Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili said the victory of either Barack Obama or John McCain would satisfy him, Interfax reported.
According to Saakashvili, he spotted the most correct theses about Georgia in the program of Barack Obama, while John McCain and Obama’s mate Joe Biden (whom Saakashvili called the vice president) were the long friends of Georgia.
We’ve got $1 billion and a few more billions from Europe thanks to the personal impact of Sen Biden, Saakashvili said.
The friendship of John McCain and Mikheil Saakashvili is no news. Two policymakers even water-skied in 2006.
Democrat Barack Obama has defeated Republican John McCain to make history as the first black to be elected U.S. president.
* * * * *
I think the poor man is somewhat deluded - Biden had absolutely nothing to do with the EU's contribution to Georgia. I also think he is simply trying to save face, he must be sorely disappointed that his best American buddies, neocons John McCain and Georgia-paid lobbyist Randy Scheunemann, were so soundly defeated. He has recently sacked the top general of the Georgian army and reshuffled his cabinet, putting the blame on all but himself for Georgia's defeat in its reckless and stupid attack and war of aggression on South Ossetia. He is currently facing a great deal of criticism, and the opposition is quite vociferous in its criticism of and attacks on Saakashvili.Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili said the victory of either Barack Obama or... more
William Engdahl: Russia's response to Georgia's offensive sends shock-waves throughout the region. Part 1 of 2
Russia flexed its military might over the weekend, testing a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile. The tests come amid increasingly strained ties between Washington and Moscow, following US ally Georgia’s military offensive in South Ossettia in August. Author and Political Economist William Engdahl says " Russia's response to Georgia's military offensive has sent shockwaves throughout the region."
F William Engdahl is an economist and author and the writer of the best selling book "A Century of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order." Mr Engdhahl has written on issues of energy, politics and economics for more than 30 years, beginning with the first oil shock in the early 1970s. Mr. Engdahl contributes regularly to a number of publications including Asia Times Online, Asia, Inc, Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Foresight magazine; Freitag and ZeitFragen newspapers in Germany and Switzerland respectively. He is based in Germany.
Gareth Porter discusses US hawkishness in the Caucasus with Real News Network senior editor Paul Jay. As the US and NATO pursue their containment policy, the threat of a new cold war emerges.
Gareth Porter is a historian and investigative journalist on US foreign and military policy analyst. He writes regularly for Inter Press Service on US policy towards Iraq and Iran. Author of four books, the latest of which is Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili had long planned a military strike to seize back the breakaway region of South Ossetia but executed it poorly, making it easy for Russia to retaliate, Saakashvili's former defence minister said.
Irakly Okruashvili, Georgia's leading political exile, said in a weekend interview in Paris that the United States was partly to blame for the war, having failed to check the ambitions of what he called a man with democratic failings.
Saakashvili's days as president were now numbered, he said.
The former defence minister's remarks are significant because Saakashvili has always maintained Russia started the war by invading his country. The Georgian president said he handed EU leaders last week "very strong proof" that Moscow was to blame, though he did not give details.
But Okruashvili, a close Saakashvili ally who served as defence minister from 2004 to 2006, said he and the president worked together on military plans to invade South Ossetia and a second breakaway region on the Black Sea coast, Abkhazia.
"Abkhazia was our strategic priority, but we drew up military plans in 2005 for taking both Abkhazia and South Ossetia as well," Okruashvili said.
There was no immediate reaction from Saakashvili's officials to his remarks.
While in office, Okruashvili was an outspoken hawk, overseeing a military buildup and calling for Georgia to take back South Ossetia -- his birthplace -- by force.
But in the interview he fiercely criticized Saakashvili's handling of the war, which he said was launched in haste, without diplomatic support and failed to take account of a build-up of Russian forces in the region.
(more below)Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili had long planned a military strike to seize... more
An irritated Bush administration accused Russia on Wednesday of trying to find excuses to keep thousands of troops in Georgia in violation of a cease-fire Russia signed with the former Soviet republic last month.
