War and Conflict Journal

The United States increased its public criticism of Russia on Sunday, August 10, as the Russians and their Abkhazian proxies opened a second front in their war against the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. As the U.S. Air Force ferried Georgia’s Iraq contingent back home, American political and national security officials made some possibly disturbing public comments about possible American involvement in the Georgia-Russia War:

"[Vice-President Dick] Cheney was even more pointed, telling [Georgian President] Saakashvili on Sunday afternoon that "Russian aggression must not go unanswered," according to his press secretary.

Briefing reporters traveling with Bush on Sunday, Deputy National Security Adviser James F. Jeffrey would not rule out the use of American force to assist Georgia but said that was not the current focus of U.S. efforts. "–Washington Post, August 10, 2008

An interesting, and very important point here, is that a top American National Security official, James Jeffrey, said the U.S. would not "rule out the use of American force…" in aiding Georgia. If this were any other nation in that part of the world, this would be a credible threat, but realistically, what can the U.S. do short of sending a few thousand Marines or an Airborne brigade into harm’s way? If the Russians drive on the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, the U.S. could send in troops to act as a trip-wire, (i.e. this means playing a deadly game of "chicken" with the Russians in their own backyard), daring them to attack what would at first be a thin screen of American troops likely blocking the approaches to the Georgian capital. With a lot of our military resources tied up in ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where would we get the troops to help the Georgians? Air power? Again, unless the Turks let the U.S. fly out of Incirlik air base in Turkey, or at least grant overfly rights for from American bases in Iraq, how would we get to Georgia? And could the U.S. realistically achieve air superiority over Georgia? Russia has bases much nearer the war zone, and would not have the logistical issues the U.S. would face. On the other hand, every time American-made warplanes engaged Soviet and Russian-made warplanes over the skies of Indochina or in the various Arab-Israeli wars, the Russian-made products fared badly. Though it is probably safe to assume that Russian pilots are better trained and more skilled than Syrian or Vietnamese pilots of those past wars.

Whatever planning is going on in the Pentagon and at the White House, (and you know many American military and strategic professionals are pulling all-nighters preparing for the possibility of American intervention in the Georgia-Russia War, they had best look at this realistically. Miscalculations of enemy intent and capabilities have started some very big wars in the past.

For regularly updated information on the ongoing war between Russia and Georgia, visit: The Georgia-Russia War at Historyguy.com

By August 10, Russian air power continued to dominate the skies above Georgia, with bombing of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. Also, the war expanded to the naval front, with the Russian navy deploying warships off the Georgian coast. The Kremlin asserted that Russian forces sank a Georgian missile boat that attempted to attack Russian naval forces off the Black Sea coast. The Georgians said that Russian tanks had invaded Georgia proper, having moved south out of Ossetia into Georgian territory.

The Ukraine, where the Russian ships are based, said that it had the right to deny re-docking privileges to the ships upon their return. Ukraine, like Georgia, has sought to move away from Russian influence and seek to join NATO. Also on the 10th, American military transport aircraft began ferrying Georgia’s Iraq contingent back home to face the invading Russians.

Russian and Abkhazian troops moved into the Georgian-contolled Kodori Gorge on on August 10, in a major expansion of the war.

For regularly updated information on the ongoing war between Russia and Georgia, visit: The Georgia-Russia War at Historyguy.com

Sources and Links:

Georgia under all-out attack in breakaway Abkhazia: Separatist rebels and Russian forces launch attack on Georgian stronghold in Black Sea territory–Guardian.co.uk, August 10, 2008

Russia expands Georgia blitz, deploys ships–Associated Press, August 10, 2008