Saakashvili's Big Blunder

The Georgian president grossly miscalculated when he sent his forces into war. Believing he was the West's darling and point man in the Caucasus and that Russia would react cautiously and with restraint - Saakashvili invaded South Ossetia.

Instead Russia has acted with an iron fist; pounding and swiftly sweeping the Georgians out. And within the last few days, thousands have died; tens of thousands have been uprooted and displaced; whole livelihoods have been destroyed. All because of one man's short sightedness and silliness.

As always, Western politicians and leaders are unashamedly hypocritical and biased in their reaction. They never used the same language and never criticized in the same tone - America's invasion, crushing and occupation of Iraq; or Israel's invasion and destruction of Lebanon, or its strangulation of Gaza. To them, America and Israel were/are acting in self defense and protecting their interests and were/are not aggressors; while Russia, now, is portrayed as an aggressor and a bully.

What is painful and sad in all this, is to watch the many people so badly affected due to one man's blunder. Who is to blame or who is wrong, is not most important now; what is of priority and of concern, is how to help the thousands of people on both sides - children, women and the elderly uttermost - whose lives have been wrecked and who are now homeless and in need; they need the World's attention and care. And if there is any body to most blame for this mess, it's none other than the reckless Mr. Mikheil Saakashvili.

Comments

Westy said…
hey mate,

just thought I would drop in to say cheers for your insights into Hadhramout.

W
Anonymous said…
i had a vision in my mind yesterday, i believe the tanks are leaving georgia
Barsawad said…
The 21st Century! It's all the same, same old game and order. The mighty and powerfull crush and subjugate the weak; and reasons and justifications are twisted and given for such acts.

After the Georgian leader being so shortsighted and invading South Ossetia, couldn't the Russians - being as mighty as they are - not have been more reasonable and humane?

These 'powerful' countries with all the arsenal: biological, chemical and nucleur - that they have, are trully scary.
Jed Carosaari said…
I don't know enough about the particulars of this situation to say who was more at fault. But I wouldn't call it an invasion by Georgia, when Ossetia is an integral part of Georgia, any more than it's an invasion for the president of Yemen to send troops to Sa'dah, or for American troops to be sent to LA during the riots.
Anonymous said…
Abdulmuhinb: Russia has done the same thing that America did and is doing in a much bigger and more detructive way in Iraq; and Israel did in Lebanon and continues to do in Gaza. But the West wants to ignore the parallel involved here.

Russia gives the same reasons that America and Israel give for their destructive invasions - that is: they are 'protecting their self interests'. Russia did the same in Chechnya and long ago In Afghanistan. And got away with both, just as it would get away with this; just as it would get away with it if invades Ukraine. And America, even against the UN, has got way with its destruction of Iraq - to 'protect its self interest' Iran might be next. As for the tragedy of Gaza and the Palestinians, it's as if the 'International community' does not exist.

It's the same game. The same power game that years ago resulted in the 1st and second World Wars.

Saakashvili should have calculated and realised that Russia would use its might and simply crush Georgian troops, no matter what. How could he have not realised that?
Jed Carosaari said…
I quite agree, Omar. Happily, many of the media here in America have been pointing out just that parallel of late.
Anonymous said…
I am happy that the media there has stated that.

What surprises me most and makes me angry, is how the Georgian president could be fooled in to thinking he could retake South Ossetia using force. He should have known of what it would lead to. Now tens of thousands of lives have been destroyed within just a matter of days, beacuse he was foolish enugh to act as he did.

Popular Posts