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The news came over the wire today: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is accusing the US of orchestrating the armed conflict between Russia and Georgia, suggesting that the United States government encouraged Georgia to put down the rebellion of South Ossetia. (Mr. Putin also officially recognized both South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two areas attempting to break away from the democratic republic of Georgia)

I'm not much of a chess player, but I have an understanding of the game and I, like you, know that the Russians dominate in the arena, that it is part of their modern culture.

I also am familiar with Russia's Biopreparat, their biological weapons development program. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the program allegedly fell into a very slowed state, as economic conditions caused funding issues. However, there is no evidence that the program was ever shut down, nor has any Russian leader ever denounced the program, which successfully weaponized Smallpox, Bubonic plague, Anthrax, Ebola, and other lethal pathogens.

Knowing all this, and thinking of the long-term strategies involved in the game of chess, I am left wondering if Vladimir Putin is attempting to sucker the United States into a state of war with Russia, so that Russia will have an excuse to unleash a biological weapon on the citizens of this country.

Obviously this is all speculation on my part, and I am far from an expert in international relations, warfare, or history. But I have kids, and so I pay attention to certain things out of a desire to protect them. I hope that the United States and Russia can find their hearts again and keep the peace, but I fear that they will not.