President Of Georgia Writes On The Conflict
The War in Georgia
Is a War for the West
By MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI
August 11, 2008
Tbilisi, Georgia
As I write, Russia is waging war on my country.
On Friday, hundreds of Russian tanks crossed into Georgian territory, and Russian air force jets bombed Georgian airports, bases, ports and public markets. Many are dead, many more wounded. This invasion, which echoes Afghanistan in 1979 and the Prague Spring of 1968, threatens to undermine the stability of the international security system.
No country of the former Soviet Union has made more progress toward consolidating democracy, eradicating corruption and building an independent foreign policy than Georgia. This is precisely what Russia seeks to crush.
This conflict is therefore about our common trans-Atlantic values of liberty and democracy. It is about the right of small nations to live freely and determine their own future. It is about the great power struggles for influence of the 20th century, versus the path of integration and unity defined by the European Union of the 21st. Georgia has made its choice.
When my government was swept into power by a peaceful revolution in 2004, we inherited a dysfunctional state plagued by two unresolved conflicts dating to the early 1990s. I pledged to reunify my country — not by the force of arms, but by making Georgia a pole of attraction. I wanted the people living in the conflict zones to share in the prosperous, democratic country that Georgia could — and has — become.
But Russia, which effectively controls the separatists, responded to our efforts with a policy of outright annexation. While we appealed to residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia with our vision of a common future, Moscow increasingly took control of the separatist regimes. The Kremlin even appointed Russian security officers to arm and administer the self-styled separatist governments.
Under any circumstances, Russia’s meddling in our domestic affairs would have constituted a gross violation of international norms. But its actions were made more egregious by the fact that Russia, since the 1990s, has been entrusted with the responsibility of peacekeeping and mediating in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Rather than serve as honest broker, Russia became a direct party to the conflicts, and now an open aggressor.
Europe kept its distance and, predictably, Russia escalated its provocations. Our friends in Europe counseled restraint, arguing that diplomacy would take its course. We followed their advice and took it one step further, by constantly proposing new ideas to resolve the conflicts. Just this past spring, we offered the separatist leaders sweeping autonomy, international guarantees and broad representation in our government.
Our offers of peace were rejected. Moscow sought war. In April, Russia began treating the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as Russian provinces. Again, our friends in the West asked us to show restraint, and we did.
Over the past days, Russia has waged an all-out attack on Georgia. Its tanks have been pouring into South Ossetia. Its jets have bombed not only Georgian military bases, but also civilian and economic infrastructure, including demolishing the port of Poti on the Black Sea coast. Its Black Sea fleet is now massing on our shores and an attack is under way in Abkhazia.
What is at stake in this war?
Most obviously, the future of my country is at stake. The people of Georgia have spoken with a loud and clear voice: They see their future in Europe. Georgia is an ancient European nation, tied to Europe by culture, civilization and values. In January, three in four Georgians voted in a referendum to support membership in NATO. These aims are not negotiable; now, we are paying the price for our democratic ambitions.
Second, Russia’s future is at stake. Can a Russia that wages aggressive war on its neighbors be a partner for Europe? It is clear that Russia’s current leadership is bent on restoring a neocolonial form of control over the entire space once governed by Moscow.
If Georgia falls, this will also mean the fall of the West in the entire former Soviet Union and beyond. Leaders in neighboring states — whether in Ukraine, in other Caucasian states or in Central Asia — will have to consider whether the price of freedom and independence is indeed too high.
Mr. Saakashvili is president of Georgia.
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the problem is that the Georgians forgot to look at a map. They ain’t Europeans by their situation, neither by their ancestry DNA, (turkish, mongol, some caucasian)
EU, I feel sorry that they had to acknoledge it so harshly. was the the lark mirror
http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/4813/631pxeuropelocationgeo2pb7.png
August 11th, 2008 at 4:27 amThe question ( I do not predict the answer ) :
Should we be flooding troops into Georgia?
I share the Georgian President’s gloomy assessment of what will
follow the annexation of Georgia.
Or do we use this moment to tell Europe what A TOTAL WASTE OF SPACE
they have been over the last decade?
Maybe both?
August 11th, 2008 at 4:54 amFirst of all i feel horrible for the people of Georgia, and the President, who by all accounts has worked hard to achieve all the things he mentioned in this article.
The question of flooding troops in is a great question. Russia vs the west is being waged right now by proxy, unfortunately.
My question is would US troops v. Russia turn into world war 3 or has it already started either way? even if not, do we want Russia going around collecting countries back up again?
August 11th, 2008 at 5:32 am“Or do we use this moment to tell Europe what A TOTAL WASTE OF SPACE
they have been over the last decade?”
yeah ?
Georgians looked at the US first, they are your alliees !!!!
