According to a statement from Georgia’s Interior Ministry, during the night and early
morning, South Ossetian separatist artillery shelled the Georgian-populated villages of
Avnevi, Eredvi, Nuli and some others. These reports also stated that the police station in
Kurta, seat of the Sanakoyev administration, was hit by artillery fire. Georgia reported
that civilians had begun fleeing these villages.
Georgia began a military offensive into South Ossetia commanded by Mamuka Kurashvili, which
they said was a response to the above-mentioned attacks against Georgian villages.
Kurashvili stated that the purpose of the operation was to restore constitutional order in the region. This caused an increased number of refugees to cross into Russia. Interfax
quoted South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity as saying his forces were confronting Georgians
in the outskirts of Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia; he noted that fierce fighting
was under way. In a televised address, Georgian President Saakashvili has vowed to restore Tbilisi’s control over what he called the “criminal regime” in South Ossetia and Abkhazia
and reinforce order.

On August 8 Georgian forces began shelling the city, which allegedly included the route along which refugees were being moved. As the day progressed, Russian media reported that at least fifteen civilians had been killed in
Tskhinvali. The Georgian Army crossed the border of South Ossetia on the early hours of
August 8 after overnight bombardment of Tskhinvali by heavy artillery (howitzers), 122 mm multiple-launch rocket systems “Grad”, and large-caliber mortars. Tanks and APC supported
by artillery launched a thrust towards Tskhinvali. Opposed by South Ossetian forces,
Georgians advanced and by the end of August 8 controlled a significant portion of the city.
Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Temuri Yakobashvili announced that Tskhinvali was nearly surrounded, and that Georgia controlled two-thirds of South Ossetia’s territory. The result of Georgian night-day offensive was more than 1,600 civilians killed according to South Ossetian sources, but only about 100 according to Georgia.

Both Abkhasia and Ossetia want independence from Georgia; and Federation with Russia and
Belarus.
Nato and the USA beefed up the Georgian military. Only to have Georgia use their new
military might to attack their “own” people in the breakaway provinces.
We should support Russia in their proper, legal and morally correct response to the unprovoked attack on Russian citizens in Ossetia.
The situation has been going on long before the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Former President GHW Bush said in 1990, …”this is an internal Soviet affair, it is up to them to work it out”

My advice to America and NATO is: Put a solar panel on your roof and mind your business.