Georgia on my mind...

Finally back from Georgia

2010-08-03T16:54:00.004+02:00

I have finally managed to update my website with the last events from my trip to Georgia The 2010 update features a look at the wine production in the Racha region where the famous Kvanchkhara wine is produced. I will take you on a fantastic tour in extreme nature to Shatili, a medeval fortress in the middle of the mountains. I also attend Leo and Nana's orthodox re-marriage, an emerging tradition after decades of repression during communism. After a short visit at the local barbershop in Tkibuli, a stop in Gelati, one of Georgia's most holy places is on the program.

Enjoy!

The Munic Agreement revisited

2010-05-05T12:44:00.005+02:00

I blogged earlier in "Remember the Munich Agreement?"(October 06, 2009). that we should bear in mind this shameful agreement when we look at the international situation concerning Russia and Gerogia. Today I read an article written by Yulia Latynina (journalist Ekho Moskvy ) who makes a point in the similar direction. The artcile is strongly critical to Heidi Tagliavinis /EU's report on the Georgian war, which in principle blames the one who declares war as defence the guilty part, allthough this party only defend itself against growing agression and provocations from a more persistant agressor.

"Tagliavini has created nothing short of a revolution in global politics by introducing a new definition of war. It now turns out that wars are started by those who respond to the actions of aggressors. So, when the Red Army dropped bombs on Helsinki, that wasn’t war. But when Finland responded, it qualified as war".

"Tagliavini, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor-cum-Gazprom PR agent Gerhard Schröder did not build Europe. It was built by their fathers and grandfathers following the end of World War II. At that time, Western Europe was an alternative to the Soviet Union — an alternative to slavery and tyranny. Post-World War II Europe symbolized the importance of never again signing a Munich Agreement with a dictator".

I very much support Latynina's analysis. This is the way the Russian agression against Georgia should be viewd, and not be forgotten and implemented as some sort of new praxis, and excuse for Europe to do business as usual.

Sarkozy finally got it right

2010-03-05T16:09:00.003+01:00

According to Pavel Felgenauer there seems to have been another political tradeoff in Paris this week, indirectly connected with the Mistral warship. Sarkozy, for the first time, publicly accepted the Russian invasion of Georgia in August 2008: “In the Georgian crisis I think he [Medvedev] defended Russian interests, when he did what he did” (www.kremlin.ru, March 2).

Change? I don’t think so.

2010-03-03T22:23:00.008+01:00

While many of us might hope that the financial crisis will bring some serious change to Russia, my good Russian friend Oleg explained to me one evening over dinner why that won’t happen. “You see”, he said, tapping his fork on the rim of his plate, then pointing it at me, “Russian’s are extremely adaptable to misery and authoritarianism. To illustrate my point, I’ll tell you a Russian anecdote”:

In an industrial monotown in the south of Russia, they produced during the communism left shoes of a well known Russian brand. The right ones were produced in Siberia. Not to wonder, business wasn’t going too well for the factory, so one day the local apparatchik addressed the workers: “Next week you have to work seven days and get paid for four days. Any questions?” No, there was no questions. The next week, things were as bad as before, and the apparatchik addressed the workers again: “Next month you have to work seven days a week. Nobody gets paid. Any questions?” No questions. A month passed, but things hadn’t improved at all, and he again stood in front of the workers with a sinister look on his face: “Tomorrow every fifth worker will be hanged. Any questions?” A tiny woman raised her hand and stuttered: “Are we supposed to bring our own rope?”

“That’s how the Russian mind works after 80 years of intellectual deconstruction”, Oleg assures me. “That’s why there will be NO change”.

An offer Europe couldn't refuse

2010-02-23T19:29:00.007+01:00

"It seems the Russian company Intersputnik made Eutelsat an offer it couldn't refuse on 15 January, holding out the possibility of millions of dollars in business with the media holdings of Russian gas giant Gazprom on the condition that Eutelsat stop doing business with First-Caucasian."

Garry Kasparov has written a great article about Europe's strange "loveaffair" with the totalitarian Russia in todays Guardian. In this article, wich is signed by many dissidents, he asks why Europe supports the criminal regime in Cremlin with arms, like France do, and why Eutelsat, Europe's largest satellite broadcaster decides to deny the First Caucasian Channel place on the channellist after pressure from Gazprom. Is this how we want Europe to react to the systematic violations of human rights in Russia?

I think this article is worth reading.

Yeah, Well..

2010-02-11T20:51:00.008+01:00

I am painfully aware of the slow frequency of postings lately. There is ofcourse a lot to write about. The French arming Russia, the Russians fighting with the Abkhazians over Georgian property, the South Ossetians forcing Georgian citizens to change their names, and so on.

The reason for me not posting anything is lack of time. I am writing my master thesis, and together with work for my clients there's no time left for blogging. But stay tuned! I will find time to occational rants. A great site for amusement over at the dark side is the official website for the Prez of Abkhazia. They write in english, and always manage to create a surpricing twist to the realities around the Black Sea.

Anyway, this picture i took in one of Tbilisi's Bazars might serve as a reminder of who's calling the shots these days..

Agrotourism in the Pankisi Gorge

2010-01-03T14:30:00.005+01:00

Now there’s a really exciting opportunity to discover a multicultural part of Georgia. The Pankisi Gorge is located on the border between Georgia, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan and Azerbaijan, in the very heart of the wild and beautiful High Caucasus. It’s populated by Muslims and Christians, of which many cherish the traditions of both religions. The Pankisi Gorge was earlier mainly known as Georgia’s “black hole”, where after the breakout of the Chechen War refugees and fighters fled. At the end of 2003 the situation in Pankisi got back to normal, however. Most refugees either returned home or obtained asylum in other countries.

Local initiative & Polish Aid
The Association of Pankisi Women, Marshua Kawkaz (“Peace in the Caucasus”), has prepared an extensive tourist and accommodation offer. There are a number of mountain tracks leading from the gorge to the High Caucasus. Agrotourism in Pankisi is organised by non-governmental charity organisation of Kist women living in Georgia - "Marszua Kawkaz" (Peace at Caucasus) which works in cooperation with Polish Foundation for Intercultural Education on the project "Rural tourism and development of local community in Pankisi" as a part of “Polish Aid”, a foreign assistance program of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland since 2006.

The website www.pankisi.org presents the offer of agrotourism in the Pankisi Gorge.
Enjoy!

Source and picture: www.pankisi.org

Misha goes to Hollywood.

2009-10-27T16:57:00.008+01:00

Moviedirector Renny Harlin is now shooting a movie about the 2008 war in Georgia starring Hollywood stars like Val Kilmer (plays journalist) and Andy Garcia (plays Misha). Georgiandaily.com today writes that ”Georgian media have raised questions about the film's impartiality, pointing out that co-producer Davitaia is a pro-Saakashvili member of parliament”.

Movies are NEVER impartial.
Now, who told Georgian media that film’s are supposed to be impartial? A Hollywood movie should evoke emotions, excitement, horror. It’s entertainment! Was Eisenstein ever impartial? Film is art, film is emotions. film is propaganda, film is aesthetics, film is about dreams…and money. But film is NEVER impartial. And frankly: Who cares about impartiality when top notch actors are protagonists in a pro-Georgian drama (hopefully)?

Russians make great crooks.
Let me remind you that Russians have been perfect antagonists in many films for centuries now. Who seriously want to change that? Remember from the Bond-movies the evil SMERSH Colonel Rosa Klebb?(From Russia With Love) The Russian commander of DDR forces, General Orlov (”Octopussy”), the corrupt General Georgi Koskov (”The Living Daylights”). And of course we remember Viktor Lavrentievich Zokas, better known by his alias of Renard, the Anarchist and KGB-trained assasin in ”The World Is Not Enough” (dismissed from KGB due to his mental instability??Who was ever dismissed from the KGB due to mental instability??). And NOT to forget: the Georgian female villain Xenia Onatop, ex-Soviet pilot and KGB assassin, in ”Golden Eye”. So what can possibly go wrong with a spin like “Russia as imperialist-nation-seeking-world- dominance lead by a mentally instable Renard-like character of Bonditudinal proportions attacking innocent democratic neighbours in cooperation with local mafia/terrorists/traitors” (Feel free to choose).

Come on. This is great publicity for Georgia, even, and hopefully, good propaganda too. Actually, when I come to think about it..Putin..Renard…..?

Meanwhile...on the Dark Side

2009-10-16T20:42:00.010+02:00

I fell for this one. Enjoy, my friends!

Analysis of the reasons of the beginnings of wars and armed conflicts: By the example of the Georgian military aggression in South Ossetia the Defense Minister of the Republic of South Ossetia Lieutenant-General Jury Tanaev showed officers and students of the Military academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Abkhazia that the states which launch wars will be punished sooner or later. Officers and students of the Military academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Abkhazia listened to the lectures of the Defense Minister of South Ossetia with great interest”, the Abkhaz TV reports.

I bet they did. It must have been quite a revelation in all its profound philosophical and ironical depth.

(Lifted from the Official Site of Abkhazian President Bagapsh)

Russia's new military doctrine opens for first strike nuclear attacks in "local or regional wars"

2009-10-14T19:00:00.024+02:00

The Russian newspaper Izvestia reports that Cremlin is working on a new military doctrine on first strike use of nuclear arms against “aggressors”. That must include Georgia according to President Medvedev’s statement after the war in Georgia in 2008: “The aggressor has been punished”.

Patrushev: “Nuclear weapons could be used in case of a nuclear attack, but also in 'regional or even local wars.”
According to Izvestia, “Russia will insist on the right to pre-emptive nuclear strikes against aggressor countries in its new military doctrine”, the head of the country's Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, said.

A greater threat to Russia's neighboring countries
This new doctrine is contrary to US nuclear military policy, which do not allow for first strike attacks. This leads us once more to seriously wonder what’s going on in the Cremlin. Such an aggressive move means a further treat to Russia’s bordering countries and serves no civilized purpose. As we have seen the later period, US’ reset has had no impact on the hawks in Moscow when it comes to serious cooperation on for instance Iran. Judging from this doctrine, one could on the contrary be led to believe that Russia today poses a significant greater danger to civilization than Iran: The combination of Putins restoration of Stalin as "a great leader", Russia claiming a priveledged sphere of influence in the former Soviet space, and now the suggested doctrine of first strike use of nuclear arms against local/regional wars and "agressors" should really start to worry all governments in the modern world.

Who's the target?
Georgia certainly will have to seriously consider it self as a prime target for a nuclear attack from Russia. The latest Russian accusations of Georgia supporting and aiding Al Quaeda operations in Russia is a reminder of the fact that the war is not over. Russia uses all means available to portray Georgia as an aggressor, and thus threatens Georgia with first strike use of nuclear arms if neccessary. Judging by Russia’s willingness to use excessive force in the attack on Georgia in 2008, this represents a real threat to Georgia and also Ukraine, where the situation on the Crimean peninsula is gradually heating up. In fact the whole of North Caucasus might be targeted due to uprise and intensivated terrorist attacs in several regions.

Sources: DPI, AP, Izvestia.

Link to the doctrine (Curtesy of V.Konnander): http://www.scrf.gov.ru/documents/99.html

The "Georgian Radio-Liberty swindle"

2009-10-11T21:02:00.019+02:00

Last week Radio Free Europe /Radio Liberty sent an official letter to the Foreign Ministry of Abkhazia, in which the radio station proposed to open a representative office in the republic, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, Sergey Shamba (picture) told Apsnypress. Shamba gave his consent, but set some serios conditions to be met for the free press:

“I stand for the expansion of the freedom of speech; the main thing is that it should have nothing to do with Georgia in any way”.

So the RFE/RL office was reluctantly ok’ed. But what about broadcasting? That's a whole other departement, and a very different head: Namely The head of The Department of Governmental Information and Mass Media of Abkhazia, Christian Bzhania. He is extremely worried about this unheard of proposal of free press broadcasting inside Abkhazia. He strongly objects to the very thought of it, and guarantees this won’t happen on HIS watch:

“An attempt to start Radio Liberty's broadcasting over the territory of Abkhazia will be illegal with all the respective consequences.[..]The worst time, the time of pirated radio-penetration into "enemy's territory" seems to linger behind the editorial office of the radio station.[..] Should it start broadcasting, we’ll take tough measures, including technical ones, up to radio signal suppression. [..] We have such means. Then, all this Georgian-Radio-Liberty swindle will go broke [..]”.

It’s the US, stupid!
To further contribute to rising mr. Bezhania's bloodpressure, one might add that the radio-station is financed partly through US Congress, and is what Hillary Clinton calls a great example of Smart Power. The obvious problem with free press is that it tends to interfere with the political agenda from time to time, and not to forget: also with the official Russian interpretation of the sole concept of free press and freedom of speech. I guess the radiowaves will experience some obstacles on their way to Abkhazian ears.

Sources:
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Official Site - President of Abkhazia

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty in short: Their journalists provide uncensored news, responsible discussion, and open debate. RFE/RL broadcast to 20 countries in 28 languages, including Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia. With over 400 full-time journalists, 750 freelancers, and 19 local bureaus. RFE/RL's mission is to promote democratic values and institutions by reporting the news in countries where a free press is banned by the government or not fully established. Based on the conviction that the first requirement of democracy is a well informed citizenry, and building on over a half-century of surrogate broadcasting.

Remember the Munich Agreement?

2009-10-06T00:49:00.017+02:00

I came to think that a reminder of some historical events could be on it's place in these all cuddly relation reset times:

(Pics and facts from Wikipedia).

Neville Chamberlain, announcing the Munich Agreement: “[T]he settlement of the Czechoslovakian problem, which has now been achieved is, in my view, only the prelude to a larger settlement in which all Europe may find peace. This morning I had another talk with the German Chancellor, Herr Hitler, and here is the paper which bears his name upon it as well as mine[..]"My good friends, for the second time in our history a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time."

Winston Churchill, denouncing the Munich Agreement: "We are in the presence of a disaster of the first magnitude...we have sustained a defeat without a war, the consequences of which will travel far with us along our road...we have passed an awful milestone in our history, when the whole equilibrium of Europe has been deranged, and that the terrible words have for the time being been pronounced against the Western democracies: "Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting". And do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigour, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time".

