The Lincoln Brigade in Georgia

With all the “he says, she says” over just how the Russia-Georgia War started, it seemed only a matter of time before a charge of American involvement was raised. For my part, I’d found it either particularly reckless or particularly suspicious that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili would start a war with Russia immediately following joint military exercises with American forces, and while some of the latter were still present in the country on Georgian military bases. Something tells me that the more we learn about the conflict, the more we’ll come to appreciate the voices of reason in its aftermath.

Meanwhile, one question the American denial of the charge raised for me is, What constitutes “American volunteers” in the age of military contractors? And what regulations govern where and when military contractors can participate in a conflict between two foreign governments? Is there any statutory oversight? Any knowledgeable feedback appreciated.

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