Hey i address this to Tim and all the other Georgians. Don't worry!! The whole world knows the truth, even if there are people( most of them brainwashed Russians or people there aren't very bright to see beyond the appearances) that think that Russians are humanitarian. I will tell you how things are seen from the outside:
RUSSIA, so called the "peacekeepers". Man, just this association makes me laugh! The words are antonyms
This imperialistic country has a genius way of controlling people; not by guns or force, but by PROPAGANDA which is more dangerous than nuclear bombs!! After USSR collapsed Russia keeps influencing ALL the EX soviet republics. How? Well it's obvious. All the newly formed republic, have, within their borders a region that never belonged to them originally and that is strongly populated by Russian citizens. For example Moldova has Transnistria, Ukraine has Crimea, Georgia Ossetia, and so on. These small regions will always support Russia since they're used as puppets for Russia's interests. When one republic is threatening to join the West and to bring NATO at their borders, for the first time in Caucas, that's when the "peacekeepers" panic!
GEORGIA is a small country which is known for their patriotism. During centuries they've been under Russian influence. They've been taken advantage of in all ways possible(economical, cultural, ideological..) and always had problems with the separatists that were instigated constantly by Russians. Tired of being used/abused, Georgia decided to join a bigger force, with which Russia won't mess around. They REALLY aspire to join EU and NATO.
THE CONFLICT started a looooong time ago, since Ossatians were ALWAYS instigated by Russians to request independence.So, before the Olympics(Bravo Mr Putin.You chose a good day... when the whole world is distracted by the Olympics!I give you credit for that!! Genius!) the Ossatians, strongly motivated by Russia( with guns and more brainwashing, and i'm sure is Russia since they had guns. And guns don't grow on trees) started to rebel against Georgian civilians in neighboring villages, acting a bit like terrorists/vandals. To restore the order, the Georgian Government sent troops in the separatist region. Since the Ossetians won't cease shooting, the Georgian troops started to shoot back. That's when 1000 or so Osettians got killed. This was the EXACT excuse that Russia was WAITING for in order to send their "peacekeepers" with 300 tanks and lots of guns, soldiers, planes.( This is the Russian notion of "peace") Only this fact alone VIOLATES the international law!!! Invading a country's territory with military forces, while these country's borders are internationally recognized. Anyways... the shooting starts, thousands of Georgian civilians get killed since the Russians decided to start bombarding cities like Poti or Gori, both situated OUTSIDE the conflict area. So dear Russians, what do you call this???? LOve and peace? Humanitarian act? How do you call these bombardments? I call them war crime!!And i call you murderers! How are these murders any different than the ones in Ossetia that Georgians commited ? Anyway...These acts, force the Georgian troops to leave Ossatia and to surprise the whole world, RUSSIANS STILL FIGHT.Why didn't they stop after that? Doesn't it become obvious that the REAL Russian cause is NOT humanitarian???
DILLEMAS
1) Why, a country that aspires to enter NATO and is monitored by it, would one day decide to start shooting people??? The answer is OBVIOUS!!! They were provoked!!
2)Why the Russians didn't bother killing 200,000 people in Chechnya but they got profoundly touched by the fact that in a neighboring country 1000 people were killed?? Again... OBVIOUS
3)Russia always pays back. This time it wants to get back to : EU&NATO for Kosovo.To prove them wrong(which i admit... EU and NATO were WRONG in Kosovo) and to Georgia for wanting to be western and exit the Russian sphere of influence, for bringing West right at their borders. Plus it would be nice to have 100% control over the gas and petrol pipes that transit Georgia. This way EU will depend only on them.
3)EU and NATO are being COWARDS.Why? Because they're trying to avoid a 3rd World War and they depend on Russia(gas and petrol).
4)Why there are 100,000 Ossetians living peacefully in Georgia? They have never been attacked nor genocide's victims? WHY???
Personal Experience
I come from a country whose neighbor (that shares the same national identity) was damaged by Russian ideology and propaganda. What is happening now in Georgia happened before. Did anybody hear about Transnistria conflict right when Moldova wanted to join Romania? I guess Russians don't !They don't learn that in schools.If Russia can foul their citizens with dirty propaganda, claiming to be kind and humanitarian, they can't foul the world, that already knows their dirty strategies. They've done it before!!
I had the chance to live in a Russian city. It is sick how the media is filtered in here! And how ignorant Russians are towards other nations! They always criticize Americans. Tell you what!! They're the same! No difference Iraq-Georgia.What's the difference?