A Step At A Time

Labels: Europe. Russia, Medvedev. Putin, Russia's invasion of Georgia

The first two are:

1) Russia recognizes the priority of the fundamental provisions of international law, is opposed to a unipolar world order, and avoids confrontation with other states.

2) Russia will protect its citizens wherever they are, and will defend their interests in regions where there are countries friendly to Russia. These are not only states which have a common border with Russia.

http://lenta.ru/news/2008/08/31/medvedev/

Labels: Medvedev, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Lenta.ru reports that Magomed Yevloyev, owner of the Ingushetiya.ru web site, which is critical of Moscow-backed President Zyazikov, has been shot and killed in Nazran.

According to the web site's staff, Yevloyev arrived on the same plane as Ingushetian President Murat Zyazikov. After the president left, men from the bodyguard of the Ingushetian interior ministry surrounded Yevloyev, made him get into a car and drove him away.

According to the editors of the site, on the way from the airport Yevloyev was shot in the head, and then thrown out of the car. The seriously wounded man was found by his relatives, who had come to meet him. They took Yevloyev to hospital, where he later died.

Reuters has a report here.

RFE/RL has another Reuters report here.

Labels: Caucasus, Chechnya, Ingushetia, North Caucasus, Russia

There are signs that the Kremlin's current obduracy in the face of the international reaction to its invasion, occupation and partial annexation of Georgian territory has roots in something other than a desire to show the world how big its muscles are. On Friday, Vladimir Putin gave another interview to German television, in which he speculated on the likely economic consequences of Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and its military presence on the ground.

"What, can we not protect the lives of our citizens there? And if we defend our lives, will they take away our sausage (kolbasa - the word also has the connotation of "bread and butter"). What is our choice - between life and sausage? We shall choose life," Putin exploded.

This response appears to indicate that Putin inclines towards the anti-modernizing Kremlin trend recently alluded to by Pavel Felgenhauer:

...presidentlal adviser Gleb Pavlovsky has said in a radio interview (on Ekho Moskvy) that there is a "party of war" inside the Kremlin - a group of high officials that are pressing for a direct attack on Tbilisi to overthrow the Georgian government. Pavlovsky states the alleged "party of war" wants to use the conflict with Georgia to undermine President Dmitry Medvedev's plans of modernize Russia, that "they say we must go further than Tbilisi," apparently indicating possible plans of further military action to subdue other pro-Western Russian neighboring nations like Ukraine.

If Russia continues along the path of international isolation, the economic consequences for the country are likely be catastrophic. In a recently-published article in Grani, former Russian prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov outlines some of the probable results:

In all likelihood, we can expect a decline in the volume of purchases of imports, our dependence on which has grown strongly. in recent years. The risks are growing. Once again, as in the 1990s, there is a flight of capital from Russia. The banking sector will not be able to supply our industry and middle class with the credit they need.

Meanwhile the rate of inflation will not grow less because of these actions. Moreover, I am certan that from January 1 next year, the tariffs for gas, electricity, and transport will once again be increased. The increase in tariffs will automatically affect all other goods in production. As soon as the authorities feel the worsening of economic situation, as it will be necessary to maintain the profits of the state corporations, we will all be told to tighten our belts, and come together, because we now live in a state of cold war. And then we will all be summoned to the trenches.

It is probably safe to assume that the tightening of the belts will apply first and foremost to Russia's enormous, hard-pressed civilian population, and last of all to its small, affluent political and financial elite.

Labels: Economics, EU, Europe, European Union, Georgia, Russia, Russia Georgia

Via the Washington Post. Excerpt:

For some in the Middle East, the images of Russian tanks rolling into Georgia in defiance of U.S. opposition have revived warm memories of the Cold War.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew last week to Moscow, where he endorsed Russia's offensive in Georgia and, according to Russian officials, sought additional Russian weapon systems.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi's influential son, echoed the delight expressed in much of the Arab news media. "What happened in Georgia is a good sign, one that means America is no longer the sole world power setting the rules of the game," the younger Gaddafi was quoted as telling the Russian daily Kommersant. "There is a balance in the world now. Russia is resurging, which is good for us, for the entire Middle East."

In Turkey, an American and European ally that obtains more than two-thirds of its natural gas from Russia, the reaction was more complex. Turks watched as the United States, NATO and a divided European Union hesitated in the face of Russian military assertiveness, leaving them more doubtful than they already were about depending on the West to secure U.S.-backed alternative oil and gas supply lines.

Labels: Europe. Russia, Middle East, Russia's invasion of Georgia

AFP and BBC say that ahead of Monday's EU emergency meeting Russia has called for more OSCE monitors to be sent to Georgia. It needs to be recalled that what Russia is currently doing in Georgia is essentially a large-scale, multi-layered spetsnaz operation, in which actions on the ground are combined with propaganda that is interwoven with sudden and apparently unpredictable switches of "policy", designed to confuse and distract. At the same time as Medvedev's call for extra monitors (relayed in a statement and also by Medvedev to Britain's Gordon Brown) went out, Der Spiegel published the news that OSCE monitors have accused Georgia of triggering the crisis on August 7. As Russia is a member of the OSCE, the release of these two pieces of news at the same time is probably no accident.

Update: The Spiegel claim has been rejected by an OSCE official:

The German weekly Der Spiegel separately reported that OSCE observers were blaming Georgia, whose bid to join NATO is championed by the United States, for triggering the crisis in a series of unofficial reports presented to the German government.

However, OSCE spokesman Martin Nesirky later rejected the claim, saying "none of" its regular reports distributed to 56 members through diplomatic channels "contains information of the kind mentioned in the Der Spiegel story."

Labels: European Union, Georgia, OSCE, Russia

MIA Issues Data on Russian Troops in Georgia
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 30 Aug.'08 / 13:33

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19349

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) released date on deployment of the Russian military on various locations on the Georgian territory as of August 27. 

“All locations and numbers given here are double-checked,” the ministry said. “MIA could not verify all information available and the actual number of both Russian military equipment and personnel on the ground may be much higher.”

Below is the data as provided by the Georgian MIA:

Russian Illegal checkpoints in Georgia

Locations of the Russian illegal checkpoints in the Eastern Georgia, including Shida Kartli, other adjacent areas of “South Ossetia” and “South Ossetia” itself according to the MIA sources as of August 27 2008:

1. Perevi (Sachkhere district)
2. Ghodora (Sachkhere district)
3. Muguti (Znauri district)
4. Ali (Khashuri district)
5. Ptsa (Kareli district)
6. Variani (Gori district)
7. Karaleti (Gori district)
8. Shavshvebi (Gori district)
9. Ergneti (Gori district)
10. Tsiara (Java  district)

Note: There are approximately 60 Russian servicemen and 4 armoured vehicles stationed in each place. The vehicles often move from one place to another “patrolling” the nearby territories and villages.

11. Ikoti in Akhalgori district (7 infantry combating vehicles, 1 armoured vehicle, 6 Ural-type vehicles, 2 Gaz-66 vehicles, 1 military power shovel, 1 mobile medical unit, 2 granade-launchers, trenches are dug, 100 Russian servicemen)
12. Approximately 150 armoured vehicles are stationed on the territory between villages Meghvrekisi and Brotsleti in the Gori district.
13. 1 km North of Odzisi in the Akhalgori district (1 armoured vehicle, 15 Russian servicemen)
14. Village Mosabruni in the Akhalgori district (1 armoured vehicle, 15 Russian servicemen)

Note: Russian servicemen and armoured vehicles on newly opened check-point north of Odzisi and Mosabruni were redeployed from other checkpoints.

Locations of the Russian checkpoints in the Western Georgia according to the MIA sources as of August 27 2008:

Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region

1. Village Teklati (near city Senaki), on the territory of the former mechanical plant (5 armoured vehicles, 1 crane, 2 Ural-type vehicles, 1 vehicle with communication systems, 1 UAZ-type vehicle, 1 Vilis-type car, 1 large army tent, trenches are dug, 40 Russian servicemen)

2. Village Pirveli Maisi (Khobi district), near former Georgian police check-point (2 armoured vehicles,  2 Ural-type vehicles, 1 UAZ-type vehicle, 1 large army tent, trenches are dug, 40 Russian servicemen)

3. In Poti between villages Shua Khorga and Chaladidi (Khobi district), so called Poti Minor, near the turning to Kulevi oil terminal (4 armoured vehicles, 2 Ural-type vehicles, 1 large army tent, 30 Russian servicemen)

4. Village Menji, Bakaraia neighborhood (Senaki district), on the territory of sanatorium “Menji”, 10 meters from railroad (3 armoured vehicle, 4 Ural-type vehicle, 2 cranes, 1 military power shovel, 1 large army tent, 40 Russian servicemen)

5. Village Kantisubani, between Tsalenjikha-Chkhorotsku road section (3 armoured vehicles, 2 Ural-type vehicles, 1 large army tent, trenches are dug, 30 Russian servicemen)

6. Crossroad at the entrances of villages Chale and Muzhava in the Tsalenjikha district (3 armoured vehicles, 1 Ural-type vehicle, 20 Russian servicemen)

7. Town Chkhorotsku, on the territory of former airfield, near Senaki-Chkhorotsku highway (3 armoured vehicles, 2 Ural-type vehicles, 1 vehicle with electricity generator, 2 large army tents, 40 Russian servicemen)

8. Nabada settlement, at the entrance of Poti (2 armoured vehicles, 1 Ural-type vehicle, 1 UAZ-type vehicle, 1 military power shovel, 1 large army tent, 30 Russian servicemen)

Upper Abkhazia/Kodori Gorge

9. Gentsvisi
10. Omarishara
11. Sakeni
12. Chkhalta
13. Kvapchara

Note: Due to the extremely difficult situation in the region, obtaining accurate numbers on Russian and Abkhaz military deployment is difficult. All sources report substantial Russian and Abkhaz deployments in the region.

In addition, deputy head of the Russian General Staff, colonel-general Anatoly Nogovitsin stated during the press-conference on August 22, 2008 that the Russian armed forces established new checkpoints in the following locations:

14. Khudoni
15.Jikmuri
16.Ochamchire
17.Gupagu
18. Meore Gudava
19. Anaklia
20. Mount Kvira

Note: The Russian side has not denied existence of the abovementioned checkpoints throughout Georgia.

Total number of personnel and vehicles:

• Russian servicemen: 970
• Armoured vehicles: 66
• Infatry combating vehicles: 7
• Grenade launchers: 2
• Ural-type vehicles: 22
• UAZ-type vehicle: 3
• Gaz-66 vehicles: 2
• Vilis-type car: 1
• Military Army tent: 8
• Crane: 3
• Military power shovel: 3
• Vehicle with communication systems: 1
• Vehicle with electricity generator: 1
• Mobile medical unit: 1

Labels: Europe. Russia, Georgia, Occupation, Russia

Labels: Jussi

President Mikheil Saakashvili is proposing a Georgian version of the USA Patriot Act in order to deter possible attempts by Russia to overthrow him and his government, Civil Georgia reports:

“It obvious that their goal was not taking over Tskhinvali, which is Georgia’s provincial town - only few people in Russia may know where it is located,” Saakashvili said at the meeting, which was televised live by the Rustavi 2 TV. “Their [Russia’s] goal was to take over Tbilisi and to overthrow the government.”

He said that Russians made it clear even publicly few days ago – apparently referring to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s August 26 statement in which it said “the Saakashvili regime does not at all meet the high standards set by the world community” and added it was sure that “sooner or later” the Georgian people would have “worthy leaders.”

Saakashvili said that he planned to propose the parliament to develop “the patriotic act” and added that this new legislature – details of which he did not elaborate – would no way infringe the civil liberties.

“This will be carried out under the condition of maintaining democracy, freedom and liberties,” he added and repeated it for couple of more times.

Meanwhile in Russia, influential voices are being raised with calls for government measures that certainly will infringe civil liberties:

The fallout may be felt most inside Russia itself. Hopes for liberalisation and modernisation under Mr Medvedev have evaporated. In the past few days the Kremlin has rejected Mikhail Khodorkovsky's parole application, refused to grant Russian citizenship to an investigative Moldovan journalist from Russia and briefly detained protesters in Red Square who held a banner "For Your Freedom and Ours" in a repeat of a protest against the invasion of Czechoslovakia staged by dissidents 40 years ago. Views once considered extreme are creeping into the mainstream. For example, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist ideologue, greeted events in Georgia by celebrating the removal of the previous "masks". "We are at war," he proclaimed. "Now the country should fight not only against its external enemies but also with the fifth column. Pro-Western liberals …should be interned. War is war. The time of patriots is coming: the time for revenge for all the humiliation from these people that we have been suffering for years."

Labels: Georgia, Russia, United States

That there is at present something seriously wrong with the Kremlin's propaganda machine is demonstrated in no uncertain terms by prime minister Putin's latest outburst suggesting that the United States helped Georgia for domestic political reasons - as White House Press Secretary Dana Perino pointed out.

"To suggest that the United States orchestrated this on behalf of a political candidate - it sounds not rational," she said.

"Those claims first and foremost are patently false, but it also sounds like his defence officials who said they believed this to be true are giving him really bad advice."

Moscow and its siloviki had better get their act together - or they risk finally losing the information war in the same way as they have already lost the diplomatic war. There's a limit to how far a disinformation campaign can rely on word of mouth, gullible journalists and pass the parcel to distribute its messages - if their content is simply too outlandish, the messages become at best self-defeating satire and fantasy, and at worst, dissolve into mere gibberish.

Labels: Disinformation, Georgia, Media, Russia, United States

"The oddity of this convention is that its central figure is the ultimate self-made man, a dazzling mysterious Gatsby. The palpable apprehension is that the anointed is a stranger -- a deeply engaging, elegant, brilliant stranger with whom the Democrats had a torrid affair. Having slowly woken up, they see the ring and wonder who exactly they married last night."

- Charles Krauthammer, on the enigmatic Barack Obama.

Labels: Obama, United States

Window on Eurasia writes of how

Russian anti-Semites are using their media outlets to play up the links between Georgia and Israel and what they claim is the central role of the Jewish state in helping Georgia to become a military threat to Russia, reportage that cannot fail in the current environment to rekindle anti-Semitic attitudes among some radical Russian nationalists.

Labels: anti-Semitism, Georgia, Israel, Russia

Russia's prime minister Vladimir Putin has advanced the novel thesis that what he called "the attack by Georgia on South Ossetia" was facilitated by the United States Republican Party in order to boost Senator John McCain's poll ratings, which had been falling behind those of his rival, Barack Obama, Lenta.ru reports.

This is clearly intended to play well with the crowds at the Democratic convention in Denver, Colorodo, this evening, when Senator Obama takes the platform. For Mr. Putin is an Obama supporter.

Labels: Georgia, Medvedev. Putin, Russia, United States

The possibility that Islamist movements in Europe and probably also further afield to some extent work in harmony with the Putin/Medvdev schemes in the field of military and foreign policy is evidenced by an interesting statement by the Finnish Islamic Party (Suomenislamilainenpuolue), which aims to represent the interests of Finland's small Muslim minority. The statement condemns the "aggressive acts of the Georgian leadership" and gives the party's full support to Russia. It also makes a savage attack on the president and government of Estonia, and demands that President Saakashvili be put on trial for war crimes. Although Finland's Muslims are mostly Tatars, and have little time for fundamentalist ideology, the document is a curious and revealing indicator of the sort of sources where the Kremlin may really be deriving support in today's world. The fact that the Hamas organization was the first to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia may not be a coincidence.

That some voices in Finland may be helping to foment a movement which they call a "Russian Intifada" among Estonia's Russian-speaking minority is shown by this blog, which is dedicated to the subject.

There has long been a noted connection between the Kremlin and Islamist groupings, and it is no secret that, as Alexander Litvinenko pointed out before he was brutally murdered in London, Al-Qaeda’s Ayman al-Zawahiri trained at a Federal Security Service (the former Russian KGB) base in Dagestan in 1998.

Labels: Baltics, Estonia, Finland, FSB, Georgia, Hamas, Islamism, Litvinenko, Russia

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7585580.stm

Labels: European Union, Georgia, Russia

Interfax reports a "military diplomatic source" in Moscow as saying that Russia may set up three military bases in Abkhazia and South Ossetia (my tr.):

"Military experts working with specialists from other departments are considering the possible deployment of military bases in the Abkhaz towns of Gudauta and Ochamchira, and also in Dzhava, South Ossetia," the agency spokesman said. 

In clarification, he remarked that it would be preferable for the bases to be located in places where miliary units were stationed in Soviet times. "In Gudauta, where there's a military airfield, a paratroop assault unit could be based,  for example, with aircraft and air defence facilities, part of the Black Sea fleet could be put in the port of Ochamchira and in Dzhava a motorized infantry brigade."

Labels: Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, South Ossetia

The Financial Times has published an interview with Sweden's foreign minister, Carl Bildt. As the foreign minister notes in his blog, "interest in what Sweden has to say about the European situation just now seems to be relatively strong." Excerpt:

Carl Bildt told the FT: “They are opening up a Pandora’s box of questions that will be extremely difficult to answer. If you are interested in the stability of the Caucasus – and Russia is more interested in that than anyone else – you should be very careful with borders. . . They have fought two wars in Chechnya.” Mr Bildt said Russia had sent “shockwaves of fear” throughout the region, but he argued it was likely to be the biggest long-term loser by choosing international confrontation over economic “modernisation”.

- - - - - -

“South Ossetian independence is a joke. We are talking about a smugglers’ paradise of 60,000 people financed by the Russian security services. No one can seriously consider that as an independent state,” he said. 

See also: Bildt: Russia has chosen confrontation

Labels: Defence and Security, Europe, Georgia, Russia, Sweden

At Prague Watchdog, Sergei Gligashvili considers an empire on the verge of collapse.

Labels: Chechnya, Georgia, Russia

Michael J. Totten, who is in Tbilisi, has a long, illustrated report containing numerous interviews and other features, outlining the origins and sources of the Georgia conflict. Although Totten was guided by an advisor to the Georgian government, he was also able to check many details of what he was told with an independent observer, the Caucasus expert and academic Thomas Goltz, who is quite widely quoted in the text. In particular, Totten is at pains to point out that the present stage of conflict began not on August 7, but on August 6, when an attack by Ossetian forces backed by Ingush, Chechen, Ossetian and Cossack irregulars. This in turn was a sequel to a long series of incidents of Ossetian-organized violence, which coincided with Russia holding

the biggest military exercise in the North Caucasus that they've held since the Chechnya war. That exercise never stopped. It just turned into a war. They had all their elite troops there, all their armor there, all their stuff there. Everyone still foolishly thought the action was going to be in Abkhazia or in Chechnya, which is still not as peaceful as they'd like it to be.

Labels: Georgia, Media, Russia, South Ossetia

Window on Eurasia comments that only the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas has so far backed the Kremlin's recognition of  Abkhazia and South Ossetia, though anti-American states like Cuba and Venezuela are likely to follow suit.

Labels: Abkhazia, Georgia, Middle East, Russia, South Ossetia

As Britain’s foreign secretary makes his way to Kiev for talks with President Yushchenko, who has described Ukraine as a hostage in a war now being waged by Russia on most of its immediate neighbours, and as President Saakashvili of Georgia accuses Russia’s leaders of attempting to revive the Soviet Union, it may be useful to pause for a moment and consider what has actually happened in the Kremlin during the last month or so. What has really taken place is the culmination of one stage in a lengthy process of repositioning in Moscow’s stance vis-a-vis the West which began in the early 1990s and has continued without a break through consecutive stages until now.

The apparent failure and collapse of the Soviet Union was an important step in the process of reshaping Russia’s consistently hostile policy towards Western Europe and the United States – a policy that has not really changed in over a century, from Tsarism through Soviet Communism to the present day. It gave Russia’s military, political and security elite time to elaborate and implement a series of moves in the international arena which were essentially aimed at distracting and confusing Western policy makers and strategists about Russia’s intentions, and in masking the true nature of Russia’s social and political system. That system is essentially that of a nineteenth century military dictatorship. The trappings of what became known as “Soviet Russia” were, after all, not much more than a set of pompous and lacklustre decorations disguising the fact that even though the national stock of armaments, like the bank balances of Russia’s leaders, increased and continued to increase, the vast mass of the citizenry was held as before in conditions of social and economic servitude. As Vladimir Bukovsky remarked, the West ended the Cold War one day too early.

Under Yeltsin, a deliberate policy of emulating “capitalism” according to a crude, caricaturized version of the supposed rival to the decommissioned communist system was above all aimed at fostering feelings of acute resentment among a populace which had for decades been heavily conditioned with Marxist-Leninist propaganda. This policy was preceded by a period of “gear-changing” in the form of Mikhail Gorbachev’s “perestroika” (rebuilding), which was directed less at Russia’s own citizens than at the outside world, and was intended to persuade Western observers that Russia was about to democratize itself. Yeltsin soon put an end to these naive hopes, however, by running the country into the ground economically and persisting with a militaristic policy which included a major war of aggression on Russian soil against one of Russia’s own ethnic minorities. The political elite continued to enrich itself at the expense of the majority of the population – the party bosses of the Soviet era were replaced by the financial “oligarchs”, many of whom , like Yeltsin himself, were former Party members . The “Russian Mafia” was a post-modern arm and extension of the old, Lenin-created Cheka.

Meanwhile in the West, political leaders and public opinion alike began to make believe that Russia really had undergone fundamental internal change, and that the processes underway there were akin to those in the former “satellite states” which had broken free at the time of the supposed collapse of the Soviet system. Various factors were at work in this self-deception, not least the desire among the governments of Europe and the United States to make economies in defence spending. Another factor was a strain of triumphalism, particularly on the right of the US political spectrum, which trumpeted the theme that the West had “won the Cold War”.

All this was called into question, or should have been, when in 1999 Yeltsin appointed Vladimir Putin, a former KGB colonel, as his successor. Carefully and methodically, Putin began a step-by-step rollback of the social and political “freedoms” that had been granted under the former presidency – the “freedom” granted by Yeltsin had really amounted to little more than a state of social anarchy, the result of a deliberate policy aimed against his own subjects. With Putin, the movement back to Soviet norms began – with an added flourish, because as the Soviet Union no longer existed formally, the new regime could additionally extend its sights back into history and, in a sense, take up the slack that Imperial Russia had left behind. The “best” of both worlds – nineteenth century and twentieth century Russia, imperial expansionism and Soviet hegemony – began to shape the new, nationalist idea. Hoary idea-systems dating back to the 1920s and even earlier, like that of “Eurasianism”, have been dusted off and given new life by a group of politically tamed intellectuals who can best be compared to the forerunners of National Socialist and Stalinist ideology. The post-modern “twist” is again in evidence here.

So now in the Russia of Putin and Medvedev the peace of the world has an adversary that is only apparently new and transformed. It is really no more than a recognizable heir and successor to its forebears. This can, however, be the source of some reassurance: for the recommended methods for dealing with a leopard that hasn’t changed its spots haven’t changed much either. A recent article in the Washington Post expresses astonishment mixed with horror that “something far more dangerous than mere authoritarianism has arisen in Putin's Russia. A peculiar blend of political autocracy and corruption, seamlessly fusing political, economic and military power, threatens world peace. Challenging this state of affairs is a strategic necessity.” Yet the challenge is an old one, and it has been dealt with many times before.

Ukraine and Estonia currently face the most palpable threat from the Russia that has finally dropped its mask in Georgia during the past three weeks. With Russian annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia probably a short way off, Estonia’s former ambassador to Moscow has commented that Estonia may be the next object of Russia’s experiments with Western tolerance of aggression, which he thinks may include energy blackmail and the use of an internal fifth column. If NATO were to react swiftly in the case of Russian military action and were to mount large-scale operations in Estonia, the attack would fail. He recommends the freezing of the Russian leadership’s bank accounts in Western countries, and the declaring of Russian government personnel as persona non grata.

The good news is that the challenge outlined in the Washington Post article doesn’t really demand many new ideas on the part of the West – a revival of the policies of military and strategic containment that were developed during the Cold War would probably be sufficient, as the changes in Russia are superficial, and the Kremlin’s planning and thinking remain essentially the same as they were three decades ago. Even the military rhetoric and war hysteria propagated by Moscow in order to intimidate the West remain the same. And given the shakiness of Russia's "Empire" and the fragility of its borders, the threat that Russia poses may not be quite as formidable as some appear to believe. What is required, however, in view of the possibility that a crumbling structure can be more dangerous than a solid one, is a revitalizing of NATO’s original purpose, so that it once again becomes an effective tool for dealing with Russia’s aggressive ventures – and so that it is once again ready, as it was throughout the Cold War, to fight the real war which most people hope will not come.

For the bad news remains as bad as ever.

Labels: Baltics, Defence and Security, Estonia, Georgia, NATO, Russia, Ukraine

The Washington Post has a list of the many steps the West can take in response to Russia's violation of the cease fire agreement it signed. But the steps need to be taken quickly and without delay.

Labels: Georgia, Russia

Congressman Thaddeus McCotter Central and Eastern Europe Policy Recommendations

*President Bush should publicly urge the European Union to accelerate accession and partnership negotiations with Ukraine and Georgia.

*Congress should authorize a large-scale Foreign Military Financing (FMF) assistance package to CEE countries (possibly authorizing American military advisors to be placed in CEE- with the permission of host countries).

*Congress should authorize qualified, non-NATO CEE allies to receive the same Foreign Military Sales (FMS) preferential treatment as NATO+3 (Australia, Japan, and NZ).

*Congress should authorize additional Economic Support Funding (ESF) to Georgia to repair its damaged infrastructure.

* President Bush has directed the United States Permanent Representative to NATO to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States at NATO to ensure NATO offers Membership Action Plans (MAP) to Georgia and the Ukraine and indefinitely suspends high level NATO-Russia Council (NRC) meetings, the President and Congress should continue these efforts.

*Congress should enact a series of triggers to end Russia's PNTR and sanction Russia with Column Two Tariff Rates if they attack a CEE country.

*Congress should enact Representative Chris Smith’s Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act.

*Eventually, Congress and the President need to agree to classify large-scale, organized cyber attacks against government web sites constitute an act of aggression.

