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Article: Understanding the Russian bear: past invasions from the West shape Russia's actions in Georgia.(Opinion & ARTS)
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- September 5, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 National Catholic Reporter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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There are two aspects of Russia's recent intervention in Georgia that can't be debated. First, the initial military actions came from Georgia, led by the excitable President Mikheil Saakashvili who launched an attack on the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Second, the Russian intervention was much more than a "response" to Mr. Saakashvili's provocation. It was a successful effort to bring at least part of Georgia back into the Russian orbit.
The history of this area seems to escape the Bush administration. For Americans, the year 1812 almost certainly doesn't ring many bells, except perhaps for Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture," written to celebrate the defeat ...