I have to say Georgia where most definatly not intelligent for starting this all, thinking Putin would be distracted by the Olympics is foolish.
Trying to take back South Otessia is all well and good, but when they're pro-Russia it is rather silly. Russia is a battered nation, the fall of the Soviet Union forced the sale of may assets at knock down prices (hence the large amounts of Russian oil billionaires) and it hasn't been held as the same international presence since, to quote Tom Clancy, 'if you kick a tiger in the ass you still need a plan to deal with its teeth' (something like that anyway)
Russia has been held in a bad light as well, most of the damage to Georgia was done by a force of South Otessians, whom no doubt are pretty angry at Georgia for challenging their sovereignty.
You must have guessed I was waiting for this thread