Caucasus Chaos: Link Roundup -- Plus Ukraine

The current crisis (crisis? nay, flat-out shooting war) in the Caucasus has escalated. And it's expanding. The fighting has spread to Abkhazia, Georgia's other breakaway province. Meanwhile, Ukraine is now involved, stating it will bar the Russian navy from returning to their Crimea base.

I previously mentioned the Caucasus hostilities here. There's too much for me to cover right now, so I give you a selection of links (two of which were kindly sent to me by blogfriend Pursuit of Serenity):

~Given the history between Georgia and Russia, was this crisis bound to happen? Or, as this columnist says, "absurdly over-determined"? The whole piece is an interesting read.

~Military analyst Ralph Peters is angry -- and pro-Georgia. So is Blackfive, remembering the 1921 Russian invasion of Georgia.

~The Volokh Conspiracy has a pithy analysis that I quote:

. . . I think it's unlikely that Russia's role here is entirely benign, given the longstanding history of Russian imperialism in the region, Russia's recent aggressive policy towards its neighbors under Vladimir Putin, and Georgia's role as a recently democratized state and ally of the US that Russian leaders fear as a potential catalyst for pro-democracy movements within Russia itself. At the same time, it was probably unwise of Saakashvili to launch a large-scale offensive in South Ossetia that he should have realized could lead to war with a much more powerful state . . .

~The Washington Post has a good op-ed.

~Russian troops closing in on Georgia proper, not only South Ossetia?

~BBC reports that Georgia has called for a ceasefire. Russian troops seem to have taken South Ossetia. Still, in the chaos of everything, initial reports by everybody seem uncertain at best.

~Some outlets of Russian media are in full propaganda mode, according to some sources. Glance at this story from Pravda. Or this one insisting that it's all the fault of the US! Good grief. (Pravda links via Powerline because I don't usually read Pravda! If I want shameless self-aggrandizing propaganda, I'll read my undergrad school's alumni magazine, thanks.)

~Meanwhile, Russia accuses Western media of pro-Georgia bias.

~Massive gateway to media sources on Russia.

~Foreign nationals are leaving Georgia. Italy has been evacuating its nationals, and the Canadian and British governments are among those urging its citizens to leave.

~Remember the phrase "disproportionate force" from the Israel-Hezbollah war? That phrase is back; this time it's being used against Russia.

~Hey, where's the outrage? Where are the Western-leftist pro-peace demonstrations a la Bush/Iraq? Where are the "Borscht Not Bombs" and "No War for Oil Pipelines" signs for Putin's Russia? UPDATE: Wait! 100 Poles protested outside the Russian embassy in Warsaw. It looked like a sober protest by actual concerned people, not a carnival of far-leftist flaky goofiness, if the news photo says anything.

~Nations who knew the Soviet era all too well declare solidarity with Georgia. A joint statement has been issued by the presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Read those names again. I guess these folks know a thing or two about Russian aggression/overlordship? Just thinking out loud. Oh, and Lithuania has sent its foreign minister to Georgia.

~The US begins transporting 2000 Georgian troops from Iraq to Georgia. They've been called back to defend their home country. I can't help but think of Rome calling its legionaries back from the borderlands to defend Italy from invading barbarians.

~Personal thought: Georgia's Saakashvili got played. Yet despite the fact that Georgia is not a pure victim because of his bad call, Russia's actions should make everybody nervous. And Putin's ambitions for a neo-USSR seem clear -- by which I mean the desire for Russia to control Eurasia and to dominate its former satellites. A chill wind is blowing over not just Georgia, but Ukraine and everyone else whom Russia wants in its sphere of influence. (See this Australia op-ed too.)