It was excruciating reading Ms Applebaum's diatribe given that her Neo Con world vision was so transparently encased in mantras meant to excite the gullible reader. ,

Russia is still the Soviet Bear from the north set to devour free nations?

Russia is still waging an ideological struggle?

August 2008 is like August 1968 and the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia but Applebaum doesn't like to make historical analogies ( you made it already Ms Applebaum, in your first sentence!!!!)

Russia is run by paranoid, unelected KGB operatives?

And then she says she doesn't want to delve into the actual chronological history of events because they have been twisted? Twisted by whom- those like the Washington Post and Ms Applebaum herself who jumped to call for US military action to defend the Georgian assault on Russian peacekeepers?

The realpolitik of the region:

Georgia is a tiny nation carved out of the former Soviet Union at a time when Moscow was weak and suffered several destabilizing factors. (The independence of Georgia from the Russia Federation is similiar to the independence of Panama from the Colombia Empire given that America worked against Colombia for Panamian independence only to exploit Panama's frailty, making it dependent on the American military presence opening up the American plan to build the Panama Canal).

Israel depends on oil from the (BTC) Baku Tbilisi Ceyhan Georgian pipelines owned by British Petroleum (BP).

Israel has sold between $300 to 500 million in arms to Georgia over the past 10 years and has major contracts there. There were 1000 Israeli military advisors in Georgia during the initiation of the conflict and some say many remained to "advise" Georgian military operations.

Israel has stakes in disrupting Russian power and control in the region. Israel sees Russia as supporting nuclear development in Iran and supplying military aid to Syria and Iran in conflict with Israel's interests.

From Washington, Neo Cons used political ngos, including Republican and Neo Con organizational instruments to foment the velvet revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine. This effort brought political elite to power that were beholden and aligned with Neo Con regional efforts. And the Neo Con regional vision includes establishing a firm American presence in the Caspian basin (according to the rules of the Great Game of whomever controls Asia controls the world).

As well, American efforts of securing the BTC pipelines in the hands of pro Western regime served to thwart Russian control of a vital oil and energy source.

Thus, the Neo Con plan, once assisting beholden regimes into power, has been to extend NATO membership to Ukraine and Georgia as a way to secure the energy interests, permanently secure American primacy right up to the Russian borders, protect Israel's interests therein.

So the Bush policies and Neo Con philosophies have served to aggravate relations and excite this conflict. Using NATO as an instrument of Neo Con imperial designs naturally reduced Russia's options to military ones.

In the face of this, Applebaum's rhetoric seflservingly ties Ukraine and Georgia's interests to 'protecting free democracies' and paints Russia as a 'paranoid' Soviet style military bear. But the truth lies with Neo Cons like Applebaum fomenting conflict by nature of their worldview and imperial visions.

Thank you Usama. Of course, whenever there is trouble in the world "Zion" is to blame. That certainly eliminates my having to think.

I dunno about "Zion" but Israel damn sure is playing a NEOCON role in the world right now...its not becuase of "Jews", its because right wing thugs have stolen that country like right wing thugs have stolen the USA.

And the USA is using Israel, like it uses everyone else.

Thank you candoxx, that was relatively coherent for a change.

I don't know but it seems to me that the word "Neocon" has become a shortcut for any policy that one doesn't like. Reminds me of George Orwell's definition of fascism: "any position with which the speaker happens to disagree."

Pay no mind to Usama. Every single post I've ever seen of his is the most passionate of defenses for the nations of the world with the greatest contempt for human rights and stability.

Usama:

Did Ms Rice again influence a reaction? an inevitable unsupported reaction?

I can support your words.

I couldn't help but burst out laughing at Usama's recitation of history as he lists the grievious American "crimes against humanity" he resorts to : the Panama Canal! This is hilarious for many reasons, including the fact that the canal was begun while Russia was an autocratic, backward state run by an all powerful dictator...well, maybe the parallel isn't so bad after all!

Seriously though, Usama should learn a little history. What actually happened was that there were several alternative choices for where to build the canal, Columbia was being difficult in the negotiations, the Panaminians (who had rebelled more than once previously and who didn't even have a dirt road connecting them to Columbia, for God's sake) started a revolt because the were AFRAID THAT THE AMERICANS WOULD NOT BUILD THE CANAL IN PANAMA, and after independence immediately signed the agreement for the canal that the Columbians had been dikering over. The Columbians offered to sign the same agreement for the same terms, but it was too late; the horse had left the barn, so to speak. I don't think the US behaved particularly well here, but it is just a LITTLE more complicated than Usama makes it out to be. And a lot more subtle that simply stomping on a country 'cause you don't like their attitude, as our friends the Russians have done, and are now doing again.

My god how it hurts to hear the truth.Remember Bill Clinton (Jew) bombing Serbia.Serbia send troops to Kosovo to clear KLA (recognised as a terrorist organisation by UN and USA) who were responsible for death of 100 police officers in 3 months 300 civilians died Clinton bombs serbia for using to much force resaulting in NATO killink 3000 civilians.Now Georgia does the same thing send army to take control of South Ossetia (note that there no terrorist exsist) in 2 days 2000 civilians died and instead now USA to do the same as it done to Serbia,Bush is doing opposite,he is blaming Russia for overreacting.What about when Israel bombed the whole of Lebanon shelling even the Hospitals because 2 of their soldiers got kidnaped.I~am wondering if the author did condemned israel for attrocities

Clinton a Jew? He said he was a Southern Baptist! Oh, no, what WILL the goyim say??

Grujic - it must be about midafternoon now at the Kremlin. How's it going over there is pogrom land? Busy filling the the web with Russian propaganda are we? How is work on the sequel to "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" going? I'm sure it'll be a big seller with all the disgruntled Eastern Europeans.

There is no evidence of Atrocities being committed by Georgians. Now, I'm not saying that it hasn't occured, but I'm amazed how people seem to be accepting it as a fact when their only source of that info is the Russian military.

Here's an example of what documented atrocities looks like:

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If Georgia did indeed do what the Russians said, then it is a serious issue. But I haven't seen any independent evidence of it.

It was also be remarkable in that it would mean, for the first time that I am aware of it, that the Russians actually moved to prevent someone in their "sphere of influence" from carrying out atrocities; they were notably unenthusiastic about stopping the Serbs in Bosnia and Kosovo from carrying out their respective massacres - which went on for years.

If the Georgians DID commit atrocities - the truth will out. But I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

Freetrader

I`am not Russian,nor do I leave in Russia.

jwschmidt,

What do you call independent evidence,people like Gerorge Bush giving you independent evidence that Iraq have weapons of mass distractions.

freetrader,

Can you name few massacres that Serbs commited,but with facts not fiction,I can give you few Muslims Albanians and Croats commited against the Serbs and I will bet you dint even know about them.

Hey, I don't have any sympathy for anyone commiting massacres; whether they are Muslim Albanians, Croats, or Martians. And I know that during the 1990s massacres were committed on both sides. But please don't pretend that the Serbs in Bosnia and Kosovo didn't commit multiple and systematic acts of murder, rape and ethnic cleansing.