NATO WAR GAMES IN GEORGIA: THREAT OF NEW CAUCASUS WAR
by Rick Rozoff
OpEd News
cles/NATO-War-Games-In-Georgia-by-Rick-Rozoff-0905 08-986.html
May 11 2009
On May 6 the Cooperative Longbow 09/Cooperative Lancer 09 US-led NATO
Partnership for Peace exercises began in Georgia.
More exactly, the first half of the paired exercises, Cooperative
Longbow 09, which is a command post operation conducted at Georgian
military headquarters in Tbilisi. The second, Cooperative Lancer 09,
is a field exercise and was scheduled to include 1,300 servicemen from
19 countries (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Greece,
Kazakhstan, Moldavia, Serbia, Spain, Macedonia, Turkey, the United
Arab Emirates, Britain, and the US), including 1,089 foreign troops
and 214 Georgian servicemen in exercises at the Vaziani base of the
Georgian Defence Ministry near the capital. The first started on May 6;
the second will run from May 17-June 1.
This is the fourth in what have become annual Cooperative
Longbow/Cooperative Lancer exercises, the first having been held in
the former Soviet Republic of Moldova in 2006, the following year’s
in Albania and last year’s in Armenia.
The exercises are referred to by NATO and the United States as routine
and no cause for concern.
That the last two series of planning exercises and war games have
been scheduled in the South Caucasus, and the current one in a nation
that not only borders Russia but fought a five-day war with it only
nine months ago, and that the military bloc running the exercises and
its main member, the US, armed and trained Georgia before and have
continued to do so after last August’s war make Cooperative Longbow
09/Cooperative Lancer 09 anything but an innocuous occurrence.
Yearly multinational military drills in Russia’s neighborhood by an
alliance that is an effective belligerent once removed are events that
are taken for granted by the West, though to gain an appreciation of
how they appear from the other side imagine this scenario: During
the Cold War era the Soviet Union initiated a series of annual
military exercises in Central America with members of the Warsaw
Pact and prospective members from three continents and every Central
American nation.
The latest of those war games was held in Mexico in close proximity
to the US border. A few years before Russia had covertly sponsored
the overthrow of Mexico’s elected president and had supported his
replacement by someone who earlier had received a grant from the
Soviet Foreign Ministry to study in Moscow and after completing his
degree and practicing law there returned to his homeland.
The USSR then immediately deployed its special forces and other
military units to Mexico to revamp its armed forces, training and
arming them to be interoperable with Warsaw Pact nations for combat
missions both at home and abroad.
Over several years the Soviet-trained Mexican army and special forces
launched regular gunfire and artillery attacks across its border
resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians with US citizenship.
Then nine months before the latest Warsaw Pact war games in the
country, Mexico launched an armed assault against contested border
areas, killing some 1,600 US nationals, displacing 100,000 more and
precipitating an American intervention in which 64 US soldiers were
killed and 283 wounded.
If the expression turnabout is fair play has any meaning, this
imaginary reversal of events is a fair representation of how Russia
is forced to view the current situation in the South Caucasus.
And that is precisely how matters are interpreted in Russia. Before the
beginning of the exercises in Georgia Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
warned that, "NATO’s plans to hold exercises in Georgia…are an open
provocation. Exercises must not be held there where a war has been
fought," and referred to the Alliance’s behavior as "muscle-flexing."
The Russian ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE), Anvar Azimov, said on May 8 that "NATO’s ongoing
exercise in Georgia is a downright provocation, since it is held in
a region where a war was fought just months ago and where blood was
spilt and civilians died." [1]
On May 5 the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that meetings of the
Russia-NATO Council would be postponed indefinitely primarily because
of the Alliance’s exercises in Georgia.
However, on that day and the following two other meetings went on
as scheduled.
NATO held a meeting with the chiefs of the general staffs of forty
members and partners, including the Chief of the Georgian Armed
Forces Joint Staff Devi Chankotadze, at its headquarters in Brussels
on May 6-7 and the day before all forty military chiefs attended a
session of the NATO-Georgia Commission to discuss Georgia’s Annual
National Program.
