[Iowa-dx] Re: The Georgia Invasion
IowaGreen Libris
iowagreenlibris@mail.org
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:39:53 -0500
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Okay, "here's the scoop." Since Georgia was a former Soviet state, there
are many ties by ethnicpeople in North Ossetia, which is in Russia, and
South Ossetia,which is in Georgia. There are many native Russians also
doing theirbusiness or visiting with relatives in South Ossetia. There is
an economic interest with Russia in what Georgia has beendoing to
circumvent the Russian oil and gas pipeline monopoly. Russiahas
controlled almost all of the pipelines between Eurasia and Europeuntil
Georgia built its first oil pipeline to go around Russia. Russiareceives
80% of its federal tax revenue from those pipelines, andfaces a severe
loss of revenue due to Georgia's announced newnatural gas pipeline that
it is about to build to serve European markets. It is unclear (due to
news media corporate cut-backs and dis-interest)what caused the
separatists to want to secede from Georgia, but, itis true that South
Ossetia is a Georgia federal province, which meansthat it is beyond the
legal federal jurisdiction of Russia. Abkhazia isanother unrecognized
area in which those factions united with SouthOssetia to demand
seccession from Georgia. Somehow, and this is so far unvarified in any
way, apparently Russiaillegally sent "peace keepers" into South Ossetia
and possibly intoAbkhazia without Georgia's permission. Russia denies
that it did,but that apparently emboldened the separatists. To keep
Ossetia from rebelling and separating from Georgia,Georgia's president,
Mikhail Saakashvili sent troops into SouthOssetia on Thursday as a
marshal law action, wanting to prevent theseparatists from exercising
mob-rule over the Georgian federalarea of South Ossetia. The
separatists want independence fromGeorgia or at least a unification with
North Ossetia, which is inRussia. In this rebellious demand, the
separatists' actions werewithout obtaining any agreement from Russia for
an independentnation of Ossetia before trying to seccede from Georgia.=20
If this istrue, then Russia illegally sent "peace keepers" into Georgia
inviolation of international laws and treaties. We really do not know
what happened because of the illegalRussian invasion, but Russia invaded
Georgia on friday, sending itstroops, tanks and jet
warplanes into Georgia and occupied theSouth Ossetia province where it
already had its "peacekeepers"stationed. But once the Georgian military
was overwhelmed by tanks, bomberwarplanes and massive troops, the Russian
military once it hadliquidated Georgian armor, then pushed deeper into
Georgia, andbegan to bomb the Georgian economic zones such as their ports
andhighways and interior military bases which were already defenseless.Russ=
ia
denied that it had sent peace keepers into South Ossetia, butthere were
paramilitary forces in various uniforms (including Russian,United States
of American, and Georgian uniforms!) who followedthe Russian advances. UN
National Security Council Secretary Alexander Lomaia said thateven the
Georgian Black Sea port of Poti was bombed from theair, sinking Georgian
navy ships and the main road between southernGeorgia with the East and
its airport, and Georgian television broadcastthat Poti was totally
destroyed! Russia's United Nations ambassador Vitaly Churkin, of course,den=
ied
everything, saying that Georgia had provoked Russia'sattack because
Georgia was shelling residential areas of SouthOssetia, something that
cannot be proven or disproven after theinvasion. Ambassador Churkin
claimed that Georgian artillary hadbombarded Tshkinvali and nearby towns
allegedly to drive theseparatists out of those communities! The rebel
leader of SouthOssetia claims that over 1,400 civilians were killed in
those attacks byGeorgian military, however, it is yet to be detected what
the truth isabout that. But the fact remains, that Russia had absolutely
no internationallegal authority to invade Georgia, and did not announce
to the UnitedNations what any problem might be, nor to go through the
properchannels of the United Nations to effect some sort of official
bonafideofficial reaction.
