Georgia: Attacks continuing despite Russia halt claim - CNN.com

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that he had ordered an end to military operations against Georgia, but Tbilisi reported more attacks after the statement was made.

Medvedev’s announcement came minutes before French President Nicolas Sarkozy was to land in Moscow to negotiate terms for a possible cease-fire.

“I have reached a decision to halt the operation to force the Georgian authorities to peace,” Medvedev said. “The aggressor has been punished and has incurred very significant losses. Its armed forces are disorganized.”

“The statement on the halt of the military action by Russia is the news we had expected. It’s good news,” Sarkozy said later, according to an Interfax report.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was also involved the talks.

Medvedev’s decision would end five days of fighting that began in Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia. Watch Georgia’s reaction to halt in fighting »

The Georgian government claimed that despite Medvedev’s announcement, Russian warplanes struck two villages and military forces bombed an ambulance outside the breakaway province of South Ossetia.

Buried deeper in the story:

An Georgian Interior Ministry official added that Russian bombs hit one of the three pipelines carrying oil to the Black Sea port of Poti. There was no oil in the pipeline at the time, the ministry official said.

UK-based engery giant BP later said it had shut down two oil pipelines in the region as a “precautionary measure” linked to the security situation.

A precautionary measure to … oh … raise oil prices again? This, like all wars, is about control of resources; just as much here as it is in the Middle East. This time, it’s Russia wanting control of oil that is currently under the control of a pro-American government in Georgia.

I think the Russian government is also trying to show that the nation is still a force to be reckoned with in international affairs. Over the past few years, the focus has definitely been more on China’s rise as a global political and economic power, and the Olympics brings that spotlight even closer to Russia’s neighbor to the south.

Bush, Cheney signal support for Georgia - CNN.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush condemned the escalated violence between Russia and U.S.-backed Georgia on Sunday, while Vice President Dick Cheney said aggression against Georgia “must not go unanswered.”

“My administration has been engaged with both sides of this trying to get a ceasefire,” Bush told NBC’s Bob Costas in an interview in Beijing, China, where the president has attended Olympic events.

Bush was filmed speaking to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during Friday’s opening ceremonies and said Sunday that he “was firm with Vladimir Putin” and that “this violence is unacceptable.”

Violence has continued to rage between Russia and the western ally since Thursday, when Georgia launched an operation to crack down on separatists in South Ossetia territory. Russia said it wanted to protect its peacekeepers already in South Ossetia following ceasefires in years past. But Georgia called it a full-on invasion.

Not that the conflict is causing oil prices to rise again (because pretty much any bad news will cause oil prices to rise), but that when even our dipshit President is saying that violence is unacceptable, our warmongering Veep is pushing for a response …

One of the really interesting things about this conflict is that the Russians consider South Ossetia to be a part of Russia; and have issued Russian passports to many South Ossetians … yet Putin is complaining about the “flood of refugees” crossing into Russia.

Of course, like most conflicts these days, this one is all about oil … a key pipeline which carries oil from Asia to the Black Sea runs through South Ossetia … and the Russians want control of that pipeline; and since it is in Georgian territory, obviously the Georgians want to maintain control.

The top two stories on the New York Times at the moment:

Georgia and Russia Nearing All-Out War - NYTimes.com

As Russia moved in more forces and continued aerial bombing, it appeared determined to occupy the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

In Phelps’s First Event, Gold Medal and a World Record - NYTimes.com

The American pulled away from the field in the final lap to win the 400-meter individual medley in 4:03.84.

It just goes to show that just because the Olympic Games are going on, it doesn’t mean that the world stops functioning or fighting.

I’m not really sure what I should be writing about … the “uplifting” story of Michael Phelp’s first of a possible 8 gold medals, or the depressing story of yet another war about to explode, especially one involving one of the few military superpowers in the world.

I wonder if I will live to see a day when there is not some sort of armed conflict going on in the world … just one day is all I ask, because one day could lead to two, and two days could lead to a week, and two weeks could lead to a month, and two months could lead to a year, and so on …

But somehow, I just don’t think it will happen in my lifetime.