'"I saw bodies lying on the streets, around ruined buildings, in cars,It's impossible to count them"

Note: evening newscasts estimate the dead in the thousands already.

====

Russia dispatched an armored column into the breakaway enclave of South Ossetia on Friday after Georgia, a staunch U.S. ally, launched a surprise offensive to crush separatists. Witnesses said hundreds of civilians were killed.

The fighting, which devastated the capital of Tskhinvali, threatened to ignite a wider war between Georgia and Russia, and escalate tensions between Moscow and Washington. Georgia said it was forced to launch the assault because of rebel attacks; the separatists alleged Georgia violated a cease-fire.

"I saw bodies lying on the streets, around ruined buildings, in cars," said Lyudmila Ostayeva, 50, who had fled with her family to Dzhava, a village near the border with Russia. "It's impossible to count them now. There is hardly a single building left undamaged."

The fighting broke out as much of the world's attention was focused on the start of the Olympic Games and many leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Bush, were in Beijing.

The timing suggested Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili may have been counting on surprise to fulfill his longtime pledge to wrest back control of South Ossetia — a key to his hold on power. The rebels seek to unite with North Ossetia, which is part of Russia.

Saakashvili agreed the timing was not coincidental, but accused Russia of being the aggressor. "Most decision makers have gone for the holidays," he told CNN. "Brilliant moment to attack a small country."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_on_re_eu/georgia_south_ossetia&printer=1

:kick:

:kick:

becoming a decent role model again.

:cry:

What elections? When naval blockade against Iran (and hence, war) starts, there will be no elections. Obama will just whine and not start a revolution.

And please, no speaking role model US - you never was and never will be.

I don't quite know what to think here. But we all better follow this carefully.

much better than the network news.

German TV is also very good- DW.

:kick:

http://wms3.visionip.tv/Russia%20Today">Russia Today livestream

The web page was blank, but it downloaded something into my machine.
It calls itself "Russia Today.asf" but I don't have an application to open it.
Now I wonder what's happened...I just wanted to see a web page.

One must have priorities, you know.

Here is a yahoo headline that calls this invasion a "spat." WTF? Is that what we're calling acts of aggression and murder now?

"US has political, economic stake in farflung spat"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_georgia_middleman

Mind-boggling.

good article at OpEdNews re: war in Georgia is designed as a diversion to keep Russia busy while a US led Naval Armada steams toward the gulf. It's long, but very informative, especially the last part, which deals with the possible consequences to us if we attack Iran. Scary stuff!

Had not gotten there today.

They really rock! And in a large sense, they is US. Anyone who writes can be over there.

The only news I get is CBC and they have wall-to-wall Olympic coverage tonight. My only source on this is the internet, and right now it's getting drowned by JE threads.

So, lets give this another kick to keep an important story in the spotlight.
Don't let this stuff get buried - that's what They want. Out of sight, out of mind.

Or is that just what they do?

..... I think I'm on outrage overload mode.

Horrible as that murder was, to say it overshadowed that remarkable Ceremony is, well, dramatic.