President Mikail Saakashvili is in the habit of plotting quick escape routes for his troops and to think, he always puts a finger in his mouth.

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Georgia and South Ossetia have been engaged in on and off territorial military conflicts, due to which Russian peacekeepers have been stationed in South Ossetia. In the early 1990s South Ossetia declared its independence from Georgia, which has not been internationally recognised. The majority of South Ossetians are Russian citizens. North Ossetia is part of Russia. On August 8^th 2008 Georgian troops attacked the Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia. Russian and South Ossetian forces responded rapidly, drove Georgian forces from South Ossetia and pursued them into Georgia.

Georgian soldier in the zone of attack on South Ossetia.

Georgian tanks, unable to make their way through the narrow streets of old Tskhinvali city to put down the heroic Ossetian resistance without heavy artillery fire, simply razed these city quarters to the ground with multiple rocket launchers.

Residents returning to ruined homes in Tskhinvali after the war.

Georgian troops bombed schools, hospitals and other civilian cultural buildings. Ossetia doctors had to improvise in bombed school buildings and basements.

Assault rifles including M-4s made in the USA were given to Georgia. These and many Israeli-made armored vehicles plus Dana 152 mm self-propelled howitzers were abandoned by the fleeing Georgian troops.

Mikheil Saakashvili and George Bush, April, 2008

Attempts to explain what happened on August 8 in the Caucasus range widely. Western mainstream media warn us of Russia "flexing muscles and mounting an invasion of a fellow UN member". The European Left Party calls for strengthening international mediating bodies such as OSCE and the creation of an all-European comprehensive security system. The supporters of Lyndon LaRouche take the prize blaming the British Secret Service in the manipulation.

It is a challenging task to find official statements by world leaders about their support of Russia and their understanding of who the true players behind this war are. However, some clear-thinkers spoke up. According to the AP, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has named Mikhail Saakashvili a puppet of the American empire. Chavez also supported Russia for defending the people of South Ossetia in an attack by Georgian military. The Venezuelan president also accused the US in sparking the conflict in the region, saying Georgia's troops were armed and trained by Washington. Fidel Castro blamed Bush for this bloodshed. Anna Belousovova, VP of the Slovak National Party, a coalition partner in the Slovak government, took a strong stand in support of the Russian actions.

It is a widely known fact that for the last several years the US and Israel have been heavily arming the Georgian military and providing trainers for Georgian soldiers and advisors to its army leadership. The preparation of Georgia for the war was not only military, but also psychological. The Saakashvili show was targeted completely at the Western audience and thoroughly edited by the controlled media. Saakashvili made every press address and even speeches directed to his own people in English. In TV coverage about civilians protesting every sign held was in English. And what is the significance of the EU flag standing behind the president of a country which is not an EU member? If any of our readers are still seeking an alternative to CNN and BBC we encourage them to read at least www.antiwar.com and www.counterpunch.org

Was this a test of Russia’s responsiveness as in Czechoslovakia in 1968? In a strange coincidence, the conflict took place during the week of the 40^th anniversary of the pacification of Czechoslovakia. The instalment of the puppet governments around the mighty bear and tightening the rope around its neck with new and pending NATO memberships indicate rather long term plans. Reasonably valid speculations are abounding that the sudden escalation of the conflict in the Caucasus is the preamble to war with Iran. However, the US and its masterminds do not need to involve Russia immediately when targeting Iran.

Some suggest that the world hegemon orchestrated the conflict in the Caucasus in order to limit the economic and political capabilities of its old and developing rivals, such as China, Russia and even Europe, and to eliminate competition in the region. Others drew attention to similar economic reasons for the sponsored attack, explaining it by the US’ weakening dollar and economy overall. How will this explain the hyperactivity of Sarkozy and Kouchner in directing public opinion and screeching for international intervention? The timing of Sarkozy’ Presidency in the EU is another suspicious ‘coincidence’. Had the president of Portugal or Greece held the EU Presidency at the time of the Georgian conflict their response to it could be much milder and a call for international intervention could not be heard to the same extent.

One of the more plausible interpretations of the crisis has been provided by Alexander Dugin of the Eurasian Movement. This attack was an ultimatum from the masterminds of the world order to Russia. No longer could the Russian government procrastinate. It either had to respond decisively or abjectly surrender. Having significantly damaged the military infrastructure of Georgia, sunk its fleet, and damaged air force bases, Russia this time has proven its ability to stand up to a blatant provocation.

Dugin sees this not as a conflict between two neighbouring nations, but a demarcation line between the West and Eurasia. Despite age long rivalries, both Caucasian peoples have a lot in common. Both are Orthodox Christian and share a long history of cultural interaction. The difference is their conflicting political orientation: one is pro-Western and another pro-Russian. This struggle now marks the geopolitical fault-line.

Seyyed Nasrallah gives a powerful warning message to all those who are contemplating following Georgia’s path (i.e. to the Yushchenkos of the world): "The entire front line of the [Israeli] army's brass stepped down because of the war [in Lebanon]. [Brigadier-General] Gal Hirsch, who was defeated in Lebanon, went to Georgia and they too lost because of him... Relying on Israeli experts and weapons, Georgia learned why the Israeli generals failed. What happened in Georgia is a message to all those who accept that Washington entangles them in adventures, miscalculated wars and dead-end confrontation. In the end, the US [administration] will abandon them because its interests are above anything else, just as they did to their allies in Lebanon. (Al Manar, 15.08.2008)

Some, including Dugin, indicate a possibility of WWIII or at least the first shots of it. Georgian bravado is the foreword to what is yet to come, much likely in the near future. The question arises, is Russia now prepared to face other provocations, such as the placing of NATO missiles in Poland? How will it respond to a deterioration of the situation in Transnistria? Is liberal Russia prepared to defend its Black Sea interests, namely its important naval base in Sevastopol, and its historical interests in Crimea? Ultimately, Russia must either face the geopolitical challenges of the Atlantic Bloc with the aggressive determination of a Stalin, or with a betrayal of its interests even more shattering than that committed by Yeltsin.