I believe 500,000 (approx.) is the estimate for Iraqi civilian casualties.

I think Russia did have a fairly good reason to invade, it's what they did afterwards that was unwarranted. South Ossetia was gunning for independence or reunification with Russia. A bit like Kosovo, no?

Only Kosovo is allowed it's democratic freedom, backed up by threats of violence from the US, but South Ossetia isn't?

However you look at it though, this is nothing to Iraq and we have no place to condemn Russias actions.

the only reason i give a shit about this is that Ireland's World Cup qualifier in Tblisi is in doubt now.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been gunning for independence - they haven't been part of Russia for 90 years - for decades, so why start to do something about it now? It's not as if the Georgian authorities hadn't been engaged in violent conflict with Abkazia and South Ossetia before this month. I just don't believe that Russia intervened solely to protect Russian citizens in South Ossetia; undermining Saakashvili seems like a more plausible reason for Russia's intervention.

It's different to Kosovo because the Georgian Government wasn't ethnically cleansing one of its territories of a non-Georgian minority the way Milosevic had been leading up to the NATO intervention 10 years ago. That and Kosovo has 10 times the population of Abkhazia and South Ossetia combined. More's to the point, South Ossetia has always been relatively autonomous. I doubt it would be able to function as an independent state backed by Russia.

Considering Russia is fucking around with what will probably be an EU member state within the next 15-20 years, I think current EU member states have every right to condemn Russia's actions.

Metal Iain wrote:Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been gunning for independence - they haven't been part of Russia for 90 years - for decades, so why start to do something about it now? It's not as if the Georgian authorities hadn't been engaged in violent conflict with Abkazia and South Ossetia before this month. I just don't believe that Russia intervened solely to protect Russian citizens in South Ossetia; undermining Saakashvili seems like a more plausible reason for Russia's intervention.

It's different to Kosovo because the Georgian Government wasn't ethnically cleansing one of its territories of a non-Georgian minority the way Milosevic had been leading up to the NATO intervention 10 years ago. That and Kosovo has 10 times the population of Abkhazia and South Ossetia combined. More's to the point, South Ossetia has always been relatively autonomous. I doubt it would be able to function as an independent state backed by Russia.

Considering Russia is fucking around with what will probably be an EU member state within the next 15-20 years, I think current EU member states have every right to condemn Russia's actions.

It's still more justification than our invasion of Iraq.

No, they really aren't.

yep

Holy Crap! Lions! wrote:

Metal Iain wrote:Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been gunning for independence - they haven't been part of Russia for 90 years - for decades, so why start to do something about it now? It's not as if the Georgian authorities hadn't been engaged in violent conflict with Abkazia and South Ossetia before this month. I just don't believe that Russia intervened solely to protect Russian citizens in South Ossetia; undermining Saakashvili seems like a more plausible reason for Russia's intervention.

It's different to Kosovo because the Georgian Government wasn't ethnically cleansing one of its territories of a non-Georgian minority the way Milosevic had been leading up to the NATO intervention 10 years ago. That and Kosovo has 10 times the population of Abkhazia and South Ossetia combined. More's to the point, South Ossetia has always been relatively autonomous. I doubt it would be able to function as an independent state backed by Russia.

Considering Russia is fucking around with what will probably be an EU member state within the next 15-20 years, I think current EU member states have every right to condemn Russia's actions.

It's still more justification than our invasion of Iraq.

Bah!

I just wish they'd have done with it and tell us they just wanted Saddam out all along. They've basically let the world know how much they want Castro dead for the past 40 years so I don't see the difference.

hahahaha, politicians are fucking dickheads that have a brain in a jar inside of them (yes citizen brain reference), they are all douchehole faggots, in this conflict the leaders of every country involved are being evil and greedy and the only thing in their minds are that they want more power and it is as simple as that

zurabmelua wrote:hahahaha, politicians are fucking dickheads that have a brain in a jar inside of them (yes citizen brain reference), they are all douchehole faggots, in this conflict the leaders of every country involved are being evil and greedy and the only thing in their minds are that they want more power and it is as simple as that

This guy's cool.

It is a bloody obvious one, but he isn't wrong.

Holy Crap! Lions! wrote:

zurabmelua wrote:hahahaha, politicians are fucking dickheads that have a brain in a jar inside of them (yes citizen brain reference), they are all douchehole faggots, in this conflict the leaders of every country involved are being evil and greedy and the only thing in their minds are that they want more power and it is as simple as that

This guy's cool.

Right, this is adult time, k guys? We don't need shitty Thrash being brought into this. No-one likes it, it's dead.

TC Lethbridge is a shit song.

Your life is a shit one.

That maybe true, but it doesn't make that song any better.

But it's so good!

WE ARE FORWARD THINKING MOTHERFUCKERS!