Using unusually blunt language, the State Department said it was well past time for Russia to withdraw most of its soldiers from Georgia's separatist areas of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. A spokesman demanded that Russia do so now.An irritated Bush administration accused Russia on Wednesday of trying to find excuses... more
Georgian accusations that Russia committed human rights violations against ethnic Georgians in the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia went before an international court on Monday.
Georgia is seeking a provisional order or injunction from the International Court of Justice, which investigates disputes between nations, ordering Russia to halt the alleged violations, "including attacks against civilians ... murder, forced displacement, denial of humanitarian assistance".
Russia is expected to question the jurisdiction of the ICJ during three days of emergency hearings, and may also dispute Georgia's claims that ethnic discrimination is occurring or argue the situation is beyond its control.
The court hearings began as French President Nicolas Sarkozy travels to Moscow for talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to assess Russian compliance with a French-brokered peace plan. Georgian accusations that Russia committed human rights violations against ethnic... more
F.W. Engdahl : US in decline as Russia asserts its rising power.
President Dimitri Medvedev criticized the European Union for having a biased approach in regards to the Georgian conflict. Medvedev however stated that the EU acted in a rational manner by not implementing sanctions against the Russian Federation. F. William Engdahl believes the EU response mirrors its dependence on Russian oil and gas. Engdahl goes on to further state that the US provoked Russia to respond militarily and the US as the dominant power is beginning to stumble and "to look desperately for ways to hold on to that power."
F. William Engdahl is an economist and author and the writer of the best selling book "A Century of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order." Mr Engdhahl has written on issues of energy, politics and economics for more than 30 years, beginning with the first oil shock in the early 1970s. Mr. Engdahl contributes regularly to a number of publications including Asia Times Online, Asia, Inc, Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Foresight magazine; Freitag and ZeitFragen newspapers in Germany and Switzerland respectively. He is based in Germany.F.W. Engdahl : US in decline as Russia asserts its rising power.
President Dimitri... more
What should the West do about Russia. Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told SPIEGEL that the West needs to work together -- and look for ways to isolate Russia internationally.
SPIEGEL: Madame Secretary, Russian troops are still in Georgia. Moscow has recognized the independence of the Georgian provinces South Ossetia and Abkhazia and promised them military assistance if necessary. Are we at the beginning of a new Cold War?
Albright: Well, we can't be at the beginning of a new Cold War. That would be a huge step backwards. On the other hand, we can't afford to stay on the sidelines in this complicated situation. With the invasion of a sovereign country, the Russians have crossed the red line. What is troubling is that Russia is behaving in a way that reminds us of the Russian empire in the 19th century -- that is unacceptable in the 21st century.
SPIEGEL: If you were still US Secretary of State, what would you tell the Russians?
Albright: First of all, I would have gone to Moscow, unlike the current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. It is very important to be direct. I would tell them: That is not acceptable behavior -- but also reassure them not to worry about security threats at their borders. I would tell them that they simply misjudged the situation. That has to be corrected.
SPIEGEL: Who would you have delivered your message to? Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin or Russian President Dmitry Medvedev?
Albright: Putin, whatever he calls himself, is in charge. There were many questions about the fact that he had given up the presidency. It is now very clear that he is still calling the shots and has created a Russia that in many ways is not compatible with the 21st century. We want to be able to have a cooperative relationship but the Russians currently make it much more complicated.
(interview continued at link)What should the West do about Russia. Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright... more
The USG Open Source Center translates an article from the Russian press proposing a strategic alliance between Russia and Iran.