*Convene a Joint Session of Congress for Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to address the vital importance of maintaining the sovereignty, security, and liberty of the Georgian people and her CEE neighbors.

How to contact your congressman about Russian invasion of Georgia
1. Dial               1-202-225-3121         and you will be connected to the main Congressional switchboard, the operator will answer.
2. Ask the operator to transfer you to your Representative’s office.
3. Your call will be transferred to your congressman’s office, and when the person answers, simply say “Hello, my name is________, I live in_________(name your city), and I would like Congressman________ to sign Congressman McCotter’s letter which invites Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvilli to address a joint session of congress.”
4.  Often, the congressional office will ask for your name and address so the Member of Congress may acknowledge your call by writing you a letter.  Do not worry that you will be asked to justify or explain the policy behind your phone call.  These are routine calls that each office is accustomed to, and it will go smoothly and quickly.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, United States

http://www.president.gov.ge/?l=E&m=0&sm=1&id=2723

26 August 2008 / 20:10

Statement by the President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili

The Russian Federation's actions are an attempt to militarily annex a sovereign nation-the nation of Georgia. This is in direct violation of international law and imperils the international security framework that has ensured peace, stability, and order for the past 60 years.

Russia's decision today confirms that its invasion of Georgia was part of a broader, premeditated plan to redraw the map of Europe. Russia today has violated all treaties and agreements that it has previously signed.

Russia's actions have been condemned in the strongest possible terms by the entire international community, which has reaffirmed its support for Georgia's territorial integrity. The Government of Georgia is grateful for the world's support.

The regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are recognized by international law as being within the borders of Georgia.

Today, by its actions, the Russian Federation is seeking to validate the use of violence,direct military aggression, and ethnic cleansing to forcibly change the borders of a neighboring state.

Russia's refusal to withdraw its military forces from Georgia-and its attempt to annex two regions of Georgia-is in direct violation of the EU-brokered cease fire to end its invasion and occupation of Georgia.

The two regions in question have been de-populated by conflict and continue to be subject to widespread ethnic cleansing by Russia and its proxies-as confirmed by the United Nations and other international bodies.

These are areas where the local populations- simply because of their nationality - have been chased out, with the direct intervention of the Russian Federation.

The few civilians who remain in these regions have been given Russian passports en masse, in violation of international law and norms, making a mockery of the principle of “right to protect”.

One such expulsion took place in 1993 in Abkhazia. Others took place last week in South Ossetia and in Upper Abkhazia/the Kodori Gorge.

I remind you that before the first conflict, more than 525,000 people livedin Abkhazia. Today less than 150,000 do.

I remind you that ethnic Georgians in South Ossetia have been systematically forced to flee that territory due to Russia's invasion. The attacks on ethnic Georgians, both inside and outside the conflict zones, are continuing.

The ethnic cleansing is something that the local rebel separatists are proud to announce - and which Russia, through its actions, is attempting to legalize.

Is it legal to remove ethnic groups from their homes using violence and terror?

Is it moral or legal for an ethnically cleansed area to be rewarded with independence by a neighbor?

If intervention in Kosovo was about stopping ethnic cleansing, today's decision by the Russian Federation is about rewarding and legalizing ethnic cleansing.

Russia has turned logic and morality on its head.

Russia's decision is therefore a direct and grave challenge to the international order.This a challenge for the entire world. Not just Georgia.

It means that today, annexation and ethnic cleansing have once again become tools of international relations.

If accepted by the international community, it means that foreign-sponsored groups around the world can use violence and ethnic cleansing to achieve their ends.

It means that third parties can arm, sustain and direct those groups in order to change the borders on the world's map.

Today, it is clear around the world that Russia is acting as an aggressor state.

My appeal to the free world is to condemn and reject Russia's dangerous and irrational decision - NOT only for Georgia's sake - but for the sake of preserving the fundamental basis of international law and order.

On behalf of my Government and people, I condemn this reckless act and want to state clearly that the Russian action does not hold any legal value.

As before - and according to international law, Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty is inviolable.

Russia's aims, method and goals are now clear.

The Russian Federation has used military force to try to dismember my country.

In the days and weeks ahead we will work with the international community to prevent this decision from having any effect on the sovereignty of my country and from further undermining the international order.

Together we must stand united against this aggression and call on you for your assistance and immediate reaction.

This is a test for the entire world and a test for our collective solidarity.

This is the test that we - all free people - must not fail.

My friends, we are all concerned today. And today Georgia counts on your support.

Today a challenge has been posed to all of us.

Today the fate of Europe and the free world is unfortunately being played out in my small country.

But together, we can and we must unite to meet this challenge.

Press Office
of the President of Georgia

Labels: Europe, Georgia, Russia

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/26/europe/EU-Europe-Russia-Georgia.php

Labels: Europe, Georgia, Germany, Russia

Window on Eurasia has a post on the reactions of Chechens to Russian president Dmitry Medvedev's statement announcing Russia's formal recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Labels: Abkhazia, Chechnya, Georgia, Russia, South Ossetia

A statement issued by the Georgian Foreign Ministry today says that the fact, stated by Russia, that it does not plan to withdraw its troops from Georgian territory "indicates clearly that the Russian Federation after its attempts of military intervention in Georgia, invasion of a part of Georgian territory and overthrow of the democratically elected government, has decisively chosen ethnic cleansing and destruction of civilian infrastructure with the use of military force as an instrument of its foreign policy." In addition, it says:

Russian troops are illegally stationed in Poti and its adjacent area located 30 kilometers away from the conflict zone of Abkhazia and 160 kilometers away from the conflict zone of Tskhinvali region.

On 25 August 2008, late at night, drunken Russian servicemen broke into a local plant of the Nikora private company in Poti robbing and raiding it. This fact makes it obvious that the Russian occupation troops present in Georgia have turned into gangs of looters riding roughshod on the civilian population and economic infrastructure.

The Georgian foreign ministry "calls on the international community to take all measures necessary to prevent the Russian Federation from invading the territory of Georgia, conducting ethnic cleansing and destroying its economy."

Labels: Georgia, Russia

Sweden's foreign minister Carl Bildt writes (my tr.):

That the Russian leadership has chosen this path means it has chosen a policy of confrontation not only with the rest of Europe but also with the international community as a whole.

The decision means that Russia has now opted for a route which will have far-reaching consequences for a long time to come.

Att den ryska statsledningen nu valt denna väg innebär att man valt en politik av konfrontation med icke bara det övriga Europa utan också det internationella samfundet i stort.

Beslutet innebär ett ryskt vägval med genomgripande konsekvenser för lång tid framöver.

Labels: Europe, Georgia, Russia, Sweden, United States

http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKLQ31536220080826

Labels: Georgia, Russia, United Kingdom

Victor Yasmann (RFE/RL) writes - just before today's announcement of Russia's recognition of Abkhazian and South Ossetian "independence" - about the looming diplomatic war between Russia and the West. Excerpt:

Russia is following a precise logic in its actions. Moscow will recognize the "independence" of the two republics and conclude agreements on political, military, and economic support with them. Furthermore, as Medvedev promised, Russia will give international guarantees to both republics, meaning that it will lobby for their recognition by the United Nations. From a legal point of view, international organizations can ignore pleas from the unrecognized republics themselves, but they cannot ignore appeals from Moscow.

In making those appeals, it seems Russia is not likely to stress the idea of self-determination, which is a potentially explosive argument for Russia itself and other CIS countries. Instead, it will actively push arguments related to charges of Georgian "genocide" and the legally "incorrect" way in which Georgia left the Soviet Union in 1991. In the latter case, Moscow will argue that the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia never wanted to take such a step.

It seems unlikely that any Western countries will acknowledge the two republics anytime in the foreseeable future, just as Russia and most CIS countries will not recognize Kosovo. In addition, Russia's main Asian partners -- Iran, China, and India -- will also decline to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, inasmuch as they have their own real and potential ethnic troubles. But Russia will be satisfied even if the two regions establish a status similar to that of the Republic of Northern Cyprus, which has been recognized only by Ankara for decades.

The strengthening of Russia's position in the CIS will lead to increased tensions with almost all countries that have significant Russia populations or large numbers of Russian citizens. Primarily, this means Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus.

As for Georgia's territorial integrity, it has clearly fallen victim to Moscow's insistence that Georgia never join NATO. Before the war, Moscow tried to achieve this goal through the frozen conflicts. Now, despite the war, Moscow's main aim is unchanged.

The presence of Russian forces and the creation of buffer zones on Georgian territory will simply solidify the state of conflict and complicate Tbilisi's efforts to join NATO. On the one hand, all NATO members have expressed solidarity with Georgia and are ready to offer help. On the other hand, granting NATO membership to a country entangled in a military confrontation with Russia will certainly not be easy. It is possible the United States might conclude a bilateral agreement with Georgia, similar to the one it concluded with Poland as part of the missile-defense accord.

Moscow is also no doubt hoping that, with time, Georgians will become increasingly enraged about the losses of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and will replace Saakashvili with a leadership that is more acceptable to Russia. Moscow might facilitate this scenario by stimulating separatist feelings in Mingrelia and Ajara, which border Abkhazia. These efforts could lead to the disintegration of Georgia or, at least, to that country losing its access to the Black Sea.

In order to counter such a scheme, the West would have to find quick and effective methods of integrating both Georgia and Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community.

Labels: Abkhazia, Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, South Ossetia

In the Wall Street Journal, Republican senator Lindsey Graham and Independent Democratic senator Joe Lieberman have published a joint statement on the Georgia crisis and the implications of Russia's aggression. They point to the growing evidence that Russia plans to repeat its actions in Georgia elsewhere among its neighbours, in the Baltic States, Poland, Ukraine and Crimea. Noting that any assistance plan to Georgia must include the rebuilding of its armed forces, including the anti-armour and defensive antiaircraft capabilities that have so far been denied to them, the senators look to the wider regional context, and stress that

Our response to the invasion of Georgia must include regional actions to reassure Russia's rattled neighbors and strengthen trans-Atlantic solidarity. This means reinvigorating NATO as a military alliance, not just a political one. Contingency planning for the defense of all member states against conventional and unconventional attack, including cyber warfare, needs to be revived. The credibility of Article Five of the NATO Charter -- that an attack against one really can and will be treated as an attack against all -- needs to be bolstered.

The U.S. must also reaffirm its commitment to allies that have been the targets of Russian bullying because of their willingness to work with Washington. The recent missile-defense agreement between Poland and the U.S., for instance, is not aimed at Russia. But this has not stopped senior Russian officials from speaking openly about military retaliation against Warsaw. Irrespective of our political differences over missile defense, Democrats and Republicans should join together in Congress to pledge solidarity with Poland, along with the Czech Republic, against these outrageous Russian threats.

Labels: Defence and Security, Georgia, Missile Defence, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, United States

In the light of Tunne Kelam's remarks at the weekend, it may be useful to read more about Fred Kagan's recommendations, which were presented in some detail in a Telegraph article of August 23. Excerpt:

Fred Kagan, the intellectual author of the successful US "troop surge" plan in Iraq, believes Nato's presence in the Baltics must be massively strengthened to pre-empt the risk of them being invaded in the same way as Georgia.

Such measures would infuriate Moscow, which last week warned that the installation of a US missile defence shield in Poland would ignite a new "arms race" between East and West.

But Mr Kagan, an expert on the Russian military who has the ear of hawks within the US administration, said that the West needed to match words with deeds if it was to stop Russia turning into an "intolerable, aggressive imperialistic" power.

"We need to help these countries develop sophisticated air defence and anti-tank capabilities that don't pose any offensive threat to Russia, but promise the possibility of very high casualties were they to attempt what they did in Georgia," said Mr Kagan in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph.

"Nato has to make a fundamental decision here about its legal and ethical obligations, and the only way we can really fulfil them is to help these countries defend themselves in advance of an attack."

Labels: Baltics, Defence and Security, Estonia, Europe, Georgia, Russia

MEP Tunne Kelam calls to boost NATO's military presence in Estonia

10:33, 25. august 2008

TALLINN, Aug 25, BNS - Member of the European Parliament Tunne Kelam in his speech at a rally in Tallinn over the weekend called to beef up the military presence of NATO in Estonia because of military threat from Russia, SL Ohtuleht reported.

Against the backdrop of increased risk of aggression, Estonia should also increase defence spending, Kelam said at a meeting on Saturday to mark the passage of 21 years from the landmark 1987 Hirvepark rally in Tallinn held on the anniversary of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop treaty and its secret protocols.

The remarks from Kelam, of the conservative Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL), came on the same day when a prominent US military analyst called to increase NATO's presence on the ground in the Baltic countries.

Kelam told SL Ohtuleht he didn't know about Kagan's article before his speech and the article came as a surprise for him. Such coincidences show that the situation's ripe for change, he added.

Ain Seppik, vice chair of the opposition Center Party group in parliament and member of the parliamentary committee supervising the work of the country's secret services, described Kelam's idea as alien to him.

"I don't like foreign troops in Estonia in principle," he said.

Seppik said that Estonia can demonstrate its NATO member's status also in other ways and that this is being done enough already in Afghanistan and Iraq. Seppik did agree, however, that NATO has done relatively little for Estonia for the time being.

"NATO should better supply our defence forces and thus boost Estonia's military capabilities," Seppik said.

Just like Kelam, Seppik underlined that Estonia's expenditures for national defense must increase and no cuts must be made in them even under the austerity plan.
Senior Reform Party policymaker Jurgen Ligi, former minister of defense, said in his comments to the daily that first one must remember that Estonian military installations already are NATO bases and that the Amari air base, for instance, is a NATO air base.

Ligi said he considers Kelam's line of thinking to be right, as it is namely in the framework of NATO that Estonia must build its security.

"Russia's actions now are based on the logic of criminals -- if you beat someone, you get respect," Ligi said, adding that therefore it would not be bad if NATO showed its strength.
Fred Kagan, the intellectual author of the successful US "troop surge" plan in Iraq, believes NATO's presence in the Baltics must be massively strengthened to pre-empt the risk of them being invaded in the same way as Georgia.

Kagan, an expert on the Russian military who has the ear of hawks within the US administration, said in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph that the West needs to match words with deeds if it is to stop Russia turning into an "intolerable, aggressive imperialistic" power.

"We need to help these countries develop sophisticated air defense and anti-tank capabilities that don't pose any offensive threat to Russia, but promise the possibility of very high casualties were they to attempt what they did in Georgia," said Kagan.

"NATO has to make a fundamental decision here about its legal and ethical obligations, and the only way we can really fulfil them is to help these countries defend themselves in advance of an attack," he said.

At present, Kagan pointed out, there would be little to prevent Russia rolling across the border as they did into South Ossetia. Despite all the three Baltic countries now being members of NATO, the alliance has done little to help them build up robust anti-tank capabilities, sophisticated air defense systems, or large reserve armies.

Although any Russian action against a full NATO member would be a far greater act of aggression than its recent incursion into Georgia, Moscow might be tempted to try it in the Baltics as a way of testing NATO's resolve, knowing that the alliance might dither about deploying even conventional forces straightaway. Turning each country into a defensive "porcupine", Kagan argues, would make such a move almost unthinkable in the first place.

"I think that Russia does have designs on the Baltic states, and they have established a precedent in Georgia where they think they can use force to defend Russian minorities in other countries," he said.

Alastair Cameron, head of the European Security Program at the Royal United Services Institute, agreed that the invasion of Georgia had caused "tremendous concern" within the Baltics as to whether existing defences were adequate, but doubted that there would be any dramatic ramping up straightaway.

"Had Lithuania or Estonia been the target of the recent Russian campaign, they would have been in a position to take ground in a very similar way to how they did in Georgia," he said.
"I think we are still very much at the diplomatic level in terms of dealing with these kind of disputes at present, but I would think that something like might be on the table in terms of long-term defensive planning measures," he told The Sunday Telegraph.

Labels: Baltics, Defence and Security, Estonia, Georgia, Russia

President Mikhaeil Saakashvili has made a long televised speech in which he blames the Georgia crisis both on Russia and on the West's muted response to Russia's aggression. In his comments, he notes:

“I suppose that Russia started thinking about the military intervention in Georgia sometime in 2007,” he said. “[In July, 2007] Russia announced about pulling out from the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty limiting military forces in [Europe] and in Caucasus.”

Up to 3,000 Russian armored vehicles of various types rolled into Georgia, he said.

“We had only 200 tanks, because we had no right to have more according to the treaty; Russia brushed off its commitments by withdrawing from the treaty,” Saakashvili said.

He then once again criticized “western partners” for not paying enough attention to this move by Russia. 

The President is obviously right, as observers at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty were pointing out even back in April 2007 that Putin's threat - later enacted - to suspend compliance with the amended 1999 CFE Treaty was obviously aimed against Georgia. Yet no action was taken by either the United States or European powers at the time.

Labels: Europe, Georgia, NATO, Russia, United States

Service of the Government of Georgia

Timeline of Events in the
Russian Invasion & Occupation of Georgia
As of 13:00, August 24 2008

Subject: Timeline of Events

Timeline of Events in the Russian Invasion & Occupation of Georgia

As of 13:00, August 24 2008

The information below is accurate to the best of our knowledge, but is subject to verification.

24 AUGUST
12:50 Forest is on fire in the surroundings of village Gldani on the outskirts of Tbilisi.

11:30 Georgian police release AP journalists detained by Russian soldiers• An AP TV crew operating near Poti was arrested this morning by the Russian army because they did not have Russian media accreditation. They were taken to the Georgian police station in Poti and released there.

11:00 US Navy destroyer McFaul enters Batumi port.

10:30 Train carrying petroleum explodes on the railroad west of Gori.

• A train carrying 34 tanks of crude oil exploded at about 10:30 near the village of Skra, 7 km west of Gori, when moving from Azerbaijan to Batumi. 13 tanks are burning. The cause is suspected to be a Russian mine: Skra had been under full Russian control until the Russian pull-out of Gori. No casualties reported.

23 AUGUST
12:00 Russian military name the list of check-points in central Georgia

.• Chief of staff of Russian Army Anatoly Nogovitsin names at the press conferense places where Russian intends to organize checkpoints. In violation of the ceasefire agreement they are well out the conflict zone, namely in: Perevi – near Sachkhere; Ali - 90kms from Tbilisi and 7 Km from east-west highway, on the way from Khashuri to Sachkere and South Ossetia; Kvenatkotsa – in Kareli district near Agara, 1 km from eas-west highway; Variani – 10km north of Gori, on the road from Gori to Tskhinvali; Karaleti – 10km north of Gori, on the road to Tskhinvali; Shavshvebi – 40km west of Tbilisi on the east-west Highway, Monasteri – 35 Kms noerth-west from Tbilisi on the way to Akhalgori and 7kms from eastwest highway, Ikoti – 40Kms north-west from Tbilisi near town Akhalgori and 12kms from east-west highway.

11:30 Parliament of Georgia prolongs Martial Law till September 8.

22 AUGUST
20:00 Russian troops are leaving Gori and Khashuri in eastern Goergia and Senaki and Khobi in Western Georgia. Russian troops remain in Poti and village Perevi in Sachkhere district.

19:30 Russian troops explode remaining installations of military base near Gori in village Khurvaleti.

14:30 Russian troops start withdrawal from Igoeti and Kaspi 25kms from Tbilisi towards Gori. Gori remains under Russian control.

14:00 100 armored vehicles start movement from Senaki towards Zugdidi. Russian troops still remain in Senaki and Poti.

12:00 Deputy Chief of Staff of Russian Army Anatoly Nogovitsin states that Russia will keep 18 checkpoints on South Ossetian-Georgian “border” and in “buffer zone”. The same amount of Check points and 2142 soldiers will remain on Georgian-Abkhazian “border”.

10:00 No evidence of Russian troops withdrawal

02:30 Unknown explosive devices explode in Marneuli, under the railway bridge – no damage reported

Russian troops dig entrenchments in village Chuberi near Enguri Power Plant. Military presence of Russian troops reported at the dam infrastructure of power plant.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

One Dies in Gori Blast

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 24 Aug.'08 / 18:31

http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19280

A woman was killed as a result of an explosion of what appeared to be a mine in outskirts of the town of Gori, the Georgian media sources reported on August 24.

A man was badly injured in a separate explosion shortly after the first incident close to the same place.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on August 24 that voluntary return of displaced persons back to Gori and adjacent areas had already started and warned returnees that they should “only go back to areas that have been cleared of mines and declared safe by authorities.”

“IDPs originating from villages and other areas not yet cleared by the authorities should be patient and to refrain from returning as yet,” it said.

The UN refugee agency also said that its team visited Gori this weekend to assess the situation in and around Gori. “UNHCR observed mine clearing actions and the re-establishment of Georgian police control over the town,” it said.

Labels: Georgia, Russia

"Evil, especially political evil, is always a bad stylist."

"Evil takes root when one man starts to think that he is better than another."

“The surest defense against Evil is extreme individualism, originality of thinking, whimsicality, even - if you will - eccentricity. That is, something that can't be feigned, faked, imitated; something even a seasoned imposter couldn't be happy with.”

"Life, the way it really is, is a battle not between Bad and Good but between Bad and Worse."

"Auden's lines: 'Those to whom evil is done/Do evil in return' should be tattooed on every baby’s chest."

Joseph Brodsky (1940-1996)

Labels: Books, Brodsky, Philosophy, Poetry, Russia

France, Russia at Odds over Content of Leaders’ Phone Talks

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 24 Aug.'08 / 01:34

http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19277

French and Russian Presidents have agreed to replace Russian forces in so called “buffer zone” outside South Ossetia with OSCE monitors, the French President’s press office said in a statement – something which was strongly denied by the Kremlin.

French President, Nikola Sarkozy, spoke with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, on Saturday evening, August 23.

After the phone conversation the statement was posted on the French President’s website reading: “The two Presidents have agreed on the need to set up an international mechanism under the OSCE aegis to replace Russian patrols in the security zone in the south from South Ossetia.”

The Kremlin, however, has denied having such an agreement and even said that the issue was not at all discussed.

“There was no discussion of an issue related with the replacement of the Russian peacekeeping forces with monitors from OSCE,” the Russian news agencies quoted a statement by the Kremlin. “During the conversation with Nikola Sarkozy, Dmitry Medvedev reaffirmed [Russia’s] readiness to cooperate with OSCE in this zone in accordance to the fifth principles of the [six-point ceasefire accord] developed jointly by the French and Russian Presidents.”

Russia, which is trying to capitalize on a vaguely worded ceasefire accord brokered by the French President on behalf of EU, has set up stationary checkpoints in the southern areas from the breakaway region. One of the checkpoints is about five kilometers away from the town of Gori, on the road to Tskhinvali.

In what appears to be another controversy over the two Presidents’ phone conversation, the Kremlin also said that President Sarkozy “gave positive assessment to the pull back” of the Russian forces “within the timeframe announced by the Russian side.”

The French statement, however, says that Sarkozy urged Russia to completely honor its commitment and fully withdraw troops from deep inside the Georgian territory, in particular from Poti and Senaki.

“President Sarkozy insisted it was important that Russian troops present at the Poti/Senaki area should withdraw as soon as possible,” the statement on the French President’s website reads.

Labels: EU, Europe, France, Georgia, Russia

From The Observer (UK):

Georgian officials yesterday took The Observer by helicopter across a landscape of shimmering green pasture and mountain to the steamy port of Poti. Their aim was to show off its destruction by Russian soldiers - and to point out that they were still there.

Russian bombers destroyed Poti's naval base, killing five people, on the second day of the war. Yesterday, the gun turret of a sunken vessel stuck out above the turquoise water; nearby a white coastguard boat was listing and sunk. Russian soldiers had ransacked the port's main building, blowing open doors and upturning filing cabinets. One had written on a whiteboard: 'Georgian bitches. Die pederast cocks'.

'They turned up in 23 BMP armoured vehicles and took whatever was valuable,' said Reza Managadze, a port employee. 'They didn't even leave us anything to eat.' In a smashed-up medical room lay a portrait of Georgia's pro-US president Mikheil Saakashvili. A Russian soldier had stamped on it. He then added one word: 'Dick'.

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Russia

RFE/RL has an article by Brian Whitmore which provides yet more evidence that Russia's invasion of Georgia was a pre-planned affair. He lists numerous signs that Moscow had made elaborate arrangements connected with events of August 7-8, and points to the fact that "Russia's state-controlled media seemed extremely well-prepared to cover the outbreak of armed conflict in Georgia. Television networks immediately presented elaborate graphics with news anchors and commentators appearing to stick to disciplined talking points accusing Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili of aggression, and the Georgian armed forces of genocide and ethnic cleansing." In particular, Whitmore mentions the testimony of a Chechen Reuters photographer:

Said Tsarnayev stumbled into a war.

A Chechen freelance photographer with the Reuters news agency, Tsarnayev arrived in the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, during the day on August 7. Traveling together with a colleague, Tsarnayev said he planned to take photographs of the environment and natural surroundings in the area for a project he was working on.

Once in Tskhinvali, he discovered a virtual army of Russian journalists at his hotel.

Speaking to RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service, Tsarnayev, a resident of the Chechen capital, Grozny, said the Moscow-based reporters had been sent from various Russian media outlets days earlier, and were preparing to cover something big.

"At the hotel we discovered that there were already 48 Russian journalists there. Together with us, there were 50 people," Tsarnayev said. "I was the only one representing a foreign news agency. The rest were from Russian media and they arrived three days before we did, as if they knew that something was going to happen. Earlier at the border crossing, we met one man who was taking his wife and children from Tskhinvali."

Late that night, armed conflict broke out between Russia and Georgia.

Labels: Caucasus, Chechnya, Georgia, North Caucasus, Russia

Germany, U.S. Say Russia’s Pull Out Incomplete

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 23 Aug.'08 / 22:10

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19276

The White House and the German government spokesmen said on August 23, that Russia has yet to fully comply with its committeemen undertaken by the six-point ceasefire accord.

“Putting up permanent facilities and checkpoints are inconsistent with the agreement,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. “We are in contact with the various parties to obtain clarification.”

