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. 

 

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Meddling EU Must End Georgia Madness

EU diplomats are desperately trying to broker a peace as its political leaders are forced to face up to the disaster they have helped to create in Georgia. As Charles King, writing in the US CSMonitor, argues, the 'Russo-Georgian conflict is not all Russia's fault'.

There seems to be no end to the fighting, despite reports that Georgia has ordered its forces to end hostilities in South Ossetia. 

As noted by the Orange Party  here, the Russian Bear sleeps with one eye open. Politicians in the UK and EU leaders should have realised that, instead of interfering in the tinderbox of the Caucasus.

Any pretence that the EU is just an economic organisation and doesn't dabble in foreign and military matters were exposed, when Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, appeared on TV in front of an EU flag. Thinking he could hide behind an EU and indeed US shield was a seriously misjudgement. 

The UK may be forced to live with Blair's legacy but most EU nations have no taste for war. But the rapid, unchecked expansion of EU power, has allowed it to develop foreign and military policies, now being played out in the Caucasus.

It was Bush and the EU who gave military and political support to Georgia through the Train and Equip military assistance programme, to encourage them to come under the NATO umbrella. That was a red rag to the Russians. 

It was Bush and the EU who helped build the gas and oil pipelines that gave the Georgian president the confidence and cash to flex his muscles in South Ossetia. 

The US has its own agenda in Europe, but the last thing Bush wants is another war in the last few months of his watch. And the diplomatic activity behind the scenes with Russia will be intense.

When the EU gets involved in a such a potentially volatile area, without a true understanding of the consequences, it's the people who suffer.

This comment posted on the BBC website still echoes the feelings of many young Russians:

"It's really upsetting that people are dying. It's difficult to say who is right or wrong. The people are suffering from the bad manners of the politicians. The Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili has no common sense. It is beyond comprehension that he wants to resolve things this way."

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EU Meddling Sparked Georgia Tinderbox

The Russian Bear sleeps with one eye open. Politicians in the UK and EU leaders would do well to remember that, instead of interfering in the tinderbox of the Caucasus.

There seems to be no end to the fighting, despite reports that Georgia has ordered its forces to cease fire and offered to start talks with Russia over an end to hostilities in South Ossetia. 

Any pretence that the EU is just an economic organisation and doesn't dabble in foreign and military matters were scotched, when Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili was given the oxygen of publicity, appearing on TV in front of an EU flag. Thinking he could hide behind an EU and indeed US shield was a seriously misjudgement. 

It was Bush and the EU who gave military and political support to Georgia through the Train and Equip military assistance programme, to encourage them to come under the NATO umbrella. That was a red rag to the Russians. Historically they're a nation paranoid about threats of invasion.

It was Bush and the EU who helped build the gas and oil pipelines that gave the Georgian president the confidence and cash to flex his muscles in South Ossetia. 

The US has its own agenda, but since when did the EU have a foreign and military policy?

EU diplomats are now trying to broker a peace - its political leaders only now waking up to the disaster they have helped to create.

When the EU gets involved in a such a potentially volatile area, without a true understanding of the consequences, it's the people who suffer.

This comment posted on the BBC website echoes the feelings of many young Russians:

"It's really upsetting that people are dying. It's difficult to say who is right or wrong. Russia is defending its own citizens and it did try to persuade Georgia to stop. Russia was forced to start military action. The people are suffering from the bad manners of the politicians. The Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili has no common sense. It is beyond comprehension that he wants to resolve things this way."

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