The Lessons of Munich: In international relations, the Lesson of Munich asserts that adversaries will interpret restraint as indicating a lack of capability or political will or both. The name refers to the appeasement ( the policy of settling international quarrels by admitting and satisfying grievances through rational negotiation and compromise, thereby avoiding an armed conflict which would be expensive, bloody, and possibly dangerous) of Hitler's Nazi Germany in negotiations toward the eventual Munich Agreement. Many scholars argue that Neville Chamberlain's capitulation to German demands guaranteed eventual war as Hitler believed he could do as he pleased without the other Great Powers going to war to stop him. Steven Chan describes the moral as "appeasement discredits the defenders' willingness to fight, and encourages the aggressor to escalate his demands."

France would like to help Russia assault their neighbours “more swiftly”.

2009-10-01T15:46:00.009+02:00

According to Reuters, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said France might sell a French assault ship to Russia. The Mistral-class ships can be used in amphibious assaults and can carry tanks, helicopters, and other armoured vehicles and personnel. The purchase would be Russia's biggest arms purchase from abroad.

“If Russia had had this kind of ship in its fleet, it could have moved more swiftly in the Black Sea during last year's war with Georgia. Instead of taking 26 hours to perform certain unnamed tasks, it would have taken the Russian Black Sea fleet 40 minutes with such a warship”, naval commander Vladimir Vysotsky said.

"This political agreement should be reached, I think, but it's not up to me to decide ... concerning this wonderful warship," Kouchner told Moscow's Ekho Moskvy radio station on Thursday.

This puts Sarkozy’s negotiation of the size fire agreement between Georgia and Russia, which Russia has declined to fulfil, in a strange light. Georgia is also a key energy transit route for oil and gas from the Caspian sea to Europe. That makes this deal even more irrational. Looking at France as a NATO and EU member I honestly can’t understand what goes on in the French political heads. The monumental stupidity of such a transaction is only surpassed by the amount of money the french gets for this vessel. And yes, it's more than 30 silvercoins.

Causal Attribution. Where the Tagliavini report plays in the hands of Russia.

2009-10-01T02:12:00.007+02:00

According to Entmann, framing essentially involves selection and salience. To frame is to select some aspects of a perceived reality and make them more salient in a communicating text, in such way as to promote a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or treatment recommendation for the item described.[..] Frames, then, define problems – determine what a causal agent is doing with what costs and benefits, usually measured in terms of common cultural values; diagnose causes – identify the forces creating the problem, make moral judgements – evaluate causal agents and their effects, and suggests remedies – offer and justify treatments for the problems and predict their likely effects.

Framing divert attention to certain aspects of the matter too. This brings us to the next level: Causal attribution. Simplified this can be illustrated by Iengard’s study Framing Responsibility for Political Issues:The Case of Poverty. He shows that attitudes for a large portion is created by media framing. The context in which political questions are presented has a significant impact on how people think about them, and how much guilt they attribute to the involved. To be held accountable for a result is largely the same as being the cause of the result.

So when media, in it’s limited formats shouts out with their five words headings that “Georgia started the war”, and leaves out the fact that Russia was creating the pretext of the conflict by numerous provocations, handing out passports to the rebel-republics population on Georgian territory, arming them, sending troops into the republics and so on; the public will attribute responsibility for the war to Georgia, which is, I think most will agree, to stretch the reality a bit far and absolutely wrong, if you read the report and it’s conclusions.

The report therefore should have focused on “what was the reason for the war”, rather than “who started it”. Then the picture would have become more complicated, but still more just. Georgia maybe fired first, and to protect Georgian citizens, but that was in reality a minor part of a largely complex picture. Sooner or later Georgia would be forced to defend itself, and what Russia was after was to replace Saakashvili and to secure an unacceptable sphere of influence in the old soviet territories against NATO expansion. For months they have prepared for this war, analytics like Ilarionov, and the report states clearly.

This is too complexed for the media, which need to simplify their stories and framing. The outfall is: Georgia started the war, Georgia is to blame. Which maybe was the aim for the report, because it is unthinkable that the report would have blamed Russia, as it rightfully should, given the pretext and the political consequences for EU.

No genocide. Georgia triggerd the war after years of Russian provocations.

2009-09-30T17:11:00.029+02:00

The EU-Fact finding Mission lead by Swiss diplomat Ms. Heidi Tagliavini has finished it’s work, and their report was presented to the public today. Analysts anticipated that the report would blame both sides. It of course did. Here's some of the findings from the report:

Wall Street Journal: "The 9-month international investigation into the 2008 war in the Caucasus concludes that Georgia triggered the war, but that Russia had prepared the ground, broke international law by invading Georgia as a whole and that Russia-backed South Ossetian militias conducted ethnic cleansing of Georgian civilians[..] [W]hile there was evidence that regular Russian troops as well as volunteers and mercenaries had entered South Ossetia in Georgia before the start of the conflict on Aug. 7, no evidence was found of the full-scale Russian invasion to which Georgia said it was responding".

Financial Times: “While the onus of having actually triggered off the war lies with the Georgian side, the Russian side, too, carries the blame for a substantial number of violations of international law”, Ms Tagliavini says. “These include, even prior to the armed conflict, the mass conferral of Russian citizenship to a majority of the population living in South Ossetia and in Abkhazia. It also includes, in terms of an additional violation of international law, the military action by the Russian armed forces on Georgian territory, [which went] far beyond the needs of a proportionate defense of Russian Peace Keepers in Tskhinvali who had come under the [initial] Georgian attack.” [..] Russia’s subsequent recognition of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent must also “be considered as being not valid in the context of international law, and as violations of Georgia´s territorial integrity and sovereignty.” The report rejects outright Russian allegations that Georgia was carrying out a genocide against the South Ossetian population. But it accepts Tbilisi’s charges that ethnic cleansing took place against ethnic Georgians driven from South Ossetia.

Georgian Government pressrelease: "The report goes into detail in confirming the obvious—that Russia invaded Georgia; Georgia never attacked Russia or any other country. It confirms that attacks and warfare happened on Georgian soil. Among its key findings were there":
- The Commission found evidence that at least some units of Russian regular forces—not peacekeepers—entered sovereign Georgian territory prior to August 8. That constitutes an illegal invasion.
- Specifically the report says: “there seems to have been an influx of volunteers or mercenaries from the territory of the Russian Federation to South Ossetia through the Roki tunnel and over the Caucasus range in early August, as well as the presence of some Russian forces in South Ossetia, other than the Russian JPKF [Peacekeeping] battalion, prior to 14.30 hours on 8 August 2008.”
- The Commission also found evidence that separatist forces were armed and trained by Russia—in defiance of international law and Russia’s peacekeeping obligations.
- The report also points out that these Russian-backed separatist forces broke international law by attacking Georgian civilians in the days before August 7.
- The report concludes: “The vastly superior political and military weight of Russia toppled the balance of what might have been possible otherwise, if at all, in terms of arrangements between Tbilisi and its two breakaway provinces.”

New York Times published an article today by the Leader of the EU Fact Finding Mission, Heidi Tagliavini where she discusses the "Lessons of the Georgia Conflict"

So what?
Now it’s up to the PR advisors on both sides to create a favourable spin to the report. I have no doubt that Georgians have a tough job ahead of them, mainly because the report, in stating that Georgia “started” the war, (although Russia spent months preparing for it and provoking it), gives the EU/NATO countries who has taken a stand against Georgian NATO membership an argument. A NATO membership is now definitely postponed in indefinite time. The report will surely also make it easier for EU to do "business as usual" with Putin. But can EU accept that Russia has occupied a sovereign country, violated international laws by ethnic cleansing, recognised two rebel republics, and not honoured the seizfire agreement negotiated by French President Nicholas Sarkozy/EU? Yes they can. This report will not change anything, because the EU policy towards Russia and Georgia has been established more than a year ago based on facts described in the report. The report doesn't bring new, potential policychanging evidence: Putin got his sphere of influence when he invaded Georgia in 2008.

Medvedev's "friendship"?

2009-09-26T00:44:00.013+02:00

According to RIA Novosti russian president? Medvedev still promotes the idea of Georgians having a moscow friendly president like the specimen they have installed in Chechnya, Kadyrov:

"I personally will not deal with President Saakashvili because he committed a crime against his own people, and the people of South Ossetia," but Moscow would be happy to build "good, warm" relations with Tbilisi, "based on hundreds of years of friendship," but not with Saakashvili. (Source: Eurasianet)

What “hundreds of years of friendship” means can be read in the signed handwritten death sentences passed by a number of more or less degenerated former soviet leaders, displayed together with all the broken deals Russia has signed, in the Tbilisi streets on the memorial day for the 2008 russian attack (se picture). Also the Russian troops killing 20 students with gas in 1989 will surely be remembered by the Georgians as an act of friendhip together with all the warmongery, embargos and support of all kinds of separatism from 1991 and onwards? I really don’t know what planet you come from, Medvedev.

Is Georgia a democracy?

2009-09-16T17:02:00.005+02:00

I came across this interesting report on the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC)'s blog.

Koba Turmanidze, Director of CRRC Georgia, and Hans Gutbrod from the CRRC Regional Office have contrbuted to this publication by the Foreign Policy Centre, a UK Think Tank. The publication also includes essays by Peter Semneby (EU Special Representative), Giorgi Gogia (Human Rights Watch) and Giorgi Chkheidze (Georgian Young Lawyers/Ombudsman's office).

It's worth reading. Download as PDF here

When Food Talks

2009-08-29T14:17:00.012+02:00

It’s fair to say that chickens are the most domesticated animal you can find. I always buy 8-10 live chickens when I go to our dacha in Racha. I enjoy having them around, providing great meat. This year I bought older chickens than usual because I wanted to test out egg production. What is crucial to find out is WHERE the chickens lay their eggs. You can run around looking for days. But as it seems, chickens starts to cackle intense when they have produced an egg. You then need to listen, and look from where they come, and scrutinise the surroundings nearby. Then you might find the secret place. When you find it, then mark the egg with a text-marker or pencil, and leave it so the chicken feel safe it’s a good spot to lay eggs. The next day the same thing will happen, and then you can take the next egg, leaving the marked one. One of the chickens in secret managed to adopt the bathroom as nest. The bathroom on our dacha has a separate door which can be accesses from outside the main building if left open. One day we found an egg in the basket with dirty clothes.

Why this cackling after they have laid eggs??
We have to go to science and ask this question. In Georgia there is a firm believe that the chickens cackle because they have a sore ass after pressing this huge egg out. I am not so sure. It seems like a major designflaw from nature if this is the case, so I would test the following hypothesis in a social constructivist perspective: Chickens cackle when having laid an egg because the want to make the other chickens aware of their deed, and then be recognised as important members of the chicken community.

Dr. Beaumer and his chick-talk tapes to the rescue!.
One should think that a quick “google” would solve the mystery, but no. Today chickens mostly is kept inside in extremely tight cages, and therefore there are no need to go looking for the eggs, so the information is scarce. But fear not, The Animal Welfare Movement found the traces of Fowl linguist Dr. Erich Baeumer of Wiedenau, Germany, who has been studying chickens since 1954. The good doctor proclaims that he keeps a list of 30 sentences which are part of a spoken international chicken language, be it an Indian Jungle fowl, a Russian Orloff rooster, an Italian Leghorn, a Cornish cock or a New Hampshire Red. Again accoring to the Animal Welfare Movement Dr.Baeumer was only eight when he realised that he could understand the chickens around his house. "It was an intuitive understanding, I could actually tell what they were saying. I began to spend hours with them; they became brothers and sisters to me," he says. In 1954, he started working with Professor Erich von Hoist at the Institute of Behaviour Physiology near Munich. After recording hours of chicken talk, Dr. Baeumer selected examples of clear-cut chicken "sentences" that could be related to records or photographs of specific actions. Dr. Baeumer’s chick-talk tapes have been played at universities in many countries (Animal Welfare Movement).

The hardcore facts about the chicken and the egg
Hens make a cackle when they have laid an egg, but Dr. Baeumer does not think they are boasting or saying, "Thank heaven that’s over." He believes that it all goes back to the days when wild hens laid eggs in hidden nests. After each delivery, the hen gave a loud cackle to regain contact with the rest of the flock. "Chicken behaviour is not too different from human behaviour," says Dr. Baeumer, " Nor is the chicken language" (Animal Welfare Movement).

I must remember that when I chop off the heads of those poor chickens.

Russian Occupation and refugee camps

2009-08-13T13:52:00.004+02:00

After traveling around in Georgia for one month in July/august, I have a clear impression that this war is not over yet. Numerous provocations from separatists/ russians shooting at EUMM personnel, the pathetic visit to South Ossetia by miniputin in july, machoputin’s visit yesterday to Abkhazia where he pledge 500 mill $ for more armed forces, together with the ongoing Russian propaganda campaigns shows this clearly. The EUMM personell is doing their job as best they can, and is very visible around the separatist enclaves.

The refugee camps
Several thousands Georgians have been driven from their homes which has been thoroughly looted before burned down by russian and ossetian militia. For those reading the analysis starting to come out now, (that is besides Der Spiegel and other more or less unserious journalists) it’s clear that Russia preplanned the war and must without any doubt be regarded as the aggressor. And now it seems that ethnic cleansing is rewarded with more territory. A process Russia has taken active part in since 1992 in Abkhazia, where the total number of displaced people now amounts to round 250 000. The many huge refugee camps is evidence. I have seen a lot of them, newly erected around the Russian occupied territories.

NATO acts like the battered wife
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the new NATO leader, proclaimed that he would pursue true and close cooperation with Russia. I seriously think he must spend more time out of office before doing business with a nation, now run by FSB, that systematically have broken every international and national agreements and laws, not forgetting human rights, since Stalin started the destruction of the nation. Surely NATO must have learned at least a tiny bit from the shameless lack of action in august 2008. But I am not sure of that. European politician are book keepers, not political leaders fit to defend principles of integrity and democracy. That includes Norway to, where foreign minister and wonderboy of “dialogue” Jonas Gahr Støre is quick to condemn actions in Zimbabwe and Burma, but quickly hides under the table when Russias systematic violations of everything a modern society holds high of values and principles is mentioned. This lack of action reminds me about the psychology of battered wives trying to please their abusive husbands without much success. The battering is a pathological condition impossible to cure with any “dialogue”.

