Despite the presence of Russian troops on Georgian soil, President Mikhail Saakashvili said the West would help his country regain control of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the separatist regions of Georgia recognized as independent nations by Moscow last month.

"Our territorial integrity will be restored, I am more convinced of this than ever," Saakashvili said in a televised appearance. "This will not be an easy process, but now this is a process between an irate Russia and the rest of the world."

"Our goal is the return of our territory and the peaceful unification of Georgia," he said.

- excerpt from "Georgian president vows to reclaim 2 provinces ", AP, 2008

You know, I felt bad about what happened in Georgia.  Tbilisi's top man should have known better than to try and call Moscow's bluff.  Washington should have also known better than to egg on Saakashvilli.  Nobody ended up a winner in this, well maybe Gazprom, but who knows I'll defer to Jerome a Paris on that.

Still, the news that the Georgian President proclaimed today that he would get back those two provinces, didn't really surprise me.  His personality and character was such that he feels he lost face.  But what got me concerned, was that he actually thinks the world will help him.

The first question that popped into my brain was why he would think such a thing?  Then it dawned on me, he's being egged on again.  But to make matters worse, he also thinks the global condemnation that Russia is getting for their actions is the equivalent to a sponsorship of some sort of Georgian reconquista.  There is no doubt in my mind that the White House is telling him all sorts of things.  The French President, in his attempt to be Europe's answer to Neo-conservatism isn't helping either.  He's gone on about Russia's actions, one wonders if he too isn't from Crawford.  I find it ironic that he, as the current EU President, is the head of a delegation to smooth things out with Russia.

What worries me here, is that what we have here is the seeds of a potential war.  One of those wars that isn't just going to include Georgia, if you catch my drift.  That's when I start thinking of the election going on here in the US.  Between McCain and Obama, whome do you think will try and calm things down and try and find a diplomatic route?

Questions, questions, questions, it's all I have.  You wonder, what will happen to the folks in the area?  Aren't Georgians fed up with this guy?  But would removing him simply be seen as a victory for the Kremlin?  And what of the folks in the new quasi-indpendent areas, Abkazhia and South Ossetia?  Sorry, everytime I hear the name of the first one, I'm thinking of that prison from Harry Potter.

Anyways, as mentioned, no one is a winner here.  There is only so much war folks can take.  And, forgive me for sounding like a selfish bastard, but I'm a selfish bastard, I don't want to spend more of our tax dollars on another war.  Perhaps...perhaps Saakashvili means well for his people.  But we all saw what happened in the former Yugoslavia. Frankly, the last thing, well in my opinion, is to hear about more killings and snipers and all that horrible mess.