An Interesting Interview on Georgia-Russia Conflict

The Morningside Post interviewed a Columbia University international politics professor focusing on democratic transitions in post-Soviet republics, Lincoln Mitchell. He had several keen insights that solidified my view that Georgia acted stupidly, but not "illegally":

One thing is going from Gori to Tskhinvali is not considered crossing an international border. Georgian troops did not cross an international border here. It is broadly recognized as part of Georgia. A part of Georgia that is not consolidated and over which Tbilisi doesn't exercise sovereignty-- but this is not the U.S. and Puerto Rico relationship and it's certainly not the U.S. and Cuba relationship. Maybe the U.S. and Missouri or Michigan relationship... So there is that side to it. But I would also say that with all the violence that we've seen over the last week or so on this issue, no Georgian soldier has fired a gun or dropped a bomb on Russian territory, or any foreign territory. That's a point that's worth keeping in mind here.

Prof. Mitchell makes a valid point that I think a lot of people keep forgetting (especially ex-Premier Gorbachev): while Georgia perhaps acted foolishly in trying to establish a stronger hold over its territory (South Ossetia), Russia was clearly the only country whose troops went into another country's territory without that country's permission. The interview is a bit long but is clearly coming from someone who has spend quite some time dealing with that region of the world.

[via The Morningside Post]