Clinton & Bush promissed them Nato, then EU nationality
though they aren’t for us, they just would allow us to give them EU subventions
August 11th, 2008 at 5:59 amfranchie boy,
i dont understand your fucking position, who are u calling turks and mongols, are u stupid or something, have you ever met georgian by any chance??? the english term for white(caucasians) originated because of the german anthropologist who took a notice of the caucasian people and has said that he found the perfect “white” people (damn that was racist, but no libs in sight:)))) if i don’t know then shut the fuck up please, georgians greeks italians and spaniards we all look alike, georgia had very close ties with byzantine empire, we were their allies and formed eastern flank of the christian domain, if not for our battles with arabs, turks and mongols your people be probably saying allah akbar by now… guy,s who’s this frenchie anyways, sound like he’s been reading a lot of russian nationalist articles and thats where he gets his info…franchie if u want to know about caucasus and the people of georgia i would suggest u read the Alexander Dumas “Le Caucase”, if Dumas was alive he’d probably spank you for saying shit like that about Georgians, you moron … Georgian prince Bagrationi had kicked your brave french army’s ass in 1812, is that where your hate of georgians originated from..by the way the personal bodyguard of Napoleon himself was an ethnically georgian Mameluke from egypt…say what u want, if being european equals becoming pussy - fuck europeans in that understanding, by the way, french have been very ungrateful of the US , god damn they saved your country two times in past century, can you worry about something else for a moment except for what’s for breakfast, that food, wine and comfort impairs your judgement of the current events..
god damn he got me pissed, sorry guys for my ranting
August 11th, 2008 at 6:06 amWe should flood troops in and break this off in Russia’s ass… World War 3 be dammed. That would be the “right” thing to do.
But we wont, Russia will get bolder, the Georgians will get crushed and we won’t do a fucking thing but pull the UN and write strong letters.
On a good note, it will be over by the end of the Olympics. Georgia is already broken and Putin wont push the envelope with public outcry as Germany still has the strength, and balls to act if it gets too out of hand.
August 11th, 2008 at 6:15 amdammit, i’m to freakin young to know shit about georgian history, can anybody give me a small breakdown of it’s history. the only thing i know is geogia broke away from russia (U.S.S.R) during the fall of “U.S.S.R” and now russia wants that territory back. (i guess.) quick someone other than franchie, history lesson!
August 11th, 2008 at 6:32 am“Germany still has the strength, and balls to act if it gets too out of hand.”
They wont even fight the suck ass jihadi’s in A-stan…what the hell would possess a feminized Germany to do any thing to help Georgia.
August 11th, 2008 at 6:36 amputins timing is evrything the olympics, war in afghanistan and iraq, and the american election. Dont deal with him now, we will later. I think israel should take advantage of russias move here and invade iran now.
August 11th, 2008 at 7:01 amGiorgi, Im franchie girl BTW
“georgia had very close ties with byzantine empire, we were their allies and formed eastern flank of the christian domain”
that’s right, it’s not a raison why we should adopt your country in EU, though you could apply for being a 50 X state of the US
if your saying that I have been reading russian propaganda, then I return you the compliment, youv been reading US propaganda, that is ACTUALLY your problem
http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/asie/Asie-centrale-map.htm
http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/Asie/georgie-terr-autonomes.htm
OK, man your European, but of a different type, that sort of the URSS imperialistic culture
can’t see that you respected the different ethnical minorities in your great caucasian empire
BTW, Napoleon had Kravatten regiments for his own protection, that were Croatians !!!!
August 11th, 2008 at 7:02 amThe president has it exactly right. Franchie, you are a blathering embarrassment to France and the EU, not that either has any ability to feel shame left.
August 11th, 2008 at 7:18 amGog and Magog…Russia and Iran, the original Axis of Evil.
August 11th, 2008 at 7:25 am“The president has it exactly right. Franchie, you are a blathering embarrassment to France and the EU, not that either has any ability to feel shame left.”
each one has his/her definition of moral morality
I have seen yours mostly being of a “façade”, the “objective truth” must hide in the back yards
August 11th, 2008 at 7:33 am“youv been reading US propaganda, that is ACTUALLY your problem”
I’ve got something for you to read, franchie…kiss my big, AMERICAN, REDNECK ass.
August 11th, 2008 at 7:51 amrace to the bottom between the EU and UN, anyone?
August 11th, 2008 at 8:11 amThe Angry Redneck,
kiss my big, AMERICAN, REDNECK ass.
a pic is hust sufficient
August 11th, 2008 at 8:57 amfranchie
The Angry Redneck,
kiss my big, AMERICAN, REDNECK ass.
a pic is hust sufficient
————————————
Regardez-vous le gras, la chienne de lesbienne hommasse. Défoncez de la baliverne de je serai forcé à tirer TOUS vos postes et ne pas vous permettre de dire un MOT ici.
L’a reçu ?
Capeesh?
August 11th, 2008 at 3:05 pmI understood the “fat bitch”, “lesbian” and, basically, “I’ll be forced to pull all of your shit off here” part of that…I vote “all of the above”.
If dumb was dirt, franchie would be at least a couple of acres…
I actually checked out her blog (yes, I was completely bored and it was either that or scrub the trash cans…I should’ve scrubbed the trash cans) and, other than the multiple, multiple mizpeled werds, I didn’t run across anything of any substance. This brings me to one conclusion…the wheels are turning, but the hamsters dead.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:25 pm