Article

2008-08-15 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Claim: Georgia used US and Ukrainian mercenaries in its aggression against South Ossetia

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Pliny Sleash8027 2008-08-15 11:35|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 If there were ... did you capture them or in a typical Russian brutal way torture them to death...
Since you can't show us any... I expect a Russian war crime is involved...

Posted by 3dc 2008-08-15 12:34|| 2008-08-15 12:34|| Front Page Top

#2 I am sure they can supply some bodies of blacks, Russian skinheads will take care of suply.

Not sure regarding Ukrainians, and Baltics, I suppose they had their nationality tattooed on their foreheads, or they made them somehow speak despite rigor mortis, their Ministry of Interior is able to extract confessions even from dead... long tradition and experience.

As for releasing mil casualty stats... Did Russian Army provide these?

Posted by Spike Uniter 2008-08-15 12:44|| 2008-08-15 12:44|| Front Page Top

#3 Ironically the Russians brought in all sorts of trash - Chechens (former rebels), Cossacks, Ossetians - to do the dirty work of ridding the enclaves of ethnic Georgians.
They seem to be paying themselves, robbing banks, robbing people at gunpoint, looting, burning houses.
From some of the pictures, they seem to have "liberated" a Nike store

Posted by john frum 2008-08-15 12:52|| 2008-08-15 12:52|| Front Page Top

#4 Interesting that they said African Americans. If you were hiring mercenaries you might find a number of africans there, how do you know they are Americans? If so why state African American rather than American?

Mercs are a dirty word to some but an actual mercenary traditionally wears a uniform and is thus a legal combatant as opposed to the Chechens, Cossacks, Ossetians who are looting.

Posted by rjschwarz 2008-08-15 13:11|| 2008-08-15 13:11|| Front Page Top

#5 Not that I believe the story, by the way. Just to be clear.

Posted by rjschwarz 2008-08-15 13:12|| 2008-08-15 13:12|| Front Page Top

#6 If so why state African American rather than American?

For a local consumption. "Not only they were American, but worse, they were blacks!"

Racism. A trend, subtly or sometimes not so subtly, supported by Russian government. The failures have to be blamed on someone and what's more convenient than to blame it on darker skinned "furriners"? They are in a good supply and provide a good sport for Russian skinheads, neonazis and various "patriotic" mini-parties and clubs. Anyone who is not white is a "black". People are even affraid getting a tan.

It's really rather bad over there.

Posted by Spike Uniter 2008-08-15 14:05|| 2008-08-15 14:05|| Front Page Top

#7 They must hate to play the USA basketball team.

Posted by Pliny Sleash8027 2008-08-15 14:19|| 2008-08-15 14:19|| Front Page Top

#8 Again how many space aliens among the dead?

Posted by 3dc 2008-08-15 17:13|| 2008-08-15 17:13|| Front Page Top

#9 Aside from the seriousness of war, this article hilarious from start to end. To start, they mangle the meaning of D. Simes comments.

To finish, the blunder all over press coverage, from misunderstanding to flawed analysis.

As bad as the Georgian's screwed up, these folks come across as primitives.

As for the "mercenaries", we'll know in due course, but every day that passes without a major western contractor reporting missing staff, the sillier the final answer will appear.

Posted by Halliburton - Idiot Suppression Division 2008-08-15 17:50|| 2008-08-15 17:50|| Front Page Top

#10 Pravda is the Weekly World News of Russia. So dead space alien mercenary story will appear soon.

Posted by ed 2008-08-15 18:31|| 2008-08-15 18:31|| Front Page Top

#11 US black mercenaries sounds like so much cow pucky to me. Seriously doubt this headline.

Posted by JohnQC 2008-08-15 19:28|| 2008-08-15 19:28|| Front Page Top

#12 ION KOMMERSANT > GEORGIA CANNOT WITHDRAW FROM CIS FOR ONE YEAR [WIthdrawal Application Period of Consideration = MINIMA LEAD TIME].

REAL CLEAR POLITICS > THE WEAKNESS BEHIND PUTIN'S BELLIGERENCE + EURASIA AND THE WEST; + TOPIX > GEORGIA CONFLICT: THE END OF THE AMERICAN SUPERPOWER? + THE END OF THE PAX AMERICANA ERA.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-08-15 23:49|| 2008-08-15 23:49|| Front Page Top

23:59 KBK
23:52 JosephMendiola
23:50 trailing wife
23:50 General_Comment
23:49 JosephMendiola
23:47 General_Comment
23:46 trailing wife
23:39 trailing wife
23:28 tu3031
23:28 Pappy
23:26 trailing wife
23:19 trailing wife
23:16 trailing wife
23:15 trailing daughter #1
23:15 JosephMendiola
23:14 Anonymoose
23:12 Besoeker
23:11 trailing daughter #1
23:08 Anonymoose
23:07 General_Comment
23:06 Betty Grating2215
23:05 Anonymoose
23:03 General_Comment
22:59 trailing wife