Posted on 09/29/2006 3:40:36 PM PDT by joan
Crossfire War - MOSCOW WATCH - South Caucasus Theatre: Moscow - Brussels/Tbilisi; Positions Harden - Russian Amb. Demands Immediate Release of Arrested Officers - Georgian Police Surround Russian Military Headquarters in Tbilisi - Brussels Declares Non-Involvement - Calls for Moderation
Night Watch: MOSCOW - "The actions of the Georgian authorities are an insult to Russia. We will not tolerate such treatment. Russia must be respected, and the Georgians will have to apologize to Russia and Russian citizens."
That is the angry response from Moscow's Ambassador to Tbilisi Vyacheslav Kovalenko after he arrived on one of the two Ilyushin cargo planes that carried several hundred non-essential embassy staff and their families out of Tbilisi. I suspect His Excellency was speaking for the Kremlin. Kovalenko added that he will not return to the Caucasus until the four officers are released. And he demanded their immediate release.
There is no word yet on how many other evacuation flights will be needed. An unnamed diplomatic source said Moscow is planning evacuation of non-essential staff and families from its two bases in Gerogia, Batumi on the Black Sea and Akhalkalaki in the south near the Turkish-Armenian border. They are due to be closed in 2008 but with another war about to break out Moscow will rescind that decision. [RIA]
Positions between the two governments continue to harden as Reuters reports Georgian police continue to surround Russian Military Headquarters in Tbilisi. In the headquarters is a fifth Russian officer Georgia wants to arrest for espionage. Moscow refuses to release him. There is no word yet on the result of the meeting today between the Deputy Foreign Ministers from Georgia and Russia in Moscow. [SWISSINFO]
This worsening crisis has eclisped the NATO - Moscow Summit meeting in the Slovenian resort of Portoroz. Russia Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has used the forum to accuse newer NATO members of piracy by supplying weapons to Georgia, weapons the countries had originally received from Russia. In 2004 the Baltic States along with Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Slovenia joined the Brussels led alliance whose expansion was never really supported by Moscow since it still regards the Baltic and Black Sea, plus Eastern and Central Europe as still in its sphere of influence, which is why I suspect Ivanov and the Kremlin are relishing this new crisis with Georgia. [RIA]
Interestingly enough, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has declared Brussels to be not involved in what he says is a dispute that is just between Russia/Georgia. "This is of course a bilateral issue between Georgia and Russia and NATO does not have a direct role. There was a call by me for moderation and de-escalation." This gives tacit approval of whatever response, military, economic or both that Moscow decides on. Brussels may have decided that reportedly unblalanced Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili is a destablilizing influence and an embarrassment. Calls are still being made in Russia's Parliament, the Duma for economic sanctions against Georgia, which is heavily dependent on Russia for energy and economically.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is still in Russia's Black Sea resort of Soichi monitoring the situation. Soichi is at the foothills of the Caucasus. Putin has made no statement publicly. He may have known in advance this crisis was coming and that Moscow will use it to have Saakashvili and his administration removed, as Moscow re-establishes its position-rule in the South Caucasus.
Night Watch Information Service
http://www.crossfirewar.com
Interesting developments...
All we'll get HERE in anti-Russian propaganda. But, then, that's not new.
Somehow I also doubt if we will ever know the whole story.
But, then, who cares. We have plenty to deal with on THIS side of the world. That is, the November elections and the balance of power in Congress.
The Soviets gave away Russian land, from what I learned from other Russian Freepers, who've since been banned.
For instance, Chechnya was originally 1/3 of what it is today - it was just the mountainous part in the south - they were a mountain people. But the Soviets, led by non-Russians, gave it extra land which had been developed and settled by Russians and Georgians.
Give Georgia a few ICBM's so Russia knows an attack on Georgia means the end of Moscow and a few other major cities. Russia wants to screw us with Iran and Hugo Chavez. We can play that game as well.
When the Bolsheviks invaded Georgia in 1921, Stalin was on the side of Soviet Russia against the Georgians.
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