tisonlyi

Otto, seems you're conveniently leaving out the part where Georgia launches an artillery bombardment of South Ossetia, leaving it's capital 'in ruins' and indiscriminately killing over 1000 civilians and Russian peacekeepers - in South Ossetia under an international mandate agreed following civil war in 1992.

"After intense fighting" is deceptive.

Timeline: Conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia | International | Reuters

there are others out there, as I'm sure you know.

-Georgia knew - must have known, it was reported and publicised - there was a massive Russian build up and 'exercise' on the other side of the border.
-Georgia attacked South Ossetia.
-Russia kicked Georgia back out of South Ossetia as it was obliged to do under an international peacekeeping agreement.

Are there other power plays in here between NATO/The US/The EU? Certainly.

I'm at a loss as to why Georgia would ever have assaulted South Ossetia without some guarantees from NATO and The US. Saakashvili has alluded to as much during many of his interviews, wondering angrily where was his support from The West.

Russia isn't an angel, but neither is it a devil. Certainly not in this case.

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"I do not agree that the dog in a manger has the final right to the manger even though he may have lain there for a very long time. I do not admit that right. I do not admit for instance, that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia. I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place." - Winston Churchill, 1937 --{ORLY?}--