Georgia on My Mind

Russia's brazen blitzkrieg-syle military attacks on the independent and democratic state of Georgia warrant worldwide condemnation, and much more. In the past few days, Moscow has conveniently used Georgia's internal dispute with the unrecognized breakaway territory of South Ossetia (which desires to split away from George and join the Russian Federation) to use disproportionate Russian military force to settle once and for all its political score with its former Soviet satellite. Russia's goal: to shatter Georgia's territorial integrity by supporting the rebellious and separatist Georgian enclaves of South Ossetia and the other breakaway territory of Abkhazia and orchestrate a Soviet-style putsch against Georgia's pro-western government. Meanwhile in New York, Russia is doing everything possible to prevent the UN Security Council from passing any reasonable resolution urging restraint and a cease fire in order to buy it as much time as possible to complete its mission against Georgia's pro-western leadership.

What lies behind Russia's use of the age old canard that it is merely making aggressive war to preserve the peace? Nothing less than Vladamir Putin's ruthless determination to overthrow the democratically elected (and U.S. - educated) president of Georgia - Mikhail Saakashvili, and to prevent Georgia from becoming a member of NATO. Indeed, Moscow wasted no time in making it clear that it will settle for nothing less than the removal of Saakashvili and part of its demands to agree to a cessation of hostilities. Not since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan has Russia sought to overthrow a foreign government by military force.

It is absurd to suggest that Putin or his presidential puppet Medvedev have any leg to stand on.

Putin has proven an expert at waging scorched earth war against his democratic adversaries both inside and outside of Russia. After all, he proved his ruthlessness and KGB bona fides by subjugating Chechnya several years ago and has begun recently churning up trouble in Ukraine against its democratically elected, pro-western leader. Putin has made it abundantly clear that Russia will do anything and everything possible to suffocate Georgia's drive to join NATO and the European Union. Moreover, Putin wants to get his hands on the international Caspian Sea oil pipeline that traverses Georgia and which is the only oil pipeline from Asia that is outside Russia's control.

If these were Russian internal disputes, well, then, it would be hard to mobilize effective international reaction. But neither South Ossetia nor Abkhazia are integral parts of the Russian Federation. To the contrary, they are part of Georgia even though they desire to be annexed by Russia.

Why should a neighborhood brawl of this type matter to the rest of the world?

First, if Moscow succeeds in overthrowing Saakashvili, it portends a dangerous deterioration in Russia's relations with the west. Georgia will be the test case whether a democratically elected pro-western government of a former Soviet satellite will be permitted to be swallowed up by the Russian bear. If Georgia is annexed de facto back into Putin's clutches, well, then, other former Soviet satellites that are now western democracies (Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic Republics) will be increasingly defenseless against Russian designs if Georgia is broken apart.

Second, the "frozen conflicts" of South Ossetia and Abkhazia illustrate how a failure of active international diplomacy can reignite a new Cold War. These territorial disputes (akin to the disintegration of Yugoslavia) have been simmering for many years, virtually ignored by the UN or by the west, and they were bound to convulse. Left to their own devices, pro-Putin provocateurs in these territories are bound to take matters into their own hands and instigate conflicts that can dangerously escalate with unanticipated consequences.

The sad reality is that short of some manifestation of forceful western reaction against Russia's aggression there is very little that Washington or our European allies can do. No matter when a ceasefire occurs with or without a Security Council resolution, we must do everything possible to protect Saakashvili's government. To do anything less would constitute a disaster of enormous proportions for the United States and the cause of democracy in eastern Europe and other former Soviet republics that have rejected Putin's brand of authoritarianism.

In the annals of U.S.-Russian relations, Secretary of State Rice has proven once again to be not up to the task at effectively managing the one area of foreign policy that is her principal area of expertise -- U.S.-Russian relations. The sad situation in Georgia has been a powder keg for years, and as with other trouble spots that have erupted on her watch, Rice and her team have been unwilling to do the heavy lifting of diplomacy to try to prevent such dangerous situations from escalating. No preventive diplomacy here.

Georgia and its democratic government deserve concerted international support. That support must include a willingness to impose more than merely symbolic costs on Russia, including:

1. A UN Security Council resolution that condemns Russia irrespective of an expected Russian veto.

2. A NATO-led airlift of military and medical supplies to Georgia's military.

3. Mobilization of a UN peacekeeping force to substitute Russian so-called peacekeepers on the Georgia-Russian border, here again, notwithstanding a threatened Russian veto.

