Giles, in your report of “Under-fire Saakashvili defends Georgia war” you “But at the time, there was no public statement from the Georgian leadership that Russian forces were invading. The shelling of Tskhinvali after a ceasefire of several hours and the subsequent ground assault was justified as a response to rebel shelling of Georgian villages.”
What story have you been following?
Please see Saakashvili’s interviews that he gave to international media (CNN, BBC) immediately following the start of the conflict. He clearly says that he decided to mobilize the troops AFTER he got intelligence of Russian troops crossing the border. Please, revise the article at once.

To Russian

The Russian government still used very extreme measures not only in support of S. Ossetia, but revised its goal to continue to intimidate Georgia through its continued presence on Georgia’s soil outside S. Ossetia. Russia did not bring this whole situation to the UN before it acted. At least the US acts in concert with UN authority or after it has exhausted its efforts to resolve an utilizing the UN. Comparison on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being the least warning and 10 the most. U.S. gives 7-10 while Russia gives 2-4.
In the 1980s, I admired the USSR as a worthy potential adversary, and recently Russia as a powerful growing democracy. Now, the way Putin has returned to the old ways of succession depriving the Russian people of true representation just makes me angry. Russian freedom in the press has disintegrated and intimidation of opposing views are less and less tolerated. Putin’s response to dissent both internal and external has turned from dialog to intimidation much like its Mafia which most probably has inserted itself into the Russian politic.
All countries time on earth ebb and flow. Their greatness is not solely determined on their physical strength, but on how they treat both their citizens and other nations. In retrospect, none have been or are perfect, but its the degree and consistency with which they apply these factors that determines their ultimate greatness.
Nations such as China, European Union, Russia and the US should work together for global stability and ensure that complete human rights are protected in every corner of the earth. Doing so will prevent these very governments from having to fear dissent.

To Et
Grow up both sides would be bloodied beyond recognition. I.E. Russia and U.S. Do you want this over vanity and pride?

Serbia was bombed 78 days by NATO states, even center of Belgrade, far away from war zone in order to save Albanians on Kosovo. 2,500 Serb died in bombings. Kosovo was cut off from Serbia after 1000 years. Now, when Russia is bombing Georgia in order to safe Ossetian people, western media repeats that this is crime, attack on democratic country…. Serb will wait the final resolution of Russian-Georgian problem and learn lesson. Serb will not forget Kosovo.

If the US is that powerful, let them send troops to save freedom loving Georgia against Russia. The EU and US know , on Russia turf, they will be crushed. Therefore, no one dares talking military actions. Russia picks up first victory since the end of the cold war. A powerful message is sent to France, Britain and of course US.

Viva Independent Republika Srpska!

[...] provide “a pretext for Russian action against American allies,” specifically in the Caucasus. And so it did, with Vladimir Putin retaliating for Kosovar independence by setting in motion the events that led [...]

All that “hyper super isteria” in US really powerfull level of guys (and closed to them servants) has very simple reason. During all 90th they were very sure that the world is belongs to them, and friendly speaking, were too close to the truth. Times changed… They just start to handle somehow with the fact that China ALREADY on the nearly same level of power like US, and shows the further growth. And now they faced the “nightmare form the past” - Russia…Hey, guys, world become too difficult for your mind, isn’t it?

The count of Tskhinvali civilians killed by Georgian bombardment and ethnical cleansing that began on Friday the 8th of August is now 2000. Obviously this figure is not final as efforts are now chiefly concentrated on saving those who are still alive and remain under the rubble of houses.
Russian introduced new forces in South Ossetia on the 9th of August (the next day) to stop the complete assassination of the South Ossetian people in Tskhinvali, after Georgian forces broke through the demarcation line established in 1992. Presently, the city is in ruins and desperate efforts are being made by Russia to accommodate and offer medical assistance to the civilian population of South Ossetia. 34 thousand residents of South Ossetia have fled to North Ossetia (Russian Territory) to find refugee from the acridities that they had faced during the recent days. Stories of South Ossetian eye witnesses are horrendous revealing numerous cases of overt slaughter of children, women, aged and disabled seeking shelter in underground basement of houses into which Georgian soldiers threw hand grenades. The basements of houses were the only shelter from the incessant shelling of residential districts by heavy mortar and rocket fire.
The military infrastructure of Georgia was attacked by Russian aircraft following Georgia’s use of aircraft, heavy artillery, and rocket units in its destruction of Tskhinvali. Russian troops crossed the border of South Ossetia on the 9th of August to enforce its peacekeeping contingent following the assassination of 12 of its peacekeepers and the remorseless destruction of civilian population in Tskhinvali that began a day before. Russian forces now proceed to extrude all Georgian military forces beyond the demarcation line established in 1992. No bombing of Georgian cities as claimed by Georgian news reports and strongly supported by the western media have taken place other than the areas containing Georgian military infrastructure in which case some unavoidable damage has occurred to civilian buildings.
Russia has announced that it will address The Hague court as Georgia’s action abrogated international law. The murder of thousands of South Ossetians “citizen of Georgia” is nothing other than pure ethnical cleansing and was intended to drive the people of South Ossetia off its territory and deprive it of any signs of Ossetians. Georgia for Georgians was the motto of the former Georgian president Gamsakhudi that began the slaughter in 1992 and it remains the slogan of Saakashvili today.

Regretfully, lop sided information is reaching the western world claiming Russian troops are attacking Georgia. Little or no mention is made of why Russia introduced additional forces in South Ossetia. Russia’s peacekeeping contingent was twelve times outmatched in number and lacked any heavy weapon systems compared to the well prepared intruding Georgian military forces. The limited contingents of Russian peacekeepers was not capable of stopping the massacre of civilians in Tskhinvali nor protect its own limited contingent that was attacked by a squall of rocket blasts in the first minutes of the attack.
127 US military instructors engaged in the training of Georgian military contingent, prier to the beginning of the onslaught on South Ossetia, are now speedily leaving the country. Georgia has increased its military expenditures in the recent years by 30 times mainly assisted by gratuitous US support.

The heated polemics supporting Georgia’s becoming a member of NATO have received a clear answer. Russia will never allow any maniac to terrify or murder the people of South Ossetia or Abkhazia and will do all to restore peace on these war torn territories. Just recently, the prime minister of Russia Mr. Putin has put forward a bid of 500 million US dollars to restore the dwellings, schools, kindergartens, hospitals and infrastructure of South Ossetia totally destroyed by the Georgian bombardment.
Presently, the aim of Russian troops is to impel Georgian military forces to return to the demarcation line established and approved by the UN and sign an agreement forbidding all use of weapons.
Georgians are limited in their information sources as opposing TV channels have been closed down and Russia internet sites providing their account of the happenings have been cut off.