Although Russia pulled back its troops from the town of Gori and key east-west highway in the central Georgia, the Russian forces keep checkpoints just outside port town of Poti and the town of Senaki in the western Georgia. Russian troops also have checkpoints on Georgia’s undisputed areas in the north of Gori. The closest one is just five kilometers away from Gori at the village of Karaleti.

“The [German] government expects Russia to complete the withdrawal immediately in accordance with the six-point plan also signed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and pull back its troops to the lines [held] before the outbreak of hostilities, as was agreed,” the German government’s spokesman, Thomas Steg, said in a statement, according to Reuters.

“According to our information, Russia has begun its withdrawal from Georgia, but not completed it,” he added.

He also said that German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, had spoken by phone to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on August 23.

“The German government expects the remaining Russian troops also to pull back from the zone south of South Ossetia, and for them to be replaced by an international mechanism as quickly as possible, in accordance with the agreements,” Steg said.

In a separate statement Steg also said that Chancellor Merkel had proposed EU to hold “a neighborhood conference” for Georgia.

The German weekly magazine Der Spiegel said Merkel’s idea was Georgia’s neighboring countries like Armenia and Azerbaijan to participate in the conference, but not Russia, Reuters reported.

Labels: Europe, Georgia, Germany, Russia, United States

In his Window on Eurasia blog, Paul Goble writes about a concert that was held in Tallinn, Estonia, last week to celebrate the anniversary of the restoration of Estonia's independence in 1991 and to declare solidarity with the people of Georgia in the face of Russian aggression:

Unlike the Tskhinvali event, what happened in the Estonian capital has attracted little attention. It deserves to be better known.

More than 120,000 people assembled in the Song Festival grounds on the outskirts of Tallinn, to listen to Estonian and Georgian music groups, to wave Estonian and Georgian flags, and to listen to and cheer an address by Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves (rus.postimees.ee/200808/glavnaja/estonija/39344.php, including a link to video of the event).

The Georgian singers expressed their gratitude to the support Estonia has given Tbilisi – Ilves joined the presidents of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland in travelling to Georgia following the Russian invasion – and the Estonians in the audience cheered the Georgians. But the most important part of the concert in terms of its message was Ilves’ speech.

Read it all.

Labels: Baltics, Georgia, Music, Russia

Russia's invasion of Georgia will speed Georgia's accession to NATO, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, US envoy to the Caucasus Matthew Bryza has said: "I think what Russia has done now is the strongest catalyst it could have created to get Georgia in NATO." Bryza says he hopes that Georgia will be offered a Membership Action Plan in December.

Labels: Georgia, NATO, Russia

Russia Claims Tbilisi Plans ‘Subversive Acts’

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 23 Aug.'08 / 15:16

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19274

A Russian military official has claimed that Georgia is restoring military capabilities “for repeat aggression.”

“Georgia is not being threatened by anyone in this region,” Anatoly Nogovitsin said at a news conference in Moscow on August 23. “However, in an attempt to resolve its territorial problem, Georgia has actually announced it is preparing for a third conflict – it seems two conflicts were not enough.”

Nogovitsin claimed that “provocations” were expected. He also claimed that Georgian special services were caching arms in order to use them for “subversive acts in South Ossetia and in its vicinity.”

Labels: Georgia, Russia

The European Union says it will provide 5 million euros in new aid to Georgia, and Japan has announced that it has sent one million US dollars in emergency humanitarian assistance to help over 150,000 people who have been displaced by the conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi.

Meanwhile, the USS McFaul is the first of three US navy ships carrying humanitarian aid, in the form of essential basic supplies, to approach Georgian waters. The US has already sent over 11 million dollars' worth of assistance.

Labels: Europe, Georgia, Humanitarian Aid, Russia, United States

In a report on a British government statement which confirms that Britain faces a steadily increasing threat of cyber attack, particularly from Russia and China, the London Times points to evidence that reveals the Kremlin's involvement in cyberterrorism against Georgia:

SecureWorks, an Atlanta-based company, said it had discovered communications suggesting that computers associated with Russian state-owned organisations called on known web-based criminal gangs to attack Georgian government networks hours before airstrikes began nearly two weeks ago. Lord West [Britain's Security Minister] said that he could not comment on the claims.

Labels: Cyberwarfare, Georgia, Russia, United Kingdom

Reuters reports that "up to 1,000 [later reports say thousands of] Georgians protested angrily on Saturday against the presence of about 20 Russian soldiers at a post just outside the strategic Black Sea port of Poti, insisting they had no right to stay there."

Labels: Georgia, Russia

Paul Goble writes about the ecological catastrophe that Russian forces are organizing in Georgia in order to inflict a vindictive "punishment" on the country. Excerpt:

Writing on Monday, Tsikarishvili said that “the Russians have organized an ecological catastrophe, burning in the course of a few days the centuries-old forest in the unique Borzhomi nature reserve.” Because that park has no military purpose and because it is “located very far from the conflict zone,” the Russians appear to have done this just to be destructive. After the Russians set the fire, which as of that time had burned through 250 hectares, Georgians came to the assistance of the fire brigades “but considering the extent of the fire, the difficulty of getting into that isolated area, the wind and other problems,” they have not yet been able to put the fire out, Tsikarishvili said. Worse, he continued, “Russia prohibited Ukraine from taking part in the suppression of the fire,” something that guaranteed the fire would continue to spread, even though the Russian military did allow Turkish planes and helicopters to come in. But their effectiveness was limited because as a result of Russian actions, the planes had to fly back to Turkey to get water. And when the Georgians and the Turks appeared to be making progress in at least containing the fire, persons unknown but presumably either Russians, South Ossetians or some of the North Caucasus “volunteers” who have been guilty of so much marauding in Georgia threw incendiary devices to keep the fire going and to ensure that it would spread.

Labels: Environment, Georgia, Russia

Via BBC:

Following a statement by the Russian defence ministry that the withdrawal was complete, US President George W Bush and his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, expressed their dissatisfaction.

They agreed in a telephone call that "Russia is not in compliance" with the ceasefire pact and it should comply immediately, US officials said.

"[The Russians] have without a doubt failed to live up to their obligations. Establishing checkpoints, buffer zones are definitely not part of the agreement," the White House said

Labels: Georgia, NATO, Russia

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 22 Aug.'08 / 18:45

http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19261

A Russian army map outlining the Russian troops’ planned deployment in Georgia shows they have no intention to give up control over Senaki and the port town of Poti.

In Moscow, the deputy chief of general staff of the Russian armed forces, Anatoly Nogovitsin, showed a map detailing what he said would be “zone of responsibility” of the Russian “peacekeepers.”

This includes checkpoints at Nabada, just outside Poti, and in Senaki, a town less than 40 kilometers away from Poti.

Georgia’s key military base and strategic airfield are located in Senaki.

“Airfield in Senaki is also part of the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers,” Nogovitsin said.

On the eastern front, in the South Ossetian conflict zone the Russian troops’ “zone of responsibility” includes southern areas from the South Ossetian administrative border. The zone even includes some portions of the Georgia’s major east-west highway – in particular at the village of Shavshvebi and Agara. The town of Gori itself is not part of the zone.

“Our forces will be pulled back to these zones of responsibility today,” Nogovitsin said.

The Russian forces started removing their checkpoints and roadblocks from some of the locations deep inside the Georgian territories, including from Gori and Igoeti. But there was no sign of the Russian troops’ withdrawal from the entrance of Poti.

“We will not and the world will not let the Russian forces to increase their zone activity deep inside the Georgian territory,” Davit Kezerashvili, the Georgian defense minister, said on August 22.

It also emerged on August 22, that Russia plans to keep 2,142 soldiers in Abkhazia as part of its peacekeeping forces.

Nogovitsin said that 109 armored personnel carriers (APC) – BTR-80s and BTR-70s; fourteen APCs of BTR-R145 type and four armored patrol vehicles – BRDM, as well as 34 mortar launchers will also remain in Abkhazia. The military unit in Abkhazia, he said, would also be supported by two Mi-24 combat helicopters and two Mi-8 helicopters.

Labels: Europe, Georgia, Russia

The Georgian Foreign Ministry has opened a Book of Condolences for visitors to sign.

Labels: Georgia

RFE/RL has details of Russian troop movements in Georgia today. While no troops remain in Gori, some have left for South Ossetia, while others have been seen moving in the direction of Igoeti. The situation still looks problematic. Excerpt:

"What we see is not very encouraging," Liklikadze said. "From the direction of Gori, three armored vehicles are moving in our direction, plus two trucks loaded with personnel. And they passed us and went in the direction of Igoeti. I asked one of the [Russian] officers at the checkpoint who was wearing a peacekeeping armband, and he said they don't intend to stay for long. When I asked him to be more concrete, he said, 'We are waiting for orders. I can't tell you anything. My boss is General Borisov."

RFE/RL correspondent Goga Aptsiauri gave this account of how Russian General Vyacheslav Borisov, commander of Russian forces in the Gori region, interprets the terms of withdrawal.

"Yesterday [August 21], General Borisov had a fairly heated discussion with [Gori regional Governor Vladimer] Vardzelashvili about the so-called buffer zone," Aptsiauri reports. "Borisov had all kinds of maps out and was referring to the 1992 [cease-fire] agreement, which stipulates that the conflict zone included quite a lot of villages north of Gori in Gori district -- including two villages that are located along the main east-west highway, Shavshvebi and Agara. So if we go with that agreement, it would mean that the so-called peacekeepers who would replace the regular Russian troops will have the right to control the main highway, and even establish checkpoints."

Goga Aptsiauri has been reporting from Gori ever since it was seized, and has a blog.

Labels: Georgia, Russia

A correspondent has forwarded the following text:

Sent: 8/19/2008 10:39:14 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: The NATO Membership Dilemma

A bleak picture emerges. What Stratfor could say but doesn’t, is that there are member states of NATO that are so weak and so exposed that they could in essence be conquered in a day, and that their conquest would also graphically demonstrate that NATO has gone defunct. Guerrilla resistance in such countries might continue a little longer, but there would probably be no place that NATO response forces could land, by air or by sea. Civil war cavalry guy Nathan Forrest said that in order to win, you’ve got to show up the “firstest with the mostest”. If you show up firstest with the mostest and take the venue in question (the prize, the bone of contention) over totally, the response forces of the second guy (NATO) won’t bother showing up to the party at all. Eastern Europe needs to do the “lift itself up by the hair” trick as demonstrated by Baron von Munchhausen, in terms of substantially improving its defense capability as quickly as is feasible. Put a different way, NATO needs to be buttressed and empowered in vulnerable locations at the behest of Eastern Europe for Eastern Europe. Only by rendering itself capable of being protected can Eastern Europe, with the help of NATO, put NATO into a position for helping Eastern Europe! For all I care, parts of Western Europe, which apparently don’t really care or are even at cross ends to our aspirations, should be given the opportunity to depart the alliance, if proven to be a liability and a dead weight. CEE needs to be urged by all good men and women, particularly in the diaspora, to lift itself up by the hair, or God (NATO) won’t be able to help those who didn’t bother to help themselves. Sorry about the mixing of metaphors.

Juri

 

NATO Membership Dilemma

<http://www.stratfor.com/geopolitical_diary/geopolitical_diary_nato_membership_dilemma>
August 18, 2008
NATO foreign ministers will meet Aug. 19 to discuss responses to the Russian invasion of Georgia. The United States is pressing for immediate action — although what that really means is movement toward admitting Georgia to NATO, rather than actual action. The Germans have expressed support for Georgia’s membership in the alliance, but the French and Italians appear to be hesitating, not wanting to trigger the confrontation with the Russians that would likely result from such a move. The newer members of NATO, those who formally belonged to the Warsaw Pact, tend to want aggressive movement to include Georgia and Ukraine in NATO. They want to see NATO assert itself, in order to be assured that the alliance will do that.

The problem is not that NATO is incapable of moving rapidly to include Ukraine and Georgia; it is a matter of what it means to be part of NATO. NATO was originally an anti-Soviet military alliance. It consisted of well-armed and well-trained armies — British, West German, Dutch and others — all backed by massive U.S. power and nuclear weapons. An attack on Europe would have meant an attack on NATO, and the Soviets never tried that. Had they done so, they would have faced a very dangerous military situation. The risks were much higher than the gains.

Most of today’s NATO members have minimal military forces that are poorly armed and trained. As important, the geography has shifted. From a compact western European alliance, NATO has become a sprawling entity, ranging from an exposed and barely defended flank in the Baltics to — if they were included — totally undefended Ukraine and Georgia. The forces necessary to defend those two countries would take years and hundreds of billions of dollars to recruit, arm and train. NATO was once able to defend Europe in the event of war. At this point, and for a very long time, the best NATO could do is to make a gesture of defense, particularly in the case of the vast Ukraine.
It is very doubtful that Western Europe has the will to develop a force capable of defending Georgia and Ukraine. Eastern Europe might have the will but not the resources, from manpower to technology. Thus, membership in NATO for Ukraine and Georgia would be a gesture without content. We are reminded of French and British guarantees to Poland in 1939. The French and British knew they could not protect Poland. The Germans knew it. Even the Poles knew it. The hope was that Germany, fearing a war with Britain and France, would not risk attacking Poland. But the Germans knew they could defeat Poland and, more to the point, were pretty confident that the British and French were all talk, and that a declaration of war wouldn’t mean all that much.

The NATO principle is that an attack on one would be an attack on all. The assumption is that the Russians wouldn’t risk a general war in Europe to threaten Georgia or the Ukraine. Alternatively, however, the Russians might view the threat of a general war as minimal, since the rest of Europe would not attack Russia from the West to defend Georgia. In other words, the Russians’ hesitation to attack Georgia would depend on their estimate of the likelihood of an attack on Russia by the Germans and Poles in response.
It is a risk Moscow might take. First, the Russians know the German and Polish military capacity — and the limits of available American power. Second, the failure to defend a member would destroy NATO’s credibility and shred the alliance. Most of the foreign ministers meeting on Tuesday are fully aware that extending NATO membership to Ukraine and Georgia not only would be merely a gesture, but also could set up a greater calamity for the alliance. The United States knows this as well, but is making the most aggressive gestures it can, knowing that NATO works by consensus and that a single dissent can block the move. Washington is sure that dissent will come from somewhere. In the meantime, it is making the most bellicose gestures possible, short of actually doing something.

Labels: Baltics, Europe, Georgia, NATO, Russia

Among a varied crop of recent articles in Yezhednevny Zhurnal, defence analyst Alexander Golts reflects that Russia's "crushing reply" to Georgia is returning to it like a boomerang in the form of international condemnation, and makes the awkward-to-challenge point that a victory that is purely military is not really a victory at all. Commenting on the split between Ukraine's President Yuschchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko over the events in South Ossetia, Inna Bulkina notes that in her foreign policy outlook, Timoshenko is aligning herself with the very countries which have been most passive about the Russian invasion and its consequences, and which would be least inclined to help Ukraine in a crisis. Meanwhile, in a review of US press reaction to the Georgia conflict, Masha Lipman does her best to convince her readers that the recent columns by correspondents like Michael Dobbs and Charles King, whose line is essentially that the trouble in Georgia is "not all Russia's fault", are only harbingers of things to come.

Labels: Georgia, Media, Russia

According to the BBC,

Russia has seen foreign reserves decline, a sign that the market is more nervous about investing in the region since the recent conflict in Georgia.

Central Bank figures show reserves were sharply down in the week ending 15 August, marking a fall of $16.4bn (£8.8bn) from $597.5bn a week earlier.

The FT says that

Investors pulled their money out of Russia in the wake of the Georgia conflict at the fastest rate since the 1998 rouble crisis, new figures showed on Thursday.

Labels: Economics, Georgia, Russia

Throughout the Georgian crisis, the Russian government's disinformation campaign has been so inefficient that it hasn't even managed to spread much disinformation. With few exceptions, the vast majority pf the international media have accepted the precise, credible and often deeply disturbing daily reports and updates by Georgia's official sources, including the country's multi-lingual President Saakashvili. Perhaps the saddest and most pathetic stage of Russia's attempt to distort the facts of its invasion of a sovereign state came yesterday, with the staging of a classical orchestral concert in the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, to celebrate the Russian "victory" in Georgia.

Even as it becomes increasingly clear that most of the destruction and loss of life in Tskhinvali on August 8 was caused, not by Georgian forces, but by Russian aerial attacks, the musical event, with its sombre programme of Shostakovich's "Leningrad" Symphony and Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique", was intended among other things to mourn a massacre of innocents - not Georgian innocents, it was stressed by officials, but South Ossetian ones.The figures of dead reported by Russia were initially put at over 2,000. Yet most recent estimates put the number at below 100, and some even below 50. While any loss of life at all is tragic and deplorable, the exaggeration that is being practiced by Moscow and the South Ossetian authorities is really an insult to those who did die or were injured.

That the principal conductor of one of Britain's most renowned symphony orchestras should have lent his name and talents to this celebration of Russia's aggression is also regrettable. The Telegraph, whose  correspondent was present at the concert, probably best sums up the atmosphere:

Russian soldiers perched on the top of armoured personnel carriers, straining for a better view, as Orthodox priests, Jewish rabbis and even an imam passed through the audience granting benedictions to a self-proclaimed nation united in victory.

As the strains of Shostakovich filled the air, fresh smoke and sheets of flame from burning Georgian villages in South Ossetia rose from the hills - the latest sign that while the war may be over, the plight of civilians is not.

Yet Russian officers refused to acknowledge what was going on before their eyes. "What fire?", one snapped before striding off.

Labels: Disinformation, Europe, Georgia, Music, Russia

Succumbing to madness

by Valeria Novodvorskaya

Valeria Novodvorskaya is a Russian politician and dissident, the founder and chairwoman of Russia’s "Democratic Union" party

The original Russian text of the article is here. The translation is my own.

The fact that we in Russia are being ruled by criminals (Chekists are not just a Camorra but something even worse, because they are zombies who climbed out of the grave of the Soviet Union) is not as frightening as the fact that they are unprofessional losers . The war with Georgia is not only a crime, it’s a mistake. I can’t explain the behaviour of Putin, Medvedev & Co. except by supposing that they have completely lost their marbles. To the question "What are we fighting for?" the answer this time can be: "I’ve left my peasant house and gone to fight in Georgia to get some land back for the Chekists. Farewell my family, farewell my friends! Lubyanka, Lubyanka, my Lubyanka!"

Mikheil Saakashvili was skilfully provoked, dragged into conflict, and brought to the point where he attacked Tskhinvali. And had he not done that, a sarcastic Georgian opposition would have wiped him out, as they once wiped out Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who tried to prevent the Mkhedrioni paramilitaries and other guerrilla groups from robbing and plundering in Samachablo, which is South Ossetia, and who granted Abkhazia the status of a constituent entity of the confederation. The Georgian parliament disagreed, and for supporting Abkhazia, after the ”clever” Shevardnadze had sent his troops there, both Zviad and his parliament, who had already been driven out of the country and into Chechnya by the Georgian “patriots”, or militarists, were excluded by the Union of Georgian Citizens from the body of the Georgian nation (sic!). And among the present opposition in Georgia there are people who have called directly for war to be declared against Russia. Handing power to them would mean to court disaster and possibly a nuclear Armageddon.

For too long did the Russian "peacekeepers" stir up war in South Ossetia in order to prevent it, and too zealously did the Russian air force bomb Georgian villages beyond the borders of Samachablo (South Ossetia) so that the poor Georgian president would not be exposed to danger. One might have thought that the public, completely open annexation of Samachablo by Russia would already be sufficient madness. But that was not enough for Putin. And immediately the command was given to Abkhazians, who had long ago lost their dignity and pride and become Russian mercenaries helping to occupy the Kodori Gorge and Pankisi.

When refugees cry from the television screen: "Help South Ossetia!" – one can sympathize with them, but when one hears the voices from the crowd of poor Ossetians: "Help Abkhazia!" (And who else besides? Transnistria? ) – one starts to think of a mob. It means that the Chekists want to grab Abkhazia in their paws. And not only Abkhazia. The Russian troops entered Georgia. Gori, Senaki, Poti and Tbilisi Airport (the compass locator has been destroyed, and only elderly Georgian pilots will risk take-offs and landings). In the port of Poti, which is under a 95-year lease to the investment authority of a sheikh in the United Arab Emirates (Russia is also going to be sued by him on an international level) there were no military vessels. They bombed the oil pipeline that circumvents Russia. Bandit troops, a bandit country. The "tough guys” in Russia have settled things for everyone and have decided that this is how it is going to be everywhere.

At the UN, Churkin says that Russia’s aim is to get rid of Saakashvili. The last time the world heard such a thing, it was from the Jesuit Fathers in the sixteenth century. The annihilation of "impious princes". Religious fanatics killed Henry III and Henry IV. Since then, other killing has been done, but not out loud. Has the Kremlin decided to write its own Mein Kampf? Or have they all gone out of their minds? Georgia is being criss-crossed by ownerless columns of tanks full of Cossacks, "volunteers" and other marauding riff-raff. What are the Russian tanks doing in Gori? Gathering weapons? Or maybe it’s mushrooms and empty bottles?

These artificially created Russian citizens and this war that was launched as though to protect them -- that is plain ordinary fascism. And were it not for America... It appears that George Bush has at last realized what kind of serpent the West has been clutching to its bosom, and has taken a decisive stand for Georgia and against Russia. The powerful hand of the United States has been placed on the chalice of freedom and western values. The humanitarian aid that is being brought on US naval vessels and air force transport planes is an attempt to stop the war. The globe is still turning, and it has not yet been necessary to use the nuclear potential. John McCain writes articles like a Russian dissident. The presidents of Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania and the prime minister of Latvia hold a rally, hand in hand, as on the Maidan in Kiev.

No one has supported us except Cuba and the patented tyrant Lukashenko. We have been thrown out of the G8 and from the civilized world into the cesspool of the outcast. And if South Ossetia and Abkhazia had simply wanted to secede, no one would have defended Saakashvili. The rights of a people take precedence over the rights of a state. But what they are seeking is not freedom but profitable slavery; they have not made passports of their own, but have been given Russian ones. . They are merely collaborators, not insurgents. Only the United States can save the Georgian people and the Russian recruits from mutual destruction. By now, I’m afraid that no one will save Russia. We shall be cursed and rejected by mankind.

Valeria Novodvorskaya

20.08.2008 12:39

Labels: Georgia, Russia, United States

Vytautas Landsbergis is a Lithuanian conservative politician and Member of the European Parliament. He was Lithuania's first head of state it declared independence from the Soviet Union in March 1990, and served as the Head of the Lithuanian Parliament.

The following is a linguistically edited version of the semi-machine-translated text which Professor Landsbergis distributed at the European Parliament yesterday.

Russia is blowing up Europe

The gloomiest premonitions are shortly about to come true. Europe is divided, and obsequious grovelling is finally yielding to Russian aggression. This was manifested by the EU leaders' inability even to state the fact that a foreign power had crossed the frontiers and ravaged the social fabric of a sovereign country. Nor did the immobilized United Nations dare to demand that the armed forces of the invader, under the control of the supreme commander in chief in the Kremlin responsible for the ongoing violence and plunder, get out immediately. Calls to stop these crimes had no result, and neither did ineffective parlance about Russia's 'inappropriate methods'.

It was as if one were expected to believe that if the Russian bombers targeted fewer bombs on homes, blew up fewer bridges, sank only two offshore patrol boats, not three, killed not two pressmen in Gori, but only one instead, perhaps, those methods would appear acceptable.

The German proposals for the stabilization of the situation under Russian occupation were exactly similar. To those unaware of the importance of the wording, Moscow insisted on continuing the misconceived usage of 'peacekeepers' as a description of invaders. This was exacerbated by an empty, time-wasting disagreement about the future of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, while the future of both Georgia and Europe remain at stake.

The only test of credibility for the EU and NATO today is to demand that Russia's armed forces be immediately and unconditionally withdrawn. In order to prevent this, Russia simply denounced any full withdrawal. Shut your mouths, Europeans. Is that M. Sarkozy you’re addressing?

Anyone who fails to demand a complete unconditional withdrawal, not just a 'pull-back' of Russian forces, is actually justifying the incursion and the sea blockade, the looting, the rape, the total destruction of communications and economic infrastructure, if the Georgians are not pushed to guerrilla warfare in their own sovereign land, Russia will at least have succeeded in 'balkanizing' South Ossetia - village against village, so the destruction may now go deeper into Georgia. The new Georgian city of Akhalgori, is already occupied by 'independent Ossetians.' The mockery continues.

By their appeasement, Europe’s leaders are gradually becoming accomplices in total villainy.

Russia is quite content to reveal itself as a medieval conqueror state, to which all the goods seized from the defeated side belong. "These are our trophies," it says. That is a quotation.

We have seen it all in Lithuania - the outright Soviet cynicism, the ideological demagoguery that is accompanied by the violence of the military and by Chekist atrocities.

They began by accusing Lithuania of being the aggressor in 1940; the occupation was followed by the Red Terror, and then, by the use of specially re-uniformed assault troopers, they waged total warfare against peasants who were thrown out of their homes and land for decades until Lithuania regained its independence on March 12 1990.

This is currently being done in Georgia, while terrorists brought in from North Caucasus are also allowed to demonstrate how impotent the Tbilisi government is. That government has agreed to not even undertake the responsibility of protecting its own people. Europe de facto approves of “free hands” in this “solution” and agreement. You will not resist, M. Sarkozy agreed. We won’t protect you either, just make statements. Let the Georgian forces retreat to the places of their deployment. As to the whereabouts of Russia's units or the date by which they are supposed to leave – that has been left to be guessed. The Kremlin is free to tell lies every day. The Georgians will be told what to do, while the Russians will only be offered suggestions. In response, the Russians are already dictating conditions as victors.

There has been open hypocrisy: as if the bandits who followed the forces of the invaders did not belong to the Russian units. That is exactly how it was presented to us in 1991; the Soviet interior ministry OMON gangs were portrayed as 'local forces' assigned to protect the local Poles from the Lithuanians. A little later the whole of the so-called “Baltic regional military structure” (the Russian one, of course) was declared a "local public force" which was take part in determining the future "status" of the three Baltic States! But President Boris Yeltsin behaved honestly, so the menacing bubbles of the GRU bubbles proved to be empty in the end.

