Georgian Wikileaks cables

Wikileaks have released many new cables now about Georgia, also there may be a nexus here:

Go to Google and search for site: cablegate.wikileaks.org georgia

http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/cable/2009/08/09BANGKOK1998.html

Embracing Georgia, U.S. Misread Signs of Rifts

But first from one of the readers as to earlier postings:Just is what one reader of posting noted - Again, your over-criticism of the Georgian government blinds you to what really happened. In another Wikileaks cable John Teft makes it clear that even on August 7th, a few hours before the fighting started, the Georgian leaders and the army were not prepared to wage a war. They were all "on vacation," dispatched Taft!! The Russians ordered the evacuation of Tkhinvali and South Ossetia three days before THEIR war plans and sent dozens of "journalists" (the propaganda machine) in. I am sorry to say that but your John McCain argument is ridiculous; coming out of nowhere, not supported by any twinkle of evidence.

 How come you cannot see that Russia started to boost the presence of its troops on April 15, almost four months before the planned operations? From that date on Saakashvili started to warn the US and, especially, the Europeans. During these four months the Georgian moves were basically reactive, not active and offensive. They brought in troops here and there on the Georgian territory because they felt what was coming or what could possibly happen. On August 7th, at 7pm, Iakobashvili was in Tskhinvali to negotiate a cease-fire but Russian representatives fooled him by pretending that they could not reach the Russian generals and the peacekeepers commandment. This simple fact is key: it tell that the Russian were on something (war) and that they did not want to change their plans. You will reply to me that this was all staged by the Georgian authorities? Get back to your senses

By C. J. CHIVERS Published: December 1, 2010 [snip]

Throughout the cold war and often in the years since, Western diplomats covering the Kremlin routinely relied on indirect and secondhand or third hand sources. Their cables were frequently laden with skepticism, reflecting the authors' understanding of the limits of their knowledge and suspicion of official Russian statements. A 2008 batch of American cables from another country once in the cold war's grip -- Georgia -- showed a much different sort of access.

In Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, American officials had all but constant contact and an open door to President Mikheil Saakashvili and his young and militarily inexperienced advisers, who hoped the United States would help Georgia shake off its Soviet past and stand up to Russia's regional influence.

NB - and now we are starting to understand the rest of the story.

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