Some truce: Russia continues invasion of Georgia
Posted by John Keller
Russia is continuing its invasion of neighboring Georgia, despite Russian rhetoric claiming their forces have stopped their advance and are pulling back.
Russia continues trying to cloak this unprovoked invasion of the internationally recognized state of Georgia with transparent and patently false claims it is safeguarding Russian-backed rebels in the Georgian districts of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Russia has not stopped at the boundaries of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. There is no truce; there is no brokered cease fire or pullback. Western reporters have seen Russian armored units pushing even beyond the central Georgian city of Gori, with Russian soldiers proclaiming they are heading to the Georgia capital of Tbilisi.
In the meantime, Russian cyber attacks continue on Georgian Websites.
Some protection the Russians are providing -- to anyone. They have damaged the cities of Gori, Tskinvali, and Poti, killed civilians, and rendered thousands homeless. This is not a rescue operation. It was, is, and continues to be an invasion and dismemberment of a sovereign country.
I've been called ignorant, arrogant, and uneducated in these blogs for pointing out the obvious. I suppose that if I were educated and enlightened that I would buy into Russia's lies that it is protecting South Ossetia and Abkhazia from the big, bad Georgians. What a crock. If pointing out naked, premeditated Russian aggression makes me ignorant, arrogant, and uneducated, then so be it.
This is for all the folks who would like to insult me for pointing out the obvious and treating a Russian invasion for what it is: I think you would be singing a different tune if the Russians -- or anyone else -- were doing the same to you. If the world stands by and lets this happen, moreover, that could be sooner than you think.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has asked the West for real help -- that would be more than just screeching for Russian to stop and go home. I don't think any help is coming, and the Russians won't be satisfied until Saakashvili is hanging from a lamp post.
Many of us thought this kind of aggression in Eastern Europe was over in the 21st century. I fear we haven't seen anything yet.
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
