Russian Fighters shot down.

pair8head · Post by **pair8head** » August 8, 2008 9:22 am

TSKHINVALI, Georgia - Georgian troops launched a major military offensive Friday to regain control over the breakaway province of South Ossetia, prompting a furious response from Russia — which vowed retaliation and sent a column of tanks into the region.

The rest of the article.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080808/ap_ ... th_ossetia

TropicalTroubador · Post by **TropicalTroubador** » August 8, 2008 12:13 pm

"The Eastern world, it is exploding
Violence flaring, bullets loading"

Skibo · Post by **Skibo** » August 8, 2008 12:25 pm

That area has been unstable ever since the wall fell.

The Lost Manatee · Post by **The Lost Manatee** » August 8, 2008 12:27 pm

Resurgent Russian Imperialism at its finest. The Russians will justify this action saying that they are going to aid/protect ethnic Russian from the evils of a multi-cultural republic. It reminds me of what Germany did when it invaded the Sudetenland before WWII.

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » August 8, 2008 12:31 pm

I think Russia scares me more today than they did in the 80's. What's-his-name (the guy that was President or whatever and is still running the country) seems like a loose cannon to me.

Skibo · Post by **Skibo** » August 8, 2008 12:55 pm

Oh boy, I just spoke with a co-worker from the from that region. He is very concerned that this isn't going to end well. Based on what he told me I think I agree with him.

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » August 8, 2008 1:26 pm

Skibo wrote:Oh boy, I just spoke with a co-worker from the from that region. He is very concerned that this isn't going to end well. Based on what he told me I think I agree with him.

come on.. Russian intervention in Chechnia has turned out well...

SchoolGirlHeart · Post by **SchoolGirlHeart** » August 8, 2008 1:36 pm

SharkOnLand wrote:I think Russia scares me more today than they did in the 80's. What's-his-name (the guy that was President or whatever and is still running the country) seems like a loose cannon to me.

Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, born 14 September 1965: Medvedev was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government on November 14, 2005. Formerly Vladimir Putin's chief of staff, he was also the Chairman of Gazprom's board of directors, a post he had held, for the second time, since 2000. On December 10, 2007, he was informally endorsed as a candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections by the largest Russian political party, United Russia, and officially endorsed on December 17, 2007. Medvedev's candidacy was supported by former President Vladimir Putin and pro-presidential parties. A technocrat and political appointee, Medvedev had never held elective office before 2008.

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » August 8, 2008 1:40 pm

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I think Russia scares me more today than they did in the 80's. What's-his-name (the guy that was President or whatever and is still running the country) seems like a loose cannon to me.
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, born 14 September 1965: Medvedev was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government on November 14, 2005. Formerly Vladimir Putin's chief of staff, he was also the Chairman of Gazprom's board of directors, a post he had held, for the second time, since 2000. On December 10, 2007, he was informally endorsed as a candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections by the largest Russian political party, United Russia, and officially endorsed on December 17, 2007. Medvedev's candidacy was supported by former President Vladimir Putin and pro-presidential parties. A technocrat and political appointee, Medvedev had never held elective office before 2008.

Medvedev is not the president in anything other than name. Like Shrub, he's a nice stalking horse and puppet for those behind the scenes

SharkOnLand · Post by **SharkOnLand** » August 8, 2008 1:47 pm

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I think Russia scares me more today than they did in the 80's. What's-his-name (the guy that was President or whatever and is still running the country) seems like a loose cannon to me.
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, born 14 September 1965: Medvedev was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government on November 14, 2005. Formerly Vladimir Putin's chief of staff, he was also the Chairman of Gazprom's board of directors, a post he had held, for the second time, since 2000. On December 10, 2007, he was informally endorsed as a candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections by the largest Russian political party, United Russia, and officially endorsed on December 17, 2007. Medvedev's candidacy was supported by former President Vladimir Putin and pro-presidential parties. A technocrat and political appointee, Medvedev had never held elective office before 2008.

I didn't feel like looking it up.

Thanks.

It's Putin that scares me. Medvedev seems like a figurehead, not really in charge, but answering to Putin...

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » August 8, 2008 1:48 pm

SharkOnLand wrote:
SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I think Russia scares me more today than they did in the 80's. What's-his-name (the guy that was President or whatever and is still running the country) seems like a loose cannon to me.
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, born 14 September 1965: Medvedev was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government on November 14, 2005. Formerly Vladimir Putin's chief of staff, he was also the Chairman of Gazprom's board of directors, a post he had held, for the second time, since 2000. On December 10, 2007, he was informally endorsed as a candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections by the largest Russian political party, United Russia, and officially endorsed on December 17, 2007. Medvedev's candidacy was supported by former President Vladimir Putin and pro-presidential parties. A technocrat and political appointee, Medvedev had never held elective office before 2008.
I didn't feel like looking it up. Thanks.

