Russia as the Aggressor?

A new article by the New York Times today raises some questions about who is primarily responsible for starting the war in Georgia. I think, in the United States anyway, people were generally quick to assume and believe that Russia was the aggressor and was flexing its muscles against its neighbor Georgia and not acting out of self-defense. The vast majority of people I talk to about Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe assumes this. This general inclination to automatically assume aggressiveness on the part of Russia is probably best seen in Sen. John McCain's reaction to the war (And Barack Obama's albeit less hasty reaction).

Anyway, it's helpful to read this article as it points out the tension that had been mounting for months prior to Aug. 7 and also the shelling and missteps taken by President Saakashvili of Georgia that led to Russia invading S. Ossetia.