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The Messenger, Georgia
March 23 2007
Heads should roll
Having banged on for over a year about how the final status of Kosovo
would set an inevitable, unavoidable precedent for Georgia's
breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Russian elite
have now decided that it won't after all. Russian Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov, appearing before the Duma, was asked about the issue,
and the mealy mouth semi-reply he gave (he didn't even get round to
finishing, he was saved by the bell and the session ended) is ample
evidence of the totally short sighted, reactive, and frankly inept
policy Russia has in regards to Georgia.
"We emphasize that any decision about Kosovo will create a
precedent...But projection of this situation to, South Ossetia and
Transdnistria would not be appropriate. I repeat there is no link"
fumbled Lavrov.
What sort of precedent is it that doesn't create a precedent? Lavrov
has created a precedent of his own by redefining the very word, but
that is the least of his problems re Georgia. The fact is that
Russian foreign policy has totally failed. Everything they have tried
has been totally wrong footed from the word go. Lavrov probably has
bigger fish to fry, it's likely not his fault, but some people really
need to get fired.
The first to lose their job should be the person who came up with the
idea of blowing up the pipeline last January. As if Georgia, a
country that did without electricity, gas and virtually everything
else for much of the nineties, would suddenly crumble after few days
of wearing coats indoors. The plan was doomed to failure form the
start, whoever came up with clearly doesn't possess an atlas, and
didn't realise they'd be hurting Russia's long suffering but loyal
ally Armenia in the process.
The wine ban man also needs a dressing down, all he managed to do was
make a world that usually doesn't care feel sorry for plucky little
Georgia. But the person who really should never eat lunch in Moscow
again is the man that dreamt up the idea that Igor Giorgadze could
become president. They must have spent million on him. The offices in
the centre of all Georgia's towns, one on Rustaveli, one on
Perovskaya and one on Chavchavadze, must have cost a pretty penny.
All the rallies, whose participants were paid between five and ten
lari, would have run up quite a tab too. And for what? To promote
probably the least popular man in Georgia as an alternative
president, it's like putting Marshal Petain up for president of
France in 1945. Whoever came up with the idea is either barking mad
or a comedy genius.
And the really baffling thing is: they haven't learnt their lesson.
Whatever apparatchik-on-acid came up with Giorgadze subsequently
pinned their hopes on Irina Sarishvili, possibly because she is as
crazy as they are.
Everything they do is totally counterproductive, but they are unable
to change their methods. Another prime example is the neutrality
issue. Russia really, really doesn't want Georgia to join NATO, but
by calling for Georgia neutrality they only boosted the already
formidable support for NATO membership. Anyone could have told them
that would happen. How many boobs are the people who decide Georgia
policy allowed before they find themselves out of a job? Who are
these people, where do they work-the foreign ministry, the Kremlin,
la la land?
We should be told.
March 23 2007
Heads should roll
Having banged on for over a year about how the final status of Kosovo
would set an inevitable, unavoidable precedent for Georgia's
breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Russian elite
have now decided that it won't after all. Russian Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov, appearing before the Duma, was asked about the issue,
and the mealy mouth semi-reply he gave (he didn't even get round to
finishing, he was saved by the bell and the session ended) is ample
evidence of the totally short sighted, reactive, and frankly inept
policy Russia has in regards to Georgia.
"We emphasize that any decision about Kosovo will create a
precedent...But projection of this situation to, South Ossetia and
Transdnistria would not be appropriate. I repeat there is no link"
fumbled Lavrov.
What sort of precedent is it that doesn't create a precedent? Lavrov
has created a precedent of his own by redefining the very word, but
that is the least of his problems re Georgia. The fact is that
Russian foreign policy has totally failed. Everything they have tried
has been totally wrong footed from the word go. Lavrov probably has
bigger fish to fry, it's likely not his fault, but some people really
need to get fired.
The first to lose their job should be the person who came up with the
idea of blowing up the pipeline last January. As if Georgia, a
country that did without electricity, gas and virtually everything
else for much of the nineties, would suddenly crumble after few days
of wearing coats indoors. The plan was doomed to failure form the
start, whoever came up with clearly doesn't possess an atlas, and
didn't realise they'd be hurting Russia's long suffering but loyal
ally Armenia in the process.
The wine ban man also needs a dressing down, all he managed to do was
make a world that usually doesn't care feel sorry for plucky little
Georgia. But the person who really should never eat lunch in Moscow
again is the man that dreamt up the idea that Igor Giorgadze could
become president. They must have spent million on him. The offices in
the centre of all Georgia's towns, one on Rustaveli, one on
Perovskaya and one on Chavchavadze, must have cost a pretty penny.
All the rallies, whose participants were paid between five and ten
lari, would have run up quite a tab too. And for what? To promote
probably the least popular man in Georgia as an alternative
president, it's like putting Marshal Petain up for president of
France in 1945. Whoever came up with the idea is either barking mad
or a comedy genius.
And the really baffling thing is: they haven't learnt their lesson.
Whatever apparatchik-on-acid came up with Giorgadze subsequently
pinned their hopes on Irina Sarishvili, possibly because she is as
crazy as they are.
Everything they do is totally counterproductive, but they are unable
to change their methods. Another prime example is the neutrality
issue. Russia really, really doesn't want Georgia to join NATO, but
by calling for Georgia neutrality they only boosted the already
formidable support for NATO membership. Anyone could have told them
that would happen. How many boobs are the people who decide Georgia
policy allowed before they find themselves out of a job? Who are
these people, where do they work-the foreign ministry, the Kremlin,
la la land?
We should be told.