US begins flying Georgian troops home from Iraq

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

BAGHDAD - A senior U.S. military official says the Americans have begun flying Georgian troops home from Iraq after they requested help with transportation.

Georgia has called its 2,000 troops home from Iraq to help in the fighting against Russia in the breakaway province of South Ossetia and asked the U.S. military to help transport them.

The official says that the U.S. military has agreed to their request and "some flights have already begun."



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080810/ap_on_re_eu/iraq_georgia_1

[shadowknows69]

1. How about the American people's demand to

FLY OUR OWN FUCKING TROOPS HOME.

[thewiseguy]

4. Georgia is very desperate to get US involved

[mbperrin]

6. Beginning yesterday would be good!

Second your motion!

[Takoia]

2. why not until now?..

They should have brought them before now... Georgia was in need of its troops to protect its people.

[The Croquist]

10. Moving troops this fast is pretty impressive

Militarys typically don't move this fast. I would bet that they are leaving allot of equipment behind.

They only have about 19,000 people in the army. Their air force has 40 warplanes and 13 trainers.

2,000 more troops will not make much of a difference but they are going home to die for their country.

I suspect that the US agreed to transport their soldiers to and from Iraq and we are living up to our agreement.

I also doubt that the Russians will get anywhere close to USAF Transports. They aren't stupid.

[PassingFair]

11. Georgia appears to be the aggressor in this instance.

Perhaps they didn't expect retaliation.

[CrazyDude]

25. You're kidding, right? n/t

[FirstLight]

3. I worry about the possibilities here

...what are the chances that the russians could shoot down an american plane ? talk about a way to get us involved in this thing! I know that americas diplomats are all talk when it comes o "strong words" against russias actions, and how the agression could hurt relations, yadayada...

but if Russia wants to pick a fight, flying anywhere NEAR this mess is a good way to get your butt shot at..
don't cha think?

ETA: I will be ading extra prayers for peace in church today, that's about all I can do when crazy people run the world!

[Redstone]

7. Yes, the possible outcomes are truly frightening. I do hope your prayers work.

(Not being sarcastic at all.)

Redstone

[coalition_unwilling]

9. There are currently some 50

US military "advisors" stationed in Georgia, if memory serves.

Since Georgia now says it's at "war" with Russia, I would argue that all US military personnel in theater are at risk.

And all because the US just had to recognize Kosovo independence from Serbia. Can you say "blowback"?

Another diplomatic triumph brought to you by the BFEE :sarcasm:

[Muttocracy]

5. interesting - hadn't heard before that we were the ones taking them home. nt

[snappyturtle]

8. I think this is very dangerous. A job for the U.N. in my book.

The Bear is not sleeping anymore....and Russia knows which side we're on. Dangerous. Hopefully, the troops will arrive safely and the U.S. planes will return the same to Iraq.

[daleo]

12. I can't say I like this

I suppose the U.S. is obligated to assist their Iraqi ally in returning troops to protect their homeland in an actual war. Still, the optics of the U.S. aiding Georgia this directly are not helpful and 2000 Georgian troops will not be decisive in this contest.

Let's hope the major powers pull back and take a few deep breaths. This has overtones of WWI if the other great powers get involved. WWI with nuclear weapons isn't a happy prospect.

[SidneyCarton]

20. The best that could be said about a nuclear WWI...

Is that it would be very short. No stalemate in the trenches, just one great big flash into oblivion.

Oh, crap.

:nuke:

[Pharaoh]

13. Petraeus: US is flying Georgian troops into battle zone

Source: Times Online

Exclusive: Deborah Haynes, Baghdad
US aircraft have started to fly some of Georgia’s 2,000 troops in Iraq back home to join the fight in the breakaway province of South Ossetia, General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq said today.

“The flights are ongoing to redeploy the elements of the Georgian contingent so that they can deal with the security issues in their country,” General Petraeus told The Times in an interview at his office inside Baghdad’s Green Zone.


Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article4498032.ece

[Renew Deal]

14. Oh boy

The Russians aren't going to like that. :nuke:

[madeline_con]

16. Fuck 'em. Putin's an asshole. n/t

[libnnc]

24. he is a great big asshole but...

I don't think we're in a position to piss him off.

:scared:

[billyoc]

17. I would if I were them. They can wipe them all out in one go, and embarrass Bush at the same time.

It's really bad to talk about troop movements, General. :eyes:

[jayfish]

18. Could Be Bait.

It's a really bad idea to draw the US Air Force into the conflict.

[AlphaCentauri]

21. Agree

It would be a bad idea to put a US plane into the war zone where it can be mistaken and taken down

[Renew Deal]

23. Both sides seem to be spoiling for a fight.

Especially the russians. If I were them I'd wait for the US to unload and then I'd annihilate the entire area. 2,000 out of 26,000 troops in one shot.

[AlphaCentauri]

15. How did they get to Iraq in the first place if they don't have their own airplanes

[daleo]

19. The headline is (probably) misleading

It appears that the U.S. is flying Georgian troops back to Georgia, but that is a pretty wide interpretation of the term "battle zone". The headline makes it seem like the U.S. is dropping paratroopers into a battle or something of that nature. It is inflammatory.

[SpikeTss]

22. And do we deliver with these flights also some terrorists like we did last time in Yugoslavia?

I mean, we have do act consistently, don't we?

For those who don't know what I mean: Here is some background information:

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=EEhgwdJldeU&feature=related

Noam Chomsky About Serbia, Kosovo, Yugoslavia and NATO War