Georgiandaily, NY
Andrei Ilarionov ` Russia Prepared War with Georgia and It Was Started
by Russia
October 04, 2008
Former advisor of Vladimir Putin in economic issues Andrei Ilarionov
has opposed his former chief for two years already and openly
criticizes the Kremlin policy. Ilarionov showed his protest at the
very beginning of Russian aggression perpetrated on Georgia. He
introduced his opinions about Georgian-Russian war reasons to Katon
Institute Summer School listeners in Ukraine on September 4. His
viewpoints appeared to be interesting and we decided to present brief
variant of his opinions expressed in summer school.
A.I.: The most important thing is to find out the reason of starting
war in Georgia. This was larger scale war, where all kinds of sub
divisions took their part. In spite of the ceasefire agreement, war
continues on Georgian territories.
If the Kremlin aimed at protecting the people who wanted existence
independently, it had to recognize Chechnya. Chechen people have been
fighting for independent for 10 years and it has not stopped fight for
independence for 200 years. Moscow used tanks, hails, aviation,
artillery and chemical weapon against Chechnya. Chechen warriors were
killed exactly by chemical weapons.
Comparison of amount of damage in Chechnya and Tskhinvali is
impossible. 134 people died in war activities in South Ossetia. 80% of
them were fighters, the rest were peaceful civilians. It is obvious
that death of each person is tragedy, but we can not compare these
numbers to those dead in Chechnya. 200 thousand people died in
Chechnya from both sides.
Russian government has not recognized independence of Chechnya and
Kosovo. It has not recognized them even after Abkhazian and South
Ossetian recognition. It is obvious that Russian government has double
standard policy.
When Russia states that it acted in South Ossetia to protect its
citizens is at least unbelievable. 90% of South Ossetian population is
Russian citizens, but about 48 thousand Ossetian nationalities and 20
thousand Georgians lived in South Ossetia. Up to 10 thousand of
Ossetian citizens supported Georgian oriented Ossetian administration,
headed by Dmitri Sanakoev.
Sanakoev was one of the leaders of separatist movement in 90-ies
opposing Kokoity. He created administration where there were Ossetian
and Georgian villages.
Russia has to take more interest in Russian citizens living in
Turkmenistan, whose rights has been violated since period of Turkmen
bash’s government.
Announcements made by Russian government about its actions aiming to
protecting Russian citizens are hypocrisy that was used as reason of
starting war activities.
First number stated regarding ethnical cleansing was 1400, then it was
1600 and later 3000. The first announcement about genocide was made on
August 8, at 5 o’clock by Kokoity who was in Java, who was not in
Tskhinvali and who left the capital as soon as the war activities
started. Russian official propaganda stated that victims of genocide
were 1600. Russia continues the same today, in spite of the fact that
Putin who visited Vladikavkaz stated that there were several tens of
dead people. Special group of Russian office of general prosecutor
found out after one month work that 134 citizens were dead, 80% of
them were warriors, and others were peaceful citizens. According to
international law, genocide was proved only in three cases. Genocide
of Armenians, Genocide of Jews and genocide in Rwanda carried out in
1994. Genocide is discussed in Sudan, where more than half million
people died. Genocide was not discussed in other cases and it is
qualified as ethnical cleansing.
Even in case of Kosovo it is not said that it was genocide, in spite
of the fact that 30 thousand Albanians were killed and one million
left the territory of the state.
Destroying each other by Georgians and Abkhazians is considered to be
ethnical cleansing. 3 000 Abkhazians and 17 000 Georgians were killed
in 1992-93 war activities. After collapse of Soviet Union, Abkhazians
made up 17% of Abkhazian population, Georgians ` 52%. 250 thousand
Georgians left Abkhazian territory as a result to Abkhazian
events. Georgians now live only in Gali region of Abkhazia.
None of official versions of Georgian-Russian wars are close to truth.
I think that reasons of starting war between Russia and Georgia are
processes developed in Georgia in the last 4 years. A lot of reforms
were carried out in Georgia ` in economics among them. Georgia
developed as modern, European, democratic state. Responsible
government was formed in Georgia that is responsible for the
population. Work of state institutions became transparent.
I can not name state in the world that has developed in the shortest
period of time with so many reforms and in different fields so
successfully. Liberalization of Georgian economics made it possible
for the state to grow rapidly. Georgia imported electro energy to
Russia before August events. Nobody would believe 3-5 years ago that
Georgia, having energetic problems would import energy. Economic
wonder took place in Georgia.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia are Stalin enclaves economically,
especially South Ossetia. Population in South Ossetia has not been
working for the last 4 years and living on subsidies of Russian budget
that increases annually. Subsidies for South Ossetia made up 700
million USA dollars last year. If we divide this amount of money into
40 thousand residents of South Ossetia, we receive picture that Moscow
never financed any of its regions like South Ossetia. Moscow
practically decayed the local population by financing them; they have
become unused to working. Russian journalists, who visited Tskhinvali
together with Russian tanks, told how none of the masters were found
to fix the water pipeline problems. On the question why the local
population didn’t fix the pipeline, they responded: – do it
yourself. According to Putin’s command, additional 10 milliard Russian
Rubles were allocated for South Ossetia.