The NATO-Georgia Commission was announced in mid-September of last
year only weeks after the August war ended, after a visit to the
Georgian capital by the Alliance’s North Atlantic Council, which
consists of all NATO permanent representatives.
The Annual National Program (an equivalent exists for Ukraine) was
designed by NATO last year as a substitute for the standard Membership
Action Plan, the final stage before full membership.
The meeting of the 28 NATO and 12 partnership military chiefs and
that of all forty, including Georgia and Ukraine, at the NATO-Georgia
Commission occurred on the day before and the first two days of
Cooperative Longbow 2009.
Before the Cooperative Longbow exercise started, however, four NATO
Partnership for Peace members – Armenia, Kazakhstan, Moldova and
Serbia – announced their withdrawal in deference to Russian concerns.
NATO Members Estonia and Latvia also withdrew for reasons not entirely
evident.
Former member of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff Igor
Korotchenko said that Cooperative Longbow 2009 "aims to improve
‘interoperability between NATO and partner countries,’ a euphemism
for streamlining the Georgian Army and NATO coalition-force operations
against the Russian Armed Forces." [2]
On the day the first phase of the drills began the interior minister
of South Ossetia, Valery Valiev, stated "We are most concerned about
the full-scale NATO military exercise in Georgia bearing risks for
the security of South Ossetia." [3]
The day before Longbow began, Russia’s ambassador to the United
Nations, Vitaly Churkin, "accused Georgia of provocations in the
areas that are adjacent to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
"As he spoke during a news conference in New York, he said Georgia
was building up its military presence in the areas in question.
"According to Churkin, Georgia has concentrated over 2,000 Army
and Interior Ministry servicemen on the border with Abkhazia, and
also a large number of GRAD multiple rocket launchers and heavy
machineguns. [Both were used extensively in the August war.]
"On the border with South Ossetia the Georgian military has also
deployed heavy firepower equipment, armoured fighting vehicles and
artillery guns. Some 2,500 Georgian servicemen are deployed on South
Ossetia’s border." [4]
At the end of April Russia offered to help protect Abkhazia’s and
South Ossetia’s borders with Georgia "against a feared new Georgian
attack that Tbilisi may be heartened to launch after a NATO exercise
next month." [5]
Deputy of the Russian Duma Boris Gryzlov "floated the idea of a
response to the NATO move that would entail Cuba and Venezuela taking
part in ‘large-scale drills’ in the Caribbean Sea on July 2.
"According to the lawmaker, the NATO decision to hold the drills in
Georgia during the WWII Victory Day celebrations was a ‘total revision
of the history of the Great Patriotic War’ and a direct insult to
[the] country…." [6]
On the day the exercise started a delegation of the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly was in Georgia to meet with the Deputy Defence Minister Goirgi
Muchaidze, and the two sides "dealt with important issues related to
sharing the experience gained from the Russia-Georgia August war and
reviewed the present status of the Georgian Armed Forces." [7]
The head of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly "urge[d] Russia to leave
the occupied territories of Georgia [Abkhazia, South Ossetia]." [8]
Emboldened by this and NATO’s uncritical and unconditional backing
in general, Georgian Defence Minister David Sikharulidze said "The
exercises contribute to the Euro-Atlantic integration of Georgia and
enhance the compatibility of the Georgian armed forces with NATO
standards" and Chairman of the Georgian Parliament David Bakradze
asserted that "Despite all Russia’s attempts NATO has not changed its
decision [to conduct the exercises]. NATO has sent a clear signal to
Russia that whatever the Russian position is NATO and Georgia will
continue their cooperation." [9]
Earlier in the month the Georgian ambassador to the US, Batou Koutelia,
said in reference to any future conflict with Russia on the order
of that of last August: "If it happens, we are determined to make
responses together with our partners and allies, NATO member countries,
the United States. And we will have a joint response to this." [10]
Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze announced that on May 2
he had received a letter from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
which "highlights the US position of unconditional support for
the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and Georgia’s
integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions." [11]
"US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has announced that the
United States government would fulfill all promises given by the
previous administration of the US. Clinton spoke before congressmen
at…hearings.