4. Consistent and vocal diplomatic support for Georgia's president, including condemnation of any call by Russia's leadership demanding Saakashvili's removal.

Russia is determined to have its way in Georgia...and it will be determined to have its way in the Baltics, Ukraine, Poland and Iran if its actions are not met with tough diplomacy.

Comments

[AlieNation]

While criticism of Putin is well deserved, you might conclude from this piece that he is the lone villainous actor on the world stage.

It is impossible to know now what Putin might have done if George Bush hadn't fabricated a web of lies and deceit in order to invade Iraq, a country which had done nothing in the previous 10 years to provoke the U.S. Nor do we know what Putin might have done if the U.S. and Europe had backed away from expanding into Georgia, the most strategic and economically important area on the southern border of Russia.

How would the U.S. feel if Putin was negotiating alliances with Mexico that might place Russian forces near the borders of California, Arizona, and Texas?

Putin's invasion of Georgia is not simply Russian expansionism. It is a reaction and a threat and a warning to the U.S. and the west that Russia can play hardball too.

If there is a lesson for the U.S. and Europe after this past week of confrontation with Russia, it is the necessity of energy independence, and soon.

Europe needs Russian natural gas and oil. This makes them unwilling to confront Russian military aggression. Ironically, it also means Europe is providing Russia the cash to pay for it.

The U.S. of course, should have learned that lesson long ago. Yet through our oil purchases we continue to fund an anti-American and anti-western agenda throughout the Moslem world.

[americansheep]

Ab so lute ly. I would have mentioned the absurd ""missle defense""" systems that we're pursuing in Eastern Europe. Of course we're not being told everything and I'm sure that the paranoids in the ready room have gripping delusions to justify this, well, provocation. Let's see, Sadam had weapons of mass intrusion and now we're going to place missles in Eastern Eurpope to shield us from Iranian missles. I know that we're stupid but come on. What is the point other than to tweak the Russians? And what is the point of that? Where is the MSM on this question? AlieNation cuts to the point: every day we are buying energy from hostile, undemocratic regimes. Unlike our feckless government we need to make a moral choice on the way we use energy.

[elmysterio]

And let's remember that the so called "missile defense" is a FIRST STRIKE weapon. It is not strictly defensive. Missile defense allows the nation that possesses it to launch a nuclear first strike without fear of retaliation, therefore doing away with the concept of MAD which has kept the spectre of nuclear holocaust at bay. Russia is correct to be concerned about the basing of US missile defense in eastern Europe as it is a direct threat to the security of the Russian Federation.

[ErikW65]

I don't think it's absurd to suggest that Putin/Medvedev have a leg to stand on. They have the precedent set by the USA in Iraq- we can invade any country who we suspect is hording WMD- and then claim to be doing it for humanitarian reasons and to establish our form of government. Furthermore, Putin could claim that Russia has a right to intervene in conflicts near it's territory using the Monroe Doctrine (and it's successive interpretations) as precedent.

[batguano]

Another article outlining Georgian war crimes, and Bush complicity, when they attacked Ossetia.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20535.htm

"There are no military installations in the city of Tskhinvali. In fact, there are no military targets at all. It is an industrial center consisting of lumber mills, manufacturing plants and residential areas. It is also the home to 30,000 South Ossetians. When Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili ordered the city to be bombed by warplanes and shelled by heavy artillery last Thursday, he knew that he would be killing hundreds of civilians in their homes and neighborhoods. But he ordered the bombing anyway.

There was no "Battle of Tskhinvali"; that's another fiction. A battle implies that there is an opposing force that is resisting or fighting back. That's not the case here. The Georgian army entered the city unopposed; after all, how can unarmed civilians stop armed units. Most of the townspeople had already fled across the border into Russia or hid in their basements while the tanks and armored vehicles rumbled bye firing at anything that moved.

What took place in South Ossetia last Thursday, was not an invasion or a siege; it was a massacre. The people had no way to defend themselves against a fully-equiped modern army. It was a war crime."

please read the entire piece.

