The Georgia/Russia War -- Commentaries, Opinions, And Analysis

Russia-Georgia Conflict: Why Both Sides Have
Valid Points -- Christian Science Monitor

As Russian troops prepare to withdraw from Georgian bases and cities they invaded last week, a look at the two contradictory stories of what happened and why.

As Russia's flash war with Georgia winds down, two distinct – and contradictory – stories about what happened and why are taking shape. The Moscow press paints a one-sided picture of a beleaguered Russia forced to respond to naked aggression by a pro-Western adventurer, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, in order to save Russian citizens from "genocide." In the West, some depict the war as a replay of the USSR's invasions of Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Afghanistan, and warning that a resurgent, oil-rich Russia is returning to Soviet-style domination of its neighbors with brute force.

But close examination reveals a more complex picture – one that suggests each side also has some valid points in its defense. Correspondent Fred Weir gives an overview from his longtime perch in Moscow.

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More Commentary, Opinion, And Analysis

Georgia: How close did Europe come to a wider war? -- Reuters
Russia Positions Itself As Global Economic Player -- Post Global
NATO's Hour -- Wall Street Journal


South Ossetia Isn't Kosovo - Christopher Hitchens, Slate
Who Made Russia Attack? - Fred Hiatt, Washington Post
Cameron and McCain Suited to Defy Russia - Janet Daley, Daily Telegraph
Next Secretary of State Will Be Critical - John Hughes, CS Monitor
The Russian Bear is Back from Hibernation - Paul Dibb, The Australian
Putting Out Fire in the Caucasus - Nicolas Sarkozy, Washington Post
Georgia at Putin's Mercy - Jeffrey Tayler, The Atlantic
'New Europe' Urges to Rethink Russia - Robert Marquand, CS Monitor
Estonia or Macedonia for Georgia? - Samantha Brletich, Diplomatic Courier
For Separatists, Might Makes Right - Tim Judah, LA Times
Ambitious Autocracies on the Offensive - Robert Kagan, Weekly Standard
Debacle in Georgia - Washington Times
The Future of NATO - Times of London
Let's Not Start World War III - Mike Jackson, The Telegraph
Two-Sided Descent into War - Peter Finn, Washington Post
Russian Strategy Paralyzes US - Gregor Peter Schmitz, Der Spiegel
Strongman Putin on the Blitz - Greg Sheridan, The Australian
Petro-Politics at Heart of Georgia Conflict - David Francis, CS Monitor
When War Ends, Start to Worry - Michael Bronner, NY Times
What Georgia Tells Us About the World - Paul Kennedy, The Guardian
Hollow Promise of the Next Hegemon - Chen Hsin-Chih, Taipei Times
The Strategic Lessons of Georgia -- Time Magazine
Russia cannot afford to be a bad neighbour -- Times Online
The EU's Russian role -- The Guardian
The Russians yearn for respect in the same way as a street kid with a knife -- The Guardian
End of empire is always a muddy, bloody, business -- The Independent
From Russia With Love: Could Georgia Fight Boost Global Energy Supply? -- Wall Street Journal
In Georgia, Russia sends clear message US, Israeli influence will not be tolerated -- Daily Star
Stop that bear -- International Herald Tribune
Vladimir Putin Takes on a Powerless West -- Der Spiegel
Mystery of Moscow's genocide claim -- Sydney Morning Herald
Russia will not benefit from its aggression -- Times Online
A bully’s deserts -- Financial Times
Russia, Georgia, & Disinformation -- IMINT And Analysis