Nicaragua officially recognizes Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Никарагуа официально признала независимость Абхазии и Южной Осетии

Nicaragua has become the first country after Russia to officially recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Today, September 5, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega released an official decree recognizing the independence of these republics, reports the Associated Press.

Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on August 26.

Georgian Opposition: ‘Time for Tough Question has Come’

The following is taken from USAID-funded Civil.ge:

‘Time for Tough Question has Come’

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 4 Sep.'08 / 19:06

• Open letter calls for public debate;
• Usupashvili: Saakashvili fell into Russian trap;
• Targamadze: special commission should study mistakes.

Some public and civil society figures, as well some politicians, have said that the time has come to ask tough questions of the authorities about what led to war and to the subsequent grave results for the country.

An open letter, published by the Georgian daily Rezonansi on September 4 and signed by over eighty individuals and organizations, has called for the launch of a public debate on recent developments.

The letter, signed by representatives of human rights groups, academic circles, journalists and some public figures, says that “for a broad public debate on the problem” it is necessary “to set the Georgian Public Broadcaster free of the authorities’ censorship.”

“Extensive propaganda is currently underway, blaming the catastrophic consequences [of the conflict] on everyone – an aggressive Russia, an ignorant West (which, it is claimed, ignored the Georgian leaders’ warnings); the opposition; Russian spies, etc. – everyone, but not the authorities themselves,” the letter reads.

Then it lists some questions, which the signatories say, should be answered by the authorities, including, why it happened that the Georgian side “despite the U.S. administration’s warnings, fell into the Russian trap.”

The letter blames the Georgian authorities for “the catastrophic consequences” and says that “the authorities, which have in fact prepared the ground for these consequences through its non-professionalism and anti-democracy, are now claiming that what has happened was impossible to prevent.”

The signatories of the open letter include, among others, the Georgian Academy, an opposition-leaning, non-governmental group uniting actors and some intelligentsia figures; the Human Rights Centre; the Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights; the Equality Institute; and the investigative reporting group Studio Reporter.

Also on September 4, MP Giorgi Targamadze, the chairman of the Christian-Democratic Party and the leader of the parliamentary minority, said “the time has come to launch a debate and [make] decisions – without hysteria – about what has happened.”

“To make appropriate conclusions and draw lessons, it will be essential to create a special parliamentary commission to scrupulously investigate mistakes made at political, strategic, tactical, and operational levels,” Targamadze said in a statement.

He also said that Russia had been gradually preparing the ground for an invasion of Georgia, but he also partially put the blame on the Georgian authorities, saying that their rhetoric and policies had been “designed to finally reintegrate the Tskhinvali region into Georgia by using force.” Targamadze added that it was now “hard to prove that Georgia didn’t start the war.”

Targamadze also said that Georgia’s western partners should “not allow the government of Georgia to use a so-called ‘iron hand’ policy against the opposition.”

Echoing some other opposition politicians, Targamadze said that President Saakashvili’s proposal for an anti-crisis group with the involvement of opposition parties would only be effective if it worked on broader “democratization” issues and not just on overseeing the distribution of humanitarian aid for the victims of the conflict.

Meanwhile, Davit Usupashvili, the leader of the opposition Republican Party, said in a newspaper interview, published on September 4, that he was sure President Saakashvili had “[fallen] into a Russian trap.”

“It seems to me that Saakashvili was misled by someone telling him that the Russians would not intervene in Tskhinvali on condition that we would stop our active measures in respect of Abkhazia,” he told the daily Rezonansi. “That is my impression, because otherwise it is unclear how it was possible to fall into this trap if there were no guarantees that the Russians would not intervene.”

Usupashvili also said that “the time has come to ask questions and to find out the truth.”

“But it should in no way be interpreted as a demand for the immediate resignation of the government,” he added. “It may be even worse to raise the issue of a change in leadership in the near future.”

Speaking in Parliament on September 3, Nika Rurua, a senior lawmaker from the ruling party, said that recent developments needed to be thoroughly investigated “professionally, without any political stage show.” “That should in no way be part of some political populism,” MP Rurua, who is the deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee for defense and security, said.

He was in particular speaking about the military aspects of recent events.

MP Rurua said the extent of the damage inflicted on Georgia’s defense capabilities and military infrastructure would be made public soon. Reforms, necessary due to shortfalls revealed by the conflict, would also be publicly outlined, he said.

Tsotne Gamsakhurdia accused of espionage and attempting to overthrow government

Цотне Гамсахурдия обвиняется в шпионаже и попытке госпереворота

Tsotne Gamsakhurdia, middle son of the first president of Georgia [Zviad Gamsakhurdia], has been charged on two counts: according to clause 314 of the Georgian Criminal Code ("Espionage") and clause 135 ("Plotting with the aim to overthrow a legitimate power"). The charges were announced by the accused's defense attorney Keti Bekauri, reports "Kavkaz-Press."

According to Bekauri, Gamsakhurdia is already talking, having refused his right to silence. "He denies the charges and will not plead guilty," said the attorney. Gamsakhurdia was arrested the evening of September 3 at the Tbilisi airport, returning via Baku from Moscow where he has been living these last years. Gamsakhurdia has been under investigation since November 2007. Back then, the General Prosecutor of Georgia accused him of attempting to organize a coup and of communicating with Russian special services. Gamsakhurdia is accused of spying for Russia.

Earlier, on August 22, after the active phase of the military operation in South Ossetia had already ended, the United Opposition warned that Georgian authorities might soon begin once again to search for internal enemies. The worries were brought out by a statement made by Saakashvili's wife Sandra Roelofs in which she said that "the opposition protests in November 2007 were financed by Russia."