[mnkors]

Saakashvilli has been hysterical during numerous interviews he gives Western mass media. It seems that he was strongly assured by the USA that the military support will be ready in case he starts his (mis)adventure. He formed this grandiose illusion of the Greater Georgia nurtured by Condi and Cheney that now gives cognitive dissonance to this former New York lawyer. He was played for a fool. Welcome to the neocon world, Georgian fellow.
The GOP's beloved son Carl Rove had a meeting with Saacashvilli days before S. Ossetia was attacked... Never mind that thousands have had their lives broken…
There is no accident that US had sent hundreds of marines to Georgia to take part in military exercises just few weeks before the Georgian assault on a peaceful city of Tskhinvalli. And of course, Israeli military advisors and weaponry were at hand before Saacashvilli ordered the bombardment.

[DougNTexas]

Gee lets see now. China is a Commie State. But we have sold Our birthright to China since the Nixon days. We invade small countries all over the world mostly under Repug Presidencies we little regard to what the outside world at large thinks cause we can. At the present time we are in fact occupying two Countries far from he shores of America.
Russia has thousands of thermo nuclear weapons capable of reaching the USA and the means to do it by sea or land. As well as does China. Its one think to take candy from a three year old, but quite another from a strong grown man. Putin is a grown strong man.

[batguano]

Excerpt from excellent Seumas Milne piece for a different perspective.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/14/russia.georgia

"The outcome of six grim days of bloodshed in the Caucasus has triggered an outpouring of the most nauseating hypocrisy from western politicians and their captive media. As talking heads thundered against Russian imperialism and brutal disproportionality, US vice-president Dick Cheney, faithfully echoed by Gordon Brown and David Miliband, declared that "Russian aggression must not go unanswered". George Bush denounced Russia for having "invaded a sovereign neighbouring state" and threatening "a democratic government". Such an action, he insisted, "is unacceptable in the 21st century".

Could these by any chance be the leaders of the same governments that in 2003 invaded and occupied - along with Georgia, as luck would have it - the sovereign state of Iraq on a false pretext at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives? Or even the two governments that blocked a ceasefire in the summer of 2006 as Israel pulverised Lebanon's infrastructure and killed more than a thousand civilians in retaliation for the capture or killing of five soldiers?"

[GreeseMonkey]

Ambasador Ginsberg has a bout of selective memory. Of courese Russians have interest in Georgian breakaway provinces and they are saying this as loud as they can for last 17 years (since those two provinces gained de-facto independance) to anyone who listened. They were linking this matter to Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq... And conveniantly forgets that US and NATO pushed for recognition of Kosovo which was forcibly taken away from Serbia and established a current Mafia state run by war criminals (not indicted as all witnesess conveniantly died) even tough Russians were warning that that would have consequences and clearly linked the question to Abkhazia and S.Ossetia. But then when did US listen to the russians in the eyes of the top policy makers a third rate country.
As for Sakashvilli regime being democratic, oh come on. His clashes with oposition last november, jailing his contender for post of president 2 days after he announced his bid for presidency, expropriations of non Georgians (like Armenians in Tbillisi) are true mark of a "democrat" in 80's south american sense.
It also seem to me that a lot of poeple don't know difference from Soviet Union and Russia (like few posts back someone talking about subjugating Georgia to SSSR he also forgot that was done under a command of another Georgian named Josif Visarionovich Djugashvilli better known to the world as Stalin.

[OETKB]

Amb Ginsberg is a Cold War ideologue. He drags out the failed thinking that you win points by taking sides. It just has to be the right side. It looks like some mighty powerful customers are thinking the same but sit on a different side. So pushing the war button overtly or covertly will bring a response,but it also ignites the Law Of Unforeseen Consequences. This is where Mr. Ginsberg's jab at wisdom starts to fray. He has taken a side and will push others to armed conflict to defend that side based on premises that are half-truths. In reality the folly on all sides is quite apparent including some named in other posts such as Israel and Iran. We seem doomed to repeat the disastrous lessons of preo-WWI, namely, that our ideological attachments must be rooted in the use of force. If you can not convince somebody to your side, destroy them. It's too much work to try to figure out how to get along with them without giving up the store. This is not appeasement but a reasoned stance that some nation's leaders think differently than yours.

