by Dan Nexon | 19 Aug 2008 |
I knew that CNN did this, but so, apparently does Reuters. Who needs blog updates?* Reuters reporter sees Russian tanks leave Georgian city* Russia says additional "peacekeeping" posts needed* NATO calls on Russia to respect ceasefire and pull out* Moscow says Georgia planning attacks inside RussiaAnyway, there are growing signs of ethnic cleansing and targeted violence against Georgians, not only in South Ossetia but also in cities such as...
by Patrick Thaddeus Jackson | 19 Aug 2008 |
With all of the excellent almost-real-time analysis going on around here lately, I haven't felt the need to chime in myself; my Duck colleagues are doing an excellent job, and they are more up-to-date on the specifics of Russian-Georgian relations and the various on-the-ground issues. So I've been a consumer like the rest of our readers, watching events unfold out of the corner of one eye as I struggle to get some book chapters cranked out...
by Dan Nexon | 19 Aug 2008 |
Colin H. Kahl, John A. Nagl and Shawn Brimley argue, in Foreign Policy, that despite much progress, the political situation in Iraq remains fragile. The United States, they contend, should shift from a policy of unconditional support ("the US will remain there as long as it has to") to conditioning US military security upon political progress.... Iraq remains a dangerous place—and a number of significant attacks did take place out of earshot...
by Peter | 19 Aug 2008 |
Vacation blogging! The beach is very nice, and it looks like Fay will stay away from us.The trip down, however, left a bit to be desired, and only served to reinforce my extreme dislike of Virginia. I'm sure all you Virginia apologists will jump to the defense of your state, and yes, Virginia, there are some nice things about the state here and there (heck, one of our Duck contributors even lives there), but that said, you must admit that I-95...
by Dan Nexon | 18 Aug 2008 |
Russia, NATO, Georgia, the Abkhaians... everyone, sensing the final draw-down of the immediate crisis, is trying to, variously, make sense of what it all means, maximize their long-term position, or just stay afloat.One can only imagine how this is playing out within the Russian military. By this point, just about everyone is saying the same thing: the Russian air force underperformed.Early reports indicate that pipelines running through...
by Dan Nexon | 17 Aug 2008 |
I thought that it would be a good idea to provide a consolidated list of:1. Older Duck posts on the conflict with significant "original" analytic content2. Recent non-Georgia posts that might have gotten lost in all the updating.So here it is:• Cold War III? The state of Russian-US relations (Email)• Speaking of Genocide (Charli)• Human Rights Watch Takes Aim at Russia and Pot-Shots at the U.S. Over Cluster Munitions (Charli)• International...
by Dan Nexon | 16 Aug 2008 |
I received a very thoughtful email on the current chill in US-Russian relations:The timing certainly makes a clear statement, but haven't we basically told the Russians that we are deploying these systems whether they like it or not? At least in public statements, it hasn't seemed like this was even remotely negotiable.Given Lavrov's comments Thursday about WTO membership, it seems like they are willing to write this stuff off--we weren't going...
by Dan Nexon | 16 Aug 2008 |
I have to say that the latest news is not encouraging. Forced labor in South Ossetia? The Georgians claiming, among other accusations that Abkhazians have seized 13 villages and a hydroelectric plant in Georgia proper?In other words, it ain't over until the Red Army Choir sings.On a lighter note, Pravda reports that Saakashvili "clearly" had a nervous breakdown on TV because he "ate his tie." Ahh, the influence of YouTube. (Video below the...
by Dan Nexon | 16 Aug 2008 |
A major newspaper (other than the Christian Science Monitor) in the United States has published a sensible and relatively evenhanded OP-ED on Russia-Georgia. Michael Dobbs:t didn't take long for the "Putin is Hitler" analogies to start following the eruption of the ugly little war between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia. Neoconservative commentator Robert Kagan compared the Russian attack on Georgia with...
by Charli Carpenter | 16 Aug 2008 |
At the Danger Room blog, Nick Thompson claims Russia may be right in calling Georgian behavior "genocide."Over at Complex Terrain Lab, Mike Innes pokes some useful holes in Thompson's argument.I would add to Mike's points that the most important error made by Thompson is mistakenly conflating the intentional killing of civilians with genocide. The intentional killing of civilians in war is a war crime; if carried out en mass (even in peacetime)...
by Dan Nexon | 16 Aug 2008 |
Earlier today, I wrote:Before I leave the office, I just wanted to note that the dynamics between Georgia, Russia, and the United States are very bad right now. A small Russian force has apparently deployed fifteen miles outside of Tblisi, Rice is calling the Russians all sorts of names, and Moscow's pissed about the US-Poland deal. ... oh, and on the analytic front: Rob Farley and Dan Drezner both have interesting things to say about NATO and...
by Dan Nexon | 16 Aug 2008 |
- "Why didn't the Georgians take out the Roki Tunnel?"- "I dunno. Maybe they wanted to keep it open for their planned invasion of Russia..."Image source: Wikipedia