How to help Georgia...

Photo Reuters - Civilians Flee Homes

The Russians continue to show their brutal, thuggish approach to geopolitics. On one hand, they settle a decades old conflict with the People's Republic of China by solidifying their border with the only remaining communist superpower. On the other hand, they plunge into a pro-western, neighboring state with the equivalent strength of a mechanized division. The mismatch between Russia and Georgia is laughable. Georgia has no combat airpower, no naval presence to speak of on the Black Sea and a standing army of some 26,000. Russia has invaded with six times the total number of main battle tanks as are in the Georgian inventory. Georgia has been involved in a battle for the retention of two critical regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Both regions border Russia with the latter bordering the Black Sea as well. Georgia's southern neighbor, Turkey, would hardly welcome a Russian proxy state on its northern border or thousands of refugees from yet another war torn region.

Georgia had been moving towards a very successful Westernization and conversion from the old, corrupt Soviet system. The two pronged invasion by Russian forces sends a chilling message to Ukraine and other nation states. Europe is absolutely apoplectic with fear. Had Georgia's membership in NATO been secured six months ago, this event would likely have never occurred. An attack like this would have brought a response along these lines;

1) United States nuclear attack submarines would penetrate the Black Sea and neutralize Russian Naval assets through interdiction or sinking.
2) NATO air assets from Italy, Turkey and other bases would provide air cover for Georgian forces.
3) GPS weaponry would be employed to execute SEAD missions (suppression of enemy air defense)
4) NATO SOF teams would be inserted to conduct fire missions against any Russian forces.
5) Ground forces from NATO would be mobilized as a stabilizing force against Russian forces
6) A possible declaration of war would follow against Russia by NATO

After that - it could get messy.

Vladimir Putin, the real power behind the Russian government remains a thuggish threat to anti-corruption, free market nations. It is clearly his planned and executed operation which unleashed these forces against an essentially helpless civilian population. There are commentators who make ridiculous comparisons to our invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. The absurdity and post-modern relativism applied in this argument is repugnant. The run up to each of these military actions was well known, communicated and executed in a legal fashion (as legal as war can get).

Russia retains all of its historical bullying and disregard for the rule of law as it ever has. It is partly the fault of nations in Europe who have failed to challenge their largest neighbor for its reprehensible behavior.

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