At the moment the American public is confused because of little play by the media of the history of the region and its leaders and their various allies. Time will tell who will have the wisdom to release the world from settling differences with military bluster or might. Sadly it could also go the other way, again.

[knowBuddhaU]

Well said. Isn't it odd that the ambassador mentions the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but there's no mention of the facts that we presently occupy 2 countries: Afghanistan and Iraq (3 if you count Palestine).

Your point about ideologies is very important. While our latter-day Crusaders of the three Abrahamic religions conceive of life itself as a holy war with an enemy with whom peace is blasphemous, there will be no world peace.

In Seattle recently, there were reports of "tree wars," of all things! War is the metaphor we use for everything. Until enough of us conceive of life as something other than a war (a drama, a dance, a song of praise, etc.), we will not achieve world peace.

[sshaler]

Except that Russia didn't start the conflict--Georgia started it.

[davesideas]

yep...

[harriscrl3]

Exactly nice and succintly put.

Carol

[sshaler]

I don't support any kind of imperialistic force, be it Russian, US or Western led. However, I"m curious about why Ambassador Ginsberg didn't mention in this article that Georgia started the conflict against Ossetia. Why is Geogia trying to sieze Ossetia and Abkhasia by force when they want to leave? That isn't democratic. I don't understand the logic of calling Georgia democratic when the US interferes so vigorourly in their politics...? The US has no vote in Georgia. When I was in Tbilisi last year some Georgians were telling me that their country is virtually occupied by the US and George Soros. What would the US do if the Georgians elected a 'Russian educated' president? This is all about the US and Russia fighting for world dominance and nothing to do with what the Georgian people have to say or want for their country.

[TRIATHLON]

BUSH GREEN LIGHTS WAR IN GEORGIA (PART TWO)

At the same time at the order of the Imperial President George Bush (3) Battalions (2000) Georgian Aggressors who had been trained in Iraq, by United States Armed Forces were flown from Iraq to Tskhinvali, to aid in the fight against (UN) Peace keepers and New Soviet Russian Citizens.
Georgia de facto, members of (NATO) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization by decree of the Imperial President of Military Industrial Complex of the United States. To be protected by the Military Industrial Complex of The United States.

The path of freedom you have chosen is not easy, but you will not travel it alone. Americans respect your courageous choice for liberty. And as you build a free and democratic Georgia, the American people will stand with you.... [T]he sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia must be respected -- the territorial [sic] and sovereignty of Georgia must be respected by all nations. (The Imperial President George Walker Bush)

If that's what he said in public, you can just imagine what the Imperial President of the (MIC) was saying in private to Georgian President Saakashvili about the Russian forces that have been encamped in and controlling Georgia's breakaway province South Ossetia since the breakup of the Soviet Union?

[TRIATHLON]

BUSH GREEN LIGHTS WAR IN GEORGIA (PART ONE)

Who gave the green light to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to launch an offensive War against the capital city of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia? Who gave the green light for what became a debacle for Georgia? The Imperial President of the (MIC) Military Industrial Complex George Walker Bush of course.

Israel with the knowledge and support of the (MIC) and the Imperial President has been selling arms to the Mikheil Saakashvili Government, With the eruption of fighting between Russia and Georgia, Israel has found itself with New Soviet Russian retribution in the form of increased arms sales to Iran and Syria.

While at least (2) Battalions of Blackwater Inc. (1800) Mercenaries and the United States Military has had up to (2) Two Battalions of United States Army (1,650) troops conducting joint exercises with the Georgian Aggressors. The United States Army Troops were pulled out soon before the attacks on Tskhinvali, but the Blackwater Inc. Mercenaries remained.

Two days after the aggression of Georgians against the (UN) United Peace Keeping Troops and documented New Soviet Russians Citizens, and the entry of Soviet Troops to restore order, foreign fighters, including Blackwater Inc. Mercenaries were found among the dead of those fighting against New Soviet Russian Troops, in Tskhinvali .

[LightningJoe]

...and the BushCo train wreck continues...

First, Condi was never a "Russia" expert. She studied the Soviets, quite a different kettle. The Soviets actually cared about world opinion, a handicap Putin has left behind. He doesn't want to persuade the world that his way is best. He only cares about domination of his part of Asia, and power-suasion over the rest of it.

