Politics to influence war commission?
Published: 29 July, 2009, 19:45
Tskhinvali (AFP Photo / Kazbek Basayev)
TAGS: Conflict, Military, Georgia, Politics, Europe, USA
The independent commission, created in December last year by the Council of Ministers of the European Union to investigate the causes and the developments of the Georgian War of August 2008, is due in Moscow on Friday.
It will probably be the last step before the official publication of the results of its seven-month-long work, conducted by a panel of international experts, diplomats, officers and prosecutors.
The conclusion was already made public, unofficially, two months ago by a German newspaper. The mysterious leak was, probably, the result of an internal fight inside the European institutions – between those aiming to find the facts and those trying to defend Saakashvili along with the idea of pushing Georgia ahead as a NATO member.
The question is crucial from many points of view.
If Saakashvili lied to the international community, accusing Russia of having begun the conflict, or having provoked (the second Georgian version) Georgia to react, the credibility of Georgia and Saakashvili himself will be seriously undermined. And with that, the possibility of its becoming a NATO member in the foreseeable future.
The independent panel, according to the leaked information, reached the conclusion that it was the Georgian president, Mikhail Saakashvili, who ordered the attack, independently and before any so-called, “Russian invasion of the Georgian territory.”
It has to be said that the conclusion of the commission has already been accepted by the overwhelming majority of the Western media, which, at the very beginning of the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia, had almost unanimously accepted the Saakashvili’s version of events.
Now the situation is therefore very different from that following the war that Saakashvili lost. And until recently the political fate of the Georgian president seemed gravely damaged from this whole story, which led to the formal recognition by the Russian Federation of the full sovereignty of two new independent states – South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
However, the recent visit to Georgia by American Vice President Joe Biden has given Mr. Saakashvili a second wind. After the visit, The International Herald Tribune titled the article: “Improbably, leader of Georgia survives”.
This conclusion is probably not only wishful thinking from the American side. It means that the American administration will give Mr. Saakashvili time to finish its own electoral mandate. President Obama sent Joseph Biden there exactly to signal to Moscow that he is determined to support Saakashvili. To what extent is a question that remains unanswered. This is also a signal to Europe: don’t abandon the idea to have Georgia inside NATO.
If this indeed was the goal of Joe Biden’s trip to Georgia, it would not be a surprise if the information leaked to the German newspaper is changed to the contrary before its official release.
Giulietto Chiesa, RT contributor
29.07.2009, 19:38
1 comment
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Of course politics will play a large role. All sides will be trying to play politics and gain some edge. Has it ever been any other way? As for NATO, one only has to look at their lackluster abilities in Afganistan to see they arnt a threat. The German troops sit in their bases drinking beer and getting fat, the French are worthless as usual and NATO troops own home countries wont even send them helicopters and ammo. The NATO bases around the world are run down and command and control confused along political lines. The worthless training NATO/US gave Georgia was order of battle and communications training so they wont get confused while using their old Soviet battle tactics. Politics is destroying NATO, losing Afganistan, and will for sure pollute this report. Whichever side comes out for the worse in the report will right away condem it. Just look for the side who starts complaining before the report is released and you will see the country with guilt in their heart and something to hide.
Of course politics will influence the report, it will do more than influence it, it will write it. Of course Russia will be at fault, remember it is the EU effectively writing it. The EU would find Russia at fault under any circumstances even if someone attacked us. Remember this is the EU with their mantra anything politically justifiable, is allowable, regardless of its illegality. The EU is political class land, a land of delux coffee machines, expense accounts and MEP salaries. They think Anti Russian is a female relative in need of support. Which they are more than willing to provide!
Of course Saakashvili started the shooting -- he admitted it last November. For the EU to arrive at any different conclusion now would mean either they are liars, or they do not read the papers and thus believe any cock-and-bull story Saakashvili gives them. Maybe they should ask Poland what it is like to believe Saakashvili; the Polish president was caught up in a manufactured "incident" with him at a South Ossetian checkpoint last November, and weeks later the Polish security investigation concluded it had been staged by the Georgians. Saakashvili has a REALLY BIG PROBLEM with credibility already, regardless of what the EU report ever states.