Caucus trouble

Some when they hear about conflict in the caucuses think "what's new" but things have seemed relatively quiet in recent years in this volitile area. Sadly that changed as Georgia attacked south Ossetia region over alleged terrorist activity then Russia advanced on the Abkhazia region. Georgia is the north neighbour of the country I went to a few years back - Armenia, so I have a particular interest in this area.

Georgia was the 2nd country in the world suceeding Armenia to adopt Christianity as it's officical national religion in 312AD. It's a shame some of it's ancestory values haven't been adopted by this tiny forgotten about little country.

America has condemned the russian aggression on Georgia and has demanded their troops to fall back to Russia. Bush called it bullying a country trying to live in the free world (after seeking independance from the soviet union over a decade back). I thought to myself isn't Bush one to talk? What does he call Iraq then? He bullied his nations values and democracy on a small, comparatively defensiveless country just because he didn't like what was going on there? I am not saying that Georgia is on a par with Iraq, not even close, but the idea remains the same.

It's frightening however, how effective the Russian aggression was, much more so than the coalitions efforts were in the middle east. Perhaps that is what caused America to act. Or perhaps it was the fact that Georgia is a key ally in the transport of oil from east to west? Whatever the reasons, I pray that this conflict ends here, because I think this has the potential to escalate internationally, and the hundreds of lives lost already makes it tragic enough.

Today in Northern Ireland we marked the 10th anniversary of the omagh bombing disaster. This was an abominadable act, and it is right the the lives lost should be remembered. It got me thinking however, that we have rightly made such a big deal out of the 30 deaths that occurred in this one incident, but these kinds of incidents are happening everyday in Iraq where scores have lost their lives and we barely bat an eyelid? We need to put a face to these people like we have for Omagh in order to motivate people for change. I praise God that He moving is our little nation closer to reconcilliation and I can only pray that our example can be a light to the rest of a world in conflict.

Back in Georgia, this whole conflict is about two disputed pieces of land that both Georgia and Russia have both staked a claim on, but the actual population of the two regions just want independance from them both! It's an incredibly sad thing that nations wage war over something as trivial as land. Surely in God's kingdom there are no borders?