By Juan Cole
Pundit on Possible Russia-Iran Alliance To Counter 'Unfriendly' US Moves
Article by Radzhab Safarov, General Director of the Russian Center for Iranian Studies: "Iranian Trump Card. Russia Can Take Control of Persian Gulf"
Vremya Novostey
Friday, August 29, 2008
Document Type: OSC Translated Text
The recognition of South Ossetia's and Abkhazia's independence by Russia is a timely step to protect these republics from new Georgian aggression. However, taking into account the United States' plans to expedite Georgia's and Ukraine's accession to the NATO military-political bloc, the situation near the Russian border remains alarming. At the same time Moscow has a lot of possibilities to take balanced counter measures to the United States' and entire NATO's unfriendly plans. In particular, Russia can rely on those countries that effectively oppose the United States' and their satellites' expansion. Only collective efforts can help to create a situation which would, if not eliminate then at least reduce the risk of the Cold War's transformation into local and global conflicts.
For instance, Moscow could strengthen its military-technical ties with Syria and launch negotiations on the reestablishment of its military presence in Cuba. However, the most serious step which the United States and especially Israel fear (incidentally, Israel supplied arms to Georgia) is hypothetical revision of Russia's foreign policy with regard to Iran. A strategic alliance presuming the signing of a new large-scale military political treaty with Iran could change the entire geopolitical picture of the contemporary world.
New allied relations may result in the deployment of at least two military bases in strategic regions of Iran. One military base could be deployed in the north of the country in the Iranian province of Eastern Azerbaijan and the other one in the south, on the Island of Qeshm in the Persian Gulf. Due to the base in Iran's Eastern Azerbaijan Russia would be able to monitor military activities in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey and share this information with Iran.
The deployment of a military base on the Island of Qeshm would allow Russia to monitor the United States' and NATO's activities in the Persian Gulf zone, Iraq and other Arab states. With the help of special equipment Russia could effectively monitor whois sailing toward this sea bottleneck, from where, and with what cargo on board to enter the World Ocean or to return.
For the first time ever Russia will have a possibility to stop suspicious vessels and ships and inspect their cargo, which the Americans have been cynically doing in that zone for many decades. In exchange for the deployment of its military bases Russia could help the Iranians to deploy modern air defense and missile defense systems along the perimeter of its borders. Tehran, for instance, needs Russia's modern S-400 SAMs.
(continued below)(Pictured above - Russia's S-400 SAMs)
The USG Open Source Center translates an... more
The Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) is an intergovernmental body with 56 member States. It is currently chaired by Finland. The OSCE works closely with the UN, NATO and the EU. It is not by any means a pro-Russian organization. In fact quite the opposite. The report is a slap in the face for the US. It also points to massive media disinformation regarding what actually happened.
***
30/08/2008 17:07 BERLIN, August 30 (RIA Novosti) - The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has accumulated evidence pointing to "numerous wrong decisions" made by Georgian leaders that led to a military crisis with Russia, Der Spiegel said on Saturday.
In a report to be published in its Monday edition, OSCE military observers in the Caucasus described detailed planning by Georgia to move into South Ossetia which contributed to the crisis, the German magazine said.
The report also backed up Russian claims that the Georgian offensive was already in full swing by the time Russian troops and armored vehicles entered the Roksky Tunnel, on the border with Russia and South Ossetia, to protect its peacekeepers and the civilian population.
The OSCE report also contains suspected war crimes committed by Georgians, who ordered attacks on sleeping South Ossetian civilians.
Georgia attacked South Ossetia on August 8 in an attempt to regain control over the separatist republic, which split from Tbilisi in the early 1990s.
Most people living in South Ossetia have Russian citizenship and Moscow subsequently launched an operation to "force Georgia to accept peace." The operation was concluded on August 12.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed decrees Tuesday recognizing South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states and called on other countries to follow suit.
Russia has accused Georgia of committing "genocide" by launching the offensive in South Ossetia. Russia is calling for an international war crimes trial for the Georgian leadership, which Moscow says is responsible for massive loss of life in South Ossetia.