One of the leaders of the United Opposition, secretary for the party "Movement for a United Georgia" Eka Beselia stated that the Georgian authorities would soon begin to search for internal enemies and any artificial link between the Georgian opposition and the Russian special services. "This is an attempt by the authorties to find an escape from the current situation, to overcome the crisis. It will be necessary for the authorities to find internal enemies, but I am absolutely sure that it won't be successful, just as it wasn't in November when they even made films about Russian agents in the Georgian opposition," she noted.

Notice

Dear Readers,

I hope my blog has been a useful tool for those looking to find alternative sources of information on this summer's Russo-Georgian conflict. Over 95% of my translations came from Russian sources, but that is only because so little of the Russian perspective of this complicated war made it into the Western media. If the reverse were true--that is, only the Russian side was being told, and not Georgia's--then I can assure you 95% of these translations would have come from Georgian sources.

I lived in Georgia for almost 9 months over 2007-08 and care too much about this little country to see it destroyed by its president; sadly, the Western media has been complicit in helping Saakashvili do so by being all to eager to repeat his version of events without giving so much as a mention to Russia's. Fortunately, that is beginning to change. Today, this article ran in the New York Times (be sure to read the whole thing).

In this day and age of instant communication, where information is at our fingertips, we may believe that the truth is immediately accessible. But in reality, this flood of information is not very helpful if it is all coming from one source, in this case, Georgia's president.

One of the greatest lessons we should take from this is that language is and will remain a barrier. If we as Americans wish to continue to play the lead role in international affairs, then it is vital for us to speak the languages of the countries we decide to work so intimately with. When we so arrogantly expect foreign leaders to know English, we make ourselves vulnerable to people like Saakashvili. We literally hear only what we want to hear.

This is my notice that beginning today, I will no longer be translating at the rate I have been doing so. Today I leave for California to visit relatives, and later in the month, I will be returning to Chicago to resume studies at the University of Chicago. I hope to continue to translate one or two articles a day, but there will certainly be days without activity. I hope that my need will diminish as the Western media begins to be more balanced in its coverage. My wish is that my blog will remain as a historical record to the events before, during, and after the Russo-Georgian War of 2008.

Ryan Erickson
rugbyxm[at]gmail.com

Georgian special forces team disarmed in South Ossetia

В Южной Осетии разоружена группа грузинского спецназа

Georgia continues to carry out provocations in South Ossetia. According to the president of the republic Eduard Kokoity, a Georgian special forces team was recently disarmed by divisions of the Ministry of Defense. "They were going to carry out a diversionary strike in the village of Аrtseu [Арцеу] under the guise of being Georgian policemen," stated Kokoity.

The president also noted that the leadership of the republic was not indifferent to the fate of the Georgians who are still living in South Ossetia. "We will do everything in order for them to live in security. Humanitarian aid is being sent to the Lenigori region today. There we are discussing pension ssues, restoration issues, and the function of Georgian schools. Georgian children will learn in the Georgian language," stated Kokoity.

Medvedev calls on US to reevaluate its relations with Saakashvili's administration

Медведев призвал США переоценить отношения с режимом Саакашвили

Sochi, 2 Sep -- RIA Novosti

It's time for the US to reevaluate its relations with the current Georgian administration, following aggressions which left more than 1,000 people dead, stated Dmitry Medvedev in an interview with the Italian television company RAI.

Georgia launched an offensive in South Ossetia, after which Russia was forced to enter the conflict zone to reinforce its peacekeepers. On August 12, the end of operation "Enforced Peace" in Georgia was declared.

"I believe that in light of these events, it is time for our American partners to reevaluate their relations with the current administration, especially since it has put Georgia in a difficult situation, destabilized conditions, and unleashed aggressions, as a result of which many people died," said the Russian president.

Political Scientist: Outcome of EU Summit creates possibility for renewed Georgian aggression

Политолог: итоги саммита ЕС создают возможность для повторения грузинской агрессии

The fact that there was no mention of Georgian aggression in a resolution passed by yesterday's emergency EU Summit creates the possibility for a recurrence of what has happened. The opinion was expressed by Gleb Pavlovsky, president of the Effective Policy Fund, at a round table discussion in Moscow on September 2, reports an IA Regnum correspondent.

According to the political scientist, the outcome of the recent EU summit is double-edged. "On the one hand, Europe has managed to avoid absolute American dictatorship. Poland and the Baltic States couldn't impose their own position on the EU and have temporarily receded. On the other hand, nowhere was Georgia's aggression mentioned. All the world can see that this paves the way for a replay of events," notes Pavlovsky.

Pavlovsky believes that Russia should draw all possible conclusions from what has happened, including military conclusions. "Europe's request for Russia to withdraw Russian armies from the security zone on Georgian territory would create a real risk for a recurrence," the expert asserts.

"We have made greater concessions to Europe. In fact, it was only the request of President Sarkozy that prevented the real outcome of operation 'Enforced Peace'--the arrest of Saakashvili as the main perpetrator of the war. This was a serious compromise which we now regret," believes Gleb Pavlovsky.

Sukhumi and Moscow to sign agreement on Russian bases in Abkhazia after two weeks

Сухум и Москва подпишут договор о российских базах в Абхазии через две недели

Sukhumi and Moscow plan to sign an agreement in two weeks on the establishment of a Russian military base on Abkhazian territory. The statement was made by Abkhazian President Sergey Bagapsh at a press conference, reports an IA Regnum correspondent. According to Bagapsh, the Abkhazian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently drawing up the documents. The President of Abkhazia assigned responsibility for events in the Caucasus to those Western countries which armed Georgia.

**Update**

According to this RIA Novosti story (in English), Abkhazia does not plan to establish Russian military bases as previously reported.