Russia's Anschluss against Georgia

"I looked the man in the eye. I was able to get a sense of his soul ..." George W. Bush on Vladimir Putin, 2001


Although Russia occupies a sixth of the world's land mass, apparently this is not enough for the new Russian imperialists.

While Americans are focused on their quadrennial obsession with fencing and competitive kayaking, a war has broken out half way around the world. The Russian military has invaded the Republic of Georgia, in the apparent hope of annexing at least part of the country.

A little history is order. Shortly after the breakup of the Soviet Union, the region of South Ossetia unilaterally declared independence from the new Republic of Georgia. This declaration was not recognized by anyone other than Moscow. The region has had de facto autonomy since then. Over the last few years, Russia has stoked secessionist sentiment in South Ossetia as part of its comprehensive campaign to intimidate and destabilize former Soviet states that dare flinch from Russian domination. Just ask the Ukranians. Russian imperialism in Georgia has included the arming of separatist groups and the arbitrary attribution of passports to South Ossetians. This was done in order to create Russian citizens to invent the excuse for Moscow that its intervention in South Ossetia was 'to protect Russian citizens.'

Last week, the Georgian army was sent in to try and retake control of the breakaway region. Russia says its military intervention is solely designed to protect the Russian citizens in South Ossetia from alleged abuses by the Georgian army.

Yet the Russians have advanced deep into Georgia territory, coming within 60 miles of the Georgian capital Tblisi. This is far away from the zone they are allegedly there to protect. They also invaded the western part of Georgia.

Georgia's government claims the invasion is an attempt at regime change. The country's American-educated president has cultivated close ties with the US and Europe and this has infuriated Vladimir Putin's government*, which doesn't take kindly to any country trying to leave its sphere of domination. The tension has been excaberated by the fact that Georgia's president came to power via elections that ousted the country's pro-Russian government.

(*-Belligerent Russian imperialism started under Putin's presidency and has continued during his recent transition to the prime ministership, where observers believe he remains the country's most powerful man)

This op-ed in The Christian Science Monitor claims that the conflict is not all Russia's fault. It accuses Georgia's president Mikhail Saakashvili of overestimating the value of his country's partnership with Washington. But it also claims that Russia's invasion is solely to 'protect' South Ossetia. Even if this were a legitimate reason to invade a neighboring sovereign state, then why have the Russians invaded huge chunks of Georgia far beyond South Ossetia itself?

The clear purpose of Russia's aggression is to punish what it sees as Georgia's insolence in acting like an actual independent country. The invasion is not just a message to Georgians but also a warning to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine (not that it needed any warning), Kazhakstan and any other former Soviet republic that defying Moscow's diktats will have severe consequences.

This is only the most serious and criminal example of Russia flexing its muscles. It meddled in Ukraine's domestic political situation, even trying to poison the pro-western opposition candidate who eventually became president. Russia has also used its energy supplies to punish regimes that dared show independence from Russia. It's cut off gas supplies not only to Ukraine and Georgia, but also to Poland and Belarus. These all occurred not long after disputes between those governments and Moscow.

The American aggression against Iraq has backfired against the US by encouraging, rather than discouraging, countries like Iran from developing nuclear weapons. As this piece from TIME magazine pointed out, Russia is playing a dangerous game that just might backfire in the same way.

Russia is incensed that many former Soviet republics, including Georgia, want to join NATO. Many former Soviet republics are fearful of expansionist desires in the goliath neighbor. Russia's apparent attempt to annex at least part of Georgia will remind those countries precisely why they so desperately want the western alliance's protection.

According to reports, Putin has stoked anti-Georgian sentiment in Russia itself for severals. According to a poll discussed on the BBC, more Russians view Georgia as national enemy number one than even the United States. Putin also expelled thousands of ethnic Georgians from Russia.

Russia's incessant fueling of separatist activity in South Ossetia and their sudden pious concern for human rights in that region is more than a bit disingenuous considering how brutally the Russian army crushed a separatist movement in their own breakaway region of Chechnya with precious little concern for human beings.

Washington has criticized the Russian invasion. But when it comes to condemning an illegal of aggression by a giant army against a smaller but sovereign nation designed to unilaterally impose regime change, install a pliant government and seize its resources, the Bush administration's credibility is somewhat less than zero.

What should be done is this. Georgia should accept for the UN run a referendum in South Ossetia where the people can vote on remaining part of Georgia, becoming independent or joining Russia. But it must only do so after Russian troops have completely left all of Georgia and been replaced by UN peacekeepers. No credible vote can occur while the Russian jackboots are in South Ossetia... let alone beyond.

In response to Russia's massive invasion, Georgia has recalled all of its troops home from Iraq, where it was the largest contributor of soldiers behind the US and UK. It's ironic that Georgian troops will go from participating in an imperial occupation to combating one. Maybe this will make them see the light.

I'm sure it's too much to expect the same of Vladimir Putin.


Update: In an interview with BBC World television, Pres. Sakashvili accused the Russians of expelling all ethnic Georgians from occupied South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Further update: In case there's any doubt about Russia's hardly benign intentions, the country's foreign minister has demanded that Georgia's president resign. And Russia's (de jure) president bragged about beating what it views as an insolent little child by proudly declaring that Georgia had been 'punished.'

Yet another update: As this snipet from Foreign Policy reminds us, this is hardly the first time the Georgian Republic has been threatened by the Russian hegemon. Also this BBC report explains how the noble, peace-loving Russians respect cease fires they agree to. You'll note, yet again, how Russian violence is occurring far from the zone of conflict they pretend their intervention was only designed to protect.