User:JCDenton2052/Sandbox4

In July 2008, one thousand United States soldiers participated in a training exercise with Georgian soldiers called Operation Immediate Response 2008 at the Vaziani military base near Tbilisi. At the same time, Russia conducting a training exercise in the North Caucausus region.

Prior to the Russia-Georgia War, 130 United States trainers and contractors were stationed in Georgia.

Cold War II Timeline
July, 2008


 * The United States and the Czech Republic signed an agreement to place a radar base in the Czech Republic.

August 5, 2008


 * Georgia State Minister for Reintegration Temur Iakobashvili said that reports of Israel ending weapons shipments to Georgia are gossip in the Israeli press caused by internal political squabbling in Israel and that there has been no blocking of the arms supplies.

August 8, 2008


 * Russia informed President Bush that it had deployed OTR-21 Tochka/SS-21 Scarab short range ballistic missiles to Georgia.

August 9, 2008


 * Georgian Economic Development Minister Ekaterina Sharashidze claimed that Russian fighter jets targeted the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

August 10, 2008


 * Georgian Secretary of National Security Council Alexander Lomaia said the Russian Navy intercepted Lotus I, a Moldovan-flagged merchant vessel carrying wheat.

August 11, 2008


 * Russia began an exercise of antiaircraft battalions in the town of Eisk in the Krasnodar territory.
 * Retired United States Air Force Colonel Sam Gardiner said On little notice to Americans, the Russians learned at the end of the first Gulf War that they couldn’t—they didn’t think they could deal with the United States, given the value and the quality of American precision conventional weapons. The Russians put into their doctrine a statement, and have broadcast it very loudly, that if the United States were to use precision conventional weapons against Russian troops, the Russians would be forced to respond with tactical nuclear weapons. They continue to state this. They practice this in their exercise. They’ve even had exercises that very closely paralleled what went on in Ossetia, where there was an independence movement, they intervene conventionally to put down the independence movement, the United States and NATO responds with conventional air strikes, they then respond with tactical nuclear weapons. It appears to me as if the Russians were preparing themselves to do that in this case. First of all, I think they believe the United States was going to intervene. At a news conference on Sunday, the deputy national security adviser said we have noted that the Russians have introduced two SS-21 medium-range ballistic missile launchers into South Ossetia. Now, let me say a little footnote about those. They’re both conventional and nuclear. They have a relatively small conventional warhead, however. So, the military significance, if they were to be conventional, was almost trivial compared to what the Russians could deliver with the aircraft that they were using to strike the Georgians. I think this was a signal. I think this was an implementation on their part of their doctrine. It clearly appears as if they expected the United States to do what they had practiced in their exercises. In fact, this morning, the Russians had an air defense exercise in the southern part of Russia that borders Georgia in which they—it was practicing shooting down incursion aircraft that were incursion into Russia. They were prepared for the United States to intervene, and I think they were prepared—or at least they were wanting to show the United States that their doctrine of the use of tactical nuclear weapons, if the US attacks, was serious, and they needed to take—the United States needs to take Russia very seriously.
 * On the possibility of extending NATO combat air patrols to Georgia, retired General Wesley Clark said There are already Russian aircraft over Georgia, so the chances of direct engagement [between Russian and NATO aircraft] is very high.
 * Robert Kagan compared the Russia-Georgia War to the Sudeten Crisis that led to Nazi Germany's invasion of Czechoslovakia and further wrote The mood is reminiscent of Germany after World War I, when Germans complained about the "shameful Versailles diktat" imposed on a prostrate Germany by the victorious powers and about the corrupt politicians who stabbed the nation in the back.

August 13, 2008


 * United States President George W. Bush said We expect Russia to ensure that all lines of communication and transport, including seaports, airports, roads, and airspace, remain open for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and for civilian transit. He also said We're concerned about reports that Russian forces have entered and taken positions in the port city of Poti, that Russian armored vehicles are blocking access to that port, and that Russia is blowing up Georgian vessels.
 * Ukraine threatened to blockade Sevastopol and prevent the Russian Black Sea Fleet from accessing it.
 * Russian Emergency Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Ukraine is offering military aid, arms for the destruction of civilians to Georgia.
 * Zbigniew Brzezinski said of the Russia-Georgia War, It's somewhat reminiscent, in 1939, when Stalin attacked Finland.