The EU Factfinding Mission Report
The EUFFM report about the war in Georgia will be published in September. Is it political possible to blame Russia? I think no, given the political climate in Europe? We’ll see…The main questions that should be asked is this: Who gained land in the war? Russia gained 20% of Georgia, a sovereign nation. That ends the blame game.

Russia is deteriorating rapidly
Russia is on a steep downturn both democratic and financially. Hopefully that will bring down the regime, and give space for development for Russians, who more or less live in total confusion givet that the regime controls all information. Not even Europe’s last dictator Lukashenko, in Belarus follows the Russian threats and directives anymore. Only Hamas has formally recognized the breakaway regions, whatever that gives of credibility.

Medvedev legalize military action outside Russia.

Medvedevs new law proposal will allow Russian troops to intervene wherever there can be found a scent of Russian genetics being ”mistreated”. This should seriously alarm the Baltics and Ukraine. The Russian leadership is on a path which is dangerous for all nations having Russians with double citizenship as a part of the population.

A Georgian War II?

2009-06-29T22:50:00.005+02:00

Reading the statements of Russian Foreign Minister Sergej Lavrov makes you think that the man is clearly living in another world than most of us. I long ago decided it was bad for my health to listen to the speeches of this truly haunted man, but sometimes I can’t help it, reminding my self that he after all is the mouthpiece of Putin I & II.

Mr. Lavrovs description of the “emerging new situation in trans Caucasus” is a masterpiece according to the DSM IV diagnostics. In his statement he points out Russia’s efforts to come up with a solution to keep OSCE observers in Georgia, while his soldiers are conducting the military exercise Kavkaz 2009, also INSIDE Georgian territory in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, with 8-10 000 soldiers and 200 tanks. The fact that Russia both manage to block the mandate for OSCE as well as UN observers is a clear evidence for Russia’s good will in the negotiations. Besides that means no witnesses. Russia is still in violation with the ceasefire agreement, and UN agreements signed by Russia on Georgian sovereignty. And now both Lavrov and Rogosin "fear" the Georgian agression and troop build up on the border to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Sure, Georgia is keen to take on Russia which has stationed a huge amount of missiles and tanks inside the rebel republics, inside Georgia. What a monumental lie!

At the moment we are facing the same situation as in July 2008. Then, as I was staying in Tbilisi, and I was convinced that there would be a Russian invasion based on all the garbage Lavrov poured out in the media. (I wrote it on my blog 11. july 2008.) I think the war came as a surprise only for the media and the European politicians. Will there be a second this July or August? I really find it hard to say. One the one side it would be a devastating catastrophe mainly for Russia. (That is thinking like a rational person). A war could by no means be legitimated with lies and propaganda like the first one (the “humanitarian rescue mission” would be to plain even for Russians). It would completely alienate Russia from all its bordering neighbors, and in long term perspectives mean isolation. For Georgia it will mean to be temporarily be drawn back to the middle age, where the Russian cleptocracy resides. But thinking like a true Cremlin hoodlum it might just makes sense: It’s like peing in your pants to maintain some warmth in the winter. It’s the control of Georgian pipelines, and the ability to give Europe and USA a black eye. But then winter will set in, and your pants aren’t really that warm anymore. Especially not in the Caucasus.

So now everyone awaits Obamas mission to Moscow on the 6th of july. Most analysts think that his performance would mean the difference of “invade” or “not invade” Georgia. I really hope Obama will be firm, and won't proceed with the naïve "reset" project. Russia needs US as an enemy in order to keep the current cleptocracy at the power, thus persuing the "reset" project will only serve to project US as weak, and confirm the image Putin want's to create.

Analysis: Norwegian newspaper's coverage of the war in Caucasus 2008

2009-06-12T00:26:00.014+02:00

As a part of my master studies in “Media, Communication and ICT” at NTNU, I did an analysis of the Norwegian newspaper coverage of the war in Caucasus. The analysis shows how the two major Norwegian newspapers (Aftenposten and Verdens Gang) framed the war, and how loyalty to the Governments foreign policy can be found in their largely one sided pro-western coverage of the conflict. It also shows that both the opposition (conservatives) and the government (social democratic) for a large part agree about Norwegian foreign policy. The politicians didn’t seem to pay much attention to the war and the possible consequences for Norway as a result of Russia’s new aggressive modus operandi. This can be portrayed as either political indifference among Norwegian politicians, or as a consensus between the Norwegian Government, the opposition and the media, where to show restraint in critizising Russia is imperative for national security. The news media might, as a result of this, seem to under-communicate Norway’s challenges in the northern areas regarding a weak defence, NATO’s unwillingness to confront Russia in the Caucasus; signalling a division in the alliance indicating less commitment to NATO Article 5 in the case of a potential Russian threat in the race for the Arctic oil and gas.

Download and read “A Cold War in the Caucasus?” as a PDF. Language: Norwegian. Grade: A.

A new war? - Russia’s Caucasian Mess

2009-05-29T22:42:00.008+02:00

“Territorial integrity is a thing of the past”, Russias UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin (picture) said during the attack on Georgia last summer. It’s wise to have that statement in mind as we now learn that the Russians, like last spring, is planning their big military exercise Kavkaz 2009 in June, and the South Ossetians have began shooting at Georgians (Civil.ge) in the buffer zone (29.05.09), maybe to prepare the ground for yet a Russian “humanitarian intervension” like last year? They have also deployed more troops, missile launchers and tanks along the borderzones.The unstable situation has affected the whole of Georgia. Abkhazia and South Ossetia appear to be in deep political crisis, with various political forces fighting for power. The mess Russia has created after its invasion of Georgia in 2008 is considerable. As Solzhenitsyn pointed out, a Federation is always based on a mutual wish for a beneficial unity, a centripetal force, not the Russian centrifugal military invasion and oppression strategy. So naturally what Russia has achieved by its occupation of Georgian territory is more or less chaos and hostility everywhere. Maybe more than they wished for.

Political turmoil in Georgia proper
In Tbilisi, the opposition has gone completely off the rails lead by a singer called “Ucnobi”, the unknown. Gathering 60 000 at his political rallies, this oppositional figure, presumably perceived as a sort of romantic revolutionary hero, has his own TV show where he pours out his wrath in a small cell, only interrupted by frequent drinking and smoking. The man has no political program, and no identifiable political direction. He is supported by several opposition figures (also without any program or direction) like former Saakashvili allied and Parliamentary speaker Nino Burdjanaze and her compatriot Salome Zurabishvili, determined to commit political suicide as soon as possible. The goal is to topple president Saakashvili, which remains calm and relatively unprovoked judging from the lack of interference with the bold demonstrators. Blocking railroads and main roads, alienating it self and the vast majority of Georgians that wants peaceful reforms is playing it directly into the Russians hands. Destabilization and riots only serves the Russian Federation. The former Georgian Ambassador to the UN, Irakli Alasania, leader of Alliance for Georgia, is in spite of this a point of light. His fraction has turned from activism to more democratic means of protest, and wants to negotiate with the Saakashvili regime instead. A very smart move:According to Caucasus Research Resources Centres 20% - 30% of the population support the government. 20% support the more strident opposition. 50% to 60% are more or less undecided politically. Put in other terms: 20-30% want stability 20% want change, even if this involves risk, and 50-60% want significant change, but also sufficient stability. This means that for the opposition, they could have found up to 80% of the population agreeing with them that they want change -up to a point, and only if stability could be guaranteed.

Abkhazia – Soon to be swallowed by Putin.
According to the De facto Vice-President of Abkhazia Raul Khajimba, which is supported by Moscow and seen as the guarantor of Russian expansion in Abkhazia, there is a “deep governmental crisis” in Abkhazia. Khajimba says that President Baghapsh uses force against the opposition in Abkhazia, and accused Baghapsh of behaving in a “non-transparent” way when giving control over the Abkhazian-Georgian administrative border to Russian forces. Baghapsh is also accused by the opposition of “selling” the country to Russia. The majority of Abkhazian strategic and economic facilities are owned by Russian citizens and that the de facto authorities are drafting a law which will allow Russians to purchase Abkhazian land. Baghapsh has already signed a deal giving the Russian ownership to railroads and airfields for ten years ahead, given permission to drill for oil off the shores of Abkhazia, and finally given space for the mighty Russian Black Sea Fleet.

South Ossetia – dictatorship, corruption and nepotism
Separatist leader Eduard Kokoity is expected to extend what the opposition calls his tyranny over South Ossetia when the Russian-backed rebel region holds an election on Sunday. The opposition say Kokoity wants to change the constitution so that he can run for a third term in 2011 and an overwhelming success in the parliamentary election would help him do this.South Ossetia awaits Parliamentary elections on May 31. Representatives of the South Ossetian opposition have stated that the current separatist leader Eduard Kokoity is using “dirty tricks” to keep his party in power. Some opposition members have accused him of “stealing Russian money” destined for the rehabilitation of the region after the August 2008 conflict. “A dictatorship is being established in South Ossetia right now and the President Kokoity and his brother are stealing Russian humanitarian aid and budget funds destined for rehabilitation,” said a Moscow-backed ethnic Ossetian, Jambulat Tedeev. The South Ossetian opposition believes the election will be rigged, and will organize protests against Kokoity

Sources: Temur Kiguradze, Guy Faulconbridge - Reuters, Georgia Dayly, Caucasus Research Resources Centres and Civil.ge

OSCE on Russian ethnic cleansing of Georgians

2009-04-14T14:45:00.006+02:00

It has been a while since last post on the blog, but now, as the Norwegian High Commissioner on Nationa Minorities in OSCE, Knut Vollebæk has made a statement on the situation in the russian-occupied parts of Georgia, I decided to post his statement as published by Civil Georgia, April 14:

Knut Vollebaek, the OSCE high commissioner on national minorities, called on the authorities in breakaway Abkhazia “to put an end to the pressure being exercised on the Georgian population in the Gali district.” “I am deeply concerned about recent developments in the Gali District of Abkhazia, which have led to a deteriorating security situation in the region” The OSCE commissioner said that the pressure on local ethnic Georgian population was exerted through “the limitation of their education rights, compulsory ‘passportization’, forced conscription into the Abkhaz military forces and restrictions on their freedom of movement.”

He also expressed “regret” about the decision of the Abkhaz leadership to close the administrative border, “which makes it increasingly difficult for the population to maintain family contacts, access necessary health care or sell their products on the other side of the de facto border.”

“I am concerned that such coercive practices, which violate international law, may further destabilize the already fragile inter-ethnic situation in the region and force many Georgians to leave,” Knut Vollebaek said. “I reiterate that international norms and standards require that any authority exercising jurisdiction over population and territory, even if not recognized by the international community, must respect the human rights of everyone, including those of persons belonging to ethnic communities. I urge the de facto authorities to desist from all intimidation and the imposition of Abkhazian ‘citizenship’ on and forced conscription of Georgians living in the Gali District. I also urge the de facto authorities to respect the education rights of Georgians residing there and to allow Georgian students in the region to study in the Georgian language.”

“While I understand and welcome the desire of the de facto Abkhaz authorities to strengthen the Abkhaz identity and language, I would like to stress that this should be done in a way that does not negatively affect the rights of persons belonging to other ethnic communities in the region to maintain and develop their own language and culture.”

The Russian Ambassador to Norway criticizes media coverage.

2009-02-04T23:53:00.003+01:00

Tonight I spent 40 kr, or 6 dollars to listen to the Russian Ambassador to Norway Sergej Andrejev complaining about the negative media coverage Russia has gotten lately. That is, the first thing he wanted to make clear was that “I’m not complaining”.

So what misconceptions did Norwegian and Western media have? Here are some other grains of gold which I think sums it up from the Ambassador:

"Media should stop interfering with internal Russian affairs."
"There is no more journalist killed in Russia than other people."
"Georgia started the war, and Medvedev defended Russian citizens."
"Several hundred civilians were killed by Georgian forces in South Ossetia" (Ed. comment: Official Russian numbers are 162 soldiers, separatists and civilians killed in SO)
"Western media does not take in consideration the kind of difficult situation Russia is in."
"Russia is a democracy."
"Politics and moral should not be mixed together."
"If it were not for the Red Army, Estonia, Lithauen and Latvia would have been a part of The Third Reich, so don’t complain."
"You see what you see" (About planting the Russian flag on the North Pole under water)

Difficult questions?
As this was a meeting with debate in the student society in Trondheim, students could ask questions. The difficult ones about the Georgia war and Russian media the Ambassador at large”didn’t understand”, and allowed himself to take an effort in humiliating one critical students in particular on his use of English language (the meeting was held in English). “Maybe the student rather would present his questions in his native language?”

A Newspaper man without “cojones”
To defend the Russian critic of Norwegian media coverage the Studentersamfundet had invited Kjell Dragnes, the news editor for foreign affairs in Aftenposten, one of Norway’s dominating newspapers. He spent most of his time speaking about his love to Russia. Part of his heart was still there after years living in Russia, he said. I think maybe the debate would have been a lot better if a sharp and “heartless” journalist had participated instead. Dragsnes’s defence of the media was, to put it mildly, like that of any newspaperman standing side by side with a Cremlin bureaucrat, more or less missing.

NUPI represented the science.
NUPI, The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, was represented by Elana Wilson Rowe. Now the truth would emerge, (at least I thought) but she presented only a mild general critique of Russian democracy, and was in a way very difficult to make much sense of. But she sounded great! I think she would become a great politician. She repeatedly made a point of how complicated the Georgia-Russia conflict was without making it much clearer to her self or the audience. She held an attitude that Georgia started the war, missing the fact that EU has set up a committee to investigate that particular issue, also taking in consideration that the war has it’s roots in the early nineties and later events building up to the conflict.

Same shit, same wrapping
I usually manage to get aggravated listening to debates about Russia, but this level was too low to even get the slightest excited. I don’t think Rusian officials have a clue about what democracy is, what media’s function is, and how to behave. Personally I think Vitaly Churkin and Sergei Lavrov present their dilutions with more style and assertiveness. But they also started to criticize the media when they were caught in lies on TV during the Georgia war.