Global Research Editor's Note
The Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE)... more
Gareth Porter: The US is going to use a double standard to condemn Russia.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the US of staging the Georgian conflict. His statements echo two articles pointing to Senator John McCain's foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, in which conservative politician Pat Buchanan calls Sheunemann " a dual loyalist, a foreign agent whose assignment is to get America committed to spilling the blood of her sons for client regimes who have made this moral mercenary a rich man." Gareth Porter also states that The US is going to use a double standard to condemn Russia."
Gareth Porter is a historian and investigative journalist on US foreign and military policy analyst. He writes regularly for Inter Press Service on US policy towards Iraq and Iran. Author of four books, the latest of which is Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam.Gareth Porter: The US is going to use a double standard to condemn Russia.
Russian... more
Russia has sent a missile cruiser and two other ships to a Georgian port, while a US military ship has docked at another southern port in a show of force amid an escalating standoff with the West over a nation devastated by war with Russia.
The dockings came a day after Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, recognised the two Georgian breakaway territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, prompting harsh criticism from Western nations.
Meanwhile, the Russian missile cruiser Moskva and two smaller missile boats are anchored at the port in Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia, some 180 miles north of Batumi.
The Russian navy says the ships will be involved in peacekeeping operations.
Georgia reacted by recalling all but two diplomats from its embassy in Moscow. Russia has sent a missile cruiser and two other ships to a Georgian port, while a US... more
MOSCOW — Russia on Tuesday formally recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two enclaves in Georgia whose separatist aspirations stirred the fierce conflict this month.
The step, which goes beyond Russia’s military operation and is intended to consolidate its military success into permanent political gains, is viewed as highly provocative in the West, which has insisted on the preservation of Georgia’s territorial integrity.
It drew immediate condemnation from the United States and its allies.
Acting a day after Russia’s Parliament unanimously supported the enclaves’ request to secede, President Dmitri A. Medvedev announced that he had signed decrees recognizing the two territories’ independence. He blamed the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, for causing the bloodshed and forcing Moscow’s hand.
He said it was clear that the warring sides could never again live together, and South Ossetia and Abkhazia had to be independent.
“This is not an easy choice, but it is the only way to save the lives of people,” Mr. Medvedev said in a nationally televised address.MOSCOW — Russia on Tuesday formally recognized the independence of South Ossetia and... more
Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia has sent an appeal to Russia to recognise its independence.
The decision, approved by Parliament, the day before, was supported at a huge rally by up to fifty five thousand people in the province's capital Sukhumi.
Earlier the chairman of the Russian Federation Council said Moscow is prepared to recognize both Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence, if the people express such will. Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia has sent an appeal to Russia to recognise its... more
The Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, has signed a ceasefire pact to end hostilities in Georgia.
The deal calls for Russian troops to pull back from Georgia but also grants them limited patrols inside the country.
The Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, reluctantly signed the plan yesterday while accusing the Russians of being "evil" and "21st century barbarians".
Russia had been refusing to pull back their forces until Saakashvili signed the six-point ceasefire plan which was brokered by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, earlier this week.
Kremlin sources today confirmed that Russia had signed the pact.
"The president informed participants of the security council meeting that he had just now signed the six-point plan," said the Kremlin's chief spokeswoman, Natalia Timakova.
Under the plan, some emotive issues remain open to interpretation – including whether Georgia is able to send troops back into areas of South Ossetia.
The ceasefire agreement should prompt international talks to define the status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.The Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, has signed a ceasefire pact to end hostilities... more
What is the basis of South Ossetia's claim to independence? Why has Russia become involved? And what might happen next?
The Guardian provides a short but comprehensive article to explain the reasons behind the breakaway region's push for independence.What is the basis of South Ossetia's claim to independence? Why has Russia become... more
Georgian forces began bombarding the South Ossetian capital on Thursday night and are now closing in on the city. Russia has warned of unspecified consequences, but may have begun bombing Georgian villages.