Also, in Condi's time, which is now past, the Soviets were safely contained, apart from the spectre of nuclear strife, which is what KEPT them contained. It is now accepted that even if a "superpower" is mightily bothered by another country, they daren't use the nukes. That effectively removes the very deterent that sets up the dynamic; at least so far as "limited" exercises like Russia-into-Georgia are concerned.

All of the measures above should be taken, but the list is still sadly deficient. The only effective counter at this point would be to send a massive air cap of our own to Georgia, and MAKE SURE that we acted toward the Russians as the Russians are acting toward our allies. To wit: we have to bomb the sh_t out of someone. Now. Yesterday.

When Putin calls about it, hang up on him for a week, while we pound the agressors into dirt. AND start the draft back up in this country. Now. That WILL get his attention, because he's badly overreaching, relying on our (sadly proven) moral cowardice to hold up any reaction.

[berrycooda]

If anyone who has seen Putin in the last couple of years when he meets with G. Bush or anyone else who tries to speak peace to him, they would have surely noticed the look on his face.
Rarely smiled...and looked like he was just chomping at the bit to start something.
So he waited until the Olympics and thought the world wouldn't be looking at his underhanded tactics.

He is still pushing the U.S., trying to make us commit to choosing between Moscow and Georgia.
Too bad we fell for the tricks and tried to include him in with the countries who want peace.
Apparently we couldn't teach old dogs new tricks.
America needs to wake up and realize that "we can't all just be friends"

[elmysterio]

Wow... I don't know how much more wrong you could be. Russia, for the most part, is not interested in war... they're interested in making money with energy resources.

[kevinw]

He did not wait until the olympics, Georgia attacked the breakaway regions at the start of the games. He was more than ready to capitalize on the entry excuse. Even Bush has admitted that the Soviets were responding to the Georgians. That is why they say the Russian response was excessive. Also we are the ones putting the boondoggle Anti-missile system in Poland. A violation of the ABM treaty. The system aimed at Russia. Saying that you are putting an anti missile system in Poland to protect against a missile from Iran, sounds like an old polish joke. Although maybe the president is being honest and he was just confused where on the globe Iran and Poland sit.

[Kirby]

Maybe the answer to our chief pugilist's and his sidekick's responses lies in the Neo-cons' world view, and particularly their view of how many Jews there are living in Georgia. Russia's right to defend its own people and its security forces there are not something the neo-con crowd would want to admit the Russians have.

Once again, the echoes of the last Israeli PM can be heard: "Don't worry about the United States. We control the United States."

[elmysterio]

I'm still really bothered by Ginsberg's comment: "Sorry, but Putin cannot have his way...it ain't his neighborhood and he is not entitled to claim it is. "

Giving this more thought, Georgia and Ossetia ARE Putin's neighbourhood. Far more so than any US claim of "interests" there. The "American Arrogance" of Amb. Ginsberg is showing through like a blinding light. No denying it.

The wisest words I've heard on the whole subject come from Mikhail Gorbachev yesterday. He said, "Over the past few days, some Western nations have taken positions, particularly in the U.N. Security Council, that have been far from balanced. As a result, the Security Council was not able to act effectively from the very start of this conflict. By declaring the Caucasus, a region that is thousands of miles from the American continent, a sphere of its "national interest," the United States made a serious blunder. Of course, peace in the Caucasus is in everyone's interest. But it is simply common sense to recognize that Russia is rooted there by common geography and centuries of history. Russia is not seeking territorial expansion, but it has legitimate interests in this region."

So there you have it folks... The US is declaring the region "it's neighbourhood", even though it's nowhere near it. Seems as though the United States thinks the entire world is it's neighbourhood. Sorry. I don't think so.

[berrycooda]

It's all about the oil.....

[JusticiaParaTodos]

I am not as up on the Russian Federation as I should be, but isn't Georgia a state or other part of the Federation? For Bush to send troops to Georgia makes about as much sense as UK sending troops to Hawaii if the Hawaiians voted to secede and attempted to do so!

As to Rice doing her job, come on. All she will ever be is a mouthpiece and apologist for Bush's war mongering ways! The woman has NO expertise in anything beyond being his Majesty's court jester!

[darthmaul]

Well said, after the Bush administration becomes history, Rice will slink off to the Hoover Institute and that will be the last we hear from her.