IS WASHINGTON SEEKING A SUBSTITUTE FOR SAAKASHVILI?
PanARMENIAN.Net
20.09.2008 GMT+04:00
Americans are more alarmed about bankruptcy of their banks rather
than about distant Georgia, which they had initially taken for the
US State of Georgia.
Forty days after Saakashvili’s "five-day" war the world experienced
changes that may serve as a basis for establishment of new and
reconsideration of already existing relations on a global scale. What
is most important in Georgian President Saakashvili’s "achievements"
is the rapid stir-up of Turkey, which has made a powerful regional
player of herself and in case fortune smiles, it may take up the role
of a super-state in the Islamic world.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It is quite logical that Iran should try to hinder,
but Turkey has more trump cards at the moment and, however banal it
may sound, the most important of them is the result of "football
diplomacy". However, the Turkish Government will always remember
the precept of the Turkish Republic Founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk:
"Once Russia will lose control over the nations it keeps under its
thumb. The world will enter a new phase. And at that very moment
Turkey must determine its position".
Most likely, without the South Ossetian conflict the trilateral meeting
of the Armenian, Turkish and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers would not be
organized. On the other hand, the logic of development of the regional
relations would sooner or later bring about attempts of normalizing
Armenian-Turkish relations and regulating the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
with participation of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. Only the process
grew faster now and neither the OSCE Minsk Group, nor the mediators can
be useful at present circumstances. One thing can be said for sure –
international conflicts cannot be solved through force and Georgian
President has proved it lately.
Saakashvili’s hasty decision on "returning South Ossetia and Abkhazia
and restoring constitutional order" had a maximum effect on the
U.S.-Russian relations. As a matter of fact, with her latest statement
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice declared a diplomatic war
to Russia. Taking into consideration the financial and bank crisis
in America, arises the parallel between the South Ossetian war, US
Presidential Elections and the crisis itself. However, the impulsive
and unrestrained Georgian President had overlooked one fact: Americans
are more alarmed about bankruptcy of their banks rather than about
distant Georgia, which they had initially taken for the US State
of Georgia.
In her speech to the transatlantic German Marshall Fund US Secretary
of State declared: "Russia’s attack on Georgia merely proved what we
had already known – that Russia could use its overwhelming military
advantage to punish a small neighbor. But Georgia has survived. Its
democracy will endure. Its economy will be rebuilt. Its independence
will be reinforced. Its military will, in time, be reconstituted. And
we look forward to the day when Georgia’s territorial integrity will
be peacefully restored."
Condoleezza Rice also stated that US will offer financial support
to Georgia, which sounds rather odd for a country that is in crisis
herself. "We and our European allies will also continue to lead the
international effort to help Georgia rebuild – an effort that has
already made remarkable headway. The United States has put forward a
$1 billion economic support package for Georgia. The EU has pledged
500 million Euros," the US Secretary said.
Meanwhile the RF Foreign Ministry spread a statement blaming the US
Secretary of State for lack of knowledge of the conflict history and
for being lenient toward Mikhail Saakashvili. "Rice assures that the
causes of the Caucasian conflict go back to the fall of the Soviet
Union. In fact, professionals know quite well that they go deeper into
History, when Abkhazia and Ossetia became part of Russia, independent
of Georgia. Speaking about the period of the Soviet Union collapse,
it should be mentioned that in 1991 Georgian President Z. Gamsakhurdia
announced: "First of all it is required now that all the Ossetians be
deported to Russia, the territory of Abkhaz habitation be curtailed
and sovereignty of Ajaria be liquidated. The titled nation owns the
whole territory and it must live on its native land, where there is
no room for autonomy of other nations." However, Gamsakhurdia did
not limit himself with the statement and declared war against South
Ossetia and Abkhazia, which took lives of numerous people," the RF
Foreign Ministry statement says.
By the way, Georgian opposition leaders’ visits to the USA have become
more frequent recently. Doesn’t it mean that Washington is seeking
a substitute for Saakashvili, whose actions put the world before the
threat of a new confrontation?