Before that, in Lithuania we saw the night of January 13 1991,a night which may be descending on Georgia presently. I can well remember the horrible sensation; we were being butchered, looted, exposed to anything they had on their minds while the whole world remained silent. Only Boris Yeltsin responded, as I later found out, by sternly warning Mr Gorbachev. But Gorbachev was by then already a hostage of the crime that had been perpetrated with his consent. And as the bloody morning drew closer, the West's protests were already audible.

The Soviet generals were, however, prevented from "finishing the job". It seems that things are similar around Tbilisi. The Russians are mocking President Sarkozy and Secretary of State Rice by withdrawing a little when they are in town, and coming back closer inr after the guests depart.

Georgia is not seeing the dawn, and Europe is allowing it to be so.

This may suggest that we are now at the beginning of the long-planned break-up of the European Union and the cataclysm of that ancient civilization. If we are honest we can see that morally Europe already capitulated way back in Chechnya. Any simplified, primitive and artificial justification for that punishing Chechen genocide, the second after the one inflicted by Stalin in 1944, was accepted. Now the berries are ripe.

Labels: Baltics, Baltics. Europe, EU, Europe, Europe. Russia, Georgia, Invasion, Lithuania

http://mfa.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=36&info_id=7606

It has become known that the Russian Federation’s armed forces illegally stationed on the territory of Georgia are mounting yet another provocation. In particular, Russian servicemen with the use of appropriate equipment are building a fixed control checkpoint on the Senaki-Poti highway, in the vicinity of the entrance to Poti, on the so-called 7^th kilometer.

The aforesaid fact indicates the Russian side’s yet another attempt to proceed with and further expand its military intervention in and occupation of the territory of Georgia. It needs to be noted that Poti is located approximately 30 kilometers from the conflict zone of Abkhazia and approximately 160 kilometers from the conflict zone of the Tskhinvali region.

Against the background of the Russian Federation’s statement made at the highest level, actual facts of withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Georgia point quite to the contrary.

We once again call on the international community to employ all resources at its disposal to put an end to Russian aggression.

Labels: Europe, Georgia, Russia

Marko Mihkelson suggests that since Russia obviously intends to prolong and even perpetuate its military occupation of Georgia, and is doing its utmost to paralyse the economic life of the country, it's time that Russia be given a taste of its own medicine. While Moscow can play on the dissensions between individual EU and NATO states regarding other types of response, a united stand on the matter of economic sanctions against Russia should not be too hard to achieve. And such sanctions could be quite effective. "After all, the oligarchs are human, too. Are they not?" Mihkelson asks.

Labels: Baltics, Baltics. Europe, Estonia, EU, Georgia, NATO, Oligarchs, Russia

From: The Joint Baltic American National Committee, Inc. [mailto:jbanc@jbanc.org]
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 5:19 AM
To: jbanc@jbanc.org
Subject: Cliché Diplomacy: "Peace Through Speech" (Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, Redstate, August 19, 2008 )
http://www.redstate.com/diaries/redstate/2008/aug/19/cliche-diplomacy-peace-through-speech/
Cliché Diplomacy: "Peace Through Speech"
Posted by: Rep. Thaddeus McCotter
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 04:00AM

In wake of revanchist Russia’s invasion of Georgia, a sovereign democracy allied with the United States and Europe, the stunned Bush administration’s response to this failure of “quiet diplomacy” and “engagement” policy with Comrade Putin – he of the soulful eyes – was initially one of stammered clichés, each of which is revelatory, juvenile and injurious.

Consequently, to further the cause of liberty and security, we are compelled to dispel the clichés fostering the failed policy of “peace through speech”; reassert the doctrine of “peace through strength”; and advance concrete actions to punish Russia for invading Georgia.

Regarding the clichés, first let us dispense with “Democracies don’t attack democracies.” Though belied by the War of 1812 (as but one example), this canard persisted until it came to rest in pieces beneath the boot heels of Georgia’s Russian invaders.

Next, we must refute how “This type of aggression is unacceptable in the 21st Century.” Excuse me, but welcome to the “end of the end of history”! It is insane to presume an arbitrary millennial date prevents nations from using force to attain perceived gains. For years it has been evident Comrade Putin disagrees with this false assumption; thus, who could be shocked this inanity has gained as little credence in Moscow as the Kellogg-Briand Pact once gained in Berlin?

Finally, let us end the myth aggressor nations measure their “international standing” in the same vein as do western democracies. Russia does not seek to be liked. Russia seeks to be feared. In sum, through intimidation and coercion Russia seeks what it cannot accomplish through cooperation and negotiation – the political subordination of central and eastern Europe’s sovereign, U.S. allied democracies within what Russia deems its “near abroad.” To gain this end, Russia invaded Georgia. In making this decision, Comrade Putin anticipated “The West’s” tepid words; and Comrade Putin didn’t give a damn. In fact, he was counting on them to bolster both his own domestic power within Russia and his nation’s external power over central and eastern European nations, who would be less than reassured by a weak-kneed US and EU response. (No doubt, too, Comrade Putin is laughing hysterically over some “sophisticated” foreign policy “experts” claiming the West’s harsh rhetoric will only inflame the situation. It looks like the Left hasn’t lost its “cold war” mindset, either!)

Frankly, the above clichés reveal the rot within both the administration’s and the Republican Party’s present foreign policy. Conflating the truth of Reagan’s dictum of “peace through strength” with the hope of “peace through speech”, the GOP has forgotten that words won’t stop tanks.

But “peace through strength” will. Nations must know pursing strategic aims through aggressive measures will cause them more harm than good. Then, if an aggressor nation miscalculates and strikes regardless, the harm to the aggressor nation must swiftly and surely outweigh its coveted benefits.

Therefore, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Georgia, individually and collectively the United States and our allies must:

Ensure the removal of all Russian troops, weapons, and intelligence officers from Georgian soil.

Secure Russian reparations for the damages incurred by Georgia due to this illegal invasion.

Invite Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to address a joint session of the United States Congress and reaffirm the bond of solidarity between the free peoples of our democracies.

Offer a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Georgia and the Ukraine.

Suspend high-level NATO-Russia Council (NRC) meetings until all Russian troops, weapons, and intelligence officers are removed from Georgian soil; and Russian reparations for the damages incurred by Georgia due to this illegal invasion are tendered.

Authorize Georgia, Ukraine, and all non-NATO central and eastern European allies to receive the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) the same preferential treatment as NATO+3 (Australia, Japan, and New Zeeland).

Authorize large-scale Foreign Military Financing (FMF) assistance to central and eastern European NATO allies.

Accelerate European Union accession and partnership negotiations with Ukraine and Georgia.

Bar Russia from the G-8 until all Russian troops, weapons, and intelligence officers are removed from Georgian soil; and Russian reparations for the damages incurred by Georgia due to this illegal invasion are tendered.

Refuse consideration of Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) until all Russian troops, weapons, and intelligence officers are removed from Georgian soil; and Russian reparations for the damages incurred by Georgia due to this illegal invasion are tendered.

End Russia's PNTR status and further sanction Russia with Column Two Tariffs until all Russian troops, weapons, and intelligence officers are removed from Georgian soil; and Russian reparations for the damages incurred by Georgia due to this illegal invasion are tendered.

Provide the Economic Support Funding (ESF) to Georgia to repair their infrastructure, which will be repaid by Russian reparations for the damages incurred by Georgia due to this illegal invasion.

Reauthorize programs under the Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act.

Assert that continued, large-scale, organized cyber attacks constitute an act of aggression.

Direct the Department of Interior’s United States Board of Geographic Names to refer to the Kuril Islands by their Japanese name.

Call upon the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi, Russia, to a non-aggressor nation.

Well, there I go again, revealing my “cold war” mentality. Maybe the “peace through speech” sophisticates are right. Let’s pass some vapid resolutions accusing Russia of not being an international team player; importune Comrade Putin to return the soul behind his eyes to its rightful owner; and hope this rabid bear is coaxed back into hibernation.

Still, one must wonder if the Georgian people would appreciate the irony that our quiet diplomacy is premised upon loud publicity not their pained reality?

###
******************************
Karl Altau
Managing Director
Joint Baltic American National Committee, Inc.
400 Hurley Avenue
Rockville, MD  20850
tel. 301-340-1954
fax 301-309-1406
jbanc@jbanc.org
http://jbanc.org
Representing:
Estonian American National Council, Inc.
American Latvian Association, Inc.
Lithuanian American Council, Inc.
******************************

Labels: Baltics, Georgia, Invasion, Russia

It’s now starting to be time for all the Western commentators, the op-ed writers, journalists, political analysts, academics, businesspeople and sundry Kremlinologists who acclaimed the “New Russia” that supposedly emerged after the fall of Communism to publicly admit that they were wrong – that what really took place was a co-ordinated attempt at a gross deception intended  by a cynical post-Soviet elite to make the world believe in a manifest falsehood. There were reasons for this willingness to be duped. The liberated nations of Eastern Europe, the states of Poland, Hungary, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were genuinely liberated, able to begin the return to the democratic traditions of their pre-1939 existence, and many people in the West rightly greeted this with relief. In Russia, however, no such return took place, for the simple reason that there had never been any democratic traditions in Russia to begin with. A euphoric mood of “let’s make believe” took hold of many Western observers of the Russian political scene.

Yet if they took a closer look, they could see that in essence nothing had really changed in the halls of power within the Kremlin. Sixteen years ago, on December 14 1992, Andrei Kozyrev, the foreign minister of the newly-fledged Russian “successor state”, made a speech in Stockholm - in connection with the then newly developing Balkan crisis - which outlined the true nature of Russia’s foreign policy. Though Kozyrev treated his audience to a theatrical turnaround in which he claimed that his statement was a “rhetorical device”, intended to show the power of those who opposed the supposedly “liberal” tendency of the new government, experienced observers realized what was afoot. The speech went as follows:

I am obliged to introduce corrections in the general direction of Russian foreign policy. I wish to inform you briefly about these to the extent that they concern CSCE problems.

First: While fully maintaining the policy of entry into Europe, we clearly recognize that our traditions in many respects, if not fundamentally, lie in Asia, and this sets limits to our rapprochement with Western Europe.

We see that, despite a certain degree of evolution, the strategies of NATO and the WEU, which are drawing up plans to strengthen their military presence in the Baltic and other regions of the territory of the former Soviet Union and to interfere in Bosnia and the internal affairs of Yugoslavia, remain essentially unchanged.

Clearly, sanctions against the FRY were dictated by this policy. We demand that they be lifted, and if this does not happen, we reserve our right to take the necessary unilateral measures to defend our interests, especially since the sanctions cause us economic harm. In its struggle, the present Government of Serbia can count on the support of the great Russia.

Second: The space of the former Soviet Union cannot be regarded as a zone of full application of CSCE norms. In essence, this is a post-imperial space, in which Russia has to defend its interests using all available means, including military and economic ones. We shall strongly insist that the former USSR Republics join without delay the new Federation or Confederation, and there will be tough talks on this matter.

Third: All those who think that they can disregard these particularities and interests – that Russia will suffer the fate of the Soviet Union – should not forget that we are talking of a state that is capable of standing up for itself and its friends. We are, of course, ready to play a constructive part in the work of the CSCE Council, although we shall be very cautious in our approach to ideas leading to interference in internal affairs.

It’s time now to go back to the history of those early years of the Yeltsin government and to discover what really happened in them.

Labels: Balkans, Baltics, Baltics. Europe, Europe, Foreign Policy, Former Yugoslavia, Russia, Serbia, Soviet Union, Yeltsin

The Jerusalem Post writes that

Syrian President Bashar Assad has pledged to support Russia in its conflict with Georgia and said that Damascus was ready to consider deploying Russian Iskander missile systems in its territory, in response to the US missile shield in Europe.

Assad made the comments in an interview for Russia's Kommersant newspaper, on the eve of his official visit to Sochi for discussions with Medvedev.  

Labels: Georgia, Israell, Middle East, Missile Defence, Russia, Syria

Prague Watchdog's Ramzan Akhmadov discusses Chechen reactions to Russia's invasion of Georgia, and interviews some Chechen citizens:

"...The Georgians must be constantly alert, because they can expect a stab in the back at any moment. In 1997 people also believed that the Kremlin was sincere, when Yeltsin and Maskhadov signed a peace agreement. And what happened next?” asks a former deputy of the parliament of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, who wishes to remain anonymous.

“I have no doubt that the Russian media will now do its best to create an image of Georgians as enemies of Russia. They’ll do it all with the same methods as they used on us Chechens. A mass zombification of the public at large, the preparing of public opinion, perhaps one or two bloody terrorist attacks with a lot of human victims, which will of course be carried out by "persons of Georgian nationality", and Russia will once again enthusiastically respond to an incendiary call to ‘wipe out the terrorists in the toilet’", he says with conviction. “The Kremlin will seek at any cost to overthrow the regime of Mikhail Saakashvili, who is stubborn enough to lead his country into NATO, and they’ll put their puppet in Tbilisi. And there’s a suitable candidate to hand – an ‘opposition figure’ who’s been kept warm by Moscow, Igor Giorgadze, Putin’s colleague in the KGB. In my view, some serious ordeals await Georgia in the near future. Very serious ones," he says. (my tr.)

Read the whole thing here.

Labels: Chechnya, Europe. Russia, Georgia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

In his op-ed column published in the Washington Post today, Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Michael Gerson makes some profoundly reasonable points about the negative results for Russia's reputation and international standing as a result of its aggression in Georgia. Above all, he is right to point to our own duty in the West to support Georgia and its people, and not to cast blame on ourselves:

The worst option would be to excuse Russia by blaming ourselves. NATO expansion did not cause Russian belligerence. The desire to be part of NATO in liberated Europe was fueled, in part, by a justified fear of Russian belligerence. Citizens of the Baltic states, for example, are now glad that NATO expanded with relative speed, or they might be next on Putin's list. Again and again in European history, there has been a temptation to sacrifice the freedom of small countries to the interests of great powers. And it generally hasn't worked out very well, for them or for us.

Georgia has been foolish. But Russia's crude overreach has had one good effect -- revealing the courage of others. Poland has quickly upgraded its relations with America, even under nuclear threat from Russia. Ukraine has been defiant, even though Russia still makes claims on Crimea. These nations have recent memories of Russian national "pride." And their courage should provoke our own.

Labels: Baltics, Baltics. Europe, Georgia, NATO, Russia, Ukraine

Today and tomorrow mark the 40th anniversary of the Soviet and Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Sweden's foreign minister Carl Bildt has a commemorative post on his weblog. Excerpt (my tr.):

And just after midnight it all began. Soviet special troops took over the airport. In surged the rumbling Antonovs carrying the airborne detachments, guided by the plane that had parked on the edge of the field.

The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia - Operation Donau to the Soviet staffs - had started.

But 40 years ago it was still just the twentieth of August.

And most of Europe was enjoying the summer, sleeping or relaxing.

The calm before the tragedy.

Labels: Czechoslovakia, Invasion, Russia, Soviet Union

In the Wall Street Journal, Transatlantic Center director Ronald D. Asmus discusses new practical steps that NATO can make in the changed geostrategic situation that now exists in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Georgia. Now that the "confidence-building steps" towards Russia which have guided the Alliance's Central Europe policy in recent years are plainly no longer necessary or desirable, he notes that

Since the Alliance began enlarging a decade ago, it has not conducted any defense planning against a possible Russian military threat to new members in Central and Eastern Europe or the Baltic states. We have unilaterally refrained from such steps partly as a confidence-building step toward Russia. New members have complained bitterly about this. It is why the Alliance is seen by many in the region as hollow. It is time to take this step as a prudent part of Alliance defense planning.

Asmus sees the future direction of NATO policy and practice in a stiffening of the Alliance's security guarantees to existing members by putting into place in the new member states "the infrastructure, reinforcement capabilities and symbolic deployments we are fully entitled to as a stabilizing and confidence-building measure for new allies."

NATO also needs to reassure those partners likely to be the next targets of Russian pressure and possible aggression, first and foremost Ukraine. This means rethinking NATO's enlargement strategy. In the mid-1990s, NATO adopted an enlargement strategy based on integration and not as a strategic response to Russia. We consciously raised the bar and requirements for new members. Our focus was less on protection than on democratic reforms to help anchor these countries to the West. But we also consciously left ourselves the option of lowering the bar in the future if the security environment took a turn for the worse. It now has done just that, and we need to shift our criteria again.

The whole article can be read here.

Labels: Baltics, Baltics. Europe, Georgia, NATO, Russia

In the Independent, Askold Krushelnycky writes about how President Yushchenko

went to Tbilisi to show support for Georgia, ordered restrictive new regulations for the Russian Black Sea Fleet based in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, and offered Ukrainian co-operation in a Western missile defence system despite the knowledge that neighbouring Poland received a chilling warning from Russia for agreeing to allow deployment on its territory of elements of the US missile defence shield. For the first time since independence, Ukrainian television has aired discussion of possible conflict with Russia and even politicians considered to be pro-Moscow have begun warning that Ukraine could be next in the firing line.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Ukraine

Jamestown's Vladimir Socor has an analysis of the method by which Moscow has already succeeded in invalidating the six-point French-brokered peace plan, and pinpoints President Sarkozy as the initiator of this process. A couple of brief excerpts from a long and carefully researched study:

Russia has junked the six-point agreement in the traditional way of Russian and Soviet diplomacy in Europe’s East: It eviscerates an international agreement of its content while preserving its carcass for continuing reference to excuse Kremlin actions.

------

The Georgians yielded to Sarkozy’s argument that failure to sign the document would immediately trigger the occupation of Tbilisi by Russian troops. By descending on Tbilisi with this argument straight from his tete-a-tete with Medvedev, the French president became in effect a messenger of Russian coercion of Georgia.

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Occupation, Russia

The Independent has published a useful summary of events in the Russian invasion of Georgia. Though the article suffers here and there in its attempts to be "even-handed", it does give a fairly clear picture of the hours leading up to the Russian assault. Excerpt:

On 7 August, the day before the Olympics began, the Georgian negotiator, Temuri Yakobashvili, went to the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali for direct talks with the de facto separatist leader and a Russian envoy. Yakobashvili recalls that Tskhinvali already looked like a ghost town. But the Russian diplomat, Yuri Popov, failed to show up for the meeting at a Russian military base, saying that his car had a flat tyre. "Can't you change the tyre?" the incredulous Georgian negotiator asked the Russian who was supposed to be chairing the talks. No, he replied, as he did not have a spare.

Then, the South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity failed to show up. Yakobashvili asked the Russian general who headed the joint peacekeeping commission what to do, and was told: "Declare a ceasefire." So, that night at 7 pm, Saakashvili went on television and declared a unilateral ceasefire. But by that time, Georgian tanks and troops were on the move.

At 10.30pm, two Georgian peacekeepers were killed and six injured when the rebels opened fire on Georgian positions. But the attack that prompted Georgia's full-scale attack, at about midnight on 7 August, was a bombardment of the villages of Tamarasheni and Kurta, close to Tskhinvali.

Then, the Georgians say, came the "tipping point". They say the US showed them satellite photographs of 150 Russian tanks entering the Roki tunnel, although the Georgians have refused to provide such evidence. The Russians insist their build-up through the tunnel came only after the Georgians attacked Tskhinvali, killing 15 Russian peacekeepers. "This was a heavy armoured Russian column, moving slowly, on very rugged terrain in the highest mountain range in Europe," says Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze of Georgia. "Think how many hours of preparation, assembly, then marching, it would take for that column, moving at that speed on rugged terrain, to be at the Kurta bridge at six in the morning. If that isn't a premeditated invasion, I don't know what is." They were regular Russian troops, not peacekeepers, heading to Tskhinvali.

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Occupation, Russia

Via the Washington Post:

Many Georgians shrug at Russian promises to leave. Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said the Russian column that left Gori on Tuesday was part of a hoax. "They just call these foreign journalists, move the column in front of them, and then when they are gone, they put them back. So there has been no withdrawal whatsoever."

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Occupation, Russia

In language that really does recall the days of the Cold War, or even the Third Reich, Russia's foreign minister has responded to the NATO foreign ministers' statement by calling it "an attempt to whitewash the criminal regime in Georgia", "making the aggressor the victim".

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, NATO, Occupation, Russia

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/08/16/georgi19630_txt.htm

Russia/Georgia: Militias Attack Civilians in Gori Region

Russia Should Curb Militias and Allow in Humanitarian Aid

(Tbilisi, August 17, 2008) – Russian authorities should immediately take steps to end Ossetian militia attacks on ethnic Georgians in the Gori district of Georgia, Human Rights Watch said today. The Russian military should also ensure safe passage for civilians wishing to leave the region and for humanitarian aid agencies to enter.

"The Russian military has effective control of the Gori region, making it responsible for the security and well-being of all people living there," said Rachel Denber, Europe and Central Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch. "Russia should prevent any further militia attacks and allow humanitarian aid to reach the hundreds of vulnerable civilians still in the area, including many elderly."

Human Rights Watch researchers interviewed ethnic Georgians from the city of Gori and surrounding villages who described how armed Ossetian militias attacked their cars and kidnapped civilians as people tried to flee in response to militia attacks on their homes following the Russian advance into the area. In phone interviews, people remaining in Gori region villages told Human Rights Watch that they had witnessed looting and arson attacks by Ossetian militias in their villages, but are afraid to leave after learning about militia attacks on those who fled.

Russian military forces remain in Gori and the surrounding villages since advancing from South Ossetia on August 13, 2008. They have denied access to some humanitarian missions seeking to assist civilians. The UN, which has described the humanitarian situation in Gori as "desperate," has been able to deliver only limited food supplies to the city.

"Dato," a victim of an Ossetian militia attack, told Human Rights Watch that on August 12, militia fighters stopped a minivan carrying him and several other civilians near Tkviavi. The militia fighters attempted to abduct the male passengers, but Dato and four others managed to escape. No further information is available about the fate of at least eight men whom the militia abducted from the vehicle. Kidnapping and enforced disappearances are both prohibited under international law, and may amount to crimes against humanity or war crimes, depending on the circumstances in which they occur.

Vasiko Tevdorashvili, a Georgian official from a Gori district village, told Human Rights Watch that some 250 civilians remain trapped in three villages. He stated that they fear attacks by Ossetian militia and need help to leave the area. Acts intended to spread terror amongst the civilian population are also prohibited and may amount to a war crime. In a phone interview with Human Rights Watch, "Anna," a school teacher trapped in the village of Mereti, described her plight: "There are about 60 people, mostly elderly, remaining in the village. We are hiding in the gardens and in the forest … Our [relatives] learned that three houses in our village were looted and burned by Ossetians, and we are scared that they will come for us as well. Many of us want to leave, but we are scared to do so … we are afraid that if we try to leave, Ossetians will kidnap us."

Although Human Rights Watch was able to speak by phone to people in Gori region villages, many of those who have fled the region have no information about the fate of their relatives who have remained.

On August 12 and 13, Human Rights Watch documented how Ossetian militias looted and burned houses in ethnic Georgian villages in South Ossetia, along the road from Java to Tskhinvali (for more background, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2008/08/13/georgi19607.htm; for a slideshow of the burning and looting, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/photos/2008/georgia0808/.

Russian forces controlling Gori also denied access to most journalists trying to enter the city.

As the party to the conflict exercising effective control over Gori and the surrounding areas, Russia has an obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the security and welfare of the civilians in the area. If it fails to take appropriate measures to protect civilians, ensure their security, and allow humanitarian access, it may be held responsible under humanitarian law for serious violations against civilians.

"The Russian military should immediately establish a safe corridor to and from Gori," said Denber. "No one should be forced to leave their homes, but those who wish to leave should be able to do so safely. Humanitarian relief workers should be allowed in to assist those who chose to remain or are unable to leave."

Labels: Georgia, Russia, War Crimes

NATO FMs Statement on Georgia, Russia

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 19 Aug.'08 / 17:01

Statement

Meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Foreign Ministers held at NATO Headquarters, Brussels,
on 19 August 2008

The North Atlantic Council met in special Ministerial session on 19 August 2008, expressed its grave concern over the situation in Georgia and discussed its wider implications for Euro-Atlantic stability and security.  A peaceful and lasting solution to the conflict in Georgia must be based on full respect for the principles of Georgia’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity recognised by international law and UN Security Council resolutions.  We deplore all loss of life, civilian casualties, and damage to civilian infrastructure that has resulted from the conflict.  We are assisting humanitarian relief efforts.  We met with the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE, Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Alexander Stubb, to discuss the key issues which he believed needed to be addressed.

We welcome the agreement reached and signed by Georgia and Russia, through the diplomatic efforts of the European Union, the OSCE and the US, to end the hostilities and to bring about a political solution to the conflict.  We stand fully behind these efforts.  We stress the urgency of swift, complete, and good faith implementation of the agreement, including a new international mechanism to monitor respect for these engagements.  Military action must cease definitively and military forces must return to their positions held prior to the outbreak of hostilities.  Fully international discussions must begin on the modalities for security and stability in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.  Economic activity in Georgia, including international aviation and shipping, must not be hindered.

We are gravely concerned by the humanitarian situation.  Allied governments are working together, and in concert with international organisations and others in the international community, to ensure that the civilian populations affected by the conflict have the assistance they need to meet immediate and ongoing humanitarian needs.  We call on all parties, in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law, to ensure access for international humanitarian relief efforts to all affected populations.

We have also agreed today to support Georgia, upon its request, in a number of areas.  In addition, we have agreed to task the North Atlantic Council in Permanent Session to develop with Georgia rapidly the modalities for a NATO-Georgia Commission.  This Commission will supervise the process set in hand at Bucharest, including the measures of support agreed at today’s meeting.  These measures are intended to assist Georgia, a valued and long-standing Partner of NATO, to assess the damage caused by the military action and to help restore critical services necessary for normal public life and economic activity.  Georgia's recovery, security and stability are important to the Alliance.  NATO will continue to cooperate with Georgia in the framework of the Partnership for Peace and Georgia’s Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO, and will review any additional Georgian requests for assistance.  We also welcomed the fact that a number of our governments have indicated that they will actively support measures to help the economic reconstruction of Georgia.

