A Stout-Hearted Mission in Georgia

"Georgia's Always on My-My-My-

My-My-My-My-My-My Mind"

Here we go again. Or maybe the correct phrase is: Here we are still. The government of Russia remains in cognizant denial of the breakup of the Soviet Union. It was a year ago when Georgia faced down the Great Red Menace in a 5-day conflict over South Ossetia. Russia's interest in this small region, as well as in Abkhazia, is clearly a Machiavellian ploy to absorb strategically located lands back into its control. The politics of oil.

Thousands of Ossetians were driven from their homes last summer, and the capital city of Tskhinvali was all but destroyed. On August 26 Russia formally recognized the independence of both regions, violating UN Security Council resolutions that Russia previously accepted. Since the cease fire, Russian troops have been openly taking part in agitating exercises in the Caucasus Mountains on Georgia's northern border, including thousands who are deployed in Abkhazia and S. Ossetia.

President Medvedev met with separatist leader Eduard Kokoity on Monday and declared S. Ossetia "a new country". Georgian President Saakashvili responded, "The president of such a big country, Russia, stole into a small region of ours and visited, as if for negotiations, an unwashed murderer, corrupt criminal." Then: "Georgia will certainly strengthen and will stand on its feet. It will be reunited and we will once and forever end this entire political circus and immoral and shameful actions in our small but very important country for the rest of the world.”

The Kremlin is set to sign agreements with local leaders to build military bases in these two regions, which will be in place for 49 years without rent. On June 11 a Russian website posted, "the first military airfield will be built to replace the village of [reuters] Kurta." On June 19 Nikolai Makarov, Chief of General Staff, stated, "We will create two bases, one in Gudauta, Abkhazia, the other near Tskhnivali, S. Ossetia. On July 14 Medvedev said he hoped Georgia had "learned its lesson". A cocky statement from the second in command, don't you think?

So why do many S. Ossetians want to take Russia's offer of military assistance against Georgia, when they surely realize the authoritarian strings that will be attached? It seems they would merely like to rejoin their ethnic brothers in the Russian republic of North Ossetia. This distinctly ethnic group was driven south by the Mongols in the 13th century, and was consequently divided into North and South.

Does Georgia have a sovereign right to keep its borders intact? In American terms, should we agree to give Texas back since there are many ethnically Mexican citizens who live there? Not even taking into account the illegal population. There are many Russian descendants in Alaska. Should we just hand our 49th state back over to Russia? Sarah Palin detractors might entertain the idea. America experienced the fight against secessionism in the 19th century. We should respect Georgia's right to fight for its real estate.

Garry Kasparov, a Russian opposition leader, said in an interview regarding President Obama's visit: "The Kremlin official Web site edited Obama's speech on Georgia, trying to make it less aggressive and more complacent with Medvedev's and Putin's words, but if you can read English original, it was--I think it was a statement protecting Georgia and Ukraine." The manipulation of the Russian media has clearly not improved since Khrushchev's day.

This week we have sent a stalwart visual sign that we do, indeed, support the Georgian government's interests. The USS Stout, a guided missile destroyer, arrived in the Black Sea port of Batumi this week for "small-scale joint naval exercises" with Georgia's Coast Guard. And while Commander Mark Oberley and his crew were welcomed with traditional music and food, Russia was performing mock air bombing runs to the north.

-Blackfoot

WhiteHouse.gov links:

July 6 - Joint Obama and Medvedev Press Conference

"As President Medvedev indicated, we've had some frank discussions, and there are areas where we still disagree. For instance, we had a frank discussion on Russia -- on Georgia, and I reiterated my firm belief that Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. Yet even as we work through our disagreements on Georgia's borders, we do agree that no one has an interest in renewed military conflict."

July 7 - Obama's remarks at New Economic School

"Just as all states should have the right to choose their leaders, states must have the right to borders that are secure, and to their own foreign policies. That is true for Russia, just as it is true for the United States. Any system that cedes those rights will lead to anarchy. That's why we must apply this principle to all nations -- and that includes nations like Georgia and Ukraine."