Big military base is being built in Java now. Russian tanks were
withdrawn to Java before August events. Russian military technique
supply has been gathered in South Ossetia for 4 years. Russian
propaganda used to say that Georgia was the most militarized state in
Caucasus. Let’s compare the numbers and we’ll perceive that this was
not so. South Ossetia, where there lived 40 thousand people, had 87
artillery equipments. Georgian military budget increased in 30 times
in the last 4 years: from 30 million USA dollars to almost 1
milliard. Georgia allocated 8% for military field in 2008. But budgets
of Abkhazia and South Ossetia were much higher than it was needed and
what is the most important, Abkhazia and South Ossetia were provided
by weapons by Russia. Only 6 from 1000 people in Georgia were military
servants, 60 in Abkhazia and 65 in South Ossetia, this means that both
of these regions had ten times more unit compared to Georgia. Georgia
had 4,6 artillery equipments on 100 000 men, Abkhazia-35, South
Ossetia ` 190. Georgia had 5 units of armored carriers on 100 000 men,
Abkhazia-75, South Ossetia ` 391.
Russia deployed big amount of military technique in South Ossetia and
Abkhazia in May and July. More than 1500 armored technique, artillery
equipment, tanks and different kinds of technique were taken to
Abkhazia. We don’t have information of GDP in Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, but we can approximately say that Abkhazia spent 50% of its
budget on military equipments, South Ossetia spent ` 60%. It is
obvious that Russia provided them with weapons free of charge.
We can say that there were Russian military bases before start of
military activities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia on August 7. Aim of
Russian government was to change Saakashvili’s government in
Georgia. Nobody even hid it in Russian government. War against Georgia
was prepared 4 years ago. After Georgia had solved Ajarian problems
painlessly, Moscow started to think about changing
Saakashvili. Russian energetic company’s heads were called to the
Kremlin in 2005 and the government told them to make problems in
providing Georgia with electro energy. They were rejected by the heads
of the companies and they started to act themselves. All oil pipelines
and electro lines leading to Georgia were exploded. Russian government
stated that it was done by terrorists. It was found out later that
terrorists used the same explosive materials used by Russian special
units.
Georgian special units detained Russian spies and they were extradited
to Russian government without noise. In spite of this Russian special
units didn’t stop working in Georgia but on the contrary, their works
were reinforced. Georgian special services detained 4 Russian agents
in 2006 and it was noisy ceremony of extraditing them to
Russia. Russia started economic blockade against
Georgia. Transportation, wine, `Borjomi’, blockade followed
this. Russia strengthens Abkhazia and South Ossetia in military
field. Russian diplomats don’t hide that war had to be started before
September in Georgia. Russia rehabilitated Ochamchire and
Sokhumi-Ochamchire 54 kilometers railway. Russia deployed 50 echelons
of military technique to Abkhazia.
There was impression that war had to be started from
Abkhazia. Georgian villages were fired on August 1. If Ossetians used
to stop firing after respond from Georgian side, this didn’t happen
this time. Ossetian side continued to fire with artillery
equipments. Ossetian information department didn’t hide on August 6
that there were Russian units in South Ossetian territory.
Russian defense minister assistant Nikolai Panko and head of
reconnaissance service visited Tskhinvali on August 3. They had
meeting with Kokoity. Kokoity moves to Java after their departure and
evacuation of the population starts on August 3. Russia started war
activities on August 3. 58th army is already mobilized near Georgian
border for this time and 9000 soldiers, 700 units of armored technique
are sent from Russian regions. Russian frontiers occupied Roki tunnel
on August 6. Russian information sources informed from August 3 that
war had started in South Ossetia, this was when war activities didn’t
took place.
Georgian side tried to negotiate with Ossetian side on August
7. Georgian reincarnation minister Temur Iakobashvili visits
Tskhinvali who has to meet with Kokoity together with Russian special
tasks ambassador Popov. Popov says that he was not able to be on the
meeting due to problems of car tyre. He is offered to change the tyre,
but he says that the extra tyre is also damaged. Iakobashvili meets
with peaceful forces commander in Tskhinvali Marat Kulakhmetov, who
offers to Georgian side to cease fire. Iakobashvili tells the proposal
of the general to President Mikheil Saakashvili on phone at
18:30. Saakashvili makes televised announcement at 19:00 that Georgian
side is interested in peace. He demanded and practically bagged to
reach ceasefire. He declared ceasefire partially, but Ossetian side
started to bomb Georgian village Tamarasheni and then other villages
at 22:10.
Russian journalists in Tskhinvali said that there practically wasn’t
Ossetian population in Tskhinvali. According to official information,
34 thousand people were evacuated before starting war
activities. After emerge of Russian defense ministry tank colonies,
Georgian government concluded that war was started by Russian
politicians.
Fights to three direction start after this. Tskhinvali assault,
skirmishes near java and Roki direction. Both sides had big losses. It
must be stressed that tanks that entered from Roki tunnel reached
Tskhinvali only on August 10. Russian troops occupy Kodori Gorge in
Abkhazia at the same time. Russian ships are near Georgian
coasts. Russian defense ministry had sub divisions mobilized in Zemo
Larsi and Georgian-Armenian border.
It is obvious that the war is not over and it continues. Russian
government has not refused to overthrow Georgian government. Russia
doesn’t hide that Georgian pro-Western choice is unacceptable to it. I
think that everything starts from now on. Russian government acted
like scoundrels, when they attack weak ones. Russia of course wouldn’t
attack NATO member Baltic States. Kiev’s strive to the West is also
unacceptable to Russia. Moscow didn’t like when Kiev supported Tbilisi
in August events.
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