BBC News - Moscow saying it has "liberated" Tskhinvali, conflict spreading to Abkhazia

[Muttocracy]

edit to add excerpt and edit tile for spread to Abkhazia

pictures
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7551139.stm

story
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7550804.stm

Russian jets have bombed a Georgian town amid a deepening crisis over the breakaway South Ossetia region.

Georgia says 60 people died in Gori when the bombs hit residential buildings as well as military targets.

Russian officials say hundreds of civilians have been killed in South Ossetia. Georgia denies the figure, which cannot be independently verified.

Reports say Russian PM Vladimir Putin has stopped in Russia's North Ossetia region on his return from the Olympics.

He arrived in the capital Vladikavkaz to discuss the influx of refugees from the conflict in South Ossetia, Russian media said.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said earlier that his country was seeking "to force the Georgian side to peace".

Russia's ambassador to Nato, Dmitry Rogozin, said there could be no "consultations" with Georgia until Georgian forces returned to their positions and re-established "the status quo".

Accounts differ over who controls South Ossetia's capital, with Moscow saying it has "liberated" Tskhinvali.

In another development, separatists in Abkhazia - Georgia's other breakaway region - said they had launched air and artillery strikes on Georgian forces in the Kodori Gorge.

[Andy823]

1. Isn't that kind of what

Bush said about Iraq?

[indie_voter]

2. exactly, and I think that's why they're using that language

Stupid stupid neocons, it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. this is a truly dangerous situation with potential global consequences

Aside from the simple fact that Russian troops are now in direct action against a country with close American and western connections, and the danger of this conflict turning into a broader regional conflict, this is a potentially dangerous step toward a renewed cold war between Russia and the United States that could spill over into frighteningly dangerous global antagonism that could very well influence a whole multitude of decisions on a whole multitude of issues all over the world.

[Muttocracy]

12. I think we're watching what you describe happen :(

[FormerOstrich]

4. I am kicking as many quality posts as I can

if nothing else but to make sure GD is something other than JE.

:kick:

[Muttocracy]

10. thanks :)

[amandabeech]

5. This is extremely bad news.

A conflict spreading to other regions is not a good sign.

Did anyone else notice that Georgia alleges that the Russians have bombed near the Baku-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline?

As many have noted, oil and gas play a huge role in this. Pootie poot wants to control Europe by becoming the sole supplier of necessary oil and gas.

No wonder that the Europeans are much more into renewables, at least to conserve gas used to generate electricity.

[bushmeister0]

6. Here's the real danger

AP reports:

"The Interior Ministry said Russian warplanes also bombed the Vaziani military base on the outskirts of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi and struck near the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/georgia_south_ossetia

Now, killing thousands of civilians is one thing, we can deal with that, just like the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon in 2006, those were "birthpangs," but you go after the only Caspian oil pipeline that doesn't run through Russia, that's a whole 'nuther deal.

http://www.foe.org/camps/intl/institutions/btcoverview.pdf

[Strelnikov_]

7. Pipeline is already down - Kurds claim they blew the BTC pipeline pump station

in Turkey.

I'd say between the Kurds, the current Georgia crises, and the general 'troubles' in this region, we have seen the last of the 1 Mbbl/dy potential from this line for a while.

Note that the alternate route, the 140 kbbl/dy Baku-Supsa pipelne, runs through Georgia to Supsa, a Georgian Black Sea port. Don't think I would be counting on that one as well.

+++++

Kurdish rebels say they sabotaged Turkey pipeline

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/07/europe/EU-Tur...

Kurdish separatist rebels claimed responsibility Thursday for sabotaging a critical Turkish pipeline, helping push global oil prices back above US$120 per barrel.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which brings Azeri oil from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean for westbound shipments, caught fire Tuesday night and Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency said it could remain shut down for up to 15 days. The pipeline can pump slightly more than 1 million barrels of crude oil per day or more than 1 percent of the world's daily crude output

It was not clear what ignited the blaze and by late Thursday, the fire still had not been fully extinguished.

Global oil prices jumped back above US$120 a barrel, rising for the first time in four days after the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party, known as PKK, claimed responsibility for sabotaging the pipeline, according to the pro-Kurdish news agency Firat which often carries the group's statements.

[bushmeister0]

8. Wow, now the Turks are joing the party? All we need is the Austro-Hungarian empire

and we've got WWI!

Is attacking Galopoli W.'s next brilliant move?

[amandabeech]

9. Dig the trenches and bring on the mustard gas!

Deja vu all over again.

Now all we need is trouble in the Balkans.

Or is the Caucasus the new Balkans?

[Muttocracy]

11. It was very strange that oil $$ went down the same time that happened

I bet they'll be soaring up again on Monday.