The Saakashvili Experiment (Facts about Georgia the MSM won't tell you)

[IndianaGreen]

The Saakashvili Experiment

By Ramzy Baroud

Just as the world's attention was focussed on China's Beijing Olympics, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, on 7 August, invaded the tiny breakaway province of South Ossetia. The initial attack on the South Ossetian capital, Tskninvali, soon extended to an all out war, which eventually invited Russia's wrath, and the death of thousands of innocent civilians on both sides.

Prior to Saakashvili's war, little was known about the political specifics of that area and the brewing decades-long territorial disputes which date back to the early 20th century, highlighted during an intense civil war that followed the break-up of the Soviet Union and its satellite states. Georgia's successful secession from the Soviet grip, understandably, inspired independence fervour in ethnic regions within Georgia. The small region of South Ossetia -- majority ethnic Russians and minority Georgians -- sought to join the North Ossetian province, which remained part of Russia. Another region was Abkhazia, whose protracted fight with the central Georgian government has also provoked much violence.

The fact that South Ossetia belongs to Georgia was hardly contested. Even Russia has long recognised Georgian sovereignty in that region. Russia, nonetheless, remained largely involved in South Ossetia -- mostly as a "peacekeeping force", rationalising such involvement as essential for the national security of the country and the safety of its citizens. Most South Ossentians -- like Abkhazians -- hold Russian citizenship.

But setting such rationale aside, the fact is that South Ossetia is an important component in Russian foreign policy, and particularly its policy and attitude towards former Soviet republics and satellite states in Eastern Europe. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Cold War was transformed into a political scramble: the US and NATO expanded their boundaries of influence and territorial outreach, while Russia struggled to maintain a level of influence and halt the encroachment of the US-led NATO.

Georgia, situated strategically between Russia, the Black Sea, Turkey and Iran, deserved due attention. The US became keenly interested in ensuring the inclusion of Georgia into its sphere of influence. Through dedicated efforts, a pro-Western leader, Saakashvili, came to power through a highly televised "Rose Revolution". While the integrity of the elections that followed and the role of the CIA in concocting and ensuring the success of the "revolution" are still intensely debated, the fact is Georgia fell into a new sphere of influence. Saakashvili is a man desperate for European-US validation. He too sought NATO membership and heedlessly invited Israeli military "specialists" to modernise his country's armed forces in anticipation of a battle with Russia.

http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/7293/

[Igel]

1. Odd.

"small region of South Ossetia -- majority ethnic Russians". But then he says that they're mostly Russian passport holders. While they're not mutually exclusive statements, the first is simply wrong. A majority of the population was simply Ossetian, with Georgian, Russian, and Jewish subpopulations (among others).

Of course, they used to be USSR passport holders, and it's only been since Russian/Georgian/Ossetian peacekeepers patrolled the area and it considered itself independent that Russia started issuing lots of passports to Ossetians. Partly because Georgia wouldn't grant them travel documents. Then again, in Ossetia the "passport" is more than just a travel document, so they partly created the need that they then filled.

Same in Abkhazia.

Ukraine's a slightly different matter. But in the Donets basin, and increasingly worryingly rumored in the Crimea, ethnic Russian Ukraininan citizens have Russian passports. But just "rumored". No hard evidence. (As Crimean Pravda said, "we're investigating" the claim; which is to say, they have a good idea but aren't saying.)

The rest continues the usual blather. "Legitimate interests," "take into account Russian sensibilities", yada-yada. Although I must say, "fell" is one of my favorite verbs. In the interests of denying Georgians human agency, they, at best, can be the subject of a medio-passive verb. When an apple falls, it's strictly non-agentive.