Aether:
“I’m still of the opinion that Saakashvili attacked into S Ossetia because he knew the Russians were getting ready to move in on him first. What the other reason would he have to make that move ?

The Russian wargames, the special railroad repairs, the naval landings,a nd the dis-info campaign all point to a long planned invasion, …. ”
———-

Certainly the Georgians likewise had been conducting wargames and preparing their infrastructure.

Today’s Wall Street Journal describes the Georgians’ decision to launch its artillery attack on Tskhinvali as follows:

http://www.collegejournal.com/public/article_print/SB121834170757727521.html

—
Georgia’s President Saakashvili blames Russia for the clash. In the Sunday interview, he said Georgia’s Thursday military actions were a response to a heavy Russian assault near South Ossetia — and the news that 150 Russian tanks were approaching the region.

“Our military said the only option we had was to use long-range artillery” and move up to destroy a key bridge near the city of Tskhinvali, South Ossetia’s capital, Mr. Saakashvili said.
—

Assuming this is true, this long-range, inaccurate, reckless method of destroying one bridge was a fateful mistake. If the Georgians felt they should destroy the bridge, then they needed to use a method that did not cause so much collateral damage of Tskhinvali’s civilian population.

Also, what exactly is meant by Saakashvili’s phrase “150 Russian tanks were approaching the region”? Does that mean that the tanks were still in Northern Ossetia, on the other side of the Caucasus Mountains? Were the 150 tanks so close to the bridge that an immediate artillery barrage was essential? Or was there still quite a lot of distance, time and mountains between the 150 tanks and the bridge?

Here are some questions that Saakashvili should be compelled to answer:

Where were the 150 tanks located when Georgia started shooting long-range artillery at the bridge near Tskhinvali?

Was any other method of destroying the bridge considered? Was potential harm to civilians considered?

Describe the artillery attack on the bridge in detail. Beginning and ending times. How far away? What weapons? How many shells? How accurate?

Any targets besides the bridge? If so, what other targets? Describe all such attacks in detail.