More Georgia
In March 1991, Georgian militia units loyal to Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the first freely elected leader of Georgia in seven decades took over in South Ossetia. One of Gamsakhurdia's first acts as Georgian president was to cancel the political autonomy that the Stalinist constitution had granted the republic's 90,000-strong Ossetian minority.
The South Ossetian town of Tskhinvali had been ransacked by Gamsakhurdia's militia. The Georgians had trashed the Ossetian national theater, decapitated the statue of an Ossetian poet and pulled down monuments to Ossetians who had fought with Soviet troops in World War II. The Ossetians were responding in kind, firing on Georgian villages and forcing Georgian residents of Tskhinvali to flee their homes.
The Ossetians view Georgians in much the same way that Georgians view Russians: as aggressive bullies bent on taking away their independence. "We are much more worried by Georgian imperialism than Russian imperialism," said an Ossetian leader, Gerasim Khugaev. "It is closer to us, and we feel its pressure all the time."
When it comes to apportioning blame for the latest flare-up in the Caucasus, there's plenty to go around. The Russians were clearly itching for a fight, but the behavior of Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili has been erratic and provocative. The United States stoked the conflict by encouraging Saakashvili to believe that he enjoyed American protection, when the West's ability to impose its will in this part of the world is actually quite limited.
The points to be stressed here are John McCain's strong anti-Russia comments on the Georgia situation and the fact that his top foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, is part owner of a lobbying firm that provides strategic advice to the Georgian government in Washington. McCain's bellicose bluster will accomplish nothing towards settling the situation, and Russia will have its way. McCain, however may be able to gain a few more votes from the "kick ass" crowd here at home.
Get over the hysteria and look at the facts. We have the Monroe Doctrine which treats the Caribbean as one of the Great Lakes and Russia has historically looked to secure its borders, their own version of the Monroe Doctrine. Before some of you froth at the mouth let me be clear about what I'm saying which is that the Monroe Doctrine has no status under international law and is maintained by force of arms and that Russia maintains the states on its border via force of arms. No moral or international authority is in play here. It's straight power politics and all we can do is bluster about it.