Morning War Update

The plot to distract the world from the glory of the 2008 Olympic Games continues to unfold:

• Russia has not accepted Georgia’s cease fire offer.
• Georgia claims to have fully withdrawn from South Ossetia. It’s unclear whether the Georgians mean the part of South Ossetia that was controlled by Russia/South Ossetian separatists prior to the war, or all of South Ossetia, but I’m betting the former, and I expect the Russians will be driving for the latter.
• Russia has landed troops in the Abkhaz city of Ochamchire, to which it recently built a railroad; this could provide a good jumping off point for threats against the Georgian oil exporting city of Poti. Ukraine is threatening to bar the Russian Fleet from returning to Sevastopol.
• Russia continues to bomb a number of Georgian military and strategic targets.
• Russia (or motivated Russians) have launched cyber-attacks against Georgian government internet infrastructure. The attacks don’t appear to have been overwhelming thus far.
• If the war continues, it would appear to be on at least two fronts, with substantial Russia troop buildups in both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.