A Path to Peace in the Caucasus By Mikhail Gorbachev Tuesday, August 12, 2008; Page A13 ... The roots of this tragedy lie in the decision of Georgia's separatist leaders in 1991 to abolish South Ossetian autonomy. This turned out to be a time bomb for Georgia's territorial integrity. Each time successive Georgian leaders tried to impose their will by force -- both in South Ossetia and in Abkhazia, where the issues of autonomy are similar -- it only made the situation worse. New wounds aggravated old injuries. ... What happened on the night of Aug. 7 is beyond comprehension. The Georgian military attacked the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali with multiple rocket launchers designed to devastate large areas. Russia had to respond. To accuse it of aggression against "small, defenseless Georgia" is not just hypocritical but shows a lack of humanity. ... The Georgian leadership could do this only with the perceived support and encouragement of a much more powerful force. Georgian armed forces were trained by hundreds of U.S. instructors, and its sophisticated military equipment was bought in a number of countries. This, coupled with the promise of NATO membership, emboldened Georgian leaders into thinking that they could get away with a "blitzkrieg" in South Ossetia. In other words, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was expecting unconditional support from the West, and the West had given him reason to think he would have it. Now that the Georgian military assault has been routed, both the Georgian government and its supporters should rethink their position.
By Mikhail Gorbachev Tuesday, August 12, 2008; Page A13 ... The roots of this tragedy lie in the decision of Georgia's separatist leaders in 1991 to abolish South Ossetian autonomy. This turned out to be a time bomb for Georgia's territorial integrity. Each time successive Georgian leaders tried to impose their will by force -- both in South Ossetia and in Abkhazia, where the issues of autonomy are similar -- it only made the situation worse. New wounds aggravated old injuries. ... What happened on the night of Aug. 7 is beyond comprehension. The Georgian military attacked the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali with multiple rocket launchers designed to devastate large areas. Russia had to respond. To accuse it of aggression against "small, defenseless Georgia" is not just hypocritical but shows a lack of humanity. ... The Georgian leadership could do this only with the perceived support and encouragement of a much more powerful force. Georgian armed forces were trained by hundreds of U.S. instructors, and its sophisticated military equipment was bought in a number of countries. This, coupled with the promise of NATO membership, emboldened Georgian leaders into thinking that they could get away with a "blitzkrieg" in South Ossetia.
In other words, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was expecting unconditional support from the West, and the West had given him reason to think he would have it. Now that the Georgian military assault has been routed, both the Georgian government and its supporters should rethink their position.
Of course, refraining from using shock and awe tactics terror-bombing against their enemies is just basic civilised behaviour and thus hardly qualifies Russia for brownie points, but recent events coughfallujahcough have made it noteworthy at least...
- Jake Ceterum censeo Chicago esse delendam
it's done russia good to take time out from being the 'other gorilla'. medvedev and putin don't win beauty contests (sorry poemless!), but they have their feet very much on the ground and i trust them more than any rapture-sipping crusaders.
....to screw europe with the same capitalism we taught them, but without the sickly glaze of hypocrisy and moral posturing western leaders affect.
the difference between yeltsin, kruschov, brehznev and others in that old mould, and the new sleek, precision-machined, unsentimental face of power russia shows today is nothing short of amazing.
of course EU slowness to get off the oil/gas tit will serve to tempt the russians to swell too fast, which is another good reason to stop feeding them so many billions, keeping our fossil-fool middlemen high on the hog and calling the political shots from behind the curtain. The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it. Chinese Proverb.
The Georgian leadership could do this only with the perceived support and encouragement of a much more powerful force. Georgian armed forces were trained by hundreds of U.S. instructors, and its sophisticated military equipment was bought in a number of countries. This, coupled with the promise of NATO membership, emboldened Georgian leaders into thinking that they could get away with a "blitzkrieg" in South Ossetia.
I refer to my quote from Russian Komersant yesterday that was prompted by the diary by ManfromMiddletown, who also used a Komersant report to support a claim that US based Blackwater Security may have mercenaries participating in the conflict.
Unnamed U.S. Diplomat Held Georgia Partially Responsible for War in South Ossetia Georgia is partially responsible for the start of military standoff with Russia in South Ossetia, a top ranked representative of the U.S. Department of State announced August 9 on condition of anonymity. The United States long urged Georgia to avoid military conflict with the Russians, to avoid any escalation. The standing of Washington was clear from the very beginning, the unnamed diplomat said. Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for immediate cease-fire. "We call on Russia to cease attacks on Georgia by aircraft and missiles, respect Georgia's territorial integrity and withdraw its ground combat forces from Georgian soil," Rice said in a statement.
Georgia is partially responsible for the start of military standoff with Russia in South Ossetia, a top ranked representative of the U.S. Department of State announced August 9 on condition of anonymity.
The United States long urged Georgia to avoid military conflict with the Russians, to avoid any escalation. The standing of Washington was clear from the very beginning, the unnamed diplomat said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for immediate cease-fire. "We call on Russia to cease attacks on Georgia by aircraft and missiles, respect Georgia's territorial integrity and withdraw its ground combat forces from Georgian soil," Rice said in a statement.
Simes said U.S. encouragement of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, one of Washington's staunchest allies, may have led him to believe he could get away with military action to take back control of South Ossetia. The Bush administration has pushed hard for Georgia to join NATO, against European misgivings and Russian fury at the idea. "Saakashvili was discouraged from attacking Russian troops in South Ossetia but he clearly never was told point blank 'If you do it, you are on your own,'" said Moscow-born Simes, who was an informal adviser to President Richard Nixon. 'MISCALCULATION' Charles Kupchan of the Council on Foreign Relations, agreed that U.S. encouragement may have made Saakashvili "miscalculate" and send Georgian troops into South Ossetia. "I think in many respects Saakashvili got too close to the United States and the United States got too close to Saakashvili," Kupchan said. "It made him overreach, it made him feel at the end of the day that the West would come to his assistance if he got into trouble."
The Bush administration has pushed hard for Georgia to join NATO, against European misgivings and Russian fury at the idea.
"Saakashvili was discouraged from attacking Russian troops in South Ossetia but he clearly never was told point blank 'If you do it, you are on your own,'" said Moscow-born Simes, who was an informal adviser to President Richard Nixon.
'MISCALCULATION'
Charles Kupchan of the Council on Foreign Relations, agreed that U.S. encouragement may have made Saakashvili "miscalculate" and send Georgian troops into South Ossetia.
"I think in many respects Saakashvili got too close to the United States and the United States got too close to Saakashvili," Kupchan said. "It made him overreach, it made him feel at the end of the day that the West would come to his assistance if he got into trouble."
