The Georgians needed a credible air force and coastal defense before starting anything, and they needed to cut the roads and railroads between Russia and both Ossetia and Abkhazia forcing re-supply by air or sea, before any offensive.

If they were looking for support, they should have been talking to the Turks and lined something up before doing anything. The Turks would have explained it to them. The Turks at least had an interest in the outcome.

The whole thing was apparently predicated on the notion that the Russians wouldn’t respond, which is insane. The whole purpose of having Russian “peacekeepers” was to provide an excuse to respond.

Steve, if Saakashvili was listening to McCain or anyone in his campaign on matters of foreign policy, he needs to be institutionalized. After living under the Soviets any of the older people in the country could have giving him better advice than than people working for a man who can’t remember that Czechoslovakia became two countries after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Listening to John McCain, perhaps?

McCain’s foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, has a contract as a lobbyist for Georgia.

Even if McCain were president… and he’s damned well NOT president yet… that connection would be a wholly inappropriate conflict of interest. As it is, McCain should discontinue all association with Scheunemann… or publicly acknowledge his conflict of interest.

I just cannot fathom what the Georgians thought they were doing, poking the bear like that. It’s not like Grozny is all the way around the world. Grozny is just 150 miles as the crow flies from Tsibili. Right across the border. They know how the Russians operate…