The verdict
The audience at Studentersamfundet held a slightly tepid attitude to the Russian Ambassador if judged by the moderate applause he got. The opponents failed to present any critical view regarding the armed conflicts, the frequent embargos, and the ethnic cleansing Russia has been conducting in Georgia. Nobody confronted the Ambassador with the fact that their “defence” of Abkhazia also made it possible to relocate the entire Black Sea fleet from Ukraine to the “defended” and “recognized” Abkhazia. One thing is clear: Negative media coverage of Russia is something Russia have fully deserved, and in much larger amount than the commercialized western press have managed to cover. The Ambassador fails to understand that Russia’s own actions are the sole reason for negative media coverage, and by criticizing it he makes it clear to us all that Russia is everything that the press claims it to be.

Merry X-mas!

2008-12-23T15:19:00.002+01:00

I wish all my readers a great x-mas and a happy new year!

The Russian trail of destruction

2008-12-23T15:07:00.007+01:00

I will try to sum up the last five months at the end of the year. This last months Russia has made a mockery of UN, OSCE, Europe Parliament, EU and NATO. By these actions Russia has shown itself as a totally irresponsible nation not ready to take part in constructive democratic international processes:

Violated the UN charter.

Vetoing every resolution from the UN Security Council.

By veto shut down OSCE’s mission in Georgia from 31.12.2008 in order to derail the Geneva talks and reduce possibility of international observation of atrocities in the rebel regions.

Declared the President of the European Parliament unwanted in Russia after having condemned the Russian invasion of Georgia.

Refused to honor the EU brokered a cease fire agreement with Russia by still occupying parts of Georgian proper, and keep a much larger amount of troops in the rebel republics than agreed upon in the cease fire agreement.

Allowing separatists to fire at EU / OSCE observers in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Performing large scale ethnic cleansing in cooperation with the criminal separatists in South Ossetia and Abkhazia even after the ceasefire agreement.

(Pending: High probability that Russia will veto the prolonging of the UN mission in Georgia - UNOMIG)

But not only Russia is to blame.

We do not expect constructive actions from Russia anymore. The country has under Czar Putin and his KGB become an antidemocratic sewer of nationalism, corruption and aggression leading the nation into a state of collective ignorance and pathological denial. Europe has shown its fundamental lack of principles and will to act on whatever is left of them. Russias destruction of Chechenya and Ingushetia has been accepted without ant significant protests, and in the case of the Russian assault on Georgia Germany has been the frontrunner for sabotaging any meaningful action towards Russia by setting its own business interests first and strongly oppose MAP for Georgia and sanctions against Russia (Germany is Russia’s largest trade partner in the west.). This is just a continuance of former Chancellor Schroeder’s (now a CEO in Gazprom) deal with Gazprom regarding a new energy pipeline from Russia to Germany: A reaffirmation of the Molotov Ribbentrop pact, as officials in Poland stated. Along these lines Norway is a loyal follower, preventing Georgia getting anywhere near a NATO MAP. From being a sharp critic of the Russian invasion, and calling for actions, Britain also changed its view on the matter. Gordon Brown just found out that it was more honor in handling the financial crisis. There he, as the grey economist he is, really could shine! Sarkozy and EU negotiated a seize fire agreement with Russia, but have let the Russians in from the cold without facing any real consequences from breaking the agreement on several points. This past six months has above all shown that Georgia is on its own. It seems the only hope for Georgia is a strategic partnership with the US, allegedly in progress.

Russia, a gigantic backyard

What goes on in Russias so called “backyard” is clearly up to Russia to decide. Ethnic cleansing is hereby approved by EU, NATO and UN. But the term backyard is an awkward one. Russia being a horrendous backyard in it self leaves not much recognition to Georgia, which unlike Russia has shown great progress in democracy, legal system and economy. In that perspective Russia looks more like Georgia’s backyard: It’s in Russia journalists are being killed, opposition arrested, KGB rules and no progress is being made in terms of modernization. Russia is in a reversed process with more power and money to the few selected, and where major human rights are violated on daily basis. Putin plans to increase spending on defense systems while most of Russia’s nuclear reactors in powerplants and ships/subs need to be replaced within 2014. Who’s going to clean up this mess? They surely haven’t done much about their scrapped nuclear submarines in Murmansk so far in spite of having received several millions from among others the Norwegian government. And with an economy soon in ruins and Putins promise of substantial spendings on new missiles, aircrafts and tanks it’s not likely Russia will end up as anything else but the worlds best defended radioactive scrap yard.

Saakshvili loosing confidence in Europe

Saakashvili has been loosing credibility in Europe because of his erratic behavior and statements. He is largely blamed for the war (something that is mostly related to the unacceptable low level of knowledge among journalists together with heavy propaganda and lobbying from the Russians, and the European fear of Putin) The erratic behavior of Putin has been tolerated. Putin has on a number of occasions threatened Europe with nuclear missiles, violated airspace, claimed the North Pole and simulated nuclear attacks on a number of occasions on Norway. He publicly threatened a journalist with castration, made jokes publicly about the Israelian presidents raping an employee, arrests any protesters and encourages nationalism leading to killings of foreigners. All this cheered by his well organized Nashi youth movement, largely inspired by Hitlerjugend. So who shows the most erratic behavior and is the most likely candidate to have started the war?

The rebel regions – fighting for a just cause?

There’s no heroic “battle for freedom” going on in the rebel republics. The systematic ethnic cleansing and shooting at international observers shows that the separatists just are simple war criminals under Russian protection, something that has been evident for many years. The separatist gain money and Russia military bases and influence.

What kind of dialog is EU referring to with this country?

So far what I have heard is a Russian monologue. Russia should be dealt with in order to avoid an even greater problem in the future. But with Europe focused on “business as usual” there is not much hope. We will have to wonder about who’s next in line for Russian “rescue operations” or European lack of principles. This is exactly the way Europe let Hitler grow into the monster he became. But there’s hope: The financial crisis also takes it tolls in Russia as the RTS index plummets, and show that they have lost close to 80% of its total stock value peaking in may 2008. An increasing number of demonstrations have occurred all over Russia the latest days, forcefully beaten down by special forces of course, but still a sign of rising unrest in the Czar’s empire. It doesn’t help much either, when the Nashi youths rallies in Moscow portraying the US as the big enemy carrying live pigs in the rallies “squeeling like Americans” as their leader proudly said on TV. Why then perform American rap and sing “happy Birthday, dear Putin” as the main event for the rallying youth crowd?

Because that’s Russia.

NATO & Business as usual

2008-12-02T20:36:00.006+01:00

Today the forreign ministers in the NATO have discussed Ukraine and Georgias possibilities for entering NATO with MAP. NATO also discussed their relations with Russia after the Russian assault on Georgia. So what did this bright men and women decide?: Well. First: NATO want business as ususal with Russia, unlike what they said in Spetember. And no MAP for Georgia and Ukraine in forseable future. No nothing, just the empty words from Bucurest.

I guess this is no surprice, because France and Germany have all the time tried to downplay the importance of simple democratic principles, UN Charter and Russian breaches of several other international laws. This is a new invitation for Russia to further invade and destroy Caucasus. Both EU and NATO say they don't care as long as they can conduct business as usual. An the ceasefire agreement is still not honored by Russia. The ethnic cleansing of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is completed by Russian troops and the rebel forces within the enclaves.

It's time to understand that there will be no help from the west. According to Aftenposten.no Norway and Germany were pressing for reentry of NATO - Russia talks, and no MAP for Georgia and Ukraine.

Major update of my Georgia website

2008-11-21T15:07:00.004+01:00

I am happy to finally present a major update to my website DISCOVER GEORGIA. It's a redesign with a lot more pictures, thus a bit heavy loaded. It includes presentation of a whole new range of destinations within Georgia, a new section about food and general some more "village life". I think it can be interesting for those of you wanting to know and see more of Georgia than the destruction of Gori. Georgia is so much more. I have tried to capture some of it during my traveling.

ANALYSIS - Why EU is more negative to Georgia.

2008-11-12T12:54:00.007+01:00

Both Estonia’s Minister of defense Jaak Aaviksoo and Georgian opposition politician Nino Burjanadze has stated that some EU countries look more unfavorable at Georgia now. : “We have to admit that the trustworthiness of Tbilisi has suffered. Some countries clearly see that Georgia acted in an unpredictable way,” Aaviksoo said.

"There are of course many reasons behind this trend, including the one involving Russia’s active work in this direction,” Burjanadze said while speaking at a daily program of Tbilisi-based FM radio station, Ucnobi, which is simulcast by the Kavkasia TV.(Georgia Online) This has also been repeated by Temur Iakobashvili, the Georgian state minister for reintegration.

I have also noticed this trend, and the negative spin does not only origin from the “usual suspects”, the official Germany and France, but also from certain influential media. So what’s really happening? Why this sudden turn, if it indeed has been so sudden?

Nothing has changed
First I would like to bring to mind that the situation and the facts in the conflict isn’t changed: David L. Philips a senior fellow and the director of the Forum on Georgia and the Caucasus at the Atlantic Council of the United States sums up the facts in an interview with Radio Free Europe Nov. 9.th ”Let's make no mistake about it. The events of August 7th and 8th didn't occur in a vacuum. There was a consistent effort by Russia over several years to provoke an armed conflict with Georgia. Clearly, there were miscalculations made on behalf of the Georgian government, but we need to be crystal clear. Russia was the aggressor; it attacked a sovereign state in violation of the international law and the UN Charter”.

Der Spiegels nonexisting OSCE report
Der Spiegel, a former trustworthy German magazine, spent two pages describing a very negative (towards Georgia) report that was about to be released from OSCE. Of course they never mentioned that this report only existed in the journalists fantasy, and among Der Spiegel’s owners, Bertelsmann, which is well known for their hard headed liberalistic political campaigning in Germany. OSCE strongly denied such report ever existed the same day Der Spiegel started to promote the upcoming article. That went past most mainstream media like the leading Norwegian newspapers Aftenposten & Dagbladet. They printed the non-existing allegations towards Georgia without hesitating a second. It must be said that Norwegian journalist basically works on cut & paste basis handling politics and conflicts abroad, and happily printed the “news” with their own spin, still regarding Der Spiegel to be a serious magazine like it used to be under their former well reputed ownership of Mr. Augstein.

Think-Tank Chairman Chipman’s International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Then the English think-tank doctor Chipman enters the scene through a BBC article 15.09.2008 about a potential mood-swing against Georgia in the EU, (already?):

”In a potentially significant swing of expert Western opinion, a leading British think tank has urged that Nato membership should not be granted to Georgia or Ukraine."The policy of Nato enlargement now would be a strategic error," said Dr John Chipman, Director General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). "There is no case for accelerating membership for Georgia and Ukraine. There is a strong case for a pause," he said in remarks introducing the IISS's annual review of world affairs, the Strategic Survey. The IISS is highly critical of Georgian actions - in contrast to the support Georgia has received from the US and some European countries, notably Britain. Naturally, if Georgia is faulted, then less blame can be put on Russia, whatever its reaction or, as some hold, its over-reaction. Dr Chipman said that the "balance of evidence suggests that Georgia started this war".

If you “google” Think-Thank Chipman you will find that a substantial amount of his publications are published by Bertelsmann. Business as usual?

BBC is allowed to enter South Ossetia with critical views
Another example: A couple of weeks ago a Norwegian journalist from Norways second largest TV channel TV2 managed to get permission from South Ossetian authorities to access to South Ossetia with a TV team. This journalist, Øystein Bogen, is critical to Russia, and was stopped at a borderpoint west of Khazbegi by Russian troops, leaving his official South Ossetian welcome committee no other choice than to return home without their invited guest. He had to return to Tbilisi. But this week BBC managed timely seen in context of the British U-turn (calling for a resume of the negotiations EU –Russia trade agreement), to get access to South Ossetia in order to make a critical reportage with a South Ossetian angle to the events. The reportage was aired on BBC World Saturday at 20.30. It was not a very critical reportage regarding the Russians deeds in the area, but still some critic concerning destruction of Georgian villages and ethnic cleansing was politely raised, I’ll give him that. The reporter was granted access to all witnesses he could get hold of, still it was less than conclusive about what actually had happened. It is far too soon to draw any conclusions. In fact Illarionov, Putins former economical adviser has been inside South Ossetia, and says that there is no eyewitnesses around, only people that have heard things from the neighbor who heard it from another neighbor. Besides a lot of the Tskhinvali population was even evacuated to North Ossetia before the shelling begun. But the impression left behind after the reportage was a 1. A reckless Georgian attack on civilians. 2. The Russian forces were not prepared for an attack. 3. Russian troops didn’t enter the Roki tunnel before late august 8.th. Exactly the same as the Russian propaganda machine to a greater extent communicates constantly. But the reportage didn’t prove anything of the kind, it only hinted about it, and left the topic open for speculation. A nice touch. What did BBC have to promise the Russian authorities in order to get there exclusively as the first media?

What is the goal?
In order to get something constructive out of this, we need to look at what the EU want to accomplish: Clearly to maneuver out of an unpleasant situation, and also give legitimacy for abandoning basic principles about defending democracy, and their collective U-turn regarding their 1. September minister meetings demand for Russia to withdraw from Georgia before trade negotiations between Russia and EU was resumed. Second: Georgia will not be able to restore their credibility whatever they do. It doesn’t suit France, England, Germany and Italy. They want “business as usual” and not the Georgian problem on their table. They want oil and gas, and no ideological or “naïve” principles about democracy in their way. EU is after all a monumental business construction with a bureaucracy to handle it. They will gain from discrediting Georgia in order to avoid the growing problem with Russia not giving in. I believe there has been a strong WESTERN campaign right from the beginning to achieve just that, because EU had no joint policy on the matter, and were bound to loose a struggle with Russia, mainly because of their dependence of Russian oil and gas.

