Thread: Russia Offers Georgia A Stick And A Carrot

Tensions Rise Sharply Over Abkhazia


28 April 2008By Nikolaus von Twickel and Matt Siegel / Staff Writers

Tensions between Moscow and Tbilisi escalated over the weekend amid reports that Russian military reinforcements were being deployed in Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia and local residents were being forced to swap their ID cards for Russian passports.

Russian-led peacekeeping forces in the region denied a report Friday by Georgia's Rustavi 2 television that it had video evidence that divisions of the Maikop brigade had been sent to the Ochamchira region, which is mostly populated by ethnic Georgians.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Diordiev, an aide to the commander of the peacekeeping forces, criticized the report as an attempt to "keep tension high and prolong provocations against the Russian peacekeepers," Interfax reported.

But Georgia's minister for reintegration, Temur Iakobashvili, said Sunday that isolated cases of Georgian citizens being forced to exchange their ID cards for Russian passports had been confirmed. He urged caution and said his government wanted a full report from the local United Nations observer mission.

"There is some evidence that this type of thing is happening," he said by telephone from Tbilisi. "On what scale, it's hard to say."

The reports of troop movements came just one day after Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili called for the expulsion of Russian peacekeepers. "Russia's presence, the presence of the Russian contingent in the conflict zone, is becoming a risk factor," Saakashvili told a meeting with foreign ambassadors broadcast on national television.

Relations between the two countries have been strained after Georgia accused the Russian military of shooting down an unmanned spy plane over Abkhazia, a charge denied by Moscow.

The accusations and escalating rhetoric continued to spill over from both sides last weekend. Valery Kenyaikin, an official from the Russian Foreign Ministry said Russia would take "all possible measures" to protect its citizens in Abkhazia if fighting broke out," provoking an outcry from Georgia.

The United States reiterated its support for Georgia and criticized Russia's overall policy toward breakaway republics. "We hope Russia will retract this statement as well as the steps it recently announced to strengthen its ties with Georgia's separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia," State Department spokeswoman Joanne Moore said, The Associated Press reported.

Iakobashvili, who told The Moscow Times in February that Georgia would respond to any Russian recognition of the republics militarily, denied that his government was planning any armed response after the news report and urged diplomacy. "Instead of trying to handle the cases one by one, we should change the general attitude there and have a system where this kind of things will not happen," he said. "We are not going to employ a reactive policy but to change the situation on the ground in a way that human rights will be respected."

The Moscow Times - Tensions Rise Sharply Over Abkhazia

This is indeed becoming a place of intense conflict of interests and thus a flashpoint.

With Russian presence and it being increased, there is little hope that the Georgian govt can ever exercise her writ and neither NATO nor the US will intervene since it would lead to war.

Economic sanctions will also not be applied on Russia since Russia has the magic oil that feeds the industry and homes in Europe.

Will it become another of world unsolved issues?

Is there any solutions?

Originally Posted by Ray

This is indeed becoming a place of intense conflict of interests and thus a flashpoint.

With Russian presence and it being increased, there is little hope that the Georgian govt can ever exercise her writ and neither NATO nor the US will intervene since it would lead to war.

Economic sanctions will also not be applied on Russia since Russia has the magic oil that feeds the industry and homes in Europe.

Will it become another of world unsolved issues?

Is there any solutions?

Age of this conflict of 500 years!

From the most ancient times the territory of today's South Ossetia was occupied with ancestors the osset - the Iranian group of tribes Scythians Sarmatians Alans of an ethnic file. The Earth South Ossetia never was a part of any Georgian state, being a part of the powerful breeding union North-Caucasian irans, carried out during the Middle Ages through this region the policy in Transcaucasia. Repeatedly East-Georgian tsars tried to take hold of force territory of South Ossetia and to establish here the military-political control. Claims of the East-Georgian feudal lords for domination in South Ossetia were based only on the right of a sword and had no under itself any legitimate basis, being realized only in the form of the extortionate attacks, settlements accompanied by destruction and stealing of cattle. Nevertheless, South Ossetia kept real independence of the Georgian governors.

The present грузино-ossetic conflict has begun in 1989. Its direct reason became occurrence and fast growth of national movement in Georgia, and coming to power of president Zviada Gamsahurdia which has put forward the slogan " Georgia for the Georgian ". On November, 23rd, 1989 nationalist groupings tried to hold meeting in Tskhinvali: from all Georgia here it has been strapped nearby 50000 person. The column has been stopped at entrance to city and after two day of opposition has turned back. In January-April, 1991 government Gamsahurdia to South Ossetia directs the military formations belonged various Georgian political parties and groupings. The fierce military actions with the armed groups the osset have begun. Constraining influence on development of the conflict firstly rendered only presence at South Ossetia two brigades of the Soviet armies - engineering and helicopter. Simultaneously as a result of the conflict and ethnic pressure three groups of refugees were formed. The significant number the osset ran from South Ossetia on territory of Northern Ossetia (subsequently, after an establishment of an armistice, the most part from them has come back home). The second group of refugees - about hundred thousand (on ossetic data) the osset, compelled to run from the internal areas of Georgia which are not a part of South Ossetia. They have lodged in territory both Southern, and Northern Ossetia. At last, to Georgia the part of the Georgian population of South Ossetia has been compelled to run, - though number this group noticeably conceded to ossetic refugees. The republic South Ossetia has been proclaimed on September, 20th, 1990. After transition of the conflict in the armed stage the Certificate about state independence RSO (Republic South Ossetia) on May, 29th, 1992 has been accepted. In January, 1992, in parallel with overthrow of mode Zviada Gamsahurdia in Tbilisi, in territory of South Ossetia the referendum about its status, with questions has been lead, whether supports people independence or () reunion with Northern Ossetia in structure of Russia. On its results South Ossetia has been declared independent. In the spring of 1992 military actions in South Ossetia have renewed. To the middle of June, 1992 the Georgian groups closely have approached to capital JUO of Tskhinvali. After the ultimatum of the Russian management (down to threats of bombardment of Tbilisi) the chapter of the State Council of Georgia Edward Shevardnadze and leaders of South Ossetia have begun negotiations and have signed on June, 24th, 1992 the agreement on principles of settlement Georgia - Ossetia of the conflict. On July, 9th the peace-making forces consisting of the Russian, Georgian and ossetic battalions (last is financed the Ministry of Emergency Measures by the Russian Federation) have been entered into a zone of the conflict. Armed conflicts have stopped, 18-month's war in South Ossetia has come to the end. During the conflict are killed and were missing more than 1000 person, it is wounded from above 2500.

Originally Posted by Firral

Claims of the East-Georgian feudal lords for domination in South Ossetia were based only on the right of a sword and had no under itself any legitimate basis

Is that not how just about every claim to land throught history has been? The legitimacy of claims is extremely subjective.