WAR OVER?

Reports are that Russia has invaded Georgia proper and taken the town of Gori, a town near the South Ossetian border and near Tskhinvali.  Russia denies everything in green below.  The half-circle represents former Rusisan presence.  I'm leaving 7 in blue below, because even though Russia is denying it, it is a firsthand report.

REPORT 1: Bloomberg: Russian Troops Launch Ground Offensive in Georgia (Update3)
REPORT 2: VOA: Russia Confirms They Were in Senaki
REPORT 3: FOX News: broadcast reports Russians in Poti
REPORT 4: Bloomberg: Russian Troops in Senaki Came From Abkhazia
REPORT 5: IHT: Abkhazia Takes Kodori Gorge (only part of Abkhazia in Georgian control)
REPORT 6: Guardian UK: Medvedev Ends Russian Participation, Allegation of Continued Fighting in Gori
REPORT 7: CNN: Broadcast reports Russian troops heading from Gori towards Tblisi. Have pulled off road. 8:20 AM Wednesday. Russia has officially denied it.
REPORT 8: Russia Today: Broadcast Abkhazians have completely ejected Georgia from Abkhazia.
REPORT 9: CNN Broadcast: Russians have left Gori-Tblisi road and moved to southeastern S. Ossetia


This is an annoying, flashing map of all sites in Georgia targeted by Russia.

Russia Today Interviews

According to one person interviewed, Saakasvhili is a "mad" "fascist" "terrorist," while many seem to agree he's engaged in "genocide" against Ossetians, a process, a number have said, has gone on for "100s of years."

UN Security Council Today

Not much useful happened.  Khalilizad(U.S.) and Cherkin(Russia) had a bit of a testy, undiplomatic exchange.  Didn't accomplish anything.  Panama, again, had the best statement.

On Russia Today, when the Georgian spoke they showed dead bodies.  Every other speaker had gotten a full screen for themself.  Then, when Cherkin spoke, they showed humanitarian missions.

Blunt much?  It's night again in S. Ossetia.

Russia Today "Facts"

Russians have never targeted any civilians.  Georgians, after blowing up the hospital, are now destroying the bakery, to starve the Ossetians.

Russian airstrikes have occurred, but never at civilian.  Georgians are dropping cluster bombs on Tskhinvali, some of which don't explode.

Saakashvili is an inveterate liar, who appears on CNN regularly, and he speaks English there!  Deptuy FM of Russia is aired by Russia Today right after that comment... speaking English.

The only Russians involved are peacekeepers, and the only things they bring with them are humanitarian aide.  The Georgians have merecenaries working for them, some of whom might be Americans, we have "special tests" we can do on the bodies to make sure.(I am not making this up!)

Russian Peacekeepers never fire except when attacked, while Georgians have shelled children's center and evacuees fleeing their atrocities.

Russia Today Chops Interview, Changes Message

Russia Today and Euronews both are airing an interview with a young woman in an airport outside Georgia who is concerned.  But Russia Today only aired the portions where she is concerned about Ossetians, while Euronews shows that she is equally concerned for Georgian relatives, and wants all the fighting to stop.

I really owe FOX, CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times and the Washington Post a bit of an apology for calling them propaganda organs of the United States Government so often.  Compared to Russia Today, they are pikers.

Russia Today Changes Chiron to "GENOCIDE"

A recent interviewee said Georgians are violent and Ossetians are peaceful. 

Following a chain of blog links, I found this piece from Jamestown, presenting the Georgian side of the S. Ossetian crisis.  Wu Wei is in Georgia, and blogging from there.

Russian Troops Still Advancing

Live reports from Russia as of 9:07am, footage of night-firing provided.  No guarantee the footage is actually of Georgia.

No Overlap At All: Russian Tanks Enter Georgian Ossetia

In my language and conlict website, I write about South Ossetia a little, as part of a larger discussion of post-Soviet conflicts.

If you get Russia Today(RT), the 24 hour English language news station from the Russian perspective, you definitely need to compare it to the story you might get from CNN.  There was no overlap in the facts of the case at all.  CNN has an exclusive interview with Saakashvili, and MSNBC and FOX are not covering the story at all.  The President of Georgia, definitely a U.S. rather than Russian ally, says they did nothing to provoke the Russian invasion, and they bravely have shot down two planes.  The Russian perspective, only available on Russia Today, says the Georgians fired artillery into North Ossetia (on the Russian side of the border), deny all reports of downed planes, and claim they are doing what they can to stabilize the situation.  CNN calls it an invasion, RT calls it Georgian provocation. 

Georgia, in this case, lacks a U.S. presence in the cable media, so outlets like CNN will have to do. 

Just as a reminder, Georgia has plenty of problems with Russia already.  Russia backs the de facto independent Georgian province of Abkhazia.

I made this map by eliminating lots of data from a CIA map.  The "R"s represent Russian population centers.

Ignoring the political perspective for a minute, only RT has footage of what is going on and discussions of what towns have been impacted and how.