There is no Russian propaganda.
It is not, as I have shown earlier in this article (like Burjanadze claims), Russian propaganda that drives this negative attitude. The Russian propaganda is far to primitive to have any real impact. Besides, the Russians don’t HAVE to use propaganda because EU does their propaganda for them: When journalists access their governmental and political sources the sources imply a slight doubt, a small hint that “not everybody in EU think that Saakashvili acted rational, and so on. “You know there’s someone to blame in Tbilisi too…”. “ Saakashvili is unpredictable..”. This way the sources influence the media to create an opinion that can legitimize their lack of action. The sources – the politicians - then use the public talk about a “mood swing” to get off the hook by focusing on simple things like “Who started it the 7.th or 8.th august”, the least interesting point in this conflict, instead of debating more difficult matters of principles. They use the medias need for simplification to avoid the outrageous fact that they must accept that Russia have violated the UN charter and invaded a sovereign state in order to “do business as usual”.There is no Russian propaganda campaign. It’s a negative EU campaign taking place where powerful business interests together with central politicians have an agenda: Business as usual. Follow the money, is a good advice.

Who benefits from the media coverage?
Not Georgia but both EU and Russia, even when Russia has been conducting ethnic cleansing of thousands, violated the UN charter, invaded a sovereign country, and not complied to the brokered ceasefire agreement. No consequences what so ever for Russia. For Georgia: No MAP, because most EU countries also are members of NATO, “an increasing feeling of instability, unpredictable, lack of trustworthiness. This is a way to avoid taking responsibility for basic human and political principles. This is the way the EU countries gives legitimacy to their U-turn and “business as usual” policy. Dr Chipman, chairman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies concludes already 15.th of september that the "balance of evidence suggests that Georgia started this war", while Bertelsman , printer of Chipmans books and articles, owner of Der Spiegel, prints the conclusion from the none existing OSCE report.

Finally the EU saves its moral skin by donating money to reconstruct Georgia, which also looks great in the media.

A New Position?

2008-11-08T18:44:00.006+01:00

According to Georgia Online today, European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso said after the Brussels summit (commenting on the Lithanian and Polish protest against resuming the EU-Russia trade negotiations) that he had told the Polish and Lithuanian partners that it is “better for us to have a united European position when we speak with Russia, a position which is perhaps not 100 percent of what you would have wanted, than to have three or four positions from Europe when it talks to Russia".

So, is it going to be the kneeling position? Or the arms-around-the-shoulder -position? I am sure this will comfort the Baltics and the Poland a lot to. To me it seems like just another pointless, or should I say reckless act from the French president. After the Swedish prime minister Renfeld walked out of the EU-negotiations about EU's new financial approach in anger over Sarkozy's rather provocative approach, I guess The French president really needed to create turmoil with the Lithuania and Poland by opely changing his views on wheater Russia had fulfilled its commitments on the ceasefire agreement or not.

Business as usual with the gentlemen at the Court.

Growing Russian Nationalism

2008-11-06T17:44:00.000+01:00

According to the NTB 04.11.2008: From January 2008 to October 2008 a total of 113 has been killed and 340 wounded in racial motivated attacks by Russian fascists. The majority of the attacked were workers from the Caucasus region or Central Asia. That is 1,5 times more killed than in the whole of 2007.

Putins nationalism is obviously growing among the less intelligent Russians, creating exactly the same climate we saw in Germany during the nineteen thirties. Then it was the Jews being hit.

Putin by Proxy

2008-11-05T22:23:00.002+01:00

Medvedev had his big day today addressing the Usual Suspects in his State of the Nation speech: “US started the war in Georgia”, “US is responsible for the financial crisis”. His present for newly elected US president Obama was a shiny new missile battery in Kaliningrad, and a promise that Russia never would pull out of Caucasus. As a grand finale he suggested that the presidential period in Russia should be prolonged from 4 to 6 years counting from the next president Putin.

No Change we can believe in, then.

That is also the case with the EU. Britain has, in a spectacular U-turn decided to allow France to lead the European Union back into normal relations with Russia. So the message to Russia is clear: "You can perform ethnic cleansing and occupy your neighboring countries whenever it migh suit you. We don't care. Kind regards EU". I think we have gotten a serious problem with principles and competence among politicians in Europe. This is not politics, it is administration.

P * U * T * I * N (The Movie)

2008-10-14T15:04:00.008+02:00

So what have the Russians been up to lately? More or less the same as before. On 13.october five Russian fighters violated Georgian airspace flying over vast areas outside the rebel republics for a couple of hours, according to Civil Georgia. More:

Aslanbek Bulatsev, the head of the Federal Tax Service in Russia’s North Ossetian Republic, has been nominated as the prime minister of breakaway South Ossetia.The breakaway region’s Press and Information Committee reported on October 14 that the South Ossetian parliament was soon expected to approve the nomination. Yeah right. Independence my a***.

Oh, and yesterday the complete Norwegian Defense Committee visiting Cremlin was stopped by FSB. The FSB demanded that all photos taken by the TV2 journalist accompanying them should be deleted. According to Aftenposten, the former Norwegian MFA and now leader of the committee Jan Petersen enthusiastically uttered that “this is just like in the Soviet Union”, I have to mention that the TV team from the Norwegian Broadcasting were arrested two times the same day when covering the last presidential election in Moscow.

A couple of days ago Medvedev proudly detonated three ballistic missiles launched among other places the Barents Sea. It went smooth, and Medvedev seemed happy on the photo AP took of him on the nuclear sub.

And Island has got a new friend. I pictured the first scene in Coppolas The Goodfather once I read the news. “Be my friend…Godfather”. I guess the Islandics have to be more than desperate to get in depth with the Godfathers in Cremlin. Well, I think Island is a great catch if you look on it’s strategic position.

It would be unfair if I didn’t mention that Putin, the self proclaimed macho symbol has become a movie star too. This surprising move into fame and glamour is probably fuelled by his enormous success as tiger hunter and thus savior of numerous TV journalists present at the scene. Putins instruction video in karate is only surpassed by our most admired Walker Texas Ranger, Chuck Norris. Sarkozy was, according to LeFigaro so impressed that he suggested they should train karate together. It said nothing about Angela Merkel, but a wild guess is she will participate with stand in. Lets guess: Schroeder?

Finally, Lavrov has been making grunting noices again. I find this reptile rather tiresome, and thus don’t want to waste more bandwith than strictly necessary (someone must give this man a hobby or a gun).

Ok. That’s all for now. But I will say one thing: It’s better that they make some noise.We all know what toddlers are up to when they suddenly get silent and hide under a table or behind a chair.

Example of Russian War Propaganda

2008-10-01T16:04:00.002+02:00

Ever wanted to watch some hard core Russian propaganda? Here's a clip that shows how "The Russian Liberators" (read government) communicated the alledged "genocide" in South Ossetia. Along with all this rockets and brave Russians you can see a rather naive attempt to demonize the West. Watch for the english text under the clip. It's not YouTUBE but RuTube! (I stole the link from Edvard Lucas).

"Russian actions no self defence", Bildt states

2008-09-28T16:53:00.006+02:00

Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Carl Bildt (Swedish Foreign Minister), has submitted a fresh report to the ministerial committee on 24.th of August 2008:

"South Ossetia as well as Abkhazia are integral parts of Georgia and the military actions undertaken by Georgian forces during the conflict thus concerned Georgian territory". “[T]he military actions undertaken by Georgia, on its territory, cannot be seen as an aggression towards the Russian Federation which would trigger the latter’s right to self-defense. It is furthermore clear, that since it contravenes International law when a state uses military force to protect its citizens in another state, the Russian large-scale military actions in Georgia can not be justified as self-defence”. And further: ”Nor is the protection of peace-keeping forces as such a basis for the use of force under international law. [..] The large-scale military action by the Russian Federation against Georgia cannot be justified on these grounds. ”

Carl Bildt has been clear in his statements since the beginning of the conflict. Being one of the very few high level politicians with his personal blog, many have had the possibilities to follow negotiations and political mood swings in the conflict close through his many posts on the subject.

Boris L. Vishnevsky - Public attitudes in Russia

2008-09-27T16:17:00.006+02:00

Today I want to publish a comment posted on my blog by Boris L. Vishnevsky. I think it deserves better than being buried in the "comment field".

Boris L. Vishnevsky is Member of the Bureau of the Federal Council of the YABLOKO party, and the Head of experts of the YABLOKO faction in the Legislative Assembly of St.Petersburg. Expert of the State Duma, and Doctorant of the sub-faculty of political science of the St.-Petersburg University of economy and finance.

“Sadly, public attitudes are more distorted than they have ever been. For the ‘malformed’ –those among us who have somehow retained the strength not to give way to mass madness – these are very difficult times. Because we feel desperately lonely even in a crowd of our fellow-citizens”

“I say ‘Well done’ that they gave Saakashvili one in the kisser”, stated my uncle in a satisfied way as he sat opposite me at the dinner table loaded with party fare for his son’s birthday. “That’s propaganda speaking,” responded his wife with a note of scepticism. But it was a minority voice: most of those present held to the view that while Putin and Medvedev are, to put it mildly, not a bed of roses, at least they did right this time. Attempts to explain that the picture of the events in the Caucasus presented to Russia’s television viewers was radically out of line with reality met with little success. For the record, the members of the gathering (your traditional democratic voters), had never voted for the Communists, for United Russia, for the LDPR [Zhirinovsky’s party], or United Russia. But still they had this most peculiar way of looking at things…

A month ago, in conversation with [well-known Russian science-fiction writer] Boris Strugatsky, I compared the situation in our country with the world presented in the film of Inhabited Island which Fyodor Bondarchuk is currently shooting.

Please forgive the multitude of quotes from the book.

A giant network of towers transmits signals which act on the nervous system of every living being in such way that every living being within coverage loses the capacity for critical thought. “Thinking people turn into believers, more particularly into dumb, fanatic believers against all the real evidence their eyes deliver”. This field “sucked out from millions of souls all and any doubts about what the newspapers, leaflets, radio, and television ranted about”. Twice a day, the giant “vacuum cleaner was set to full power and for half an hour humans ceased to be human”. The only danger came from people who were non-receptive. These exceptions were called the malformed. The broadcast didn’t work on them at all and all the radio waves did was to cause them intolerable headaches. These malformed constituted only a tiny percentage of the population, about one percent, but they were the only conscious people in a kingdom of sleepwalkers…

So I said that in Russia today most of the population, when it comes to the Russo-Georgian war, have been behaving as if such transmission towers are being run in full-power mode and only a handful of ‘malformed’ have desperately tried to escape the torrent of official lies… “People are so constituted that they first hear what they actually want to hear,” Boris Strugatsky said. “In order to dispel lies and to make sense of what is happening around us, a quite different mentality is required. One need to know how to seek out, find, and analyse information. One needs to be ‘malformed”…

Yes, one does. But the ‘malformed’ are tiny in number. Furthermore, many whom we would previously have thought were of that number are today behaving as if they have ceased to be (at least in matters pertaining to the five-day war in the Caucasus).

People who found the inner strength to resist the mass hysteria of autumn 1993 with its cries of “Crush the snake!” [the attempted coup d’état], who refused to paint anyone as “red-brown” who did not agree with Yeltsin’s right to cause chaos in the name of reform, who demonstrated against the war in Chechnya and did not let themselves sink into the mire of military psychosis in autumn 1999 [‘terrorism’ in Moscow and war in Chechnya], who were not affected by Leontiev, Sokolov, Dorenko [TV presenters], have let their guard down today, unable to withstand the intensity of the transmissions.

“You just don’t understand!”, they say to me. “Russia simply had to intervene!”“But why bomb Gori and Senaki, and occupy Poti?” I respond to their question with another.“If aircraft are coming from somewhere to bomb our army, we need to destroy their military infrastructure!’“Are you saying that we declared war on Georgia?”“Georgia was making war on South Ossetia!’“How can you make war on a part of your own country?”“The Ossetians didn’t want to live side-by-side with Georgians.”“So that’s why Kokoity chose ethnic cleansing, drove all the Georgians out of South Ossetia, and burnt down Georgian houses?”“They started it…”

A dialogue with the deaf: arguments do not get through to them.

They bring up “Tskhinvali raised to the ground” (when anyone can see on satellite photographs that this is a lie: if anything was raised to the ground, then it was Georgian villages), the “genocide” undertaken by Georgia (for which there is no evidence), the “two thousand killed” (another lie which has been exposed repeatedly), the “bestial behaviour of the Georgian occupiers”, the “lies in the Western media”, and the “American marionette Saakashvili”. Not to mention of course the “sacred right of nations to self-determination”. I can bear it no longer: “I’m all for that right as well – but where is the nation in this case? Thirty thousand people, a third of whom are Georgians who have now been driven out of their homes, ruled by a ‘government’ composed in the main of former Russian military personnel and chekists living on Russian handouts, contraband, and the production of moonshine. You call that a nation? And I don’t recall that the Kremlin being very keen about that particular right in Chechnya, where crimes were committed that make a pale shadow of anything that happened in South Ossetia…”

No reaction.

It isn’t worth explaining to my interlocutors that you can’t just go out and occupy part of another country under the excuse of “defending” fraudulently created “Russian citizens” who inhabit the place, that it is wrong to bomb towns and loot them, that it is out of order to set up guard posts in someone else’s country and that one should not lie through one’s teeth about the facts.

It’s pointless to try to tell them about the railroad branch line restored by the Russian army purportedly to carry gravel to Olympic building sites in Sochi. This line was used to carry the tanks which Abkhazia used (and note that no one had ‘attacked’ them) to seize the upper reaches of the Kodori Gorge where only Svanis and NOT Abkhazians had lived from time immemorial.

The people under the influence of the transmissions (not from towers now but from Channel One, Vesti, Izvestiya, Rossiskaya Gazeta, Komsomolskaya Pravda, and the Russian News Service) are impervious to such arguments. They believe the lies in the official Russian media against the evidence available to their own eyes. More to the point, they are unable to see this reality. They live in a virtual world. One in which “Russia is rising from its knees”, is a country surrounded by enemies, and where the the cursed West is at the root of every unpleasant problem. No matter that this is the same West to which they travel for their holidays and dream of sending their children and grandchildren to be educated and then stay on to work…

Sadly, public attitudes are more distorted than they have ever been. For the ‘malformed’ –those among us who have somehow retained the strength not to give way to mass madness – these are very difficult times. Because we feel desperately lonely even in a crowd of our fellow-citizens (despite realising why this is so). But we need to stay strong. Not spout rubbish, like [National Bolshevik Party chairman and MP] Eduard Limonov (who warmly supported the the Kremlin’s moves in the Caucasus and criticised liberals who thought otherwise), saying “isolation from one’s own people is far more dangerous than isolation from the world community”. Not go madly patriotic, like Sergei Dorenko, who declared that “for the first time in years, I am not ashamed of Russia, for the first time in years I am not ashamed of the Kremlin, for the first time in years the president has done what I would have done in his place”.

