So what's really going on here? Well...Georgia is a strong American ally. It had 2,000 troops in Iraq until pulling them back to defend their own country. And it's widely reported that US troops helped train Georgian military.Georgia also lets us pass American oil through it from the Caspian Sea where it's shipped over and pumped into our gas tanks. British Petroleum (ahem Beyond Petroleum) announced today that it had closed its pipeline in Georgia while Russians bombed targetted a key oil pipeline. Even John McCain says its about the oil. Fine, we'll say it when we're defending oil, but not when we're taking it ourselves.
I particularly liked GW's statement yesterday making no mention of Georgian aggression. Read it here and substitute the United States for Russia and Iraq for Georgia and you'll discover something very interesting.
Mess with American oil, and you've stirred the beast. Dick Cheney came out of hiding to cast a spell, I mean threaten Russia over its actions saying there could be "serious consequences" to US-Russian relations.
I think serious consequences from the senseless wars for oil have already begun.
This story from UK's Telegraph about the Russian bombing of the northern Georgia town of Gori is incredible. For more evidence of Russian war crimes see the video below. The photo to the right is a woman killed by a Russian air strike in Gori on Saturday.
The true story, however, is nowhere near the black and white version John McCain and US diplomats are giving. Georgia may in fact be guilty of its own war crimes in the name of defending US oil companies.
For a sober account from a civilian point of view in Georgia and a good backgrounder see this Nation story here and here.
Russia justified its bombing campaign across Georgia -- including the capital of Tbsili -- and an advance of Russian soldiers, on a recent escalation of violence by Georgian troops against the people of South Ossetia, a breakaway region teetering toward Russian control for 15 years. Russia claims 2,000 civilians were killed by Georgians in bombing against civilians. See this editorial in the Moscow times.
But no independent reports can verify the extent of the Georgia aggression. Most outlets are simply tagging the casualty claims in South Ossetia with "Russia claims." Two reporters for Russian Newsweek were killed trying to enter the territory. Journalists with Russian troops are getting scattered reports confirming civilian bombings. The International Red Cross too hasn't fully entered the region.
Russia Today -- under strict government oversight -- has managed to report from South Ossetia, according to the video posted below where an American living in the region reports that Georgia has in fact been committing genocide. The station also broadcast this gruesome video of Georgian military casualties from a bomb attack.
Most European and American outlets are reporting a total of 2,000 people killed, but I'm not sure if they're confusing the number Russia is claiming in South Ossetia or they are estimating all confirmed casualties.
To be sure, a genocide claim is a good reason to go about blanketing the country with bombs and taking out some oil infrastructure while they're at it.
UPDATE 8/13/08: Today reports surfaced that Russian troops burned and looted villages as they entered Gori and may be carrying out civilian executions following the so-called ceasefire.
This video from Russia Today includes an American living in South Osettia confirming recent genocide by Georgian military against civilians.
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