"Arguably, the Secretary meant one billion dollar assistance, which
the Bush administration allocated to Georgia before handing over
power to Obama. In the budget 2010 of the US, $242 million will be
earmarked for Georgia." [12]
What as much as anything else lends credence to the concerns of
Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Russia about the ongoing NATO exercises,
especially the field component that will begin on May 17, is the
parallel to developments that preceded and contributed to the five
day war of last year.
Om May 15, 2008 a US warship arrived at Batumi on Georgia’s northern
Black Sea coast near Abkhazia where "Georgian and U.S forces conducted
military exercises together on the frigate USS John L. Hall." [13]
>From July 15-31 the US led a NATO Partnership for Peace exercise
called Immediate Response 2008 in Georgia. The Pentagon deployed
1,000 troops from the Vicenza base in Italy, the largest amount ever
deployed to Georgia.
"Called Immediate Response-2008, the manoeuvres are reportedly
sponsored by the US Pentagon to the tune of USD 8 million." [14]
"About 2,000 troops, including some from Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Ukraine are conducting exercises at the Vaziani military base near
Tbilisi." [15]
On the Georgian side "1,625 Georgian military servicemen are taking
part in a large-scale international military training, alongside US
forces, known as Immediate Response at the site of the fourth infantry
brigade of Vaziani base. This training is the first of its kind to
be held in Georgia and is part of the joint Georgian-American project.
"William Bigaret, head of the US south European forces, said that
the main goal of the training program would be to provide compliance
between Georgian and American soldiers and develop cooperation between
Georgia-US armed forces." [16]
The exercises were timed to coincide with a major Russian one at the
same time, Kavkaz [Caucasus] – 2008 which involved "some 8,000 military
personnel, about 700 combat vehicles and more than 30 aircraft.
"The main goal of the exercise…is to work on…defense of Russia’s
state borders, and to practice support of Russian peacekeepers in
Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia." [17]
Troops from the world’s two major nuclear powers were within firing
distance of each other. The Russian forces were in their own country;
the American ones were several thousand miles away from theirs.
When the war games ended – just a week before Georgia’s invasion of
South Ossetia and the war with Russia started – not all the US troops
and not all their military equipment were removed from the nation.
As Immediate Response wrapped up, "The U.S. European Command
said on Monday that there were no plans at this time to withdraw
the U.S. military trainers from the country. There are still 127
U.S. trainers in Georgia." [18]
Speaking about what occurred the very day after Immediate Response
ended, South Ossetian envoy to Russia Dmitry Medoyev claimed that
"Georgian troops that took part in NATO exercises in the region
launched artillery fire on the South Ossetian capital on August 1,
killing six people. There is a direct connection between the exercises
of NATO troops and the latest attacks on us. And there can’t be two
opinions about it." [19]
One of those killed was a Russian peacekeeper from North Ossetia.
Six days after that, in the name of "restoring constitutional order,"
US- and NATO-trained Georgian forces would launch a devastating
artillery barrage on the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali and
begin an equally savage ground invasion.
As the war was still raging Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin,
speaking at at an extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council
initiated by the United States and Georgia, pointed out that "Georgia
unleashed its military campaign against South Ossetia on August 7,
following the completion of a joint US-Georgian military exercise,
in which 1,000 US military advisers took part."
Commenting on the name of the war games, Immediate Response, Churkin
added, "Trained by their American colleagues, Georgian troops did
just that, they responded immediately" [20]
A few days after the war began Deputy Chief of Staff of Russia’s
Armed Forces, General Anatoly Nogovitsyn said, "The invasion plan
was rehearsed and perfected during Georgian-American war games in
Georgia." [21]
At the very time the Pentagon and NATO were training their Georgian
surrogates for the impending war in South Ossetia, 900 US troops were
completing a series of war games across the Black Sea from Georgia
in Romania.