For months, tension has been rising in the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia on Russia's southern border. Late Thursday, the tension erupted into war, when Georgian ground forces, reinforced from the air, attacked separatist troops in an effort to re-establish control of the tiny region. Intense fighting has continued into Friday and there are reports of 15 civilian deaths, along with casualties among Russian peacekeepers stationed in the region.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Friday that his army had "freed" parts of the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali. His prime minister, Lado Gurgenidze, said the offensive would continue until a "durable peace" had been established. A Georgian military leader said on TV that the operation aimed at "establishing a constitutional order in the region."
With Russia backing the South Ossetians, however, the violence threatens to become a larger regional war. Georgia has long said Russian "peacekeepers" stationed in South Ossetia were unwelcome. On Friday the Interior Ministry in Tbilisi claimed that three Russian jets flew into Georgian airspace and dropped bombs on the Georgian side of South Ossetia's border. Saakashvili said that several Georgian villages had been hit.
"A full-scale aggression has been launched against Georgia," Saakashvili said in a televised address. "Georgia will not yield its territory or renounce its freedom."
Read more...Georgian forces began bombarding the South Ossetian capital on Thursday night and are... more
Georgia's march into South Ossetia has prompted the Abkhazia to begin preparing for war as well. Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba told SPIEGEL ONLINE that his province might open up a second front.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How is Abkhazia reacting to the events in South Ossetia?
Shamba: We have a deal with South Ossetia on how we will deal with crisis situations. And we are now planning on implementing it. Our security council met all night and ordered our army to deploy this morning to the Georgian border.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Will a second front now be opened in Abkhazia?
Shamba: That depends on how the situation in South Ossetia develops. We understand very well that we Abkhazians are next in line after South Ossetia. If the situation doesn't stabilize again, then we will have to open a second front.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Why did the situation suddenly escalate now to the degree it has?
Shamba: After the recognition of Kosovo, the situation intensified and Georgia understands that it is losing South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Further talks will only serve to distance the two republics even further from Georgia. That's why the Georgians themselves have started to aggravate the situation, violating previous agreements and applying constant pressure. That has led to a counter response and the situation has gotten out of control. We actually expected this in Abkhazia, but now it is happening in South Ossetia.
Read more...Georgia's march into South Ossetia has prompted the Abkhazia to begin preparing for... more
Georgian and separatist South Ossetian forces have exchanged fire again near the town of Tskhinvali, wounding several people, officials say.
Georgian television said there were wounded on both sides. A South Ossetian report spoke of 18 wounded.
Russia has close ties to the separatist administration in Tskhinvali.
Russian and Georgian officials are due to hold talks shortly aimed at defusing the tensions in South Ossetia, which broke away from Georgia in the 1990s.
At least six people have been killed in clashes in the region in recent days.
Russia's special envoy to the region, Yuri Popov, has gone to the Georgian capital Tbilisi for the talks, but South Ossetia has refused to take part, saying it will only agree to a meeting at which the Russian region of North Ossetia is also represented.
"The South Ossetian side, in connection with recent events, has voiced doubts about holding such negotiations. If this is the case, then I... will conduct shuttle negotiations," Mr Popov said.
The Ossetians have traditionally had good relations with Russia - unlike some of their Caucasus neighbours - and North Ossetia is part of the Russian Federation.
Read more...Georgian and separatist South Ossetian forces have exchanged fire again near the town... more
Russia is accusing Georgian troops of using disproportionate force in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia, and is warning its neighbor not to further aggravate tensions.
Georgian authorities Monday countered the Russian accusation with charges that Russian-backed separatists are creating an "illusion of war" in South Ossetia and a second breakaway region, Abkhazia. Georgia also accuses the Russians of attempting to annex the areas.
The latest charges and counter-charges follow a weekend of deadly fighting between separatists and Georgian government forces in South Ossetia. At least six people were killed and 15 wounded.
Hundreds of women and children were reported fleeing South Ossetia to the safety of Russian territory. Russia is accusing Georgian troops of using disproportionate force in the breakaway... more
