Saakashvili's war

The conservative newspaper Magyar Nemzet lays the blame for the escalation of the conflict in South Ossetia squarely on the shoulders of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili: "Mikheil Saakashvili is in difficulties. ... Although he dominates the world's press with his rhetoric, at times proclaiming victory, at times ranting about Russian aggression or democracy and Western values (after crushing demonstrations, committing electoral fraud and reducing the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali to rubble), and despite the tailwind from the West, one thing is nevertheless clear: The Georgian president has grossly miscalculated. ... Saakashvili and Georgia may have started the biggest international conflict in recent years. ... The Georgian president has confused his desires with reality, and blatantly misjudged the situation. ... He did not seriously reckon with retaliation by Moscow, for example. Either that or he simply planned to blame Russia. ... In any event, Saakashvili has clearly shot an own goal."

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