The conflict between Georgia and Russia has compromised regional stability and security.  We deeply deplore the use of force in the conflict between Georgia and Russia.  We reiterate that there is no military solution to the unresolved conflicts.  We remind all parties that peaceful conflict resolution is a key principle of the Partnership for Peace Framework Document.

We remain concerned by Russia's actions during this crisis and remind Russia of its responsibility for maintaining security and order in the areas where it exercises control, especially in light of continuing reports of Russia’s deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure.  Russian military action has been disproportionate and inconsistent with its peacekeeping role, as well as incompatible with the principles of peaceful conflict resolution set out in the Helsinki Final Act, the NATO-Russia Founding Act and the Rome Declaration.  We call on Russia to take immediate action to withdraw its troops from the areas it is supposed to leave under the six-principle agreement signed by President Saakashvili and President Medvedev1.  The Alliance is considering seriously the implications of Russia’s actions for the NATO-Russia relationship.  In 2002, we established the NATO-Russia Council, a framework for discussions with Russia, including on issues that divide the Alliance and Russia.  We have determined that we cannot continue with business as usual.  We call on Moscow to demonstrate – both in word and deed – its continued commitment to the principles upon which we agreed to base our relationship.

We reaffirmed our commitment to the decisions taken by Heads of State and Government at the Bucharest Summit in April 2008, including those regarding Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, and we will continue our intensive engagement with Georgia to address in December the questions pertaining to its Membership Action Plan application, taking into account developments until that time.

Labels: Georgia, NATO, Russia

Writing in his blog, Marko Mihkelson, head of the Estonian parliament's EU affairs committee, asks (my tr.):

Do you know who decided to start the military invasion of sovereign Georgia, and how?

Paragraph d) of Part 1 of Article 102 of the Russian Constitution, which has been in force since December 1993, states specifically that permission to use the armed forces outside the territory of the Russian Federation is given by the upper chamber the Federation Council. Was such permission given? No, as you can see on the upper chamber’s home page. Thus it is no exaggeration to suppose that by sending troops into Georgia, Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev violated the constitution of his state.

In fact, this is sadly a clear demonstration of how undemocratic, secretive and unpredictable the decision-making mechanisms in modern Russia are. Prime minister Vladimir Putin was first to announce the start of military operations, and did so on the basis of public rhetoric He was followed, with a similar statement, by President Dmitry Medvedev.

If someone did make a decision authorizing an invasion, then we don’t know when this happened, or in which chamber (it might have been the Security Council, for example). When in 1994 President Boris Yeltsin sent troops to Chechnya, which lay within the borders of his State, he had to go at least through a meeting of the Security Council. But now we are talking about an independent state, and for this the Constitution stipulates that there must be a decision of parliament.

It's obvious, however, that the Russian armed forces were ready for a rapid incursion into Georgia’s territory. The invasion took place less than a day after the alleged emergence of a pretext.

Against the backdrop of the events in Georgia President Medvedev has become a manifest shadow of President Putin. One should remember that a few days later, Medvedev announced that the military operation had been completed, and yesterday that Russian troops were leaving Georgian territory. But in reality everything is different.

Immediately after being elected president, Medvedev pledged the rule of law in Russia. Unfortunately, since the head of state himself has ignored the provisions of the Constitution, this is not convincing, The constitutional court’s opinion on the legality of the attack sounds more made-to-order than independent.

Labels: Chechnya, Georgia, Invasion, Occupation, Russia

At a press conference in Brussels today, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced the project for the formation of a new NATO-Georgia Commission, to be set up in consultation between NATO and the Georgian government. The new Commission will be run on the same basis as the already-existing NATO-Ukraine Council.

The Secretary General said that there can be "no business as usual" with Russia, as it is currently occupying the territory of a sovereign state, Georgia, and is in violation of the 6-point peace plan which was brokered by the European Union and was signed by President Medvedev.

Labels: Georgia, NATO, Occupation, Russia

Via IHT (C.J. Chivers and Andrew E. Kramer):

Russian soldiers in armed personnel carriers blockaded the main commercial port in the Black Sea town of Poti on Tuesday and took Georgian soldiers prisoner.

An explosion could be heard from the port, where Russian troops sank Georgian ships earlier this week. An Associated Press report said 22 Georgians were being held.

The situation was evolving, but if Russian forces have seized control of the port it is further evidence of continued Russian military activity on Georgian territory despite reassurances that they would withdraw.

Sky has more here.

Civil Georgia has a report here.

Labels: Georgia, Georgia ceasefire, Russia

In a sign that Russia's special services may be planning acts of violence on Russian soil which can then be conveniently blamed on Georgians, Lenta.ru reports the head of Russia's FSB as warning that "Georgian special services" are planning "terrorist acts" [terakty] in Russia's Southern Federal District. This method of incrimination was used quite widely by the FSB during the first and second Chechen wars - the Moscow apartment bombings being the most notable example -  and it's no surprise to see it being resurrected in the Georgian context. For good measure, the announcement was coupled with warnings on an imminent reactivation of guerrilla activity in Dagestan, and the discovery of a "Georgian spy network" in the North Caucasus. 

Labels: apartment bombings, Georgia, Russia, terrorism

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said in Brussels that NATO will defeat Russia's aims in Georgia, AP reports. She also said that Russia is playing a "very dangerous game" with the U.S. and its allies and warned that NATO will not allow Moscow to win in Georgia, destabilize Europe or draw a new Iron Curtain through it.

Labels: Georgia, NATO, Russia, United States

Vladimir Socor, who is covering the Georgian crisis from Tbilisi, has published an analysis of Moscow's plans for the occupation of Georgia. He believes that Russia intends to dismember the country, splitting it into several fragmented entities that are completely dependent on Moscow for their security. An excerpt:

Deep inside Georgia, Russian forces have cut the country into an eastern half and a western half by blocking railway and highway traffic. The Russians have blown up the railway bridge at Kaspi and seized the highway junction near Gori, interdicting all transport. As a result, the government in Tbilisi has lost all overland links with the west of the country and parts of central Georgia. Air links between eastern and western Georgia are also blocked by the Russians.

Russian troops control Georgia’s Black Sea harbor of Poti and adjacent areas and are discouraging commercial vessels from entering the ports of Poti and Batumi. The Russian navy, deployed off Georgia’s coast, is engaged in undeclared or semi-declared blockade measures. The maritime blockade and interdiction of overland communications from the ports to the rest of the country has largely isolated Georgia economically from the outside world.

In sum, Russia threatens to cut up Georgia, informally but methodically, on several levels: 1) in Abkhazia and South Ossetia; 2) through additional buffer zones (glacis) beyond the secessionist areas; 3) by isolating some remote chunks of territory (Svaneti); 4) by cutting off the country’s east and west from each other and isolating Tbilisi; and 5) by controlling the seaboard.

Cumulatively, these moves enable Moscow to threaten to dismember Georgia as a means to force a change of government in Tbilisi. In the next stage, Moscow may try to install local authorities in various parts of the country. Those authorities may then be forced to act without Tbilisi’s approval or even to declare insubordination to Tbilisi. Pro-Moscow groups are a very small fringe in Georgia. The Russians, however, can create supply problems and law enforcement difficulties in order to force local authorities to work with Russian occupation authorities, even if the latter refuse to work with the Georgian government.

Labels: Georgia, Occupation, Russia

A correspondent writes:

On looking back through my computer file on Georgia I found the following part of a Vladimir Socor EDM article relevant to recent events and to the likely delays in the departure of Russian troops:

GEORGIA’S HARD-EARNED CHRISTMAS PRESENT: RUSSIAN MILITARY OUT OF TBILISI

By Vladimir Socor EDM Tuesday, January 2, 2007

On December 25, 2006, the last personnel of Russia’s garrison in Tbilisi and the rump Headquarters of the Group of Russian Forces in the Transcaucasus (GRVZ) pulled out of Georgia’s capital and of the country altogether. Their unwilling, though ultimately precipitate, withdrawal crowns 15 years of Georgian efforts toward this goal. Moreover, the evacuation brings to a close more than 200 years of the Russian garrisoning of Tbilisi. The imperial Russian army under General Ivan Lazarev occupied Tbilisi in November 1799, using an invasion route from Ossetia (Itar-Tass, December 24)…

…(the withdrawal agreement) stipulated the closure of the GVRZ’s Tbilisi Headquarters by the end of 2008, as the final step in the withdrawal process. However, the Kremlin unexpectedly decided to start and complete the pullout from Tbilisi two years ahead of schedule. Under a worst-case line of speculation, Moscow may have calculated that its Tbilisi headquarters and garrison could have become hostages in the event of hostilities and that their evacuation gives Moscow somewhat greater leeway to initiate a political-military crisis.”
(my emphasis)

Labels: Georgia, Russia

Via AFP:

Russia trains its missiles on Tbilisi

RUSSIA has deployed several tactical missile launchers and supply vehicles to South Ossetia, putting the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, within their striking range, The New York Times reported on its website yesterday.

- - - - - - - - -

Before Russian deputy chief of staff Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn claimed the withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgia had began last night, The New York Times cited US officials familiar with intelligence reports as saying the launching positions were located north of Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital.

Officials told the paper that SS-21 missile launchers, as well as supply vehicles, had driven south through the Roki Tunnel into South Ossetia in recent days and were deployed within range of much of Georgia, including its second-largest city, Kutaisi, and Tbilisi. Russian forces used the short-range ballistic missile in the Chechnya conflict, where it was believed to have caused significant civilian casualties.

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, nuclear weapons, Russia

Via the Telegraph:

President Victor Yushchenko of Ukraine accused his prime minister Yulia Timoshenko of committing "high treason" by not speaking out against the Kremlin during an escalating stand off with Russia.

Labels: Europe, Georgia, Invasion, Ukraine, War Crimes, War in Georgia

http://mfa.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=461&info_id=7527

 

Timeline of Events in the Russian Invasion & Occupation of Georgia

The information below is accurate to the best of our knowledge but is subject to verification.

18 August

18:30 Russian armored vehicles have moved from Igoeti to the village of Odzisi south of Akhalgori.

17:30 Russian military plane entered Georgian airspace from North near Stefantsminda (Kasbegi). It flew towards Jinvali dam, overflew it and returned.  

17:30 Georgian police check point attacked by Russian Military near Igoeti. Tanks run over Police Cars.

• Russian armored vehicles began movement from Igoeti towards Akhalgori. On the checkpoint of Georgian police they crashed police cars and continued their movement towards Akhalgori.

16:00 Russian military are exploding barracks and other infrastructures  of the Senaki military base.

13:00 Russian Troops start movement towards Sachkhere and Borjomi, most probably for reconnaissance purposes.

11:00 Russian Troops block roads around Kaspi .

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Russia

Russian forces are not leaving Georgian territory and continue to move deeper inside the country, AFP reports. Shota Utiashvili, Georgian interior ministry representative has made a statement which includes details of Russian troop movements near the city of  Borjomi.

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Russia

A newly released statement by the Georgian government says that

It is absolutely obvious to the international community that the Russian Federation chose destruction of economy with the use of military force and ethnic cleansing as an instrument for implementing its foreign policy.

Read the whole document here.

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Russia, War Crimes

As I pointed out in an earlier post to this blog, there are at least two terms currently being used by Russian military and political representatives to describe the actions of Russia's forces in the aftermath of the recent ceasefire agreement. Otvod (sometimes translated as "withdrawal", but more akin to "pull-back") and vyvod (withdrawal, pull-out) are clearly not the same thing. And now at his latest press conference Gen. Nogovitsyn has come out with a public statement that what his forces are involved in is an otvod - this being the only term that was used in Medvedev's telephone conversations with Sarkozy. "I hope you have noticed the subtle distinction," he is reported as saying to journalists. Russian media are complicating the matter further by using a third term - otkhod, which many dictionaries give as "withdrawal" in the military sense, but which really just means "leaving", the precise direction of which is not specified.

By playing with military terminology in this way, Russia is managing to further stall the process of removing its troops from Georgian territory.

Labels: Georgia, Georgia ceasefire, Russia

Peteris Cedrins has a thoughtful and informative post about the sympathy many people in the Baltic States feel for Georgia:

The photograph in this post is of a work by Jūlijs Straume, an artist renowned for his textiles; I thought I would avoid the photos of carnage one can find everywhere these days. Long resident in Georgia and an avid researcher in Georgian traditions, he was also the first Latvian envoy to the short-lived Democratic Republic of Georgia, proclaimed in the same year the Baltic states declared their independence. The Baltics, with all our tragedy, had better luck -- like Belarus, which also declared its independence ninety years ago, Georgia was crushed before it could enjoy the two decades of nation-building we did. Twenty years, sullied by our own descent into authoritarianism and blighted by the shadows of the approaching war, might not seem like much -- but our parents and grandparents remembered being free. The maps I grew up with in America almost always bore the note that the United States and most Western countries did not recognize the annexation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania by the USSR. The fervent hope that we would regain our independence seemed to be an absurd dream to many even at the fall of the Berlin Wall. The maps had no such note for Georgia, Belarus, or Ukraine -- though Georgia did have some success in achieving diplomatic recognition for its doomed Republic, fate and Stalin dictated otherwise.

Labels: Baltics, Baltics. Europe, Estonia, Georgia, Invasion, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia

The concluding paragraph of a commentary published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty puts the matter succinctly enough:

In Kosovo, the international community was left with no option but to intervene to stop the ethnic cleansing of Kosovar Albanians by the Serbian regime. Kosovo was recognized as an independent state given its status within the Yugoslav Federation and fulfillment of international criteria for recognition. By contrast, Russian involvement in South Ossetia over the course of the last decade, and in particular its intervention during this past week, has resulted in mass ethnic cleansing and a blatant violation of Georgia's territorial integrity.

Labels: Georgia, Kosovo, Russia, Serbia, South Ossetia

Reuters reports that, in the hope that Russia will fulfil its promise to start withdrawing its forces from Georgian territory today, President Saakashvili will make a televised address later today in which he takes a conciliatory tone towards Russia, asking it to start thinking about "further negotiations". He says that he doesn't appeal to Russia's mercy but to its "pragmatism and simple common sense."

Reuters also notes that to many hardliners in Moscow, Russia's withdrawal will be seen as a defeat.

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Russia

Via Russia and Georgia at War: this YouTube clip from Georgian television clearly shows CCTV footage of Russian soldiers in uniform looting a bank in the city of Gori.

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Russia

Prague Watchdog has the story (in my tr.).

Labels: Chechnya, Georgia, Russia

Via the New York Times/Georgian Daily:

Even as Russia pledged to begin withdrawing its forces from neighboring Georgia on Monday, American officials said the Russian military had been moving launchers for short-range ballistic missiles into South Ossetia, a step that appeared intended to tighten its hold on the breakaway territory.

The Russian military deployed several SS-21 missile launchers and supply vehicles to South Ossetia on Friday, according to American officials familiar with intelligence reports. From the new launching positions north of Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital, the missiles can reach much of Georgia, including Tbilisi, the capital.

Labels: Georgia, Georgia ceasefire, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, South Ossetia

The Telegraph writes that South Ossetian authorities are holding over 130 Georgian civilian hostages, including children, and are demanding a "prisoner exchange":

Georgian government officials said yesterday they were aware of the hostage situation but denied holding any South Ossetians captive to exchange.

Koba Subeliani, an MP responsible for internally displaced persons said, "We know about them. The problems is we don't have any hostages so we can't do any exchange".

Labels: Georgia, Georgia ceasefire, Invasion, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, South Ossetia

http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19179

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 17 Aug.'08 / 20:54

• Saakashvili: a lie that Georgia started it;
• Tbilisi ready for international investigation;
• Merkel: no time for putting blame;

President Saakashvili has strongly brushed off any suggestion that it was his administration to blame for armed conflict with Russia and said Georgia was ready for international investigation to find out what led to the conflict.

At a joint news conference with German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, President Saakashvili was asked to comment on allegations that he also was partially responsible for the crisis because of attacking breakaway South Ossetia.

Saakashvili said in a response that it was Russia which sent its troops to Georgia and Tbilisi just had to react. He also pointed out that Georgia had been telling the world about, what he said was, Russia’s preparations for invasion into Georgia for months.

“None of you did pay attention at it,” he said, “and now you come back to me and blame us? None of the mainstream European media paid attention at it; there were all the indications on the ground saying this; and people now might say: who fired first shots; well, if there are hundreds of tanks rolling into your country you have two choices – either to fire or surrender. I made it clear, no matter what, Georgia will never surrender. If tanks continue to roll we will not again surrender.”

He also said that Russia now tried to justify its action under the pretext of protecting its citizens in South Ossetia. He, however, said it was a Soviet-old tactics.

“Every time big Russia attacks some neighbor Russia is always blaming a neighbor. Give me one time in history when Russia said that their attack was unprovoked; they always said that it was provoked: it was provoked by Finland; it was provoked by Hungary; it was provoked by Czechoslovakia; it was provoked by Afghanistan,” Saakashvili said.

He acknowledged that it was impossible to stop “two thousand Russian tanks” that rolled into Georgia/

“But does it [the Georgian government] have the obligation to at least try? Yes we have,” he continued. “Should we’ve done it? Yes. Did we fail? I do not think so, because people got united and I think they will eventually get out of my country and allow people to develop in peace.”

He also said that Georgia was “open for international investigation of what led to the conflict.”

“We are the ones that immediately demanded access on the ground for international organizations and we were the ones to call for transparency,” he said.

He also said that Georgia was forced into the trap.

“It is lie that Georgians stepped into the trap, because frankly whether we would have wanted to step into the trap or not that did not matter, because that was decided for us for all of us and that happened,” Saakashvili said.

The German Chancellor Merkel told the news conference that it was not time for speaking about the origins of the conflict; she said ceasefire and fulfillment of six-point plan was the priority at the moment.

She said she expected a “very fast, very prompt” withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia. She called it an “urgent matter.”

Saakashvili said Georgia was grateful for the support of the German Chancellor, whom he described as “very brave statesman.”

“We need immediate withdrawal [of Russian troops], we need verification of withdrawal and ceasefire preferably by EU and OSCE monitors; we needed humanitarian aid reaching everybody and in the end we need peacekeepers taking over the conflict areas and doing genuine post-conflict resolution in interest of all ethnic groups,” Saakashvili said.

“Georgia will never give up any square mile of its territory; no matter what happens we will never reconcile with the fact of annexation or separation of parts of territory from Georgia with the attempts to legalizing ethnic cleansing and with the attempts to bring Georgia to the knees and to undermine the democratic system,” he added.

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Russia

It looks as though tomorrow's promised start of a pull-out of Russian forces from Georgia may not take place after all. Using a time-honoured KGB-approved method of disrupting such plans, Moscow is accusing Georgia of preparing a "provocation" in the city of Gori, thus signalling that it will intervene to prevent an action it has itself staged. Bascially, the idea is to blame the marauding, killing, burning, stealing and looting on Georgia. Sky News has the beginnings of the story.

The Telegraph has more here.

Labels: Georgia, Georgia ceasefire, Invasion, Russia

http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/htimes/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2689:estonians-vent-anger-at-finlands-lipponen-over-nord-stream-&catid=33:general&Itemid=201

Estonians vent anger at Finland's Lipponen over Nord Stream
Friday, 15 August 2008 15:14

Paavo Lipponen's decision to become an advisor for the undersea gas pipeline joint venture Nord Stream has incurred the ire of the Estonians, many of whom are strongly opposed to the project.

After [Finnish] national daily Helsingin Sanomat broke the story on Friday, two MPs belonging to government parties strongly criticised the move in Estonian paper Eesti Päevaleht, with one of them calling it a flagrant example of economic corruption.

Dozens of writers on the public area of the website of Estonian daily Postimees branded Mr Lipponen as a traitor and Finland as "Pipestan".

The Nord Stream gas pipeline is to run from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Estonia has not allowed Nord Stream to even conduct surveys in its coastal waters.
Mr Lipponen, a former Finnish prime minister and speaker of Parliament, is to act as an intermediary between German-Russian Nord Stream and the Finnish decision makers in order to speed up the process for obtaining the environmental permits for the pipe.

STT

Labels: Baltics, Baltics. Europe, Energy, Estonia, Germany, Russia

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gDNLWfQWKrQc48pITBUg9KT_6oVwD92K2SE80

Labels: Georgia, Germany, NATO

An IWPR journalist witnessed the burning of Gori by Russian troops, and writes about it here.

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Russia

That the United States leadership does have some difficulty - one that's perhaps exacerbated by geographical distance - in being accurate about the situation on the ground in Georgia is underlined every so often the statements it issues, phrases of which are then seized on by the media and widely reproduced. Quite recently, for example, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza referred to"the North Caucasus irregular forces that the Russian military inexplicably encouraged to enter South Ossetia to murder, rape and steal." As Norbert Strade has pointed out,

these North Caucasian units aren't "irregular forces". E.g. the "Chechen" Vostok and Zapad regiments are *fully regular Russian units* under the command of the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency. They don't do anything without orders from - or at least the collusion of - their command in Moscow. If these units are murdering, raping and stealing in Georgia, they are doing so because they have been sent there in order to do so (as Mr. Bryza implies himself). Furthermore, this isn't "inexplicable". It's the classical way to carry out an ethnic cleansing, and that's what they are deployed for and what their gang leaders in the Russian administration want to get done. If anything is "irregular" here, it's the Russian armed forces as such and the misunderstanding that they are a modern institution that does its bloody work according to the established rules of warfare. The world has such a short memory, it has already forgotten the Russian behaviour in Chechnya while the war is still on.

Labels: Georgia, Invasion, Russia, War Crimes

Having blithely threatened Poland with nuclear attack, the Russian leadership has apparently decided to follow this up with another such threat: the Sunday Times quotes a "senior military source in Moscow" as saying that "nuclear warheads could be supplied to submarines, cruisers and fighter bombers of the Baltic fleet based in Kaliningrad". This "press leak" is clearly intended for Western consumption, and should probably be treated with a modest dose of skepticism - given the current stance of the Russian government, the content of the statement is of less significance than its timing and form: it should - for the moment, at least -  be read as simply one more effort by Moscow to show its contempt for world opinion.

Labels: global threats, nuclear weapons, Russia

Day after day we read reports in the Western media that Russian forces have "begun to withdraw" from Georgia. It may be salutary to bear in mind that terminology is quite important here. The Russian word for withdrawal used in many official statments is "otvod" (as distinct from the more unambiguous "vyvod", which can also be translated as "pull-out") - and its dictionary meaning is certainly "withdrawal". However, in such statements Russian foreign ministry and defence ministry spokesmen often use the term "otvod" rather freely, in the sense of "peredislotsirovanie", which means "redeployment".

Labels: Defence and Security, Georgia, Invasion, Russia

David Cameron, Britain's Conservative leader who increasingly looks like the country's next prime minister, warned in Tbilisi today (Telegraph) that

Russia must not be allowed to dictate the composition of Nato as he met with Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili to express British solidarity with the beleaguered nation.

Standing side-by-side with Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze, Mr Cameron said Russia must immediately end its “illegal” invasion of its Caucasian neighbour.

“I think it’s important that the world’s oldest democracy must stand with one of the newest when it’s been illegally invaded by another country,” he said. “We wanted to come to express the strongest possible support of the British people, British government and British opposition for Georgia, its independence and integrity."

Labels: Britain, Georgia, Georgia ceasefire, Invasion, Russia

According to Lenta.ru [my tr.],

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov says that Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has signed the agreement for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in South Ossetia without the introductory part which is an integral part of the document. A diplomat said that the issue would be clarified through diplomatic channels.

According to Lavrov, in the copy of the agreement bearing Saakashvili’s signature received from American diplomats the following text is missing: "The principles set out below are supported by the presidents of Russia and France, and the presidents of Russia and France call on the parties to sign this document."

The Russian minister stressed that Russian president Dmitry Medvedev and the leaders of the unrecognized republic of South Ossetia and Abkhazia have signed the document in this form.

Lavrov also said that the Russian president has given instructions for the peace plan to be implemented, but according to the diplomat, Russia's actions will depend on the implementation of its accords by the other parties.

In addition, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation added that the withdrawal of forces to the agreed border security zone will require as much time as is necessary. Lavrov also said that the basic accords do not specify the maximum size of the peacekeeping contingent which Russia can bring into the conflict zone.

Labels: Georgia, Georgia ceasefire, Invasion, Russia

Witnesses have confirmed that contrary to official Russian denials Russian troops have destroyed a key railway bridge at Kaspi, on the main railway lines west of Tbilisi. Sky has video footage of the destruction.

Labels: Georgia, Georgia ceasefire, Invasion, Russia

Via the Telegraph:

Troops manoeuvred around the Gori and pushed deeper towards another town - Akhalgori - with a column of around 1,000 men, possibly South Ossetian irregulars.

Another detachment remained just 25 miles from the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, near the village of Igoeti, where they showed no signs of moving.

Labels: Georgia, Georgia ceasefire, Russia

Via mfa.gov.ge:

08:47 – The battalion has stopped in the village Karaleti. The group is composed of lots of armored personnel carriers, tanks, army trucks and engineer unit. The staff meeting is taking place. The general joined later arriving by helicopter.

08:26 – General Alarm was declared in 71st Tank Battalion of the Russian army, stationed in Tskhinvali. The Battalion is now heading towards Gori. As of now, they are in the village of Karaleti.

00:30 The cases of looting and abuse of local civilians committed by separatists in Russian occupied villages of Abisi, Koda, Ptsa – Kareli district have been reported.

Labels: Russia's invasion of Georgia

One of the features of the reporting of the Russian invasion of Georgia in the international media during the past week has been the appearance in the reports of certain tags or catchwords – “hubris” and “checkmate” are particular favourites of the pro-Moscow tendency, while “rhetoric” is intended to deflate statements by the Georgian president. It would never do for some international news outlets to accept at face value statement s by the leader of some non-NATO, non-EU state that has riled the Great Russian Bear. No, his remarks must be construed as rhetorical constructs – “propaganda”, in the words of some reporters and analysts.

