Russia Invades Georgia?!

This weekend I was on a round-trip to Los Angeles and back. This morning, as my father and I made our way down from our hotel room to the breakfast lounge, the TV was tuned to a news station, the marquee on the bottom of the screen reading “RUSSIA INVADES GEORGIA” in capital, bold letters.

First things running through my head: What a way to start the day! Not again! On 08/08/08. The morning of the Olympics. At a time when most world leaders are in China for the opening ceremonies.

Of course I was to learn later that it was not exactly an invasion on Russia’s part but that both sides were definitely alerting their militaries, getting ready for a face-off.

My father and I, clueless to the exact details of the matter, started coming up with scenarios that might help make sense of yet another war. A war that may still be looming in the near future. Half jokingly—for how else are you supposed to deal with situations like these?—we started listing our pessimistic thoughts, more free association than anything else…

“I bet Russia waited till today so that they wouldn’t be thrown off the Olympics”-followed by a discussion on whether or not that was still a possibility. (Not likely considering China still hosting despite the criticisms it has been under).

“I bet China was in on it the whole time. I bet it was China who instigated the whole conflict.”
“Why?”
“Well they have been spending so much money on the Olympics; what better way to make more money than by selling weapons and ammunition to Russia.”
“Like Russia doesn’t have any.”
“To Georgia then.”

“I bet Russia even asked the other world leaders to look the other way, saying that they could later object to the war all they wanted.”
“Right, Bush was in on it the whole time too.”

“Russia didn’t get any action in Iraq so it is making up by moving on to Georgia.”

“It is part of a grand scheme to pinch Turkey in the middle of two great world powers. U.S. in Iraq on one side, Russia in Georgia on the other.”

And on and on.

It was later, once we turned on the NPR news in the car to listen to what had actually happened. Or to get as close to the whole truth as we are ever likely to get. It turns out, at least from my understanding, both Georgia and Russia want to put down the separatist movement that is taking up arms in the South Ossetia region, a region not recognized by any world power. They are both trying to put down a rebellion and are fighting over who gets to do it. Of course this is still no small news; it has the potential to blow up into something much, much bigger. An excuse for either one side to launch an offensive. An opportunity for Medvedev to prove himself. For Georgia to crush the separatist movement once and for all—without Russian help or meddling.

I am a little relieved and a little disturbed by these turn of events. Relieved that it did not turn out to be the all out, unprompted invasion I had feared it to be. Disturbed that it can still come to that. Yet even more disturbed that the news channels are blaring out headlines like “RUSSIA INVADES GEORGIA,” as if further instigating a fight. Plain reporting? Sensationalism? Cheap attention grabbing techniques? The truth?

I don’t know.