[QUOTE=CharikIeia;684822]Georgia has been taught its lesson, Russia stopped hostilities today (if one can believe Medwedjew).[/QUOTE]

Apparently, not quite yet.
Medwedjew announced a final ceasefire, yes, but also demanded Georgian troops to leave South Ossetia before there would be one.

A Dutch journalist has been killed in the Russian bombings yesterday night of Gori / Georgia ("mainland").
Sick sick sick.

[QUOTE=Armwar;683996]THe Ukrain is next...that is the point of this.

Gail[/QUOTE]

It appears that you could be correct in long term evaluation.  The U.S. wishes to place anti-missle shields  in Poland and Chech territory.  Russia was very upset over this and threatened retailiation, since it would detour  Russian advancement in nearby Countries.  The action's of Russia speak for themselves and I would hope that Poland signs the agreement with the U.S. missle shield security.....

The present road map of Russia through Georgia has literally isolated and closed in the country for any future progression and immediate existance.   Russia is  calling for Saakashvili's resignation, which is another clue to end the democratic government.  The road map, theoritically speaking based on recent developments would give Russia  a geographical and monetary advantage in the 'oil business' to control  the western and european oil markets...

MSNBC-August 12, 2008:

The U.N. and NATO called meetings Tuesday to deal with the conflict, while Poland's president and the leaders of four former Soviet republics flew to Georgia for a meeting of solidarity with Saakashvili.

"The Russian state has once again shown its face, its true face," said Poland's Lech Kaczynski, who was being joined by counterparts from Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine and Latvia.

But he said it was "good news" that Medvedev ordered a halt to military action.

"Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century," Bush said in a televised statement.

   Azerbaijan, Asia: 
The establishment of new, commercially viable oil and gas pipelines was critical to growth in exports. Initially, petroleum was exported solely via a pipeline to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. In 1999 a new pipeline opened between Baku and the Black Sea port of Supsa, Georgia, to facilitate the export of oil to Europe.

Another new pipeline opened in May 2005 linking Azerbaijan with Turkey, providing the first direct route between Caspian oil fields and the Mediterranean Sea. This pipeline was especially significant for reaching markets beyond Europe, as the Mediterranean is accessible to large oil tankers.

**  The 1,770-km (1,100-mi) pipeline carries crude oil from Baku, through central Georgia via Tbilisi, to the port of Ceyhan in Turkey. Known as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, it will carry about 1 million barrels of oil a day once it reaches full capacity later in the decade. The pipeline was primarily developed as a conduit for Azerbaijan’s new Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field, but at full capacity it will take oil from Kazakhstan’s offshore fields as well. Meanwhile, construction began on a new gas pipeline following the discovery of massive reserves of natural gas in 1999. Scheduled to open in 2006, this pipeline will carry natural gas along a route roughly parallel to the BTC oil pipeline.

Note:  The extraction of petroleum is the country’s largest industry, and it supports a number of other industries, including petroleum refining, petrochemicals processing, and equipment manufacturing. Other factories produce glass, ceramics, textiles, and clothing.

Reserves of natural gas are also located in offshore fields. Azerbaijan also possesses deposits of iron ore, aluminum, copper, and zinc; industrial minerals, such as iodine and bromine; precious and semiprecious gems; and marble.
The transportation system in Azerbaijan is considered inadequate for the country’s long-term needs. Paved roads extend along the Caspian Sea north to Russia and south to Iran. Other paved roads connect Baku with Tbilisi in Georgia. During the Soviet era, a rail line extending north was the country’s principal route for transporting goods; regional disputes have since occasionally closed the railroad. Azerbaijan now depends on a railroad through Georgia to ports on the Black Sea for much of its imports.

Quote:
Originally Posted by L.Ann 
The present road map of Russia through Georgia has literally isolated and closed in the country for any future progression and immediate existance.

Original Charika said:
Could you elaborate on this?
Seems exaggerated.

I believe this says it all regarding the original claims from Georgia that Russian influenced the peacekeepers in South Ossetia with their own selective military  implants  to infliterate-overpower Georgia's democratic rule....Maybe the 'use of force' was Georgia's only option before a total infliteration of Russian control?  I say this due to the propaganda and overt cover up as to who is actually continuing the ethnic cleansing.  Is it Russia or the separatists?  ......separatists do not own military vehicles, tanks,  nor do they fly bomber jets.....It is  very perverse and something to note.....

MSNBC-
"But an Associated Press reporter saw 135 Russian military vehicles driving through Georgia en route to a gorge in Abkhazia — the only part of that region still under Georgian control.

Georgian officials said their troops in the gorge were being attacked by Russians.

Abkhazian separatists claimed their forces — not the Russians — were carrying out artillery attacks in the Kodori Gorge. Fleeing Georgians said the entire population of the gorge, some 3,000 people, had abandoned their homes — some so quickly they didn't even grab food or water. "

Medvedev earlier said he had ordered a halt to military action after five days of air and land attacks that sent Georgia's army into headlong retreat and left towns, military bases and homes in the U.S. ally smoldering.

Tens of thousands of terrified residents have fled the fighting — South Ossetians north to Russia, and Georgians west toward the capital of Tbilisi and the country's Black Sea coast.

L.Ann, you speak of "ethnic cleansing", why do you?
Does anybody else besides you? If so, who does, and why?