Another such tag is the expression “litmus test” – but here the emphasis is slightly different, and the phrase is used with varying connotations and inflections depending on who it's being applied to. Indeed, there have been rather a lot of litmus tests during the week. The one that sticks primarily in one’s mind is the deafening silence of many Western leaders in the face of the obvious fact of Russia’s aggression – it took Britain four whole days to issue a statement condemning Russia’s action in Georgia, and even then it came not directly from Prime Minister Brown, but from his Downing Street office on his behalf.

But there were many other instances where either silence or equivocation prevailed, and where this failure to respond or confusion in doing so became a revealing factor – in the blogosphere many of the sites that are normally profuse in their comment on events in Iraq, for example, were curiously silent on the topic of Georgia and Russia. In some quarters, after days of silence a troubling consensus began to emerge: sites like the resolutely anti-Islamist Jihad Watch began to publish posts where the main thrust of the argument appeared to be that supporting Georgia might not be such a good idea, as there was nothing that Islamists would like better than to see a split develop in the ranks of its enemies. While it was heartening to see Charles Johnson’s LGF express a critical stance towards Russia’s invasion, it was depressing to read Victor Davis Hanson admiring Russia’s Sinister Brilliance, or Michael Binyon in the Times evoking the above-mentioned chess analogy

For my own part, the really meaningful litmus test came on Thursday, when Sky News and other channels showed footage of the Russian-backed ethnic cleansing in parts of South Ossetia and the areas of Georgian territory immediately adjacent to it. It was above all the interviews with terrified Georgian civilians – mothers, sisters, elderly men – who unarmed and without protection were faced with the terrorist gangs that are still today, Saturday, being unleashed by Russian forces. These images brought to mind others from a past that was supposed to be irrevocably gone: the Warsaw ghetto, Kristallnacht, or the large-scale murders of civilians committed by Soviet forces in the Baltic States during and after the second world war.

That terrorism and brutality of this kind should be considered – not only by Russia, but also, apparently, by a number of other states –as a legitimate weapon in 21^st century conflict seems almost incredible. Yet by its actions, Russia is showing that is indeed a terrorist state, not much different in this respect from pariahs like Iran. The actions are backed up by an ideology that is not that of a New Cold War or a resurgent Soviet dialectical materialism: the ideas that lie behind it are those of Great Russian imperialism, modified through the prism of a Nazi ideology which in its turn derived in large part from ideas that were prevalent in Russia in the years before 1914.

As some commentators have pointed out, confronted with such a lethal mish-mash of ideology and military might, some of the de-Nazified or de-Sovietized countries of mainland Europe are baffled, at a loss how to react. Yet the right response is not too hard to formulate: what’s needed above all, given the hindsight granted by the experience of 1938 and 1939, is a firm and united “no” to military aggression, a willingness to accord membership of NATO to countries like Georgia and Ukraine, to call Russia's energy bluff, and to confront Russia in international forums. Russia's leaders, being the global bullies and intimidators that they are, above all respect strength – faced with a sufficiently strong and united resistance, and the threat of economic and political isolation, Russia will back down, as was shown during the Cold War in the Cuba missile crisis of 1961, in Hungary in 1956 and in Czechoslovakia in 1968, where it similarly overreached itself in terms of its reputation and of world opinion, paving the way for the ultimate collapse of its Soviet construction A willingness to unite in this fashion is probably the only true litmus test of Europe’s will to survive.

Labels: Communism, Europe, Georgia, Nazism, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Via Georgian MFA - August 15:

21:50 Russian troops continued movement from Khashuri and are in Surami close to Khashuri on central highway.

21:00 Russian troops entered Khashuri about 100kms west from Tbilisi and opened checkpoint. About 10 Tanks are in the city. Eyewitnesses report that they behave very cynically and terrorize civilians pointing guns to them or Tank guns to their cars and houses.

20:00 Russian troops began preparing tranches for armored vehicles and soldiers near the entrance of Senaki.

18:30 9 armored vehicles of Russian Army accompanied by 3 Mi-24 helicopters moved towards Tbilisi. They stopped and opened check point near village Igoeti 20 kms from Tbilisi, Kaspi district.

17:00 Russian troops began withdrawal from Poti. They took with them 8 "Black Shark” boats, 7 A type boats, 2 Coastal Guard vessels. They also took equipment from the buildings of the Coastal Guard in Poti.

16:10 Russian soldiers kidnapped 4 member of Namgalauri family from village Ghogheti of Kareli district. Kidnapers moved towards Znauri.

15:30 Russian helicopters are overflying Bordjomi-Tsemi forests and dropping fire setting engines. There are already from 12 to 15 fire locations. Russian military confirmed of flying helicopters over this territory without further comments.

13:00 One Turkish and two Reuter’s journalists (one of them were Georgian citizen) were detained by Russian soldiers in Poti.

10:30 Near village Sagolasheni, Gori district, vehicle of freelance journalist Margarita Akhvlediani was stopped by South Ossetian separatists. Vehicle was shot. Journalist was robbed of her car, camera and other belongings.

09:30 21 Military Tracks full of Russian military began movement from Senaki towards Poti port.

09:20 71^st regiment of 42^nd division of 58^th Army of Russia moved from Tskhinvalu to Ergneti heading towards Gori.

08:00 Russian troops consisting of 14 armored vehicle and 4 tracks left Senaki and moved in the direction of the second largest town of Georgia Kutaisi. Currently they are at Abashis Tskali river, 40 kms west from Kutaisi and 10 kms west from Samtredia - the main railway and highway crossroad in western Georgia.

Human Rights Watch researchers have uncovered evidence that Russian aircraft dropped cluster bombs (banned by 107 nations)  in populated areas in Georgia during the air attacks from 6^th of August, killing at least 11 civilians and injuring dozens, Human Rights Watch said today.

Russian Navy continues controlling Georgian Territorial Waters.

Labels: Georgia, Georgia ceasefire, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Via FinnRosForum:

Paavo Lipponen becomes Nord Stream advisor
Helsingin Sanomat, 15.08.2008
http://www.hs.fi/talous/artikkeli/1135238622077

Former Finnish Prime Minister and Parliamentary speaker, Mr Paavo Lipponen, will take on a post as advisor to the Russian-German gas pipeline developer, Nord Stream. Mr Lipponen will serve in the post for a period of one year.

Mr Lipponen says he accepted Nord Stream’s offer about a month ago in Berlin, when he met Nord Stream’s Managing Director, Mr Matthias Warnig, and Chairman of the Board, Mr Gerhard Schröder, who had asked him to take the job.

Mr Lipponen says he will be an “independent contact person,” who will act between two sides involved in the project. He will take the views of Nord Stream’s management to the Finnish authorities and inform Nord Stream on the views of decision-makers in Finland.

Before accepting the post, Mr Lipponen got a go-ahead from Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, a few other cabinet members, and President Tarja Halonen. The acceptation was an absolute prerequisite for him to be able to perform successfully in his new function, Mr Lipponen says.

Mr Lipponen reminds that he supported Nord Stream’s gas pipeline project even when he was Prime Minister, and his stance has not changed since. In his opinion, the project is of mutual interest to Russia, an energy producer, and the EU, which is in need of energy.

In Mr Lipponen’s opinion, the gas pipeline should be seen as an environmental question in Finland. Environmental requirements must be followed to the law, but the requirements must remain within reason, he says.

Labels: Energy, EU, Europe, Europe. Russia, Finland

 

In his remarks, President Saakashvili confirms and makes clear something that many observers suspected at the time, but didn't emphasize sufficiently in public media.  The West's refusal to give Georgia (and Ukraine) an MAP to NATO membership at Bucharest in April was interpreted by Moscow as a Munich, and signalled to the Kremlin leadership that it could so as it wanted with its neigbours.

Saakashvili Lashes Out at West’s ‘Muted Reaction’

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 16 Aug.'08 / 00:36

Speaking at a joint news conference with the U.S. Secretary of State on August 15 in Tbilisi, President Saakashvili lashed out at “most of the European countries” for their “muted and quiet” reaction to what he called was Russia’s preparation of Georgia’s invasion in recent months.

In an emotional speech He said those troops attacking Georgia were “barbarians of 21st century.” “All these could have been prevented; we were screaming, shouting to the world that Russia was going to do it,” he said.

Below are extracts from his opening remarks at the news conference:

As we speak now, significant part Georgian territories remain under foreign military occupation.

You might have heard reports that some Russian APCs were dislocated to move closely to the capital and are on halfway between Gori and Tbilisi.

Before focusing on today’s ceasefire agreement, I still would like to draw your attention to the events that preceded the whole invasion and occupation.   

Well, when in April in Bucharest Georgia was denied the membership action plan by some members of NATO, I warned western media that it [denial to grant MAP] was asking for trouble. Not only they denied us membership action plan, but they specifically told the world that they are denying Georgia membership action plan because of existing territorial conflicts in Georgia, basically inviting the trouble.

And I told the world this is the worst thing one could say to the Russians that there will be no NATO until there are conflicts and more there are conflicts less there will be offered the NATO.

And immediately after April, immediately after Bucharest – and I can tell you now that Russians perceived Bucharest – and I mentioned it and then some of the western commentators made fun of me, saying this hot-headed Saakashvili tells this rubbish again.

I told them Russia perceives it as new Munich. Bucharest was perceived by them as new Munich. And what happened was that immediately they started build-up of the infrastructure in Abkhazia, immediately they started to bring in railway troops to build railway in depopulated, ethnically cleansed areas of Abkhazia, cynically claiming that they were doing this for humanitarian purposes.

And I shouted to the world that this is for bringing tanks. They built tanks bases all over Abkhazia and in South Ossetia in place of Java.

They started to bring in lots of military specialists, reconnaissance, they brought in paratroopers.

Again we screamed to the world Stop It.

There were some statements from Washington, but I have to tell you, most of the European countries, with some remarkable exceptions, there was pretty muted and quiet reaction and Russians were carefully watching this reaction, they were doing step by step, first some infrastructure, then some additional troops, then some legal acts, then again infrastructure, again some intrusion and wait watching carefully what Europeans have to say, watching carefully what would be a counter-reaction of the international community.

And it really did not follow.

Madam Secretary, whereas we were standing here last time, few weeks ago there was intrusion of Russian planes into the Georgian airspace, just exactly in the lines of South Ossetia.

And you remember as well as I do that then we downplayed, I downplayed it myself – I said, well, they are here just to salute Secretary Rice.

But that time they said: Yes, this is us, we flew there, implying that it was intent to bomb against Georgians and again they watched European reaction – no European countries said anything about it.

So, who invited the trouble here, who invited this arrogance here, who invited these innocent deaths here, not only those people, who perpetrate them, are responsible but also those people, who failed to stop that. Who is now trying to look forth for an excuse saying “you know Georgians might have started it.”

Excuse me, 1,200 tanks came into Georgia within few hours. There is no way you can mobilize those tanks in such a fast period unless you are ready.

There were all these movements on the ground, all around the place. You know, when it’s all started I wanted the world to know, I was going for holidays, my defense minister was going for a holidays. When the things started I had to rush back, cut my holidays short. When the tensions raised I had to summon back our defense minister, most of our officials were gone, most of decision makers I tried to reach were gone for vacations. It was brilliantly selected timing for this intervention.

Unfortunately, today we are looking evil directly in the eye. And today this evil is very strong, very nasty and very dangerous for everybody, not only for us.

That is what we learnt, but together this can be and will be only the first chapter. Let us write the next chapter together and write this historic new chapter of the world for the world.

We want them out. I want the world to know – never ever will Georgia reconcile with occupation of even one square kilometer of its sovereign territory, never ever.

There is a strong force led by former KGB worriers, those tanks that were taken out of Afghanistan, of eastern Europe, now are rolling back again into other countries.

Georgia was the first one to take their hit, but they are on the roll, they are arrogant, they will not stop.

But I can tell you – never ever my small nation of Georgia that has already gone through seventy years of subjugation by these barbarians, of 20th century then and 21st century now in exactly the similar circumstances – in 1921 Russia claimed that Georgia attacked one of its minorities, entered Georgia from the east and occupied Georgia for seventy years and we were in seventy years of communism, slavery and humiliation.

I grew up with the idea that it should never happen again. I wept when Berlin wall came down.

I thought that former KGB people were gone for good. On that one I was wrong.

But on one I was never wrong and I will never be wrong and I will be strong on it together with my people – you saw huge rally in downtown Tbilisi two days ago – never ever we will surrender, never ever we will give up our freedom and independence, never ever we will give any piece of our territory and freedom will go to every part of Georgia, to every ethnic group, to every community in Georgia and we will definitely get rid of these invaders for good. I am totally convinced on that one.

Labels: appeasement, EU, Europe, Georgia, Russia, United States

The response of General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, to Poland's signing the missile shield agreement with the United States:

General Anatoly Nogovitsyn said that any new US assets in Europe could come under Russian nuclear attack with his forces targeting "the allies of countries having nuclear weapons".

He told Russia's Interfax news agency: "By hosting these, Poland is making itself a target. This is 100 per cent certain. It becomes a target for attack. Such targets are destroyed as a first priority."  (The Telegraph)

Labels: Poland, Russia, United States

President Saakashvili says he has signed a ceasefire agreement with Russia - AP says that although there are some concessions to Moscow, the agreement "protects the former Soviet republic's interests". But the Georgian President does not see it as a final settlement  - "it is not a done deal," he is reported as saying.

Saakashvili has been assured that President Medvedev will soon sign an identical document.

Secretary Rice said that Russian troops must leave Georgian territory immediately. "With this signature by Georgia, this must take place and take place now."

Rice also said that the time has come "to begin a discussion of the consequences of what Russia has done. This calls into question what role Russia really plans to play in international politics."

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, United States

The BBC confirms that Russian troops are in control of Georgia's port of Poti and are destroying boats and other vessels there. Live shots of the explosions were shown on the BBC's 14:30 (BST) bulletin (News 24).

The explosions came as President Bush issued another warning to Russia, accusing it of "bullying and intimidation".

Labels: Georgia, Russia, United States

In the Telegraph, former US Permanent Representative to the United Nations John R. Bolton examines the West's response to Russia's invasion of Georgia, and puts the choices in terms of the upcoming U.S. presidential election:

In any event, let us have a full general election debate over the implications of Russia’s march through Georgia. Even before this incident, McCain had suggested expelling Russia from the G8; others have proposed blocking Russia’s application to join the World Trade Organisation or imposing economic sanctions as long as Russian troops remain in Georgia. Obama has assiduously avoided specifics in foreign policy – other than withdrawing speedily from Iraq – but that luxury should no longer be available to him. We need to know if Obama’s reprise of George McGovern’s 1972 campaign theme, “Come home, America”, is really what our voters want, or if we remain willing to persevere in difficult circumstances, as McCain has consistently advocated. Querulous Europe should hope, for its own sake, that America makes the latter choice.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, United States

In the Washington Post, Charles Krauthammer proposes 4 ways to stop Putin:  

1. Suspend the NATO-Russia Council established in 2002 to help bring Russia closer to the West. Make clear that dissolution will follow suspension. The council gives Russia a seat at the NATO table. Message: Invading neighboring democracies forfeits the seat.

2. Bar Russian entry to the World Trade Organization.

3. Dissolve the G-8. Putin's dictatorship long made Russia's presence in this group of industrial democracies a farce, but no one wanted to upset the bear by expelling it. No need to. The seven democracies simply withdraw. (And if Italy's Silvio Berlusconi, who has been sympathetic to Putin's Georgia adventure, wants to stay, he can have an annual G-2 dinner with Putin.) Then immediately announce the reconstitution of the original G-7.

4. Announce a U.S.-European boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi. To do otherwise would be obscene. Sochi is 15 miles from Abkhazia, the other Georgian province just invaded by Russia. The Games will become a riveting contest between the Russian, Belarusan and Jamaican bobsled teams.

Labels: Georgia, Russia

The BBC reports that the United States and Poland have signed a preliminary agreement for the US to base 10 missile interceptors in Poland in exchange for help in strengthening Polish air defences.

Labels: Georgia, Poland, Russia, Russia Georgia, United States

In an internationally broadcast television address, President Saakashvili has appealed to the world to help Georgia.

Russian tanks and troops, together with undisciplined and sadistic Ossetian and Chechen irregulars,  continue to move deep into his country, in defiance of the ceasefire.

Human Rights Watch has published details of ethnic cleansing that has been and continues to be carried out in South Ossetia by Russian forces together with armed thugs and rogue elements that have been unleashed against the Georgian civilian population.

HRW's Tanya Lokshina writes: " The remaining residents of these destroyed ethnic Georgian villages are facing desperate conditions, with no means of survival, no help, no protection, and nowhere to go."

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia Georgia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Marko Mihkelson has an interesting post (in Estonian) about the current rebirth of imperial ideology in Russia. In the context of the Russian invasion of Georgia Mihkelson mentions the "Eurasianist" ideologues of the "Russian Idea" who are now coming into their own - with official encouragement - in their native land, and quotes one fairly chilling example of such writing and thinking, which is widespread now among "intellectuals" in Russia:

"It is clear that we need the kind of idea for which one will not be sorry to give one's life. And the building of civil society, of the rule of law, of a prosperous society we find uninteresting. Indeed, we would rather squander everything and end our lives with suicide, than scrupulously count the credit and the debit, invest, corporatize, organize on cooperative lines, and so on. We find that tedious. We would rather try to absorb the enormous spaces of Siberia and the Far East, so that the islands of the Pacific Ocean become indigenously ours, we will fight for centuries with Europe for the Baltic States, and with Turkey for the Dardanelles - that is our way."

Labels: Ideas, Ideology, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, speaking at a Pentagon briefing this morning:

Starting last fall Secretary of State Rice and I began what we hoped would be an ongoing and long-term strategic dialogue with the Russian Federation. The expectation was that our two nations, despite our differences, share areas of common interest where we could work together as real partners. Russia's behavior over the past week has called into question the entire premise of that dialogue, and has profound implications for our relationship going forward, both bilaterally and with NATO. If Russia does not step back from its aggressive posture and actions in Georgia, the US-Russia relationship could be adversely affected for years to come.

As you may know, we have canceled our participation with Russia in a multinational naval exercise that was due to begin tomorrow. We've also canceled a US-Canadian-Russian exercise - Vigilant Eagle - that was to have begun on August 20. In the days and weeks ahead, the Department of Defense will re-examine the entire gamut of our military activities with Russia, and will make changes as necessary and appropriate, depending on Russian actions in the days ahead.

Asked if he still trusted Prime Minister Putin, Gates queried the word "still", and said that in security matters one works not on the basis of trust, but of reality. 

http://www.necn.com/category/32/15566

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, United States

A build-up of Russian troops in several locations on Georgian territory, including the port of Poti and the city of Gori, is threatening the EU-brokered ceasefire, which looks increasingly fragile from hour to hour. A Georgian interior ministry spokesman has said that the Russians are "destroying" Gori and laying mines.

Russia is ignoring the warnings given yesterday by President Bush and Secretary Rice.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

UN Agencies Call for Humanitarian Corridor

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 14 Aug.'08 / 16:50

The UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations said they had no access to the conflict zones, particularly South Ossetia.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia, Robert Watkins, called on all sides to the conflict to “establish immediately the necessary security and administrative conditions to allow the establishment of a humanitarian corridor, as agreed in the ceasefire plan.”

“This will enable the civilian population to leave, and allow humanitarian organizations to provide supplies and assistance to those in need,” he said.

The UN agencies said they had began providing relief supplies to 10,000 people across the country that were displaced by the conflict.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

http://www.mfa.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=461&info_id=7376

(3:06 p.m. EDT,  August 13)

SECRETARY RICE:  Good afternoon. I’ll soon take your questions. 

Let me just reiterate the President’s statement this morning of our strong support for the democratically elected Government of Georgia, for its territorial integrity and its sovereignty, that Russia must now end its military operations. There are concerning reports from around Georgia that Russia has not, in fact, in accordance with the pledge that it took to the French presidency -- to President Sarkozy, that Russia has not ended its military operations. Those operations must stop and must stop now.

You also know that the President has asked Secretary Gates to oversee a humanitarian mission that will be continuous and robust, led by the American military. We expect that Russia will respect the humanitarian nature of that mission, and that ports, sea lanes, air routes will all be open for humanitarian purposes -- another pledge that Russia has undertaken to the French. 

And you know as well that I am going to leave this evening, first to meet with the French President and other members of the French Government in France. And then I will fly on to Tbilisi to underscore the strong support of the United States for the Georgian people and for their democratically elected government. With that, I will take your questions.

Yes, Anne.

QUESTION: The – so far, the Russians have either already violated a ceasefire or appeared to, as both you and the President have said today. If that’s the case, why is today’s response humanitarian aid and further diplomatic outreach? Isn’t the time – hasn’t the time come for you to say or do something that carries a larger threat? 

And secondly, on behalf of the State Department Correspondents Association, we strongly urge you to take a full complement of reporters with you on a very important trip. Thank you.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you. Anne, I will leave the matter of travel arrangements to my chief of staff, who is sitting right there. You can assault him after this briefing. (Laughter.) We’re doing our best. There are logistical difficulties because of the rapidity with which we’ve decided to do this, and so we’ll do our very best.

As to the first question, if indeed Russia is violating a ceasefire – and I have to say that the reports are not encouraging about Russia’s respect for the ceasefire, for the pledge that it undertook – that will only serve to deepen the isolation into which Russia is moving. It will only serve to deepen the very strong, growing sense that Russia is not behaving like the kind of international partner that it has said that it wants to be. And it’s very clear to me that the consequences of that, which are already quite significant, because -- the way that Russia has brutally pushed this military operation well beyond the bounds of anything that might have related to South Ossetia calls into question Russia’s suitability for all kinds of activities that it has said that it wants to be a part of.

And so we’ll get to that matter in due course. Right now, the key is to remind Russia that it has an obligation to stop its military activities, remind Russia that it is not to further engage in activities that threaten the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia, that it should drop the language concerning the democratically elected Government of Georgia that has been thrown around by some Russian officials, and that it’s time to stop this so that Russia can begin to dig out of the hole that it’s gotten itself into.

Yes.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, why aren’t you going to Moscow? What does it serve – if you’re in the region, why wouldn’t you go and try to pass the U.S. message along to the Russian leaders?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I’m going to France because we support very strongly the European presidency, which is France, in its mediation efforts. I think it’s best that those mediation efforts now be in the hands of the French. We’ll continue to support those. 

I was, this morning, on the telephone with Sergey Lavrov, my counterpart from Russia. And we have open communication to the Russian Government and we’re communicating, at very many different levels and through very many different channels, our concerns and our insistence that Russia live up to the obligations that it undertook just 24 hours ago.

Yes.

QUESTION: But how can you be an honest broker in the conflict when the Russians see you as too close to the Georgians? I think Lavrov said today that, you know, for the United States, this -- Georgia is their special project.

SECRETARY RICE: Georgia is a democratic government in the Caucasus that has elected its leaders. To call it a project of anyplace, of anybody, perhaps belies more about the way Russia thinks about its neighbors than the way it thinks about U.S. policy.

Yes.

QUESTION: President Saakashvili said today that America is losing the entire region. He went on to say that the U.S. made a major mistake by issuing too soft a statement from Washington early on that really gave Russia the green light to go ahead.

And just secondly, if I may, Senators Obama and McCain have been having conversations with leaders from Georgia and Russia as well. Does that help or hurt?

SECRETARY RICE: I’ve also been having conversations with Senators Obama and McCain. And I know that they are, at this moment of difficult diplomacy – that they are doing what they can to support the efforts of the Administration.

Secondly, as to President Saakashvili, I was just on the phone with him. He welcomed the President’s statement. I think if you look back a couple of days, you’ll note that the United States was calling very early for a ceasefire, calling for forces to withdraw to the August 6^th lines. We were at the Security Council already at the end of last week, just 24 hours or so after the major military operations began, and making a very strong statement. If you will look at what Zal Khalilzad and even the statements that were made before that, I don’t think you can have any doubt but that the United States has, from the very beginning, believed that the South Ossetian situation needed to be resolved and resolved peacefully, as we’ve been working for months and months and months to do; but that Russia seriously overreached, that Russia engaged in activities that could not possibly be associated simply with the crisis in South Ossetia. Bombing civilian targets – bombing targets outside of the zone of conflict, some of which have civilian uses, the activities in Gori, the activities at Poti, destruction of Georgian infrastructure – these are hardly moves that are related to South Ossetia. So I think you will see that the United States has been saying that. We are also in very, very close contact with our European allies to try to get this mediation arranged last week.

Let me just – on the question of honest broker that you asked, I’m sorry I didn’t answer that question. Look, the honest thing to do here is to call it as you see it. And what we see is that what has been a longstanding and somewhat volatile conflict did, in fact, boil over. That could have been handled. But now, Russia has pushed this well beyond the bounds of the conflict in South Ossetia. And that’s what the President was reacting to today. That is why people are questioning the nature of the ongoing relationship with Russia. That’s why people are talking about consequences for the kind of relationship that Russia has wished to build with the international community.

Yes, Sylvie.

QUESTION: Sergey Lavrov also said that the U.S. must choose between supporting the Georgian Government and a partnership with Russia on international issues, meaning that maybe you shouldn’t count anymore on Russia’s support on Iran, for an example. (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I’m not going to put words in Sergey Lavrov’s mouth, but let me say this: It’s striking to me that anyone would believe that Russia is involved in trying to keep Iran from getting a nuclear – technologies that could lead to a nuclear weapon as a favor to the United States. If indeed Russia is interested in a Middle East that is stable, if indeed Russia is interested in a Middle East in which the kinds of activities that we have promoted together in the Quartet are going to have any chance, then clearly, it’s not going to be a Middle East in which there’s an Iran with a nuclear weapon. And I think that’s why Russia is involved in efforts to stop Iran from violating the Security Council resolutions that have been passed.

Similarly, on North Korea, I don’t think Iran – I don’t think the Russians want an unstable Korean peninsula. So let’s be very clear whose interests are being served by the partnership that Russia and the United States have engaged in on Iran or North Korea. Again, it’s not a favor to the United States. 

And as to choosing, the United States has made very clear that it is standing by the democratically elected Government of Georgia. This is a small neighbor of Russia. It is a country that has made considerable progress in terms of its economy. It is still trying to secure its democratic institutions, and we’ve worked with Georgia on that. But if anyone had any doubts about our support for Georgia, you only have to look at the fact that it’s a Millennium Challenge country, which is one of the most important designations that the United States can make that we believe in the future of that country.

