Blair's Key Role In Georgia Conflict

A key meeting in London last year between Blair, government ministers and the Georgian president, may have helped set the wheels in motion for the conflict which exploded with such fury in the Caucasus. 

The situation in Georgia never held up to close scrutiny. Here is a president who speaks perfect English - with all the style and language of a US or UK politician. Mikheil Saakashvili is an expert at manipulating the media and in particular the BBC. He speaks in front of the shield of an EU flag and the umbrella of NATO.

 

His forces were exceptionally well-equipped and very well trained. Launching  a sophisticated attack on South Ossetia with missiles, tanks and ground troops required a lot of training and a lot of cash. 

Bring them together and you have Blair - and Bush. 

The Georgian president visited the UK in April 2007, for meetings with Blair and Defence Secretary, Des Browne. 

The official news release from the 'President of Georgia' here, reveals a lot about the Bush/Blair position on Georgia, UK investment in the country and the part Georgia  plays in supporting US and UK troops in Iraq.

The official news release said: "Blair said that the UK would certainly advocate NATO membership for countries which show such support to Britain in Iraq-related issues."

And it goes on: "Prime Minister Blair drew special attention to economic co-operation between the two countries and noted that British investment in Georgia was increasing." 

The release quotes Blair as saying: 

"Georgia will be a reliable partner for NATO. London supports your country's accession to the North Atlantic alliance. I believe that Georgia has worked hard over the past few years and deserves our support. I know the opinion of other European leaders on this issue. I call on the leaders of other countries to support Georgia's quick accession to NATO. Georgia has worked quite actively to promote the interests of the West. This is confirmed by the presence of Georgian troops in Iraq. We will continue to work actively with your country's government on issues concerning Georgia's membership of NATO in the future." 

At the meeting, Saakashvili said that there is currently $200m of British investment in Georgia.

Saakashvili also met Defence Secretary, Des Browne, to discuss "Georgia's integration with NATO and defence and security issues." The Georgian president went on to meet then Chancellor, Gordon Brown.

Saakashvili is big pals with Bush also. The US government paid for his law training at the Colombia Law School and George Washington University. He went on to work for a New York law firm, before heading back to Georgia. 

Part of the US-Georgia deal was a $64m plan to equip the Georgian army - The Georgia Train and Equip Program (GTEP). Two hundreds US special forces troops were sent to Georgia to train the Georgian army. 

US military help continued with the  Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Program. Part of this program helped prepare Georgian troops for operations with the US led forces in Iraq.

These points are made also by former Soviet leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mikhail Gorbachev, writing in today's Washington Post. who warns that "geopolitical games are dangerous anywhere, not just in the Caucasus."

The UK government should look hard at its own foreign policies, before blaming everything on Russia.