It's Putin that scares me. Medvedev seems like a figurehead, not really in charge, but answering to Putin...

exactly

SchoolGirlHeart · Post by **SchoolGirlHeart** » August 8, 2008 1:56 pm

RinglingRingling wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:
SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I think Russia scares me more today than they did in the 80's. What's-his-name (the guy that was President or whatever and is still running the country) seems like a loose cannon to me.
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, born 14 September 1965: Medvedev was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government on November 14, 2005. Formerly Vladimir Putin's chief of staff, he was also the Chairman of Gazprom's board of directors, a post he had held, for the second time, since 2000. On December 10, 2007, he was informally endorsed as a candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections by the largest Russian political party, United Russia, and officially endorsed on December 17, 2007. Medvedev's candidacy was supported by former President Vladimir Putin and pro-presidential parties. A technocrat and political appointee, Medvedev had never held elective office before 2008.
I didn't feel like looking it up. Thanks.

It's Putin that scares me. Medvedev seems like a figurehead, not really in charge, but answering to Putin...
exactly

Yyyyep.... Imagine having a staffer from an administration get elected.... Yikes.....

Frank4 · Post by **Frank4** » August 8, 2008 2:26 pm

Putin is in China for the opening cermonies. Kind of convient....he's a snake if there ever was one. I believe he used to run the KGB before he became president...

SchoolGirlHeart · Post by **SchoolGirlHeart** » August 8, 2008 2:37 pm

Frank4 wrote:Putin is in China for the opening cermonies. Kind of convient....he's a snake if there ever was one. I believe he used to run the KGB before he became president...

He worked for the KGB, but was not the head of it.

He's currently the Prime Minister of Russia.

Hooray Beer! · Post by **Hooray Beer!** » August 8, 2008 4:43 pm

As long as they stay in South Ossetia it's not a big deal

Now if they move into Georgia proper, then be conerned

Frank4 · Post by **Frank4** » August 8, 2008 4:53 pm

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
Frank4 wrote:Putin is in China for the opening cermonies. Kind of convient....he's a snake if there ever was one. I believe he used to run the KGB before he became president...
He worked for the KGB, but was not the head of it.

He's currently the Prime Minister of Russia.

My bad, oops

SchoolGirlHeart · Post by **SchoolGirlHeart** » August 8, 2008 4:57 pm

Frank4 wrote:
SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
Frank4 wrote:Putin is in China for the opening cermonies. Kind of convient....he's a snake if there ever was one. I believe he used to run the KGB before he became president...
He worked for the KGB, but was not the head of it.

He's currently the Prime Minister of Russia.
My bad, oops

No worries!

SchoolGirlHeart · Post by **SchoolGirlHeart** » August 8, 2008 6:19 pm

Hooray Beer! wrote:As long as they stay in South Ossetia it's not a big deal

Now if they move into Georgia proper, then be conerned

You were saying...?

Bombs rocked Tbilisi early Saturday morning as the fight between Georgia and Russia over a breakaway region intensified and moved into the Georgian capital.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08 ... index.html

Frank4 · Post by **Frank4** » August 8, 2008 6:27 pm

Well, so much for the Olympic Truce.....

RinglingRingling · Post by **RinglingRingling** » August 8, 2008 7:00 pm

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
RinglingRingling wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:
SchoolGirlHeart wrote:
SharkOnLand wrote:I think Russia scares me more today than they did in the 80's. What's-his-name (the guy that was President or whatever and is still running the country) seems like a loose cannon to me.
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, born 14 September 1965: Medvedev was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government on November 14, 2005. Formerly Vladimir Putin's chief of staff, he was also the Chairman of Gazprom's board of directors, a post he had held, for the second time, since 2000. On December 10, 2007, he was informally endorsed as a candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections by the largest Russian political party, United Russia, and officially endorsed on December 17, 2007. Medvedev's candidacy was supported by former President Vladimir Putin and pro-presidential parties. A technocrat and political appointee, Medvedev had never held elective office before 2008.
I didn't feel like looking it up. Thanks.

It's Putin that scares me. Medvedev seems like a figurehead, not really in charge, but answering to Putin...
exactly
Yyyyep.... Imagine having a staffer from an administration get elected.... Yikes.....

if the stories I have heard about the last Russian election are true, he wasn't so much elected as just annointed and installed with the full weight of the aparachiks behind Putin's decision