We should not be surprised that Limonov supports the Kremlin’s actions, that’s par for the course and we have seen it before. One only has to remember how back in 1995 he came out fully in favour of Russian military involvement in Chechnya, saying “for the first time in his presidency, the president has taken steps to ensure stability, to protect our frontiers, and to unite Russians in the Russian state”. He went to to propose “the introduction of censorship for the mass media in all matters concerning the situation in Chechnya and a total prohibition, on pain of severe punishment, on Russian journalists attaching themselves to Dudayev’s forces and reporting from their side, and the dismissal from their posts of any military personnel or civilians for opining that the government’s, president’s or Russian army’s actions in Chechnya were criminal”.

Dorenko, of course, has already received a rebuttal by my friend Andrei Piontkovksy in Grani.ru: “Why does he say ‘for the first time’? He used the selfsame words, with the same tone of dignity and fairness, on air in his reports from a blazing Grozny, when he was as a TV hatchet-man for Berezovsky. He was on-side back when Basayev was marching into Daghestan, when the buildings were blown up in Moscow and Volgodonsk, when Grad missiles flew and Putin was carried to power”…

I am prepared to join on the same side of the barricade (though I may not necessarily do so) those standing against the Kremlin’s actions in the Caucasus.However, I will most certainly take my place on the opposite side of the barricade against those who actually support them.

No Genocide - ethnic cleansing of Georgians, PACE says

2008-09-26T18:15:00.001+02:00

Council of Europe Parliaments website: Head of a PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe) delegation, Luc van den Brande (Belgium, EPP/CD) comments on the fact finding mission in Georgia at a press conference in Tbilisi at the end of the second part of the visit (24-25 September). He stressed the importance to understand events leading up to the outbreak of war: “This conflict didn’t start on 7 August,” he pointed out”. As well as meetings with the authorities in Tbilisi, the nine-member, cross-party delegation visited villages in South Ossetia and the so-called buffer-zone, and spoke to residents who had experienced bombing during the war as well as looting in its aftermath.

NewTimes.ru, one of the few independent media in Russia cites van den Brande after returning from Tskinvali, saying that ”there was no genocide in South Ossetia in August 2008. What have taken place is closer to ethnic cleansing. Though not of South Ossetian nationalities [but Georgians].”

Doctor Who?

2008-09-21T16:01:00.001+02:00

BBC World 15.09.2008 have an article about a potential mood-swing against Georgia in the EU:

In a potentially significant swing of expert Western opinion, a leading British think tank has urged that Nato membership should not be granted to Georgia or Ukraine. "The policy of Nato enlargement now would be a strategic error," said Dr John Chipman, Director General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). "There is no case for accelerating membership for Georgia and Ukraine. There is a strong case for a pause," he said in remarks introducing the IISS's annual review of world affairs, the Strategic Survey.

The IISS is highly critical of Georgian actions - in contrast to the support Georgia has received from the US and some European countries, notably Britain. Naturally, if Georgia is faulted, then less blame can be put on Russia, whatever its reaction or, as some hold, its over-reaction.Dr Chipman said that the "balance of evidence suggests that Georgia started this war".

Cogito ergo sum
In order to blame anyone for starting the conflict obne need to look at the timeline and how Russia planned the annexation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia years ago. But does it even matter? Isn’t the question more “Should Russia be allowed to occupy a souvereign country?” Should ethnic cleansing be rewarded with silent approval from the EU? Isn’t the question how to deal with the aggressor Russia in the future, especially in the Arktis, in the Baltics in Crimea, Moldova and in the South America to mention some? As for who started the war: The Russians started it several years ago by provocations, ethnic cleansing in Abkhazia, troop build-up in Abkhazia, armouring of the separatists in both rebel regions, airspace violations, economical sanctions, presecution of Georgians in Russia, among other things, and is only a clear sign of Russias modus operandi in future conflicts. I also want to urge Dr. Chipman to spend a couple of extra hours in his tank wondering why Putin increases Russias defence budget with 27% next year.

Descartes stated: ”I think, therefore I am”. For think-tank Chairman Chipman it obviously might be more appropriate to say: "I think in a tank, therefore I am a bit limited".

“Business as usual”

2008-09-21T13:05:00.007+02:00

Etnic cleansing formalized

Eduard Kokoity, the South Ossetian separatist leader, stated that Internal Displaced Persons (IDP) could return to their homes in the villages where they have been subjected to burning, looting and killings by the separatists and Russians ONLY if they abandon Georgian citizenship and become South Ossetians (Civil Georgia, 20.09.2008):

“As far as ethnic Georgians, who lived on the territories occupied by Georgia [referring to Georgian villages inside the breakaway region] are concerned, we are giving them such an opportunity [to return], but let them give up the Georgian citizenship and take the citizenship of the Republic of South Ossetia.” ( Georgia Online 19. september)

The September 8.th agreement reached between the Russian and French presidents says that “return of refugees based on the internationally recognized principles and practice of post-conflict settlement” will be discussed during the international discussions. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on August 17 that although return of displaced persons and refugees was guaranteed under the international law, it “as a rule is a long process.”

Things are lightening up for Putin

SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) from Radio Free Europe September 20, 2008 - French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has said talks on a Russia-EU pact, postponed after Russia's invasion in Georgia, could resume in early October.

"The EU position is clear: We hope the talks will resume as soon as the provisions of the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan are carried out," Fillon told a news conference after talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The pact is due to regulate relations in the energy sector and on trade. This EU deal is important for Putin in order to prohibit the US from forming a united front with the EU to put joint pressure on Moscow.

Russia and France have put aside disagreements over the August war in Georgia in a move to promote bilateral relations, especially in key energy projects, judging by Fillon's statements in Sochi. The final document of the meeting said the two countries will focus on developing relations in the high-tech, energy, and space sectors, including cooperation in developing the Shtokman gas field and a joint project to launch Soyuz spacecrafts from a French launching pad. "We will conduct with Russia a direct and tight dialogue of true partners. Differences happen, indeed, but they should be resolved through a dialogue," he told the gathering of government officials and businessmen co-chaired by Putin. Putin said relations with France were not affected by the Georgian crisis.
"I believe the events in the Caucasus did not affect our cooperation in any way," Putin said. No projects have been put off or suspended between France and Russia in the wake of the Georgia conflict. (Civil Georgia, 21.09.2008)

”Business as usual”

To me this looks like “business as usual”, and that France, like I all the time have believed, not only brokered a poor ceasefire agreement, but also uses this as an opportunity to establish closer ties with Russia as if nothing has happened. But then EU is about business, and not about human interests or ideology. We should bare that in mind too when assessing Germanys statement that “Saakashvili was not little to blame” in the conflict that erupted in august. This is a wrong assumption if you draw the timeline a bit further than the August 8.th. 2008. In the light of all the provocations, recent military build-up in Abkhazia, sanctions and violations imposed to Georgia, and Georgians in Russia during the period from 2003-2008, this is only a convenient stand opening for German business talks with Russia. It is wise to remember that former chansellor Gerhard Schroeder, now employed by Gazprom and Putins hubby, still have some influential contacts within politics and business in Germany.

Finally Putin also decided to celebrate his budget of 27% increase in military budget by sending a brand new nuclear rocket, thoroughly exploding on the Kamchatka peninsula.

The question is: Who cares?

Dead Man Talking

2008-09-03T19:01:00.003+02:00

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev yesterday called President Saakashvili “a political corpse”. “For us, the present Georgian regime is bankrupt,” he said in an interview broadcast on Russian television on September 2. “President Saakashvili no longer exists in our eyes. He is a political corpse.”( Civil Georgia, 3 Sep.'08 / 12:22)That of course leads us to assess the doings of this dead man Saakashvili. Yes, he has erratic behavior. Yes, he acts funny sometimes. Yes he never stops talking when he should. But really: He has managed to stand upright through the worst nightmare any leader could face through war and occupation and still have a united country behind him in his obvious military defeat. In his naïve and enthusiastic way he also has managed to be a mirror, to hold all the western leaders political gala speeches about democracy and sovereignty up in front of them and in that way captured them in their own rhetoric. He has managed to get Georgia and Ukraine (who knows what happens there with the loose canon Tymoshenko who is flirting with the Russian party these days) a lot closer to NATO membership, got a free trade agreement with the EU, put Russia in a very difficult position, and finally get observators from OSCE in the rebel regions: a goal he has persued for many years.

I’d say that not bad for a corpse.

"New Russian world order: the five principles"

2008-09-01T14:58:00.000+02:00

I really think you should read this dystopic scenario, "The Five Principles" Medvedev have presented us today. Paul Reinolds (BBC news http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7591610.stm) summs up the challenge western countries are facing regarding Russia. The article also interprets the 5 principles: Everything is going to be OK as long as Russia gets what it wants. Exactly like the situation we had 65 years ago with The Third Reich.

Europe has to take the confrontation in order to avoid becoming a slave for the Putinocracy, or the Souvereign Democracy which he calls it ( another woprd for dictatorship). Wilhelm Konnander explains on his website what this really means. He even presents a paper worth reading for those who are more than mildly interested in how the Russians try to formalise their FSB oligarchi: http://vilhelmkonnander.blogspot.com/

Steinmeiers lack of creativity

2008-09-01T13:04:00.002+02:00

Allready in 2006 I considered Germany (Remember Gerhard Schrøder, former Chansellor of Germany is Putins pedigree and one of the chiefs in Gazprom) and France ( Putin and Sarkozy / Chirac have exchanged honors, medallions and champagne frequently) as the weakest link in the EU - Russia relation. it's of no surprice to me that Germany and France now voices an unison aversion against sanctions on Russia. Speaking earlier in the week, the German forreign minister Mr Steinmeier rejected the idea of sanctions, saying "someone should first tell me what a sanction against Russia could be". BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7590642.stm).

But of course Mr. Steinmeier, I will enlighten you with some humble suggestions. Suggestion 1 I think you are familiar with (otherwise please review "Sanctions imposed by Russia on other countries last 3 years": Import/Export: Georgia-wine/ mineralwater/ airtraffic/ eletricity/gas, Norway - salmon, Ukraine - gas, Moldova - wine..and so on....)

Suggestion 1: Economic sanctions on export ( The easy solution)

Norway has foought a decade against sanctions on salmon imposed by the EU. The sanctions used was extra taxes du to allegations of dumping salmon into the EU. (Now this allegations have been thoroughly rejected by an EU commission)

Suggestion 2: No WTO, G8 and other club memberships.

Suggestion 3: Reevaluation on the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi

Suggestion 4: More rigid VISA rules to EU for people from the Russian federation.

Suggestion 5: Freezing of the many KGB-accounts the current leadership in Moscow personally have in Europe. ( Might take some pressure to convince Switzerland though..)

Suggestion 6: Calculate and reasess the strange knowledge that the quarter of energysupplies from Russia will create disaster in Europe: It means that a substantial amount of oil will not be sold, bringing in much needed money to Russian economy.

Suggestion 7: Impose a review of the "environmental consequences" of the pipeline from Russia through the Easter Sea to Germany, bypassing Poland.

Suggestion 8: Punish EU and US based companies with economic sanctions, (deny governmental contracts) that invest in Russia.

Really, Steimayer. You don't expect me, an average Joe, to come up with this in five minutes, and still tell the world that you havent thought of this? I guess not. You just demonstrate what I have said before: It's the will that is the real problem here. It's the question of money and reelection before the basic principles of democracy.

Russians kill critical website owner - more trouble ahead!

2008-08-31T22:20:00.002+02:00

BBC World (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7590719.stm) reports today that a owner of a internet site was shot dead in custody of the police in Ingushetia. Magomed Yevloyev, owner of the ingushetiya.ru site, was a vocal critic of the region's administration (Russia).

Oh, and by the way, website owners is not the main worry at the moment: The opposition in Ingushetia also says they wants help from the international community to become independent from Russia, Echo Moskvy reports today on their front page..(http://www.echo.msk.ru/)

Well, Vladimir. Maybe you opened Padoras box...

Despair and growing Isolation

2008-08-28T21:07:00.001+02:00

Following a pretty optimstic visit to the SCO - the organisation of Asian countries (as a counterwight of NATO) including omong others China, Khazakstan, Uzbekistan, Tadsjikistan (BBC World), Medvedev brought a rather preliminary victory to the media: "Heavy support for Russia", "something for the west to take notice of"! But when the resolution hit the road it instead stated a BIG worry for the situation, and no recognition for Abkhazia and South Ossetia. China also found it neccesary to further elaborate on their worries in a separate statement saying that conflict MUST be solved through discussions and negotiations (BBC World, Echo Moskvy). That means isolation for Russia. I might add that Australia also joined the west in condemning Russia (BBC World)

So what's the Russian scores then? Well Hamas and Belarus have supported Russia together with Cuba and Chaves in Venezuela. Quite a team. I guess Lukasjenko had no option, being already isolated with Russia as his most friendly naighbor. Naturally desperation increases as Kouchners hints about EU-sanctions against Russia. Putin therefor tried changed the story of genocide and the heroic liberation of the innocents, and went for the usual Big Conspiracy: US rigged the conflict as a favour to presidental candidate McCain. And finally Lavrov has managed to give "Russian Diplomacy" a face.

Besides that Finland today assured the world that it has the ability to defend it self, contrary to their NATO neighbors (Aftenposten).

