Georgia Rendered Russia Subject to Call-up
// Tbilisi asking the West to avert war
Moscow and Tbilisi do not rule out the possibility of war
Yesterday Russia made a clear allusion that it would not hesitate to use military force against Georgia. Russia’s Defense Ministry warned that it would not allow Georgian aircraft to fly over Abkhazia, and the Russian Airborne Troops Staff informed that the Russian paratroopers, who beefed up the peace-keeping contingent in the unrecognized republic, had the mission to “respond rigorously to aggression of Georgian security forces.” The Georgian government also brought up the issue of the increased possibility of war. Yesterday, on his visit to Brussels, Georgian State Minister of Reintegration Timur Yakobashvili claimed for the first time that his country was “close to war” with Russia and called on the European Union to help prevent it.
Yesterday officials in Moscow and Tbilisi made statements virtually meaning that the Russia-Georgia political dispute over Abkhazia might develop into a military conflict. In the Russian camp, it was high-ranking military officers, rather than diplomats or politicians, that were the main newsmakers. They had preferred not to comment on the situation regarding the unrecognized republic, but yesterday Senior Defense Ministry official Lieutenant General Vladimir Shamanov struck the keynote. Giving his commentary on the recent incident concerning the shooting down of two Georgian unmanned spy jets over Abkhazia, he stated that Russian military would not allow Georgian military aircraft to fly over the Georgia-Abkhazia conflict zone. “The Georgian party would assert that they had nothing to do with those unmanned planes, whereas now they fuel tensions claiming that Georgian aircraft will keep on flying over the conflict zone,” the general said indignantly. “Such steps are a blatant violation of the Moscow Agreement on Ceasefire and Separation of Forces, and we won’t turn a blind eye to it.“ Mr Shamanov added that the Defence Ministry kept abreast of the developments in the conflict zone, and “all necessary measures have been taken.”
One could learn what measures were implied when reading a statement of the Russian Airborne Troops Staff issued yesterday.
The Staff informed that the Russian peace-keeping contingent in the Georgia-Abkhazia conflict zone was reinforced with another 400 Russian commandos deployed in Abkhazia. They are equipped with some 30 BMD-2 airborne infantry fighting vehicles, artillery, and anti-aircraft defense systems, including ZSU-23-2 self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons. ITAR-TASS reports that according to an anonymous military official with the Russian Airborne Troops Staff, the Russian commandos have a concrete mission. “Our soldiers were deployed there not to sunbathe or swim in the sea. They have a concrete mission: instantly react to any acts of aggression of Georgian security forces, give an appropriate and rigorous response to any attempts to use force against Russian peace-keepers and Russian citizens on the territory of Abkhazia.”
Stating this, Russia’s military officials made a clear allusion that henceforth Abkhazia would be Russia’s military protectorate. More to the point, if needed, the Russian Defense Ministry, along with the CIS peace-keepers, will protect Sukhumi.
Curiously, the militaristic statements of the security officials were made after Russia’s Foreign Ministry refused to accept the offer of the Abkhazian government asking Moscow to take military control over the unrecognized republic in exchange for security guarantees. “We received no offers of that kind. I don’t think it’s the case,” replied Russian Foreign Office Chief Sergey Lavrov to the initiative of his Abkhazian opposite number Sergey Shamba. At that, Russian troops actually defend Abkhazia now. Officials with the Foreign Ministry said that the unrecognized republic would be under the supervision of Russia’s military till May 21 at least – the day when the Parliament election campaign finishes in Georgia. “We expect the disturbing period to last up to the middle of May. That is why the peace-keeping contingent has been reinforced to 2500 men. If necessary, their number will be increased to 3000. We must avert Georgia’s possible assault on Abkhazia,” the official with Russia’s Foreign Ministry told Kommersant.
At the same time Tbilisi also negatively estimates the current state of affairs over Abkhazia. Yesterday the Georgian government acknowledged officially for the first time that Russia and Georgia were on the brink of war. “Of course, we’re trying to avoid war. But we are very close to it. We know Russians very well, we can distinguish the messages they send. We see that Russian troops are invading territories basing on false data, which worries us very much,” stated Georgian State Minister of Reintegration Timur Yakobashvili during his yesterday’s visit to Brussels. He also urged the European Union to come to the defense of Tbilisi in order to avert war.
Mr Yakobashvili is not the only Georgian official to win over as many allies as possible. These days the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Nino Burjanadze is on her visit to the USA. She makes no secret of the fact that she came there to seek support. “This is a matter of political support, not military aid. We are not going to wage war in Abkhazia, but we need solid support of the USA and the EU in our bid to realize the peace roadmap offered to the people of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Ms Burjanadze said. The U.S. Deputy State Secretary Daniel Fried has already met with the Georgian Speaker. According to officials with the Georgian delegation, he promised to back Georgia in its desire to secure territorial integrity. One of the manifestations of such care will be Washington’s second attempt to convince its NATO allies of the necessity to give Georgia the Membership action plan during the summit of NATO Foreign Office Chiefs, December.
Tbilisi frankly claims that it reckons with the help of the West in the current confrontation. “We do not want to wage war, and we won’t do it. We want to settle it all diplomatically. And Russia has given us a perfect chance to show the real face of its peace-keepers. Moscow assures us that the extra troops have been deployed there for security reasons, but in reality it has been done to avoid a direct military operation, providing military aid to Abkhazia at the same time. It resembles the Soviet troops’ invasion of Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan. We can see the same philosophy now,” Konstantin Gabashvili, Head of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee for Foreign Affairs, told Kommersant.
Vladimir Solovyov, Georgy Dvali; Tbilisi
All the Article in Russian as of May 07, 2008
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