Libris Fidelis
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<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>Okay, "here's the scoop."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Since Georgia was a former Soviet state, there are many ties by e=
thnic</DIV>
<DIV>people in North Ossetia, which is in Russia, and South Ossetia,</DIV>
<DIV>which is in Georgia. There are many native Russians also doing t=
heir</DIV>
<DIV>business or visiting with relatives in South Ossetia.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There is an economic interest with Russia in what Georgia has been</DI=
V>
<DIV>doing to circumvent the Russian oil and gas pipeline monopoly. R=
ussia</DIV>
<DIV>has controlled almost all of the pipelines between Eurasia and Eu=
rope</DIV>
<DIV>until Georgia built its first oil pipeline to go around Russia. =
Russia</DIV>
<DIV>receives 80% of its federal tax revenue from those pipelines, and</DIV>
<DIV>faces a severe loss of revenue due to Georgia's announced new</DIV>
<DIV>natural gas pipeline that it is about to build to serve European marke=
ts.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It is unclear (due to news media corporate cut-backs and dis-interest)=
</DIV>
<DIV>what caused the separatists to want to secede from Georgia, but, it</D=
IV>
<DIV>is true that South Ossetia is a Georgia federal province, which means<=
/DIV>
<DIV>that it is beyond the legal federal jurisdiction of Russia. Abkh=
azia is</DIV>
<DIV>another unrecognized area in which those factions united with South</D=
IV>
<DIV>Ossetia to demand seccession from Georgia.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Somehow, and this is so far unvarified in any way, apparently Russia</=
DIV>
<DIV>illegally sent "peace keepers" into South Ossetia and possibly into</D=
IV>
<DIV>Abkhazia without Georgia's permission. Russia denies that it did=
,</DIV>
<DIV>but that apparently emboldened the separatists.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>To keep Ossetia from rebelling and separating from Georgia,</DIV>
<DIV>Georgia's president, Mikhail Saakashvili sent troops into South</DIV>
<DIV>Ossetia on Thursday as a marshal law action, wanting to prevent t=
he</DIV>
<DIV>separatists from exercising mob-rule over the Georgian federal</DIV>
<DIV>area of South Ossetia. The separatists want independen=
ce from</DIV>
<DIV>Georgia or at least a unification with North Ossetia, which is in</DIV>
<DIV>Russia. In this rebellious demand, the separatists' actions=
were</DIV>
<DIV>without obtaining any agreement from Russia for an independent</DIV>
<DIV>nation of Ossetia before trying to seccede from Georgia. If this=
is</DIV>
<DIV>true, then Russia illegally sent "peace keepers" into Georgia in<=
/DIV>
<DIV>violation of international laws and treaties.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>We really do not know what happened because of the illegal</DIV>
<DIV>Russian invasion, but Russia invaded Georgia on friday, sending i=
ts</DIV>
<DIV>troops, tanks and jet warplanes into Georgia and occupied th=
e</DIV>
<DIV>South Ossetia province where it already had its "peacekeepers"</D=
IV>
<DIV>stationed.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But once the Georgian military was overwhelmed by tanks, bomber</DIV>
<DIV>warplanes and massive troops, the Russian military once it had</DIV>
<DIV>liquidated Georgian armor, then pushed deeper into Georgia, and</DIV>
<DIV>began to bomb the Georgian economic zones such as their ports and</DIV>
<DIV>highways and interior military bases which were already defenseless.</=
DIV>
<DIV>Russia denied that it had sent peace keepers into South Ossetia, but</=
DIV>
<DIV>there were paramilitary forces in various uniforms (including Russian,=
</DIV>
<DIV>United States of American, and Georgian uniforms!) who followed</DIV>
<DIV>the Russian advances.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>UN National Security Council Secretary Alexander Lomaia said that</DIV>
<DIV>even the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti was bombed from the</DIV>
<DIV>air, sinking Georgian navy ships and the main road between southern</D=
IV>
<DIV>Georgia with the East and its airport, and Georgian television broadca=
st</DIV>
<DIV>that Poti was totally destroyed!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Russia's United Nations ambassador Vitaly Churkin, of course,</DIV>
<DIV>denied everything, saying that Georgia had provoked Russia's</DIV>
<DIV>attack because Georgia was shelling residential areas of South</DIV>
<DIV>Ossetia, something that cannot be proven or disproven after the</DIV>
<DIV>invasion. Ambassador Churkin claimed that Georgian artillary had=
</DIV>
<DIV>bombarded Tshkinvali and nearby towns allegedly to drive the</DIV>
<DIV>separatists out of those communities! The rebel leader of South<=
/DIV>
<DIV>Ossetia claims that over 1,400 civilians were killed in those attacks =
by</DIV>
<DIV>Georgian military, however, it is yet to be detected what the truth is=
</DIV>
<DIV>about that.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But the fact remains, that Russia had absolutely no international</DIV>
<DIV>legal authority to invade Georgia, and did not announce to the United<=
/DIV>
<DIV>Nations what any problem might be, nor to go through the proper</DIV>
<DIV>channels of the United Nations to effect some sort of official bonafid=
e</DIV>
<DIV>official reaction.</DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<P _extended=3D"true">Libris Fidelis</P></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV><BR>
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