Yes.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, I have two questions. First, the Georgian President has said in the afternoon that the U.S. forces will control the airports and the ports in Georgia. Second, do you have any reaction on establishing diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, on the later, we have long stood for the normalization of relations between Syria and Lebanon on the basis of equality and respect for Lebanese sovereignty. One of the steps that has long been required is the establishment of a proper embassy for Syria in Lebanon, and vice versa. Now that the Syrians will go ahead and demarcate the border between Lebanon and Syria, and respect Syria’s [1] sovereignty in other ways, then this will have proved to be a very good first step.

As to the first question, the – I think that the President was very clear about the nature of this mission. It is a humanitarian mission. We expect the air routes, the land routes, the sea routes to be open for humanitarian activities. But I think the Pentagon has already responded, noting that it is not the intention of the United States in some way to take control of facilities, port facilities and the like.

I’ll come back. Yes.

QUESTION: The Russians are saying that by facilitating the return of Georgian troops from Iraq, you are already involved in the conflict. How do you respond to that?

SECRETARY RICE: We had an agreement with Georgia at the time of the Georgian deployment of its forces to Iraq that, if the Georgian Government requested their return for purposes that Georgia deemed a priority, that we would – we would do so, we would facilitate that. And so we carried through on our agreement. 

The point that I made to my Russian counterpart and that others made is that, if there is a ceasefire, as there should be and as Russia has said it has stopped its military operations, then the return of those forces should be no concern to anyone. So we were simply living up to an agreement.

Yes.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, thank you. Today is a day of national mourning in Russia for the losses incurred in the regional aggression in South Ossetia by the Georgians. You well know that. Can you acknowledge the losses?

And also, it has been reported that before the war, the U.S. was urging the Georgians not to – not to respond to provocations, not to do anything rash. So we all know what the Georgians did ultimately, so how did it happen? Did you – by the way, did you delegate responsibility, as has been reported, to junior staffers? Or before the war, did the Georgians listen to you and did their own thing, did not – did not follow your suggestions, or were the real suggestions different from what you said publicly? 

SECRETARY RICE: First of all, I am very sorry for any loss of innocent life in any part of the zone of conflict, in Georgia or in any other area surrounding this conflict. That is one reason that it is so important to end the fighting.

The Georgians, some time ago, agreed to a ceasefire and to the withdrawal of their troops back to the August 6^th lines. Russia needs to do the same, and it needs to honor the agreement that it made with the French President.

As to the U.S. diplomacy concerning this conflict, you must understand that this has been a volatile area for some time. It has been volatile now for more than a decade. And what we have tried to do is to propose and to push any number of peace plans. There was a Georgian peace plan for South Ossetia that the United States tried to press. I myself was there in Georgia to try to put together elements of a peace plan with Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister, to try to solve that conflict. Because I think we all recognize that there was volatility in this region, there was a lot of back-and-forth in this region, and that it was a dangerous situation.

Now, as I said, this is something that, had it been about South Ossetia, could have been resolved within certain limits. Russian peacekeepers were in the area; that is true. And Russia initially said it needed to act to protect its peacekeepers and its people. But what Russia has done is well beyond anything that anyone could say is for the protection of those people and for those peacekeepers. Indeed, by prolonging the conflict, the innocents in the area are in greater danger. And so, again, what would be very useful and is absolutely necessary at this point, and indeed the United States insists that Russia live up to the obligations that it took just 24 hours ago to end its military operations. 

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, many people in Washington would say what you did after 9/11 was very disproportionate to the threat and to the actual loss that you incurred. So the Russians are trying to ensure the security of their forces and their citizens and their peacekeepers. And they – they are moving, they are creating a buffer zone. What’s wrong with that? Why can’t you do this in --

SECRETARY RICE: I am not going to sit here and judge each Russian military operation. I am going to say that when you start bombing ports and threatening to bomb airfields and bombing a city like Gori and bringing troops in a flanking maneuver on the western flank of Georgia and tying up the main roads between Georgia – between Tbilisi and Gori, that’s well beyond anything that is needed to protect Russian peacekeepers. And that is why Russia is starting to face international condemnation for what it is doing. 

This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia, where Russia can threaten its neighbors, occupy a capital, overthrow a government, and get away with it. Things have changed. And so, what Russia, I think, is seeing is that to the degree that this is about South Ossetia, about even Abkhazia, let’s accept that it is time to move the forces back. Let’s accept that it’s -- first to end the fighting, move the forces back to August 6^th, and then have an international mediation to try to resolve these conflicts within the context of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. 

I fully recognize that the people of South Ossetia and the people of Abkhazia have concerns, even grievances, and they can be addressed within international mediation. And the United States has stood very strongly for the proper treatment of minorities. 

Yes, Helene?

QUESTION: You just said that this is not 1968, where Russia can do this and get away with it, and you’ve talked of consequences, but we have yet to really see any. When – at what point – how far – how much further can Russia continue to go before we actually see the United States do something? SECRETARY RICE: Well, let me just expand on the comment for a moment, Helene. Look, the Russia today, I have said many, many times, is not the Soviet Union, and that means many things. But one of the things that it means is that Russia has sought integration, as the President said early in – earlier into diplomatic, political, economic, security institutions of the international system. And it has sought it because it is in Russia’s interest, if it is to modernize and become a fully functioning state. 

And so I have to say, and I think you’ll – if you read the President’s statement, it’s pretty clear that that’s at risk. And so I’m not to go any further at this point in time. I think we need to concentrate on getting this – stopping the Russian military operations. We need to concentrate on getting those forces back to the August 6^th lines. We will concentrate on sending our strong support for the French mediation and for the Georgian democratically elected government for dealing with the humanitarian concerns of the Georgians to starting to look at what they will need for reconstruction. But I don’t think that there is any doubt that Russia has already, in its actions, called into question some of its desire to be integrated into these institutions. I would hope that they won’t continue to call that into question. And that, as I said, they’re going to stop this and stop digging this hole. 

Yes. 

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, you say that – again, that this is not 1968, but you’ve been – for several months, have been noticing Russia’s actions towards Georgia. Officials in the building have been very concerned not just about South Ossetia, but also about intentions towards – towards Georgia. And in – and since these attacks, officials have said that it seems to be premeditated, pre-planned, and that the swiftness with which Russian forces moved into Georgia show that it wasn’t necessarily only about South Ossetia, but something larger. 

How did the U.S. miss the signals that this was some kind of large-scale invasion of Georgia? And are you concerned that the Russians feel that it is 1968 and they’re trying to invade other – are you concerned that they might invade other countries, such as Ukraine or other areas, where they have so-called citizens that they’re concerned –

SECRETARY RICE: I really do believe that the Russians understand that they’re -- that pushing the envelope here would have significant consequences for Russia’s standing in the international system, which I think it already has had consequences for that, and for any future hopes that Russia might have to be fully integrated into the international system. 

But as to the – what led up to this, we have been concerned for some time – I think you will remember, Elise, that we spoke about the presidential decree of President Putin in April of -- April 16^th. We spoke about the railway troops that had been deployed. We spoke about the so-called reinforcement of peacekeepers. And we have been constantly speaking with the Russians about all of those elements. 

Now, this is a volatile region, and the flashpoint that took place here could have been kept under control but for the Russian decision to push well beyond the bounds of what dealt with South Ossetia and to use these disproportionate tactics and disproportionate force.

I don’t think anybody missed that the Russians were putting pressure -- or trying to put pressure on South Ossetia and Abkhazia. I had a number of – a number of discussions with my Russian counterpart about precisely that. But again, that Russia can use its overwhelming regional military power in this way against a small neighbor is obvious. That Russia can do that and bear no consequences for it or that Russia can push far enough to try and destroy the Georgian state, I think that is what is different. Russia cannot succeed in those.

QUESTION: But what if they don’t care about these consequences? I mean, the U.S. – Russia has obvious --

SECRETARY RICE: Well, we’ll see. The --

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, Russia has obviously, despite repeated warnings from the U.S. not to go this far, has obviously made the choice to escalate this conflict despite the threats of consequences from the United States and the Europeans. So what if they don’t care about these consequences?

SECRETARY RICE: I’ve heard the Russian President say that he is – his military operations are over. I am saying that it is time for the Russian President to be true to his word. 

QUESTION: Can I ask a question?

SECRETARY RICE: Yes.

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY RICE: I’ll take – okay, both, yeah. Go ahead.

QUESTION: On the Balkans, Madame Secretary, anything to say on the name issue between Athens and Skopje? And on the irredentist issue raised the other day by the Skopjian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to the Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, in a crucial period during which Skopje would like to become a NATO member?

SECRETARY RICE: Let’s – I’ll have to reset here for a moment about Macedonia. All right. Look, we – you know our position, which is that the Macedonians should be admitted into NATO. That was the position in Bucharest. The hope is that the name issue can be resolved very quickly now. I’ve spoken both to my Greek colleagues, the Macedonians were here. This is something that should not get in the way of the admission of Macedonia to NATO, and that’s what we’re working on.  And I just would note, to make a link between the two discussions, one of the reasons for NATO Membership Action Plan and, ultimately, for NATO membership, is that it allows states to overcome longstanding difficulties, differences and conflicts under the umbrella of a collective security organization, defense organization of democracies. I have noted before that had anyone said that you would be able to resolve, for instance, differences between Hungary and Romania, between Bulgaria and Turkey in peaceful ways -- no one would have believed it when the Soviet empire broke up. But in fact, under the umbrella of NATO, that has been taking place. And so if you now look across Central and Eastern Europe, one thing that is also very different from just a few decades ago is that the countries that were liberated after the breakup of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, countries like the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Baltic states and the aspirants – Albania, Croatia, Macedonia and others are now – have made the transition and are making the transition into transatlantic institutions. That allows them both to resolve their differences and to have a reason, a spur, for internal reform and further democratization, the appropriate relationship between civilian and military leaders and so forth and so on. That is why Membership Action Plan has been so valuable, and it’s why the United States continues to stand for Membership Action Plan for Georgia and Ukraine. Charlie, you have the last question.

 QUESTION: Yes. You’ve mentioned several times that Russia could have done what it said it wanted to do and stopped and that they’ve overreached. As, among other things, an analyst of Russians and, before that, the Soviets, what do you think this is about? In that case, since they’ve still continued, what do you think it’s about? And how long do you think it will take for them to reach what they’re trying to reach?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, they told the French President that their military operations had ended. And I assume that they said that knowing what it is their military forces are doing, so I expect that they’re going to live up to that pledge. 

Now, I’m not going to try to speculate on Russian motives, but let me just say the following. To the degree that there was intended to be some message beyond the frozen conflicts of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the message is not that Russia can use its military power in a brutal way against a small neighboring state. The message is that Russia has perhaps not accepted that it is time to move on from the Cold War and it is time to move to a new era in which relations between states are on the basis of equality and sovereignty and economic integration.

Now, Russia has said that that is the future that it wishes, that that is the future it wishes with the EU, that is the future it wishes with the United States and with any number of international organizations. So the message, unfortunately, that is being sent is that it is important to think again about whether, in fact, Russia will be committed to the kind of behavior that would make its involvement in those institutions appropriate.

Thank you very much.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia Georgia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, United States

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LE67799.htm

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/08/20080813.html

President Bush Discusses Situation in Georgia, Urges Russia to Cease Military Operations

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I've just met with my national security team to discuss the crisis in Georgia. I've spoken with President Saakashvili of Georgia, and President Sarkozy of France this morning. The United States strongly supports France's efforts, as President of the European Union, to broker an agreement that will end this conflict.

The United States of America stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia. We insist that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected.

Russia has stated that changing the government of Georgia is not its goal. The United States and the world expect Russia to honor that commitment. Russia has also stated that it has halted military operations and agreed to a provisional cease-fire. Unfortunately, we're receiving reports of Russian actions that are inconsistent with these statements. We're concerned about reports that Russian units have taken up positions on the east side of the city of Gori, which allows them to block the East-West Highway, divide the country, and threaten the capital of Tbilisi.

We're concerned about reports that Russian forces have entered and taken positions in the port city of Poti, that Russian armored vehicles are blocking access to that port, and that Russia is blowing up Georgian vessels. We're concerned about reports that Georgian citizens of all ethnic origins are not being protected. All forces, including Russian forces, have an obligation to protect innocent civilians from attack.

With these concerns in mind, I have directed a series of steps to demonstrate our solidarity with the Georgian people and bring about a peaceful resolution to this conflict. I'm sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to France, where she will confer with President Sarkozy. She will then travel to Tbilisi, where she will personally convey America's unwavering support for Georgia's democratic government. On this trip she will continue our efforts to rally the free world in the defense of a free Georgia.

I've also directed Secretary of Defense Bob Gates to begin a humanitarian mission to the people of Georgia, headed by the United States military. This mission will be vigorous and ongoing. A U.S. C-17 aircraft with humanitarian supplies is on its way. And in the days ahead we will use U.S. aircraft, as well as naval forces, to deliver humanitarian and medical supplies.

We expect Russia to honor its commitment to let in all forms of humanitarian assistance. We expect Russia to ensure that all lines of communication and transport, including seaports, airports, roads, and airspace, remain open for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and for civilian transit. We expect Russia to meet its commitment to cease all military activities in Georgia. And we expect all Russian forces that entered Georgia in recent days to withdraw from that country.

As I have made clear, Russia's ongoing action raise serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region. In recent years, Russia has sought to integrate into the diplomatic, political, economic, and security structures of the 21st century. The United States has supported those efforts. Now Russia is putting its aspirations at risk by taking actions in Georgia that are inconsistent with the principles of those institutions. To begin to repair the damage to its relations with the United States, Europe, and other nations, and to begin restoring its place in the world, Russia must keep its word and act to end this crisis.

Thank you.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, War in Georgia

Russia and Georgia at War has published a fact sheet of ethnic cleansing carried out by Russian troops since the conclusion of the current "truce".

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

In her White House briefing, which was mostly devoted to the crisis in Georgia, US Secretary of State Condoleeezza Rice warned Russia that "this is not 1968" - i.e.  Russia is no longer the Soviet Union, and does not possess the power of the Soviet Union. In order to prosper, indeed even to survive, Russia needs integration with Western economic and political insitutions, but it has already put the likelihood of such  integration seriously at risk. By overreaching, and taking brutal actions against Georgia that go far beyond anything that could be supposed to have a connection with the South Ossetia/Abkhazia issue, Russia runs the danger of an international isolation which could bring the country to its knees.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, United States

Russia and Georgia at War continues to present an impressive array of moving and thought-provoking posts on the Russian invasion of Georgia. Most recently there is an email letter from  the Mayor Creede, Colorado (USA), whose daughter has just left Georgia for Armenia. Excerpt:

The war in Georgia is symptomatic of the worst of the human condition. We are NOT a world community. We are individuals yearning for individual autonomy in a modern frenzy of collectivism. As we face crises like the current horror of Georgia falling under the oppressive aggression of Russian imperialism we must be careful to realize that we fall prey to similar conditions of the destruction of our individual rights and autonomy whenever we yield-up to others our personal fate. YES, the free world should and needs to respond to this aggression with definite sweeping retaliation. YES, such a response can only come from organized free societies capable of applying rationale strategic and justified military power. But NO, we can not appeal for this legitimate defense of liberty from the "world community" - it does not exist. What exists are millions of individuals throughout the world who share an intrinsic value of their own survival and opportunity to aspire. It is up to the individual throughout the world to come out of his or her stunted state of inactive disengagement and become the voice of reason and self-preservation.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, United States

http://georgiamfa.blogspot.com/2008/08/teleconference-transcript-of-president.html

Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Teleconference Transcript of President Saakashvili’s Briefing
Held at 13:00 CET, Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Good morning. The President of Georgia will make a brief statement, then answer questions.

PRESIDENT: I’d like to briefly describe the situation. Russian tanks have advanced since morning, and moved into the town Gori. They have destroyed buildings, blown up and rampaged through houses. There has been looting by Russian troops, shooting at some people, theft of furniture, computers, everything valuable.

They are now on the main road leading from West to East, blocking the capital’s bloodline, 50km from Tbilisi. They have cut Georgia in half, West and East. The capital is now in some sort of economic blockade.

Regarding the situation in Abkhazia, South Ossetia: two things. First, the Russians have rampaged through Georgian-populated areas of South Ossetia, representing roughly half of what was South Ossetia. They have ethnically cleansed the population. They have separated men from women and set up internment camps for men in the area of Kouta. There are reports of summary executions. There is also looting in several villages.

In Upper Abkhazia, they have expelled practically the entire ethnic Georgian population. The town of Tskhinvali, at the moment when we left, was heavily bombarded. It was totally levelled. They turned it into a sort of second Grozny. We demanded immediate access for the international community, so that they could verify who was responsible. All indications are that the Russians deliberately levelled the city - they destroyed the place. We also have economic sabotage, a humanitarian crisis, and predatory incursions.

One might ask why. I think they’re not just trying to kill a country, but the ideal of free democracy and successful prosperity. They want to show the west who is boss. They’ve tried to cut off energy lines, using their Iskander missiles against pipelines. CNN qualifies them as missiles of mass destruction. This is the latest technology Russia has at its disposal. They used two of them against the pipeline. They dropped dozens of bombs on the pipelines, they’ve bombed the seaports, they managed to bomb our oil terminal in the Black Sea. They also want to punish our democracy, and that’s where we find ourselves now.

Gregory Pfeiffer, National Public Radio: Given everything you’re saying now, and that Moscow says, or at least foreign minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday said he doesn’t even want to talk to you, how do you envision peace talks to go forward, and when? How optimistic are you that there will be talks at all?

PRESIDENT: What we have on the ground is certainly very difficult. President Sarkozy was here yesterday. He brought the framework conditions for a ceasefire, and there were certainly unconditional provisions for ceasing hostilities, not resorting to force, free humanitarian corridors, separation of forces. That’s not happening yet, even if Russia yesterday announced that they were ceasing fire, they are continuing, and they’ve been escalating. It’s hard to say.

It’s not about Georgia any more. You know, if Russia gets away with this, I can predict now that the Baltic countries will be next, Ukraine may be attacked. We’ve seen them – as ruthless, as lawless, as brutal, as arrogant as they can get. They go unchecked. The world community should speak with one voice. We need a big humanitarian relief operation, like the Berlinairlift, because the capital is blocked from all sides. It’s one and a half million people, it’s a modern European city, and it needs a lifeline. The main thing is that if the West fails, it will have tremendous consequences for the years to come.

Gregory Pfeiffer, National Public Radio: How do you envision talks going forward? Are you prepared to talk to Moscow?

PRESIDENT: We’ve been prepared to talk to Moscow the whole way through. When they started to shoot at us, when they started to move tanks in on the 7th of August, we were frantically calling them. I called Prime Minister Putin, and his secretary told me to call back. We were calling them the whole way through, asking them to do something, and they wouldn’t respond. Did Stalin respond to the Finns in 1939? Did the Soviet Union respond to the Hungarians in 1956 or the Czechs in 1968?

For more than a year, they’ve been building infrastructure across our borders. In normal democracies, with a free press, people would ask why the army is building installations at the neighbouring country’s border. In Russia, they’ve been running propaganda that we’re American proxies that want to undermine Russia – it’s the worst wartime propaganda.

I’ve been talking to the West, asking “Why don’t you do something?” They’ve been saying “You’re exaggerating; Russia’s not going to do anything.” Now look what they’re doing. This has already exceeded my worst expectations.

Fred Kemp: hello, President Saakashvili, good to hear your voice.

PRESIDENT: Good to hear your voice as well. You’re aware of what’s happening, right?

Fred Kemp: Of course, we talked to your Ambassador yesterday and we want to keep in touch with what’s going on at the Atlantic Council and Bloomberg News. I wonder if you could tell me what it is you need most from the US and Europeans now, and have you made specific requests, and what has been the specific response to the requests?

PRESIDENT: What we need now, absolutely urgently, are airlifts - of food, medicines, because we’re a modern country, but we weren’t prepared for a long war. That’s a key – a lifeline – something comparable to the Berlin airlift. We also need secure communications, a monitored ceasefire that can be monitored by international monitors, and we need peacekeepers on the ground that would come from impartial countries immediately. If this doesn’t happen, things will escalate again.

Georgia is a country of five million people. If there are twelve hundred Russian tanks running around the country, rampaging, looting, killing, this would be such a disaster. We already have people who have fled their homes, tens of thousands of them at this stage. It might go to hundreds of thousands. We are talking to the UNHCR, and they estimate that there are already 100,000 displaced persons from the last few days. One hundred thousand! And it might climb to 180,000. This is a humanitarian catastrophe of huge dimensions, unfolding in the eyes of the world. And it’s in Europe.

Fred Kemp: What has been the response of the US, of the European Union to these specific requests so far?

PRESIDENT: Frankly, it has not been adequate. It has not been adequate. They’re talking about a negotiated ceasefire, how this side should do this, this side should do that – it’s appeasement. Appeasement in 1938 brought tens of millions of deaths to Europe. Georgia is first, like Czechoslovakia was first in 1938, then Poland followed, then the rest of Europe followed, then there was the greatest humanitarian catastrophe the world has ever seen.

People should wake up. It’s not about Georgia. The bombs they were dropping on us had “This is for NATO” written on the side. We need real actions, not just consolation, or solidarity. Solidarity matters. But when people get hungry, when they’re roofless, that’s not going to do the trick. Russia did this because they thought that nobody would intervene. So far, that’s been confirmed.

Ian Traynor, The Guardian: I wonder, in terms of the Sarkozy negotiations, could you give us any details? Would you be prepared, for example, to sign a non-use-of-force agreement? Could you envisage Georgian peacekeepers playing any continued role in South Ossetia, for example?

PRESIDENT: We’ve been prepared all along to sign a non-use-of-force agreement. But we’ve always asked for international verification on the ground. Otherwise, it makes no sense. What we’ve been expressing with Sarkozy is – who’s going to verify? Who’s going to check? I don’t care if it’s Georgians, or French, or Ukrainian, as far as they’re impartial and they protect the population. What we’re seeing now on the ground is the long-standing effort to purify this area. No population, no problem – Stalin’s slogan. No Georgia, no problem! They’ve done it in Silesia, they’ve done it in Karelia, now they’re doing it in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. They’ve thrown out the last elements of the Georgian population, now they’re destroying the rest of Georgia so it’s so crippled it can never get up off its knees again.

Russian peacekeepers are like the fox guarding the chickens. We had sixteen years of peacekeeping by the Russians – and their peacekeepers were the ones that were shooting first! Of course we’ve been discussing internationalisation, we’ve been discussing non-use of force, we’ve been discussing the international guarantees for autonomy and security and all sorts of things. But the first thing that should have been done is an immediate ceasefire, and it’s exactly what’s not happening.

Ian Traynor, The Guardian: The European Union foreign ministers are currently meeting in Brussels, discussing the situation in Georgia. If there’s an agreement on an international presence in Georgia, will Russian forces also be taking part in Abkhazia and South Ossetia?

PRESIDENT: In Abkhazia, it’s out of the question at this stage, because of what the peacekeepers did. In Abkhazia we have 6-700 Russian tanks, ethnically purifying Abkhazia, depriving it of 85% of its pre-conflict population. Now, for an interim period, there can be some Russian peacekeepers, but we all know that these are not peacekeepers, they’re Russian soldiers. So a limited Russian peacekeeping force, for a limited time in a limited zone – maybe. And just in South Ossetia.

But who will be willing to replace them? Georgia has always wanted international peacekeepers and mediation. We heartily welcomed the German peace plan. We welcomed every EU initiative on these issues. We’ve always welcomed bringing other people into the negotiations, because on our own against Russia, well, I knew it was just asking for trouble, and that’s what’s happened.

Stefan Cornelius, South German News: going back a few days, I’d like to ask you what made you decide to put the forces into South Ossetia on Thursday night after declaring a halt of weapons at that point.

PRESIDENT: I am sickened by the speculation that Georgia started anything first. We clearly responded to the Russians. Ossetian separatists are supported by the Russian forces, and they were shooting at us for days and days. They were killing people. We declared a ceasefire, hoping to stop the violence. On the day I was supposed to go to the Olympics, 15 minutes before I was supposed to leave, I got off the plane, because I felt something was going wrong. I called Javier Solana, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, friendly presidents, asking them to contact Russia, because they wouldn’t respond to us. We wanted to know what was going on. It was very unusual – we had provocations in the past, but this was very unusual.

The point here is that around eleven o’clock, Russian tanks started to move into Georgian territory, 150 at first. And that was a clear-cut invasion. That was the moment when we started to open fire with artillery, because otherwise they would have crossed the bridge and moved into Tskhinvali. The problem is that on the way, there were villages that didn’t have any military personnel in them, because we weren’t preparing for this. We only had lightly-armed police. So, once they crossed the village, they could move quickly through the villages, then on to Tskhinvali.

They have been building up troops all year. Can you imagine that somebody would bring 1200 tanks into another country within a few hours? It takes months and months. Even the United States couldn’t do it in that short an amount of time. So it’s another Russian fiction. When they shot down our UAV, they said it was war provocation. When they were bombing our territory, they said there were Georgian planes bombing their territory. You know, Finland also attacked the Soviet Union, according to Stalin. Poland also attacked Germany. Small countries always attack, and then get occupied. It’s high time for people to understand what’s going on.

I’ve heard talk of this being a hot-headed nationalist response. Excuse me – what do you mean, response? We were being invaded, occupied, killed – and to suggest that responding to that would be hot-headed nationalism, frankly, would be immoral. I’m astonished that, in the 21st century, that would be possible. My only gamble here was to try to build a free society and a free country. And the Russians are now saying that this is going to fail. My response is that no matter what we do, we’re not going to give up. We had the biggest rally ever in Tbilisi yesterday. This was a time that there were rumours, bombings, there were 200,000 people in the streets despite the fact that people were saying they might bomb the demonstration. Everything’s possible. People showed up en masse. If you have 200,000 people in the streets, that should show you something. Democracy cannot be defeated only by tanks.