"The month-long training at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, under Joint
Task Force-East…included an airborne operation, live-fire exercises
at squad level, military operations in urban terrain, joint patrolling
[and] situational training exercises…." [22]
And occurring simultaneously with Immediate Response in Georgia the
US and NATO conducted Exercise Sea Breeze 2008 up the Black Sea coast
in Ukraine, "incorporating 16 countries and more than 2,000 service
members [in] a joint and combined maritime exercise held annually in
the Black Sea and at various land-based Ukrainian training facilities.
"The air component, comprised of 17 aircraft from four countries,
flew nearly 50 sorties. During the sorties, it completed 17 para
drops of nearly 400 paratroopers, anti-submarine warfare operations
and search and rescue missions.
"The maritime component, comprised of 16 ships from six countries,
conducted maritime interdiction operations, air warfare, search
and rescue, anti-submarine warfare, amphibious operations and mine
countermeasure operations.
"Nations participating in this 11th anniversary of Exercise Sea Breeze
include host country Ukraine as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Canada,
Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Macedonia, Norway,
Romania, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States." [23]
After the war in the South Caucasus ended the US sent the flagship of
its Sixth Fleet, the USS Mount Whitney, and the USS McFaul to deliver
"humanitarian aid" to the Georgian port cities of Poti and Batumi,
respectively.
Later in August NATO deployed a naval strike force to the Black Sea,
eventually totaling as many as 19 ships, with the USS Mount Whitney
coordinating the flotilla.
US warships in Batumi and Russian ones off the Abkhazian capital of
Sukhumi were only 150 kilometers apart.
In October of 2008 a team of Pentagon experts visited Georgia and
were "looking into the reasons behind the defeat of the Georgian
army in the armed conflict with South Ossetia. American consultants
had provided the Georgian military with state-of-the-art weapons and
excellent training."
"As they analyze the Georgian-American exercises and Tbilisi’s
subsequent attack against South Ossetia experts argue that it was the
success of those exercises that inspired the Georgian president with
more confidence in his army and its military potential." [24]
As a general summary of what preceded the Pentagon’s and NATO’s last
major exercise in Georgia, a US Navy news source last September said,
"For the past three years, several hundred American military trainers
have run the GSSOP (Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations
Program), which has trained over 5,000 Georgian troops, many for
eventual service in Iraq.
"The trainers were American soldiers and marines, who imparted their
combat experience to the Georgians….The U.S. trainers, usually a
team of 70 Americans taking a 600 man Georgian infantry battalion
through a 17 week training program, concentrate on combat subjects."
"Georgia has a population of about 4.6 million, and an active duty
military of about 28,000 troops….The U.S. has been helping Georgia
train and equip an army reserve force of about 100,000." [25]
Washington and Brussels have invested far too much in their joint
Georgian outpost and its ruthless and reckless leader to abandon
them now. Just as the last NATO war games ignited a real war, so the
current ones are reason for grave concern that the same may happen
again and that a conflict may erupt between the world’s two major
nuclear powers that was narrowly averted last time.
1) Voice of Russia, May 8, 2009 2) Vedomosti [Russia], May 5, 2009 3)
Ministry for Press and Mass Media of the Republic of South Ossetia,
May 6, 2009 4) Voice of Russia, May 5, 2009 5) Itar-Tass, April 30,
2009 6) Press TV, May 7, 2009 7) Trend News Agency, May 6, 2009 8)
Ibid 9) The Messenger [Georgia], May 7, 2009 10) Press TV, May 2, 2009
11) Rustavi 2 [Georgia], May 6, 2009 12) Rustavi 2, May 1, 2009 13)
Rustavi 2, May 15, 2008 14) The Messenger, July 18, 2008 15) Ibid 16)
Georgian Times, July 28, 2008 17) Russian Information Agency Novosti,
July 16, 2008 18) Stars and Stripes, August 12, 2008 19) Interfax,
August 6, 2008 20) RosBusinessConsulting, August 10, 2008 21) The
Hindu, August 13, 2008 22) Army News Service, July 31, 2008 23) Navy
NewsStand, July 29, 2008 24) Voice of Russia, October 18, 2008 25)
Navy NewsStand, September 1, 2008