Medvedev Decorates Russians In Georgia War
Like so much lipstick on a blood-thirsty wild boar …
VLADIKAVKAZ, Russia: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev awarded medals Monday to servicemen involved in the conflict in Georgia, calling it a peacemaking operation that will be remembered as one of the “glorious deeds” of the Russian military.
Amid conflicting signals about a promised Russian troop withdrawal from Georgia, Medvedev visited the base of Russia’s 58th Army in the southern city of Vladikavkaz, near the Georgian border and the separatist province of South Ossetia.
He stood on a drill square in front of camouflage-clad soldiers and officers.
“It has been only 10 days since you faced a cowardly aggression. You stopped a full-scale operation,” Medvedev said.
“Thank you for standing in the way of those who brought destruction and death to the people of the republic,” he said, apparently referring to South Ossetia — the Russian-backed separatist region at the heart of the conflict, which erupted amid a Georgian offensive Aug. 7.
“You were the last hope of innocent people and your bravery saved lives,” Medvedev said.
It was unclear what specific role the 30 soldiers and officers he decorated had played.
“I am sure that such a well-done, effective and peacemaking operation aimed at protecting our citizens and other people will be among the most glorious deeds of the Russian military,” Medvedev said.
He also proposed to later present medals or awards to volunteer fighters from South Ossetia and North Ossetia, the Russian province where Vladikavkaz is located.
While Western leaders have called Russia’s response to Georgian actions disproportionate, Medvedev repeated Russian accusations that Georgia committed genocide.
“What Georgian authorities have done is beyond human understanding. It cannot be understood and left unpunished,” he said. “The world realized that even now there are political freaks who were ready to kill innocent people for the sake of political fashions and who compensated for their own stupidity by eliminating a whole nation.”
Earlier Monday, Medvedev defended Russia’s actions and issued a stark warning in remarks to Russian World War II veterans in the Russian city of Kursk.
“If someone thinks that our citizens can be killed, soldiers and officers who are peacekeepers killed with impunity, we will never permit that,” he said in televised comments.
“Anyone who tries anything like that will face a crushing response,” he said. “We have the strength and wherewithal for this — economic, political and military.”
(AP/International Herald Trib)
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fuck putin.fuck
August 18th, 2008 at 8:16 pmCongrats on getting ground to a halt by the tiny Georgian military, here, have a medal.
August 18th, 2008 at 8:27 pmperhaps an alliance with the chechnyans is in order since russia has great sympathy for breakaway republics?:eek:
August 19th, 2008 at 7:08 am