The difference is that Georgia did not attack Russian territory. Georgia attacked it's own territory, and in the process killed a couple Russian peacekeepers, and then Russia started attacking Georgia.
As stated earlier, there have been instances where US peacekeepers were killed in volatile areas, but the US didn't respond by invasion.
YOU ARE CORRCT. S. OSSETIA IS IN GEORGIA. THE PROBLEM IS, WHEN THE SOVIET BLOC BROKE UP, GEORGIA PROPER CONTAINED TWO REGIONS WITH PRIMARILY ETYHNIC RUSSIANS WHO WANTED NO PART OF BEING PART OF GEORGIA. THAT PROBLEM ACTUALLY EXISTS IN SEVERAL OTHER OLD SOVIET BLOC STATES.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE GEORGIANS AGREED TO ALLOW THESE TWO REGIONS TO REMAIN COMPLETELY AUTONOMOUS, AND TO ALLOW RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS TO REMAIN THERE UNDER AGREEMENT. OF COURSE NO ONE WAS REALLY HAPPY WITH THE ARRANGEMENT. THERE HAVE BEEN HOSTILITIES BETWEEN FREEDOM FIGHTERS IN S. OSSETIA AND THE GEORGIANS.
FOR WHATEVER REASON LAST WEEK GEORGIA UPPED THE ANTE AND INSTIGATED A FULL SCALE BOMBING OF S. OSSETIA. THE RUSSIANS RESPONDED BY SENDING TROOPS OVER THE BORDER INTO THOSE REGIONS, AND BEYOND.
PERSONALLY I THINK IT WAS A TACTICAL MOVE ON THEIR PART TO TEST THE RESOLVE OF THE EU, U.S., AND NATO DUE TO THE UPCOMING DECISION TO INCLUDE GEORGIA INTO NATO, WHICH OBVIOUSLY RUSSIA OPPOSES. NOTICE HOW QUICK PRESIDENTS OF UKRAINE, LITHUANIA, LATVIA, ESTONIA, ETC. HAVE RALLIED, CAUSE THEY REALIZE WHAT IS AT STAKE. TO ME IT IS OLD SCHOOL POLITICS BY A LITTLE NATION PLAYING RUSSIA AND THE U.S. AGAINST EACH OTHER.
RUSSIA HAS TAKEN FULL ADVANTAGE TO SAY HEY, DON'T JUST ASSUME YOU CAN CONTNUE TO TREAD ON US, AND TO SHOW THEY WILL ALSO USE FORCE WHEN NECESSARY, LIKE YOU KNOW WHO. EVEN UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, APPARENTLY THEY HAVE SPENT THE LAST FEW YEARS AND THAT OIL MONEY TO REBUILD THEIR ARMED FORCES, WHICH JUST A DECADE AGO WAS IN COMPLETE DISSARRAY
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