August 14, 2008


 * The United States and Poland signed an agreement, under which the United States will deploy 96 MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missiles and 10 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-ballistic missiles in Poland and a tracking system in the Czech Republic and be required to respond to an attack on Poland even before NATO activates Article 5. The THAAD missiles will be placed at Redzikowo and Slupska. At least temporarily, American soldiers would staff missile defense sites in Poland.

August 15, 2008


 * Colonel General Anatoliy Nogovitsyn, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, responded to the US/Poland agreement by saying Poland, by deploying (the system) is exposing itself to a strike — 100 percent.
 * The United States Air Force 5th Bomb Wing passed inspection and was certified to carry out its strategic mission.
 * Russian forces seized several hundred M-16s and M-40s in Senaki.
 * Five United States Air Force planes landed at the Tbilisi International Airport. Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn said I would like to know what cargo they have delivered, military or humanitarian.

August 16, 2008


 * Russia is considering re-arming its Baltic Fleet with nuclear weapons.

August 20, 2008


 * Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited Moscow.

August 21, 2008


 * Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov said We are prepared, which the President of Russia has today reaffirmed, to consider the Syrian side’s proposals regarding purchases of new types of weapons.
 * Russia dispatched the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov to Tartus, Syria.

August 23, 2008


 * NATO ended military cooperation with Russia.

August 24, 2008


 * The United States ended civil nuclear cooperation with Russia.
 * The Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS McFaul docked at the Georgian port of Batumi to deliver humanitarian aid as part of Operation Assured Delivery.

August 26, 2008


 * Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
 * Russian President Dmitry Medvedev responded to the US/Poland agreement by saying These missiles are close to our borders and constitute a threat to us. This will create additional tension and we will have to respond to it in some way, naturally using military means.
 * President Medvedev said We are not afraid of anything, including the prospects of a new Cold War.
 * President Medvedev said The port of Poti is not under our control. Cargoes are being unloaded there. American warships are coming with arms for the Georgians – everything is in order and they are doing what they want. As far as I am aware, the destroyer McFaul entered the port of Poti a few hours ago. The port is alive and flourishing. He also said There is no blockade. Any ships can enter the port [Poti], American or any other, and deliver humanitarian supplies, or what the Americans call humanitarian supplies – they are delivering arms, of course.
 * Spokesman for Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov said of the possibility that the United States might be rearming Georgia Certainly some measures of precaution are being taken.... Let's hope we do not see any direct confrontation in that.
 * Ukrainian First Deputy Minister Yury Kostenko responded to Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by cancelling a visit to Moscow.
 * President Bush condemned Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
 * Dmitry Medvedev held talks with Chinese president Hu Jintao. During these talks, Kremlin spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said that Medvedev informed his Chinese colleague about the situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
 * British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told Ukraine's leaders not to provide any pretext for military action by Moscow.

August 27, 2008


 * The Hamilton class cutter USCGC Dallas (WHEC-716) docked at the port of Batumi in Georgia.

September 5, 2008


 * Head of the Defense Committee of the Duma Viktor Zavarzin said that Russia will deploy nuclear armed missiles near Poland. Yuri Zaitsev says that Russia may deploy OTR-21 Tochka/SS-21 Scarab short range ballistic missiles and Iskander/SS-26 Stone short range quasiballistic missiles.
 * Dick Cheney visited Kiev, Ukraine and said that Ukraine does not have to live under Russia's threat of tyranny, economic blackmail and military invasion.
 * Blue Ridge class command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) docked at the Russian held port of Poti. United States Navy Captain John Moore said There are absolutely no weapons of any sort on these ships. On the possibility of Russia inspecting the aid, Lieutenant Colonel John Dorrian, a spokesman for the US European Command, said That will not be allowed. The port of Poti is Georgian sovereign territory. Russian Foreign Ministry official Andrei Nesterenko said It is unlikely that warships of this class can deliver humanitarian aid in great quantities.