South Ossetia -- Must Read Articles From Slate

A column of Russian armored vehicles seen on their way to the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali somewhere in the Georgian breakaway region, South Ossetia, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008. Georgia, a U.S. ally whose troops have been trained by American soldiers, launched a major offensive overnight Friday to retake control of it's breakaway province. Russia sent hundreds of tanks and troops into South Ossetia and bombed Georgian towns Saturday in a major escalation of the conflict that has left scores of civilians dead and wounded. (AP Photo/Musa Sadulayev)

A Hat Tip To Michael Totten:

Quoting Michael Totten ..... "If you want some solid background reading about the hell that broke loose in Georgia a few days ago, take a look at this dispatch by Joshua Kucera from South Ossetia that Slate published a few months ago. You’ll learn a lot more reading that than you will from wire agency reports that focus mostly on tank movements and body counts.

See also Anne Applebaum in the same publication."

My Comment: Both articles are excellent. The dispatch from Joshua Kucera gives an excellent impression of what it felt like to be on the ground in South Ossetia a few months ago.