How about a US-Russia Superpower confrontation timed for the Democratic Convention?

[Junkdrawer]

As they plan to guarantee the peace in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russia made it a point to disarm Georgia. They do not want the West to rearm Georgia.

...

Earlier, Gen Nogovitsyn, who said Russia was not the Soviet Union or the Evil Empire, accused Georgia of preparing acts of sabotage in South Ossetia and preparing troops for "further actions".

He also warned that should the US start rearming the Georgian army, Russia might enlarge its peacekeeping force.

Moscow intends to maintain what it describes as a peacekeeping presence of 2,600 troops in "buffer zones" around Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Russia insists it is allowed these zones under previous peacekeeping agreements that ended fighting in Abkhazia and South Ossetia when they first broke away from Tbilisi in the 1990s.

...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7578250.stm

Russia is also maintaining a presence in Georgia's main port of Poti. One assumes this is so that they can monitor what comes into said port.

Today, the first of five US warships carrying "blankets, hygiene kits and baby food" arrived in Georgia. They arrived in the non-port of Batumi, avoiding Russian troops and, presumably, Russian inspection.

...

The destroyer USS McFaul is reported to be carrying supplies such as blankets, hygiene kits and baby food. The supplies will be unloaded by a floating crane as the port is too shallow for the ship to dock.

Two more US ships are due to arrive later this week.

The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, in Batumi, said that apart from delivering aid, the arrival of US naval personnel is undoubtedly intended to send a signal to the Russians - that America is serious about its support for Georgia.

But, he adds, the prospect of US and Russian armed forces actually meeting on Georgian soil is one that both sides seem keen to avoid.

Batumi is not a natural harbour for a naval vessel the size of the USS McFaul to dock but Russian forces have been fortifying their positions at the key port of Poti, further up the coast.

...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7579506.stm

Two more ships are due this week during the Democratic National Convention. Question is: will Russia allow these ships to continue to deliver their cargos uninspected? And, if not, will the US ships submit to Russian inspection?

[miles 2 go]

1. Sadly, you can't put ANYTHING past the * cabal. n/t

[grasswire]

2. I've been suspecting this very thing.

I think George and Putin made a deal at the Olympics when they had their heads together. Putin could have Georgia if he would raise a little ruckus to give some political cover. This is dangerous stuff, though, because he's a million times the strategist that W. is.

[spanone]

3. ding! ding! ding! we have a winner......

[Junkdrawer]

4. Beats allowing The Economy to dominate the election. n/t

[Selatius]

5. We fucking need the UN on the ground now to prevent the US from smuggling in weapons and to...

monitor the Russians.

I don't trust the fucking US gov't anymore than I trust the Russian gov't as far as keeping promises.

[Junkdrawer]

6. And to prevent an accidental war....n/t

[Junkdrawer]

7. UPDATE: "Russia says to inspect cargo at Georgian port"...

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian forces will carry out regular inspections of cargo at Georgia's economically vital Black Sea port of Poti, a senior Russian defense official said on Monday.

"The Russian contingent is carrying out patrolling duties in Poti. Within the framework of those tasks is the regular inspection of cargo which is brought in and out of the port. These checks are carried out on a regular basis," Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian military's General Staff, told Reuters after a news conference.

Russia says it has honored a pledge to withdraw the bulk of troops it sent in this month after Georgian forces tried to retake the Moscow-backed breakaway region of South Ossetia.

But Western states believe the Russian plan to station what it calls peacekeeping troops deep inside Georgia will hand the Kremlin pressure points on key oil and trade routes through Georgia to the Black Sea.

....

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKLP61136820080825

Here we go....