Russia/Georgia War: How America Has Lost Its World Influence

 Imperialistic Russia has been looking for a way to get into a war for many months.  One of the problems the world now faces is that America cannot stand-up and tell Russia to back-down.  Why?  Because America started the war in Iraq without agreement by the rest of world powers; since America did what it wanted to do, Russia feels it can do what it wants to do.  We went into Iraq with excessive force so now Russia will not listen to anything America has to say about them using overwhelming force in this war.  This is another legacy of George Bush – he has taken the ‘peace-keeper’ role from America.

 Russia and Georgia, a U.S. ally whose troops have been trained by American soldiers, heads toward a wider war as Russian tanks rumbled into the contested province of South Ossetia and Russian aircraft bombed a Georgian town, escalating a conflict that already has left hundreds dead.

Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said the country was “in a state of war” and accused Russia of beginning a “massive military aggression.” The Georgian parliament approved a state of martial law, mobilizing reservists and ordering government authorities to work round-the-clock.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow sent troops into South Ossetia to force Georgia into a cease-fire and prevent Georgia from retaking control of its breakaway region after it launched a major offensive there overnight Friday.

 Ukraine said on Sunday it reserved the right to temporarily bar Russian warships dispatched to the Georgian coast from returning to their Ukrainian base of Sevastopol.

“Ukraine … reserves the right to bar warships and vessels which could take part in the action (conflict with Georgia) from returning to Ukrainian territory until the conflict is solved,” a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry statement.

According to some Russian news agencies, the Russian warships purpose was to prevent weapons and military hardware from being shipped to Georgia.

 Moscow, involved in a military conflict with Tbilisi over Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia, said earlier on Sunday its warships have arrived at Georgia’s Black Sea coast. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is based in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol.

“The Ukrainian side warns the Russian side against the possibility of the Black Sea warships taking part in the conflict over South Ossetia,” said the statement posted on the ministry website www.mfa.gov.ua

Russia has accused ex-Soviet Ukraine, a strong pro-Western ally of Tbilisi, of supplying weapons to the Caucasus state and encouraging it to strike South Ossetia.

Moscow has accused the Georgians of carrying out “ethnic cleansing and genocide” in the region.

Russian officials say the death toll stands at 2,000 plus 30,000 refugees from South Ossetia have fled to Russia. The superpower says two of its warplanes have been shot down, 13 of its soldiers killed and 70 wounded.

Georgia has withdrawn its forces from South Ossetia but Russia has sent an additional 4,000 troops to the coast of one of Georgia’s other breakaway regions, Abkhazia.

Abkhazia’s president, Sergei Bagapesh, has sent 1,000 soldiers to Kodori, a narrow gorge which is an ideal route to invade the region, fearing Georgia will strike.

“We are ready to act independently. We are ready to enforce order and go further if there is resistance from the Georgian side,” he said.

Abkhazia and Georgia’s other separatist region, South Ossetia, broke away from Tbilisi‘s rule after wars in early 1990s and say they want full independence – nothing less.

Georgia sees Abkhazia and South Ossetia return to Georgia a part of their territory as a top national priority.

Both Abkhazia and South Ossetia are backed by Russia, which poured in troops to South Ossetia after Georgia launched a military operation to regain control.

Abkhazia President Bagapesh said: “We are coordinating our actions with Russia, our biggest friend.  I have askedRussian peacekeepers to reinforce their military presence on the Georgian-Abkhaz border… Contacts with the current leadership of Georgia are impossible.”