherous attack of Georgia against Ossetia has begun at 23.45, on August, 7th. At night, that is characteristic for Hitler. The military answer of Russia to the Georgian aggression has begun at 14.00, but already on August, 8th. Already after hundreds Russian peacemakers and thousand peace inhabitants of Ossetia were lost. Russia has not been measured to be at war. Georgia has begun intrusion on territory of Ossetia of the first. Russia all has begun protection of peace citizens. In favour of that Russia did not want war speaks some facts: 1. Day of the beginning of military aggression of Georgia - day of the beginning of Olympiad in China. On a hand of the USA to distract attention of citizens of all countries from Olympiad and by that to bring financial losses to China - to one of the main competitors on a world scene. It is no secret, that Georgia is a puppet in hands of the USA. 2. The date started of military aggression of Georgia coincides with the beginning of pre-election campaign in the USA, directly is сonnected with the candidate for presidents of the USA - senator Makkejnom. It wishes to expose Russia as an aggressor which threatens the world. And this war - business of its hands

Once again us humans are at the mercy of the powers that reign:  the G8 countries in which Russia and the USA are prime players.  Small countries like Georgia have no chance as other small countries unless of cource they are at the mercy or protection  of a particular country in the powerful G8 nations.  It is obvious , powerless countries have no rights.  The only problem with this is that as long as the powers at be continue in this mahem they will have maintain a unstable world in which no major crisises can be resolved, not even the problem of the degradation of our envionnment.

I' m live in Russia and some speake on english i watch american TV, BBC,News, All TV on West and American TV see Lying. Georgia the first agressor kill more 2000 people in osetia there are the only agressors in this conflict: Georgians. Just they invaded the South Ossetia. All tv see Lying (film).

I' m Ossette. and believe me, there are the only agressors in this conflict: Georgians. Just they invaded the South Ossetia. We (South Ossetes) are only 70 000 of us, against 5 mln Georgians. They destoyed our capital Tskhinval, they killed a lot of women. kids...  They kill the Russian peacemakers (at least 15 Russian keepmakers were killed). They want us to be a part of Georgia. But we don't want to live together with them. We do remember the how we lived in the past, when we were the people of the second sort. Moreover, our Ossete brothers live in the North Ossetia, and we ant to join them, to be one and the same nation. World, help us, not those bastards who kill our people. They just hate us. It is genocide!!!

We dont need Russian agressors in Georgia!

USA, World,..please help Georgia against Russian agressors..

Russian destroyd Georgia, killed womans and childrens, cilvilians..

Please USA help Georgia against Russian fascism..

for more than 3 centures the georgians licked russian asses saing that the russian saved them from their historical foe - the turks (muslims).  hallelujah!