Psst! Can I have a word with you? Sorry for the bluntness of this diary's title, but can you indulge me for a moment while I steer the conversation away from John Edwards' infidelity? Yes, the sexual activities of a couple of desperate 40/50 year olds is absolutely fascinating! No really, it is! I could go on for hours! But instead I thought we should broaden our global perspective today beyond the intellectual reach of AM radio.
Were you aware that Russia and former Soviet state Georgia are engaged in a military battle right now? They are fighting over a break-away state that territorially belongs to Georgia but has many Russian citizens living there.
from CNN
Georgian tanks and infantry attacked Tskhinvali, and "a large part of the city has been destroyed. Over 15 civilians have been killed, several buildings are on fire in the city center, and the local parliament building has burned down... About 150 Russian armored vehicles have entered South Ossetia, Saakashvili said, and Georgian forces had shot down two Russian aircraft."
"All day today, they've [The Russian Air Force] been bombing Georgia from numerous warplanes and specifically targeting [the] civilian population, and we have scores of wounded and dead among [the] civilian population all around the country," Georgia's president, Mikhail Saakashvili, said Friday. "This is the worst nightmare one can encounter."
And the fascinating part of this is that Georgia is currently bidding to become a member of NATO, much to the angst of an ever-encircled Russia. Were this to occur after Georgia was a member, the U.S. would be obligated by treaty to intervene.
Well, on second thought maybe it's not important or topical enough to discuss here. It's Europe/Eurasia, so everything will probably sort itself out. I mean that whole Chechnya thing just sort of blew over right? And what was the name of that Yugoslavian city that hosted the Olympics? I remember hearing about a siege or something a few years ago, but I'm sure it wasn't worth paying attention to. Anyway, sorry for the interruption. I now return you to your regularly scheduled Infotainment.
An outstanding diary on this brewing war can be found at:
Marcions Diary
It is loaded with detailed info. Other diaries are out there. Search for them and rec them. This development is so huge it deserves to be kept on the front page.