A Russian Disgrace

2008-08-22T17:13:00.006+02:00

As reporters from CNN and BBC World reports from Georgia, it gets more and more clear that the russian troops and Sout Ossetian separatists have burned, looted and destroyed a lot of Georgian villages. The savagery is total with the Russians use of cluster bombs. Further Georgia Online reports that the Russian plan according to military officials in Cremlin is to still occupy the important black sea port Poti and Senaki in addition to establish a "security zone" around South Ossetia. CNN also reports that SS21 missiles are present in South Ossetia. There is impossible for the UN securitycouncil to reach a decision on the conflict, because Russia threathens with a VETO. They will VETO it if they are forced to fulfil the cease-fire agreement which they signed. The key point of dispute now seems to be the West's insistence on Georgia's territorial integrity and Moscow's unwillingness to even recognize it, Victor Yasman writes in an article on Radio Free Europe. http://www.rferl.org/content/None/1192611.html

He continues:

The main trophy for Moscow in the conflict is clearly Abkhazia, which in Soviet times was called the pearl of the Black Sea coast. The region lies just 30 kilometers from Sochi, which will host the 2014 Winter Olympics. The Russian government is expected to invest around $30 billion in that event, and Abkhazia is playing an important role in the process of "absorbing" that investment. The region has long been known as a zone for laundering criminal capital from across Russia and, particularly, from Moscow.

So it's of course a matter of money for one of the richest men in the world, Vladimir Putin and his corrupt "oligarchs". This war and occupation has been characterized by extreme brutality and severe destruction from the Russian side, and one can ask the question of how this nation became so uncivilized? Putin is undoubtably a man for whom human lives / costs bares no significance for decisions as long as he benefits from it. But it's not only about this former KGB man: During this conflict Russia has lost all credibility. In fact the war crimes they have committed is so serious, that any other leader would have faced criminal charges. In the end this is a matter which must be solved within the Russian nation. The Russian men and women have a responsibility to protest when the elections is rigged. They have a responsibility to say NO when savagery and destruction is conducted in their name.

The peoples feeling of responsibility started the Rose revolution in Georgia, and lead to the young democracy Russia now has destroyed and occupied. Putins notion of democracy is something he calls a souvereign democracy. That means: People can vote as long as they vote for him, people are free as long as they do what he says.

We call it dictatorship.

A Russian defeat - media crushes Russias “truth”

2008-08-17T19:27:00.006+02:00

What appeared to be a perfect timing for the attack, media being occupied with the Olympics in Beijing, ended up as a fatal mistake for the Russians. They had prepared the story about genocide and aggression well, but miscalculated some basic news criteria. The Norwegian professor Sigurd Allern mentions polarization, conflict, relevance, possibility to identify culturally with the matter, and how important and powerful the countries involved are. And as such this conflict fulfils all criteria’s for news coverage.

The old rhetoric from the cold war was revitalized, and it was very easy for the readers / viewers to get a hold of the story and identify with the old conflict lines. It was after some time evident that there was good-guys and the traditional Russian bad-guys. The US president spoke clearly about all traditional western values, and was supported by European leaders. There was drama! BBC and CNN was our eyes on the ground and told the story about David being crushed by Goliath, and the US marshal on his way to rescue. Beijing Olympics were completely abandoned in this context. It just could not compete, so the media ran Georgia vs Russia as top story for now 10 days with analysis, background, live coverage, victim reports and interviews. All parties, the Georgian president with his emotional messages tailor-made for media on English, Pres Bush’s threats, Merkels visit to Medvedev in Sochi, and Sarkozy’s negotiations with the Russians all contributed to create the biggest LIVE drama in Media possibly on line with the Invasion in Iraq. (Or maybe even bigger). We had constant and very fast development through the entire conflict. Words like "cyber war" increased the tension and the feeling of something entirely ”new” in warfare. It also helped that Russian soldiers uploaded videos from their cell-phones to Youtube showing them looting baracks and shops in Gori.

The Russian propaganda machine had no chance withstanding this massive coverage where action on ground contradicted all the Russians was saying. The ”humanitarian” rescue operation was contradicted by the excessive damage the Russians inflicted on Georgia ”LIVE”. ”The Genocide” was effectively revealed as a lie by Human Rights Watch after 6 days, when they entered South Ossetia. That being the only thing giving legitimacy for the Russian attack, the whole charade fell apart. The last message from Churkin was that he accused media of being wrong. Something usually regarded as a major mistake. Another important point is that Russian media does not reach outside Russia to the western world, and is known to be limited in trustworthiness due to governmental control. An example of the Russian media coverage is the internet newspaper Echo Moskvy, which today reports from their defence sources that...

“Georgians, Ukrainian nationalists and Chechen bandits have set up an armed group outside of Gori. This group plans to enter Gori in Russian uniforms to shoot and humiliate the local population. This is going to be videotaped and distributed to the world to show the world what kind of barbarians Russians are”.

(Echo Moskvy http://www.echo.msk.ru/news/534641-echo.html)

Now why would they write something hillarious like that? Simple. The videos showing Russian soldiers looting Gori has already been showed to the western world..the soldiers have uploaded them to You tube and tapes from surveillance cameras have been showed on TV ( TV2 among others), so when the videos finally show up in Russia, the explanation is already clear: This is Georgians and Ukrainian nationalist trying to make the Russians look bad.

At this moment it seems like the big looser in the conflict, despite the obvious military victory, is Russia. Through it’s savage attack and persistant destruction of Georgian infrastructure even after the ceasefire deal was signed they probably scared Poland to make a quick decision to host the US missile shield, contributed to unite the ex-soviet republics even more (which the manifestation I Tbilisi by the Baltics, Ukraine and Polands presidents showed). It also has pushed Ukrain to seek cooperation with US on their missile defence, worry the whole of Europe, and deteriorated relations with EU. They face possible eviction from G8, and there is serious questions about the SOCHI 2014 Olympics. Another leverage from US is economical sanctions, which can be catastrophal for Russia according to commentators on CNN. This leads up to isolation and of course no WTO deal. The Russians got an international attention around Abkhazia and S-Ossetia, with EU and US clearly stating that Georgian integrity is not up for debate.
The Georgians has lost many troops and civilians, but managed to get a long sought attention around Abkhazia and S-Ossetia. Get international support for their territorial integrity. They have a destroyed infrastructure which EU and US have committed to rebuild very fast. Georgia also today got a rather sensational reassurances from Angela Merkel ( CNN / BBC) that Georgia WILL be a NATO member. Sensational because Angela Merkel was the one that brought Russias protests to the NATO countries (NRK)

The Russians have been revealed by the media as the real aggressor, and has lost the legitimacy they though they had given the operation - much thanks to the media coverage from particulary CNN and BBC World. One can argue that this are western media, but the Russian actions on the ground verified by independent organizations has contradicted their statements, and as such contributed to further undermine their credibility. In this conflict media has played a very active and important role reporting from a very tough, unpredictable and dangerous situation on the ground. Many have been killed, and we have seen journalists being shot at in cars (Turkish TV reporters), targeted actively by Russian fighter planes ( BBC Worlds reporters), and shot during reporting ( Georgian reporter). All documented on video, and shown in news reports. And as we all know: The politicians listens to what the media says – they create the opinion. As victim the Georgian President Saakashvili has played an important role. In spite of emotional and erratic behaviour, ha has in a strange way managed to communicate the essence of the conflict in a clear and understandable manner. It’s easy to be sympathetic to this man fighting for freedom, democracy and his small country against the destructive aggressor. He manage to hold the wolrd leaders responsible for his own mistakes; a too direct interpretations of diffuse political intentions and support. And he has been a master in this game. Saakashvili might be finished as president after this, but one should admire his efforts and success in communicating and maneuvering in this extreme situation.

How this conflict will evolve from here is difficult to predict. The Russians have accomplished little else but damaging their reputation and another country severely. And the damage increases for every day Russian forces stay in Georgia with news coverage showing looting and destruction of infrastructure. It doesn't seem to be perceived that way by the Russian leaders, and I would be surpriced if they pull out their forces tomorrow, as promised by Medvedev.

A new Chechenya?

2008-08-16T21:41:00.000+02:00

Russian troops are digging in and heads towards Tbilisi. They have occupied six more cities after the ceasefire agreement has been signed. Lies, lies and more lies. To me it seems that the purpose of the whole operation is to create a new Chechenya. Vladimir Putin, being the particular nasty piece of work he is, have used cluster bombs, vaacum bombs and SS21 missiles on the Georgian population: Veapons of mass destruction. That's nothing new. His total destruction of Chechenya is a good example. Interestingly he is using mercenaries and regular troops from..yes Chechenya, where the less than human Kadyrov is his puppet.

A Scent of the Seventies

2008-08-16T16:54:00.007+02:00

An amazing collection of personalities I thought disappeared during the seventies have emerged on the media scene the last week, stuttering away on english to reach the masses. The effect of the Russian communication hasn't been quite like expected. Obviously the Russian story about who started the war, who really is the agressor, and their peacekeeping humanitarian mission has been completely dismembered. Vitaly Churkin, the Russian UN ambassador accused the media of being totally wrong about everything. I guess he is used to the media he can control. This has upset many Russian officials used to construct and interpret their own distorted reality freely. Most of all I have been impressed by the persistance theese Russian officials have tried to communicate this VERY thin story with, even though their actions on the ground have told the contrary. But after this, at least I have become convinced that the black and white men from the seventies driving around in Ladas loaded with skopalamin and taperecorders still exists.

The Alledged Massacres in S-Ossetia

2008-08-13T20:05:00.001+02:00

Russian Human Rights Watch has been inside South Ossetia and says that the allegations of genocide and massmurders are false. Doctors and personell inside South Ossetia estimate the number of casualties after Georgian shelling to be tens, Tatiana Lokshina says. Not houndreds or, as Russians claims , thousands.

For those of you reading Russian, the whole report can be found here: http://www.novayagazeta.ru/news/304956.html

Another article from the same representant says that Georgian villages were burned inside South Ossetia:
http://www.novayagazeta.ru/news/305031.html

Novaya Gazeta is the newspaper Anna Politkovskaya worked

Russia, a case for the psychiatry

2008-08-12T11:45:00.004+02:00

Medvedev was allowed to say that "The agressor has been punished". Looking at all the "prominent" leaders in Russia who has been present in the media the last days, you might wonder how they manage to be so consistent in their distorted view of realities and portrayal of them selves and their nation. The grandiose self emerges in their "punishment" of the bad naighbor, failing to consider that most of the world remember FSB's blowing up huge apartemets buildings in Moscow in 2000 to legitimize the extermination of Chechenya by blaming "Chechen terrorists" for the deed. The massacres in Chechenya have been documentet throug many documentaries and pictures, not to mention through reportages from now killed journalist like Politkovskaya. And not to mention the ethnic cleansing Russian military forces did in Abkhazia in the early 90ties, where nearly 400 000 Georgians were forced from their homes by Russian SPETZNAS forces in cooperation with terrorist Shamil Basajevs forces, and into Georgia, where most still live in extreme powerty without any belongings. The Georgian army had ealier, with considerable brutality, tried to fight the separatisk groups, and thereby lit the fire.

I wrote on this blog 11. july that I feared for a war. That was because of all the provocations Russia did to the Georgians. I watched the events leading up to the armed intervention in South Ossetia by the Georgians. It started early in july with separatists attacking official Georgian vehicles with bombs, and a threat to asassinate the South Ossetian leader which is loyal to the Georgian. (There are two different groups in S-Ossetia, one of them ethnic Georgians. The South Ossetian separatists have been armed and financed by the Russian, like the separatists in Abkhazia). And the night of 7. august separatist started to shoot at them, placing Saakashvili in the impossible dilemma of protecting Georgian citizens or run. Georgian forces entered the region, and protected their citizens. Then out of nothing 150 tanks came rolling out of from Russian side. Saakashvili ordered a unilateral ceasefire, but failed to get contact with the separatists. This was widely covered by several TV channels. ( And I have a degree in media analysis, so I am not easily fooled by propaganda). The parliament speaker Bakradze later stated that they had fired at this massive force of Russian tanks to stop them entering Georgian territory. This was the Russian trap. A carefully planned trap, where Georgia was forced to protect their citizens, and thus gave the Russians legitimacy to attach, seize South Ossetia, and ALSO Abkhazia which has been on their wishlist for several years. They deployed 3000 new troops in there in may-june. It also need to be said that Saakashvili for several years have tried to get sufficient monitoring of the breakaway regions without much luck. This is also something that Transparency international has pointed out as a crucial point fuelling the conflict.

Another aim was also to exercice power towards the west, remove Saakashvili, and destroy Georgias possibilities for a NATO membership.

Who was the agressor, and has he been punished? I think Russia is a case for the psychyatry and Haag rather than the Securitycouncil.

My sister in law

2008-08-11T20:03:00.002+02:00

So what do I tell my sister in law? She called now at approx. 20.20 and asked what to do, as russian fighters now are crossing over her appartement in Tbilisi where she's alone. After some thinking I adviced her to go from the fifth floor and down to the ground, a bit away from the building in case it taks a direct hit, like so many buildings in Gori.

I hope this is the correct advice.

The Russian cancer

2008-08-11T17:22:00.002+02:00

As Russian troops now enters West Georgian cities Zugdidi and Senagi it seems clear that the plan is to annex Georgia. South Ossetia was the trap that gave the russians "legitimacy" to invade Georgia. This is of course by no means a surprice, given the fact that Putin deployed thousands of peacekeepers into Abkhazia in may-june. The Russians are indeed not interested in any ceasefire.

It is a sad day for democracy and human rights. With half my family in Georgia, I cannot find strong enough words to describe my feelings towards the murderers and psychopaths residing in Moscow. The Russian cancer has spread over the mountains.

The Georgians doesnt deserve to be annexed by the degenerates in Russia for the 3rd time. Now there is time for deploying NATO peacekeepers into Georgia. If not, Georgia will be lost as a democracy.

Putins Blitzkrieg

2008-08-11T13:34:00.002+02:00

Swedens FM Carl Bildt also uses the image of Hitler and his ruthless blitzkrieg when he describes Putins devastating destruction of Georgia. "We remember Hitlers doctrines", he says to Aftenposten today. The obvious question then ofcourse surfaces: Where is our Churchill?

What I think is particulary useful to do is to ask "what or who is NOT in the media" when I analyse newscoverage. In this particular case the answer is: Gordon Brown, Nikolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel. Even Norways FM Jonas Gahr Støre has condemned the Russian aggression together with Bush and Carl Bildt.

Why is that, do you think?

Stop this psychopath!

2008-08-10T18:43:00.002+02:00

The Russians extreme violence in Georgia is surely a proof of what I have been saying for almost two years now: Putin couldn't care less about international law and nations. Also listening to the Russian UN ambassador Victor Churkin speaking in the security council made me sure that diplomacy is a wasted exercise on that kind of intellectual level he represents. Russia has become a serious headache that must be dealt with. We need active measures to prevent this gang of thugs to infest more countries with their precence.

