Tensions Rising In South Ossetia - Georgian post attacked

8 July 2004 -- Separatist forces in the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia raided a village early today and detained a group of Georgian peacekeepers, an incident that prompted Tbilisi to vow "immediate action" to free its troops.

The raid came a day after Georgian police stopped a Russian military convoy in South Ossetia, a move that sparked a row with Moscow.

Armed South Ossetian separatists this morning entered a mostly ethnic Georgian village of Vanati and disarmed and detained some 30 to 40 Georgian members of a peacekeeping force stationed there.

Shortly after, in a separate incident, authorities in Tbilisi said two Georgian soldiers were injured in a clash with South Ossetian forces elsewhere in the region.

The violence has raised tensions in the province, which Tbilisi wants returned to central government control after a decade of self-declared independence.

Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania called the raid "an unprecedented, insolent provocation."

Zhvania promised immediate action to free the peacekeepers, although he said the conflict must be resolved peacefully.

"We can say that we have the situation under control," Zhvania said. "And I want to stress, especially now, when the situation is so tense and emotions are very high, that the policy of President [Mikheil] Saakashvili and our government is for peaceful dialogue with [South] Ossetia."

South Ossetia's self-declared government defended the raid, saying the detained men are not peacekeepers at all, but troublemakers.

But Georgian State Security Minister Vano Merabishvili blamed South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity for escalating tensions in the province.

"According to our information, Kokoity is ready to start a war because he knows very well that this is the only chance for him to stay in power," Merabishvili said.

Thursday's violence is the latest in a string of incidents that have raised fears that South Ossetia could erupt into armed conflict.

The tiny mountainous northern province, on the border with Russia, is the scene of a tense three-way standoff between Georgia, South Ossetia's self-proclaimed breakaway regime, and Russian peacekeepers, who many in Georgia suspect of siding with the separatists.

Thursday's incidents come a day after Georgia intercepted a Russian convoy carrying arms in South Ossetia, a move that raised tensions between Tbilisi and Moscow.

Georgia accused Russia of supplying the separatist South Ossetian leadership. But Russia said the equipment was destined for Russian peacekeepers and had been agreed ahead of time.

A spokeswoman for South Ossetian President Kokoity, Irina Gogloeva, described the incident as an "armed incursion" into South Ossetian territory and a provocation that could lead to war.

On Thursday, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Moscow is "extremely worried" about the situation in the province.

"Moscow calls on the parties in the conflict to exercise maximum restraint and prevent actions that would violate legal norms and cause further complications in the situation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Yakovenko said.

My take? New Georgian premier, new set of wars...what else is new? Nothing...just like Gumsaporda and Shevernadze...must show the Georgians he is nationalists by again trying to cleanse minorities...just like last two. Imagine, after Gunsakhordia and Shevernadze both try to exterminate them off their lands, they are not to thrilled with ideas of "unity" with those who butcher them. Can't unify different Georgian parties and clans without good war of pillage. Plus, US train up and equip host of Georgian troops so now they really feel kocky.

""According to our information, Kokoity is ready to start a war because he knows very well that this is the only chance for him to stay in power," Merabishvili said."

This is true. People in South Ossetia are getting sick of this guy. He is a petty dictator who is running S. Ossetia as his own personal kingdom. Ordinary people are suffering economically. The Russians are running guns and stirring up trouble.

What is ironic is that the Russians are supporting this separatist movement while trying to quash there own in Chechnya just across the border.

I guess the Russian state Dept. is just as hypocritical as the US State Dept.

Saakashvili accuses Russian intelligence of arresting policemen - 20 July 2004

President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili said on Tuesday that he had evidence that Russian intelligence services had organized the detention of Georgian policemen on July 8.

“We have audio and video materials that the officials from Russian military intelligence are working in the Tskhinvali region (Tskhinvali is the capital of the restive republic of South Ossetia). And furthermore, we have evidence that the officials from Russian intelligence organized and performed the operation to detain about 40 Georgian policemen,” Saakashvili was quoted by the Gazeta.ru website as saying.

Later, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Vyacheslav Sedov quoted by Interfax news agency said that there were no Russian military intelligence officials in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict. “The Georgian authorities’ assertions that Russian military intelligence people are operating in the conflict zone are unfounded and untrue,” he said. He added that, as required by the Joint Control Commission, only peacekeepers are based in the conflict zone. “No additional formations, to say nothing of military intelligence groups, have ever been sent to the region. Therefore, Russian military intelligence personnel could not participate in the seizure of about 40 Georgian policemen,” the agency quoted Sedov as saying.

The Georgian president said that he would not withdraw internal troops from South Ossetia. He added that he would not tolerate the “Abkhazian scenario, where peacekeepers said that Abkhazia was not Georgian territory”.

“If it is not allowed to hoist the Georgian flag on the territory of Tskhinvali region according to existing agreements signed by (former Georgian president Eduard) Shevardnadze, I am ready to denounce those agreements,” the website quoted Saakashvili as saying.

Georgian policemen were detained by South Ossetian troops on July 8 and released on the next day. Russian peacekeepers conveyed them back home.

Renewed clashes reported between Georgia, breakaway region - 19 July 2004

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