But democracies can be betrayed. And it is true that many people in the world are still underestimating the threat, and looking for all kinds of justifications for why they shouldn’t act. For me, frankly, not giving us a MAP was a signal to Russia. They got the signal. No matter what the justification was, publicly, the Russians got the message. They took it as a signal to attack. I’ve been waiting for the attack for months, warning Western leaders about this. They kept saying that “this is not going to happen, that [I] was exaggerating.” I told them they would bomb us. “Oh, no, no, Russians would never bomb anybody.” The scale of the invasion is bigger than the first days of Afghanistan or Prague or Budapest, that’s for sure.

Stefan Cornelius, South German News: What did you hope to achieve militarily?

PRESIDENT: We were trying to stop them at the border – we were late. Once they got to Tskhinvali, they could march on the capital. We tried to stop them in the mountains before Tskhinvali, but we were too late and there were too many of them. I know very well that Russian forces are so overwhelming that – well, we knew they were on the border, but when 150 tanks started to come in, we either would have stopped them before the bridge, in the Roki tunnel, or they would have got to Tskhinvali and got to anywhere.

But for the last year, they’ve been building this infrastructure near the Roki tunnel. Remember the railway troops in Abkhazia? They built tank bases without putting tanks in them. The West said that they couldn’t confirm all this. Looks like the Georgian intelligence services were the best. But to sum up, you resist or you surrender. We had an obligation to resist, I think. It seems very rational. What was our choice?

Patricia Corrigan, CBS News: do you feel like you were baited into this by the Russians, and given recent history could you not have anticipated this?

PRESIDENT: It’s not about being baited, it’s about being attacked. Tell me any other democracy that wouldn’t respond. You either surrender or you respond. We are not going to surrender. It’s a question of morality, duty, obligation towards your constitution and your people. That’s it. And the magnitude of the Russian response was foreseeable. The Western response was not really predictable.

But I didn’t really expect a military response – I expected the world to speak with one voice. We’ve been warning them that there was a large-scale Russian invasion coming. What more could we do? We knew very well that increasing the military budget was a bit quixotic. But we also watch Russian television, and we saw it was coming. The kind of propaganda they were running – it looked like they were going to attack. One week before the invasion, the Russian military were handing out leaflets saying “We should liberate Georgia from Saakashvili, they’re suffering.” We have these papers.

Yesterday, my wife visited downed Russian pilots in a hospital in Tbilisi – and just so you know, they’re being looked after just fine. They were spouting the same propaganda about Georgia. They’ve been indoctrinated to criticise us when they’ve been killing all these people over the past few days. This conflict never should have happened.

Nina Donahue, Fox News: we were briefed yesterday by high-level State Dept officials. They were downplaying this, saying it was just a flare-up. What I’m asking is, has the US completely underestimated Russia’s ambitions?

PRESIDENT: I think they did. Senator McCain was quite right, saying “We are all Georgians now.” Barack Obama also made a statement. But your State Department underestimated them. They were saying that Russia was just playing games. I asked about what would happen if they crossed the line. They said that it’d be a big mistake. Well, it’s a weak consolation that Russia’s made a mistake. And the West has made the mistake of underestimating them.

But this is also because Georgia is so successful. We were the darling of the World Bank, number 16 or 17 in terms of business environment, leaders in terms of foreign direct investment in the region. We have the lowest corruption in the area, one of the lowest in Europe. We had 12% growth last year, and this year we were anticipating 11%. And of course the Russians were going nuts, because even with their oil and gas we were doing better economically. They tried to undermine us with an economic embargo, they blew up power lines. Some people were calling us paranoid.

Nina Donahue, Fox News: What would you like to see the US doing now?

PRESIDENT: I think America should clearly organise resistance among Western countries. They have lots of leverage to stop Russian aggression. America’s prestige and reputation in the region is at stake. There’s lots of costs that the US should impose on Russia, and this should happen. Otherwise, this is going to continue. The reputation that America has gained since the Cold War is going to hell right now. This is tragic. I lived in the US, I like America. Some people have said we’re building a little America here – we’re a free European country based on the rule of law, democracy and an open society. They’re American and European values – and historically and geographically, we’re a European country.

So that’s what’s happening here, and I would like to thank you, all of you, for joining me on this call. Please, tell the world the truth. Russia is out there spreading propaganda. They have so many resources at their disposal. It’s typical war-time propaganda. They levelled Tskhinvali, and they said the Georgians did it. They showed wounded Georgians and said they were wounded South Ossetians wounded by Georgians. They talk about me like a hot-headed dictator. They are all over the place. There are also politicians in some countries that, for pragmatic reasons, are willing to swallow all of this. So please, global democracy is at stake. Please tell the world the truth. The Russians are killing this issue, and they’re going to kill our country.

Nina Donahue, Fox News: Can I ask one more question?

PRESIDENT: Of course.

Nina Donahue, Fox News: Can you describe the situation on the ground around Tblisi?

PRESIDENT: Yes. The Russians have blocked off the main roads and surrounded the capital. People are trying to flee – we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of displaced persons and a humanitarian disaster. The city is normal. Cars are driving around. Electricity and water supplies are functioning, shops are open. The police are regulating law and order.

But in other parts of the country, the police are not trained to withstand Russian tanks. They are there to establish law and order. Russian troops are bombing the police, and trying to ensure destabilisation and economic collapse. They are good at destroying other countries, and they are implementing this here. Thank you, goodbye.
Posted by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia at 8:18 PM

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Speaking at 11am (EDT) in the Rose Garden, President Bush said he was skeptical that Moscow was honouring a cease fire - the US was concerned about reports of continuing Russian military actions in Georgia. Russia must cease all military activity, and bring the military conflict to an end. He said that the United States expects all Russian forces to withdraw from Georgia and that Moscow must honour the truce after its destructive attacks against Georgia. The President also said that the US will use its own military aircraft and naval forces to deliver humanitarian aid to the region. The humanitarian effort is already in progress, and an initial C-17 cargo plane is on its way to Tbilisi - the US expects that Russia will allow it to enter Georgian airspace. "All lines of communication and transport, including seaports, roads and airports" must remain open. If such conditions are not met, Russia will continue to put its relations with international institutions at risk. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris before travelling to Tbilisi to express the United States' "unwavering support" for Georgia and its government.

Labels: Defence and Security, Europe. Russia, Georgia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, United States

Via the Telegraph:

A column of 70 Russian military vehicles, including military trucks with anti-aircraft guns and artillery, as well as armoured personnel carriers, pursued by a large contingent of the world’s media, left Gori on the road to Tbilisi and turned left a few kilometres outside of the frontline Georgian town.

Russian troops claimed they were on a “humanitarian mission”, however, the true purpose of the mission remained unclear as reports of burning and looting in villages near Gori by South Ossetian rebels and Russian army personnel emerged.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

According to BBC and Sky news reports and eyewitness accounts by reporters from both channels who are on the main road from Gori to Tbilisi, the column of 60-70 Russian armoured vehicles has exited from Gori and has turned off the main road to a site some 15 kilometres in the direction of Tbilisi. Georgian forces are bringing up artillery and other heavy armour to an area not far from where the Russian column is stationed, and a new front line is being established.

President Bush is due to deliver a live statement from Washington, D.C. at 15:00 GMT

Update: reports now say that the Russian armoured column has turned round and has moved back in the direction of South Ossetia.Georgian troops remain dug in at the side of the Gori-Tbilisi highway, however.

Labels: Europe. Russia, Georgia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Russian forces have invaded the city of Gori, raising a question about Russia's military intentions once again, and the possibility that its aim is, after all, to attack Tbilisi.

There are confirmed reports of Georgian villages being burned by Russian forces and South Ossetian "irregulars".

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

The BBC has just shown Danish television film of Russian tanks and APCs entering Gori this morning, thus contradicting Nogovitsyn's claims that there are no tanks in Gori. Reports by Western journalists of looting and robbery have also been confirmed.

The Danish TV-2 film of Gori and tanks can be seen here.

Labels: Georgia, Russia Georgia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

CNN reports that

Georgia's president accused Russia on Wednesday of violating the terms of a cease-fire deal by attacking and "rampaging" through the Georgian town of Gori.

"As I speak, the Russian tanks are attacking the town of Gori and are rampaging through the town," President Mikheil Saakashvili told a news conference. "There is marauding. There is destruction of buildings."

Sweden's Dagens Nyheter says that the first reports that Russian tanks were on their way into Gori came about 10am. The information came from the head of Georgia's national security council. The reports were then confirmed by reporters. A team from the British Sky news TV channel also said that several Norwegian journalists had been robbed by Russian soldiers.

[De första rapporterna om att ryska stridsvagnar var på väg in i den georgiska staden Gori kom vid 10-tiden. Uppgifterna kom från chefen för Georgiens nationella säkerhetsråd.

De bekräftades sedan av reportrar. Ett reportageteam från brittiska Sky News berättade också att några norska journalister hade rånats av ryska soldater.]

Labels: Europe. Russia, Georgia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Via Reuters: http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKLD12843720080813?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Labels: Georgia, Russia

Georgia has filed a lawsuit against Russia in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), claiming that Russia, through the separatist authorities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, has violated a convention meant to eliminate racism, the Hague-based court said on August 12. [civil.ge]

Labels: Europe, Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, Russia. Georgia

Ekho Moskvy reports that Russian tanks and artillery are still active in the vicinity of the town of Gori in spite of the cease fire. Russian snipers are also active on the buildings. Lenta.ru mentions a Georgian security council statement which claims that 50 Russian tanks have entered the town.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, Russia. Georgia

The presidents of Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia show their solidarity with Georgia's President Saakashvili in Tbilisi yesterday evening.

Labels: Baltics, Estonia, EU Poland, Europe. Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia's invasion of Georgia, Ukraine

Estonian Pro Patria leader Mart Laar, who is President Mikheil Saakashhvili’s economic adviser, says he has information about actions by Russian forces which include killing and murder in order to put Georgia in an unfavourable light, Postimees reports (my tr.)

Speaking on the ETV television programme "On the situation in Georgia" last night Maar said he has evidence that Russian troops have killed people on the border with North Ossetia and have then told international agencies that the killings were done by the Georgian side, ERR Novosti reports.

This is also the reason why Russia will not allow international missions into the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali, even though people may still be dying under the rubble of destroyed buildings there.

"The most tragic thing is that many people still lie buried under the rubble. Russia is not letting a single international mission into the region, not even the Red Cross – no one. People are dying. And then, one day their bodies will be recovered from under the ruins with the words "look at what those accursed Georgians did," Laar said.

Labels: Estonia, Europe. Russia, Georgia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

The Other Russia writes that

In an open letter, some of Russia’s most prominent human rights activists, including Soviet dissident Sergei Kovalev, have called on the international community to stand up to Russia’s “aggression” and to go as far as removing the country from the Group of Eight. The letter, below, was first released on August 10th.

Other public figures have called on both sides to stop the violence, and start negotiations. According to the latest media reports, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has ordered a halt of military operations, although fighting continued.

The text of the open letter can be read here.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

The Georgian Foreign Ministry's website appears to be functioning again.

From the site's main page:

Reply of the Press and Information Department to a question of the Georgia-News Agency concerning the possible ethnic persecution of Georgian citizens and ethnic Georgians in the Russian Federation

Question: How would you assess reports by Russian mass media sources about the possible ethnic persecution of Georgian citizens and ethnic Georgians in the Russian Federation?

Answer: We all keep a vivid memory of the immoral campaign launched by the Russian Authorities in autumn of 2006 aiming at violation of basic human rights, including the right to life, of the citizens of Georgia and ethnic Georgians (actions of the Russian Authorities then claimed the lives of a number of people)

Russian mass media sources, including Internet magazines, are currently disseminating various reports on this issue. Alexander Belov, leader of Movement Against Illegal Migration, notorious for his xenophobic sentiments, announced on 11 August that ‘he arranges raids in Moscow, aiming at the places where the Georgians tend to crowd’. Meanwhile, the Russian Authorities officially deny allegations about any kind of harassment of the citizens of Georgia and ethnic Georgians. However, it is a well- known fact that Russia’s official structures are patronizing, whether openly or secretly, the organizations promoting ethnic and racial hatred and carrying out acts of violence against people of different racial or ethnic origin.

We keep a close watch over the development of events in Russia and declare that all responsibility for any act of violence, whoever its perpetrators, against the citizens of Georgia and ethnic Georgians will fall on the Russian Authorities.

Labels: Georgia, Russia

AP and other agencies report that senior U.S. defence officials are considering scrapping a major NATO naval exercise with Russia that was to have begun on Friday.

The expulsion of Russia from the G-7 group of industrialized nations is also being proposed.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, United States

Statement of President Ilves to the people of Estonia regarding the situation in Georgia

12.08.2008

Dear Estonian people.
All of us who value democratic values and the ideals of freedom support Georgia today. A democratic European country has fallen victim to aggression.
The world, but especially the European Union and NATO, cannot just remain a bystander in this situation. The events are taking place too close to us and with a people that wishes to tie its future to Europe and European values.
We must use all the possibilities at our disposal to immediately halt the military activity and to prevent continued casualties on Georgia’s territory.
It is for this reason that the leaders of the Baltic countries, Poland and Ukraine have decided to make a joint visit to Georgia’s capital Tbilisi today. Together we will continue our activities in the UN, the European Union, and other international organization in order to find a fast and permanent solution to the conflict. .
The Russian-Georgian war is a touchstone for the European Union for shaping European security policies in the future. Europe must re-evaluate its entire current security and foreign policy and bring it into conformity with the new reality. We must thoroughly rethink what the significantly changed security environment in the vicinity of Europe means for Estonia.
Estonia, as a European Union and NATO member state, is not directly threatened by foreign aggression. Our people should not be afraid or feel endangered.
Estonia’s primary security guarantee is our international credibility, the fulfillment of the obligations we have accepted, as well as our readiness to participate in the resolution of Europe’s and the world’s problems.
In Estonia we must not rush to make decisions that might reduce the defense capabilities of our country or weaken our domestic security. A great responsibility rests with our parliament and government to find sufficient opportunities to strengthen our statehood.
I wish us all the strength and peace of mind to achieve this.
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
President of the Republic of Estonia
Office of the President
Public Relations Department
Phone +372 631 6229

Labels: Baltics, Estonia, Europe, Georgia, Russia

Via France24:

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday said Russia's military operations in Georgia "really do, now, need to stop" and called on all parties to "cease fire."

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

This very recently-released Georgian government statement (posted by Estonian member of parliament Marko Mihkelson to his weblog) indicates that the situation both on the ground and in the air is very different from what Russian sources are claiming. Massacres of Georgian civilians by Russian troops are taking place in South Ossetia. 

Government of Georgia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 12 • 17:50
Tbilisi, Georgia URGENT: Georgia confirms continued presence of massive Russian occupation force, bombings, ethnic cleansing & economic warfare. Contrary to some media reports and to the statement by Russian President Medvedev, Russian occupation forces are fully operational in Georgia with at least 12,000 troops throughout the country, many of them outside of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This is no way represents a "halt to military operations" or a "halt to war" as many media outlets are reporting.
Specifically, at this hour:
—Russian soldiers occupy the Georgian Black Sea Port of Poti, which they have destroyed and where they have killed nearly 100 civilians. The port is blockaded and their are tanks on the roads outside of Poti.
In recent hours:
—Russian forces have bombed Gori city center for the first time, where two journalists were reported killed today and a hospital was bombed.
—In western Georgia, Russian troops ordered members of the civil administration to abandon their posts
—In Senaki, Russian forces bombed and are believed to have mined a major Georgian army base. The base had been evacuated prior to the attack.
—Most of the ethnic Georgians who were in South Ossetia have been taken to Kurta detention camp by Russian troops or have been killed by separatist paramilitaries. The massacre is continuing.
—Local witnesses are reporting that Russian troops (or Russian allied militia) are verifying the ethnicity of residents and if they are Georgian they are summarily executing them with a bullet to their head. Reports of such massacres are coming from the villages of Nikosi, Kurta, and Armarishili.
—In Agara, a town outside of the conflict zones, an ambulance was bombed.
In recent hours, the Russian invasion forces also have begun a campaign of economic warfare. Among other attacks, they have:
—Bombed a German-owned cement factory in Kaspi
—Bombed and narrowly missed the BTC pipeline near Rustavi.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Via Postimees (my tr.):

The Office of the President of Estonia today confirmed that President Toomas Hendrik Ilves is flying to Georgia, along with the presidents of Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania as well as the prime minister of Latvia.

Ilves says he wants to express his support for the democratic government of Georgia and to acquaint himself with the situation on the ground.

The President will return to Estonia tomorrow, August 13.

Labels: Baltics, Baltics. Europe, Estonia, Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Via Russia and Georgia at War

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Via RFE/RL

Labels: Georgia, NATO, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Via Civil Georgia:17:43
Speaking at a news conference for foreign journalists in Tbilisi on August 12, President Saakashvili said that the Russian air strikes hit the BP-operated oil pipeline in Georgia.
Earlier this morning the Georgian officials have claimed the Russian warplanes dropped three bombs in the area through which the Baku-Supsa pipeline runs. It was also reported that one bomb hit the pipeline without exploding.

Labels: Britain, Energy, Environment, Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Civil Georgia, a news site giving Georgia-based news and information, as well as details of Russia's invasion of Georgia and its consequences, can now be accessed as a Blogger weblog, here.

Labels: Europe. Russia, Georgia, Internet, Russia's invasion of Georgia

One occasionally wonders where the BBC gets its foreign correspondents, and where its co-ordination goes at times of heightened international tension. During the transmission of President Saakashvili's moving. eloquent and well-phrased address to more than 100,000 deeply affected Georgian citizens on Tbilisi's Freedom Square, viewers were treated to a rambling series of voiceovers by bewildered correspondents whose main purpose seemed to be to call the president's status into question. Mr. Saakashvili had been too "cocky", we were told, and the assumption had to be that he was not a popular man - he wasn't fighting for his country, but for his own position, etc., etc. Things were not much better on Sky, where the same lack of any translation of what Mr Saakashvili was actually saying prevailed, and the same insistent and almost desperate attempt to question his authority marked the contribution of the comments by so-called "foreign policy experts" on the voiceover.

When Richard Holbrooke was interviewed by Sky, still with the shots of the Saakashvili speech in frame, the interviewer asked him if he thought that Mr. Sasakashvili was guilty of "hubris". At this, Holbrooke quite justifiably almost threw a fit, and told the interviewer he was blaming the victim. A shouting match ensued, and equilibrium was restored only when it became clear that Holbrooke could at least agree with the interviewer on the matter of criticizing the Bush administration - in particular, Bush himself and Condoleezza Rice - for its slowness in dealing with the Georgia situation.

All this, coupled with the Brown government's shameful 4-day silence on the Georgian crisis, a silence broken only yesterday, when prime minister Brown rather grudgingly, it seemed, issued a statement critical of Russia's intervention, makes one very doubtful from time to time about the figures who actually control the media and politics in Britain. Perhaps a general election, bring the advent of a Conservative government here, may clear the air - certainly David Cameron's public statement on the crisis was the most coherent and convincing to be heard from British statesmen, laid the blame fairly and squarely where it belongs, at Russia's door.

Labels: Georgia, Media, Russia's invasion of Georgia, United Kingdom.

Reuters (via gazeta.ru)  reports Georgia's prime minister, Lado Gurgenidze, as saying that Georgia needs more evidence that Russia has ceased its military operation in South Ossetia. According to Gurgenidze, each side must now sign a legally binding treaty. "Until that happens, we will be ready for anything," Gurgenidze said.

Gurgenidze also said that he approves of the step taken by Russia's President.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, South Ossetia, War in Georgia

There are reports that under pressure from President Bush and the United States Medvedev has ordered a halt to the Russian ground invasion of Georgia. But Russian warplanes continue to attack the Georgian city of Gori.

Via RFE/RL:

Reuters said at least five people were killed in the Russian bombings in Gori. Georgian television said the central square of the city was hit and that university buildings in the city are on fire.

Nogovitsyn has stated that the halting of ground operations does not mean that Russia will stop carrying out "intelligence gathering" on Georgian territory. (Lenta.ru)

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Western press comment is beginning to show a realization of the true gravity of the situation that is unfolding, not only in Georgia, but in the whole of Europe.  As Russia proceeds to ignore appeals by European and U.S. politicians, its sights are fixed not only on the Caucasus, but also on Ukraine, and even further afield. Helene Cooper's analysis in the IHT today reflects some of the shock that this realization is inducing in Western political figures and a public that has grown accustomed to the idea that after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia somehow became a part of the West:

...there is a growing belief in European capitals and in Washington that the return of Russia could mean a distinct redrawing of the Eurasia map, with Europe and the United States giving up on attempts to integrate former Soviet republics in the Caucasus, like Ukraine and Georgia, into the Western orbit, while battling with Russia to keep Eastern European countries like Poland and the Baltic states.

And the return of Russia could mean an end to already-dwindling American and European hopes of bringing Russia along eventually as an ally of the West. At best, Russia would never be trusted; at worst, it would be seen as an adversary.

Even for an emboldened Moscow, the Russian foray into Georgia carries substantial risks: not just global isolation from the Western democracies, but also anger from neighboring states of the former Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact, the prospect of perpetual military quagmires around its borders, if not on the catastrophic scale of the Soviet war in Afghanistan, and nationalist reprisals like those that resulted from its crackdown in Chechnya.

A crowd of more than 1,000 people demonstrated in the Latvian capital, Riga, on Monday, while hundreds more gathered in Tallinn, Estonia, and Vilnius, Lithuania, to press the West to adopt a tough stance toward Moscow. Leaders in Poland and the Czech Republic echoed that call.

Labels: Baltics, Baltics. Europe, Estonia, Europe, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia's invasion of Georgia

In an interview with the Huffington Post's Nathan Gardeis, ex-U.S. national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski compares Russia's present invasion of Georgia to Hitler's strategy in the Czech Sudetenland, and to the Soviet assault on Finland in 1939:

Fundamentally at stake is what kind of role Russia will play in the new international system. Unfortunately, Putin is putting Russia on a course that is ominously similar to Stalin's and Hitler's in the late 1930s. Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt has correctly drawn an analogy between Putin's "justification" for dismembering Georgia -- because of the Russians in South Ossetia -- to Hitler's tactics vis a vis Czechoslovakia to "free" the Sudeten Deutsch.

Even more ominous is the analogy of what Putin is doing vis-a-vis Georgia to what Stalin did vis-a-vis Finland: subverting by use of force the sovereignty of a small democratic neighbor. In effect, morally and strategically, Georgia is the Finland of our day.

Labels: Nazism, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia

Russia's military leaders, apparently secure in their belief that no other country will come to the aid of Georgia, and that Russia therefore has a free hand to do as it wants there, have changed their strategy: while yesterday General Nogovitsyn announced that Russian forces would not move into Georgian territory beyond the so-called "security zone", a Russian defence ministry spokesman later talked of "measures" being taken to prevent Georgian troops "regrouping" - among other things, this involved a movement of Russian forces 40 kilometres from the Abkhaz frontier to the Georgian town of Senaki.

AP now reports that

Russian forces moved into Senaki, 20 miles inland from the Black Sea, and seized police stations in Zugdidi, just outside the southern fringe of Abkhazia. Abkhazian allies took control of the nearby village of Kurga, according to witnesses and Georgian officials.

U.N. officials B. Lynn Pascoe and Edmond Mulet in New York, speaking at an emergency Security Council meeting asked for by Georgia, also confirmed that Russian troops have driven well beyond South Ossetia and Abkhazia, U.N. diplomats said on condition of anonymity because it was a closed session. They said Russian airborne troops were not meeting any resistance while taking control of Georgia's Senaki army base.

"A full military invasion of Georgia is going on," Georgian Ambassador Irakli Alasania told reporters later. "Now I think Security Council has to act."

France also circulated a draft resolution calling for the "cessation of hostilities, and the complete withdrawal of Russian and Georgian forces" to prior positions. The council is expected to take up the draft proposal Tuesday.

The Georgian president, Mikhail Saakashvili, told CNN late Monday that Russian forces were cleansing Abkhazia of ethnic Georgians.

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, United Nations

President Bush Discusses Situation in Georgia
Rose Garden

THE PRESIDENT: I just met with my national security team to discuss the situation in Georgia.

I am deeply concerned by reports that Russian troops have moved beyond the zone of conflict, attacked the Georgian town of Gori, and are threatening the Georgia's -- Georgia's capital of Tbilisi. There's evidence that Russian forces may soon begin bombing the civilian airport in the capital city.

If these reports are accurate, these Russian actions would represent a dramatic and brutal escalation of the conflict in Georgia. And these actions would be inconsistent with assurances we have received from Russia that its objectives were limited to restoring the status quo in South Ossetia that existed before fighting began on August the 6th.

It now appears that an effort may be underway to depose Georgia's duly elected government. Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people. Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century.

The Georgian government has accepted the elements of a peace agreement that the Russian government previously said it would be willing to accept: an immediate cease-fire, the withdrawal of forces from the zone of conflict, a return to the military status quo as of August 6th, and a commitment to refrain from using force. There are representatives of the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe currently in Moscow seeking Russia's agreement to this peace plan.

Russia's government must respect Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Russian government must reverse the course it appears to be on, and accept this peace agreement as a first step toward resolving this conflict.

Russia's actions this week have raised serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region. These actions have substantially damaged Russia's standing in the world. And these actions jeopardize Russians' relations -- Russia's relations with the United States and Europe. It is time for Russia to be true to its word and to act to end this crisis.

Thank you.

END 5:24 P.M. EDT

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/08/20080811-1.html

Labels: Georgia, Russia, Russia's invasion of Georgia, United States

In the Washington Post, Ronald D. Asmus and Richard Holbrooke look at the present situation between Russia and the West. "The West, and especially the United States, could have prevented this war. We have arrived at a watershed moment in the West's post-Cold War relations with Russia." Excerpt:

What can we do? First, Georgia deserves our solidarity and support. (Georgia has supported us; its more than 2,000 troops are the third-largest contingent in Iraq -- understandably those troops are being recalled.) We must get the fighting stopped and preserve Georgia's territorial integrity within