Speaking with my family in Tbilisi, it is obvious that all internetconnections are dead, no mobile networks are up, but SKYPE works. So for those who wish to contact friends and relatives, getting a SKYPE account is a solution.

Putin - our times Hitler

2008-08-09T15:47:00.002+02:00

Now this Russian operation seems to have been planned long ahead of the events. Obviously they want to use the Olympics in Bejing as a diversion from their annexation of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. So while the world leaders attend banquets and smile in Beijing, Russia does it's dirty work so they once more can show up in 2014 in Sochi to smile, shake hands and surely celebrate Putins new triumphs. Maybe he by then has managed to put another moron in charge of Georgia, like the degenerate in Chechenya.

We get the leaders we deserve, but surely nobody has deserved Putin. Not even his mother.

Russian attack on Georgia

2008-08-09T09:43:00.001+02:00

Yesterday I returned from 5 weeks in Georgia, and as most of you already know, the Russian war-machine has started it's destructive work in Georgia. I feel the need to remind you that they up to now has killed 500 000 in Checheny, the neighbouring country of Georgia. Now the Russians claim to protect "their citizens" in South Ossetia. That is som few thousand people which the Russian has handed out passports to. The region is infected with separatists and criminals running illegal trafick of black market goods and drugs to Georgia, and as such serves as a channel of money for a huge number of russian officials. Yes it's the local Sopranos. The clash in South Ossetia escalated due to constant provocations during the recent month, where Ossetian separatists targeted Georgian officials with Russian made radiocontroled car-bombs at several occations. Of course this is Russian citizens which must be protected. So now the Russians bombs Poti, a prestige project wich consists of new harbours and a special freezone for economic development at the Black sea, far away from Ossetia.

Georgia can expect no help from the impotent Europe, which up to now also has been content with just urging the Russians to stop the genocide in Checheny. I am utterly ashamed of being an European, allowing the Russian criminals to act like they please without doing something to prevent it.

Breakfast in Tbilisi

2008-07-13T10:58:00.001+02:00

Since the war obviously is postponed, I think I can allow my self to adress a less depressive theme without being considered an outrageous optimist: Tourism in Georgia.

Now, as my wife decided to entertain me with Mozart on her piano while I enjoy a late Georgian breakfast, I suddenly started to feel a bit uncomfortable being pampered like a little king, noting that I also am enjoying a service from my mother in law worthy of royals. What should disgust you even more, is that my breakfast is ready whenever I decide to get up in the morning. I won't even mention dinner. So what has this to do with tourism? Well, you see it's not only my mother in law that treats me like a royal. It's happens everywhere, and this disturbs me as I can be defined as an average middleaged, male from anywhere. Wherever I am invited, theres a lot of extra attention given to me, and I am always treated with the best of food, always being served first, receiving presents all the time, and always being denied paying the bill - in a very persistant manner.

Yesterday we, the whole family, went to visit Signaghi in Kahkheti. It's an old city, now beutifully restored and commercialized in a civilized way. I visited a shop wanting to buy mineralwater for the family. My wife went in with me. And as I paid, the shopkeeper said to her that this was the first time he had seen a forreigner pay for anything, or buy something for others in his shop. Even the guides and translators gave the tourists mineralwater and food as presents, he said, obviously supposing my wife was a guide. On the way back to Tbilisi we stopped at a road house for dinner. Suddenly we had a big bowl of chicken at our table, curtesy of the Georgians on a table nearby. They thought I looked like a tourist, and wanted me to feel welcome in Georgia. Now there's more: This year me and my wife travelled together with a couple of young Norwegian students to Tbilisi. They went to Khazbegi for trekking, and returning from that trip they told me with great surprice they hadn't paid for food and transport because their new Georgian friends wouldn't let them.

The Georgians regards a guest as sendt from God. So it's great to be a tourist in Georgia. It's right down fantastic. But realizing that most Georgians have very little money you must ask your self the question: How do I pay back? In the western culture we are mostly vampires, sucking the blood out where ever it is possible. I think a good start is to pay the taxidrivers a couple of lari's extra, never dispute the prices anywhere, maybe leave some dollars for a hospitable person/family a place where it can be found after you leave, and generaly try to figure out a way to pay back. If you are a tourist that might be a nut to crack. If not, I fear that being a tourist in Georgia will be a very different experience in a very few years.

War with Russia?

2008-07-11T20:16:00.002+02:00

Russia has declared that their forces in Abkhazia is on full alert, ready to attack Georgia. Lavrov, Putins & Lilliputins porchmonkey is spreading the word around. Admitting violations of Georgian airspace with a SU fighter ysterday, russia has clearly stated that they couldnt care less about the international opinion. and why should they? Nothing is really going to happen if Russia occupies Georgian territory. Condi visited Tbilisi yesterday too, and reiterating her stand on the issue.

I am in Georgia at the moment, and have been following both russian and Georgian news closely. There is, as usual, nothing about the escalation of the conflict in western media. The situation is explosive.

Now taken in conderation the deals Lillyputin and Gazprom have been closing with Khazakstand and Azerbadijan about a monopoly in distribution of oil and gas in Eastern-Europe and Asia, I would go as far as saying they got Europe by the balls. Now it's time to se the nervous whiteshirts on the stockmarkets around Europe and America sending the oil and gasprices to Putin heaven, and the European leaders moderate their rethoric towards Russia and not committing to solve the problems for Georgia. I think it's a bit too late for action. What do you say, Angela? What will happen if Lilliputin closes the valve on you? And what will happen with Ukrains steel industri if they apply the MAP? No more gas, at least it will be too expensive for them to compete with other vendors.

I guess Lilliputin will continue annexing Abkhazia and South Ossetia, force Ukraine to stay out of NATO, and finally build The Empire.

Smart move, Godfather...

As a PS, I saw that more than 60 journalists have been killed during the war in IRAQ. In the same time span 115 journalists have been killed in Russia.

What happened in Tbilisi?

2008-07-05T10:27:00.000+02:00

Can somebody please explain to me why Lagidze disappeared? In fact most of the cafe's and shops in the centre of Tbilisi vanishes, and in comes shops with a lot of fancy glass, 4 or 5 different cellphones and three inactive persons in blue shirts, and a securityofficer at the door. If not there are chainshops from whatever complete uniteresting business from USA and Europe, or some bank. Tbilisi is losing its personality and starts to get MacDonaldized. Needless to say progress means standardization and decay; the price of western capitalism.

200 million Russian dollars for peace

2008-05-12T23:22:00.005+02:00

In 2007 the Russians invested 200 million dollars in Abkhazia

According to The Head of State, Sergei Bagapsh, Abkhazia seeks to create the most favorable conditions for Russian companies. Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov also said during a conference on the broad opportunities and serious guarantees of Russian investment in the economy of Abkhazia that Russian companies are implementing the most ambitious investments in the Abkhaz economy.According to preliminary calculations, in the current year the total package of Russian investments will exceed the amount of 200 million dollars.

Source: The Abkhazian Governments website 08/11/2007 13:03
http://www.abkhaziagov.org/en/news/detail.php?ID=9100

That is some serious Russian peacekeeping. Given the size of the Abkhaz population (120 000) it amounts to 1,6 million dollar per head. No wonder the Abkhazian wants to be a part of Russia.

A brave decision!

2008-05-09T17:19:00.001+02:00

The Associated Press and Slovenian Press Agency reports that the Foreign Minister of Slovenia, which holds European Union's presidency, on May 9 said that EU would not take sides in the Georgian-Russian dispute and would work towards a peaceful solution.

I think we all are happy for this brave decision, and I am sure that I speak on behalf of the civilized world when I say that we all look forward to the immediate solution of this conflict with the help of the ministers of the EU. I feel certain there will be a most fruitful dialogue whith Putin, Lilliputin, Lavrov, and the rest of the masters of peaceful rethoric, and that we all get a discount on Russian gas at the end of the day.

Russia and Georgia at war?

2008-05-06T16:16:00.002+02:00

I think I have stated earlier what I think of the Russian agression, but let me add: What is worse is the UN, the EU and the NATO nonresponsive attitude. Money talks, Europe walks.. and that's not much money in Georgia. Therefore it is sacrificable in order to avoid upsetting the business administration in Cremlin, and risk that the valve is being closed. Lets be happy and look forward to the Olympics in Sochi in 2014. The nasty things have surely disappeared by then?

I think we have seen this before, and learned nothing. As usual.

Peacekeeper Russia Shoots down Georgian Drone

2008-04-21T20:23:00.001+02:00

Oviously there are no limits for how the Russians allow themselves to conduct their peacekeeping mission in Abkhazia. Last summer a Russian MIG launched an air to ground missile 60 km close to Tbilisi. Today a MIG shot down a Georgian drone in Abkhazia. But only Russians manage to be caught on video doing it and still denying. For UN it is a disaster, baring in mind that they have given the Russians a Peacekeeping mission in a territory Russia actively try to annex from Georgia.

Look at the videoshotage at the BBC World Website.

Interview with me about Georgia in Norways National Broadcasting

2008-04-20T15:04:00.013+02:00

It is not everyday you get invited to speak on national broadcasting for 10 minutes. Today I got the opprotunity. The Norwegian Broadcasting invited me as a guest in their travelprogram "Ryk & Reis" to talk about Georgia and the Caucasus. The background for this interview was my Website (goto-caucasus.net) My website got a great promo during the interview, and the half an hour of reportage from Georgia must be classified as excellent marketing. There is two additional programs in the series, and one more to come. Especially pleasing was the fact that the journalist had used my website extensively in his research in front of the programs.

If you are a Norwegian you can listen to the 4 programs from NRK P1 as MP3 files on my Website

The Lavrov Masterpiece

2008-03-16T17:18:00.001+01:00

According to Georgia Online Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on January 23 :

“We have been consistently calling on our Georgian colleagues for the past two years to [..] adopt[..] a declaration on the non-use of force for [..]the South Ossetian conflict. We believe a similar stance is required on Abkhazia as well".

This must be Lavrov, Putins porch monkey's most innovative and cunning plan up till today. Let's hear it for Lavrov! Atta boy!

In The Situation Room

2008-03-11T14:26:00.009+01:00

Russia now threatens Georgia with war, that is recognizing and actively supporting Abkhazia and South Ossetias attempt of breaking away from Georgia if Georgia enters NATO. The Russian solution for Moldova, is that Moldova gives up possible bid for NATO membership, withdraw from GUAM (an organization consisting of Georgia, Ukraina, Aserbajdian and Moldova), and instead gets hold of the autonomous republic Transdienestre (a republic which primarily supports it self by selling old Soviet arms and dirty bombs, now administered by former KGB personell), from Russia…or whoever claims it . So the Russian have managed to split the organization. To dicipline Ukraine the Russians use an other medicine: To cut the gas supply with 25%, or 50% or 35%..( use whatever percent it is the day you read this). The russians also have demanded that Georgian Airlines pay for "protection". The amount of 2 mill $ in alledged debth must be paid before they are allowed to operate in Russian airspace.

Angela Merkel, the German queen bee, opposes strongly (two days after her meeting with Putin) the idea that a country (Georgia) with internal conflicts enters NATO, and has spent a considerable amount of words describing how close the relationship with Russia is and will be, and that she wants to continue her close relationship with Putin also after the presidential election in Russia. Probably as a result of the critic she got from a large and important group of German businessmen, saying that she should stop criticizing the lack of human rights and democracy in Russia because it is an important market. Probably also combined with the need of Russian gas.

The Norwegians tremble in their pants in horror over the scenario of Russia taking control over the northern areas with its gas developing fields, fish resources in the Barents sea, and the unexplored gas and oil resources close to the North Pole which will be available when the ice melts due to global warming. To show how deep this concern is, the Norwegian Broadcasting was the ONLY news channel or newspaper that didn’t report that Russian fighters where rehearsing attacks from a carrier 500 meters away from our oil installations in the North Sea. In fact it was the top story that evening on all media. The civil air traffic had to stop due to this. To stop Norway’s Public Broadcasting (NRK) from reporting this incident was probably pulled off by the Foreign minister Gahr Støre or his brother in arms state secretary in UD Espen Barth Eide. Nobody would even think that the journalists in the NRK is that negligent. The day after the incident the NRK published a 15 seconds comment of the incident by Barth Eide, where he just called the incident for a minor misunderstanding. Two days later, Norway’s largest newspaper VG reported that the Russians earlier had demanded that Norway issued a statement where the government clearly stated that they DID NOT regard the Russians as a threat.

This also concerns Denmark because of their territorial interests in Greenland (fish), and USA because of their need for gas and oil from the same fields. The fact that this starts to get messy also for the EU is clearly stated in Javier Solanas last report about the battle for the resources due to climate changes. The Russians has already planted the Russian flag on the bottom of the North Pole.

In France everything is tres bon. The local Bonaparte is happily married to his model wife, and his main concern is to get the French Kitchen on the World Heritage list. Still he manages to expresses doubt about having Georgia as a NATO member contrary to what he said last year. At the moment he is courting Lavrov, by the way.

The conclusion? Feel free to add one. I suggest: Russia is using all means at hand to expand their territory. Everybody is afraid of Russia, and hope that sucking up to Putin and Medvedev will postpone the problem.

Sources:
Ekho Moskvy, Gazeta.ru, VG, NRK, TV2, Georgia Online, UPI, Moscow Times.

* Update 14.03.2008

Just to confirm my anticiptations Norway today announced that they also opposed Georgias bid for NATO membership. This is in line with the very careful approach they had to recognizing Kosovo. Almost just a whisper "We must see what the others do, and then..if hopfully Putin and Medvedev don't notice..we recognise it" . But behold! There is some hanky panky going on! Norway also announced today that they are moving their military headquarters for the AirForce from Jåtta in the south of Norway to Bodø... which lies exactly where? Ofcourse up north :-) The cost? 100 mill. $.

Medvedev for Prez in Abkhazia!

2008-03-03T22:40:00.000+01:00

90% of voters in breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia cast their ballots to Dimitry Medvedev in the Russia’s presidential elections, the Abkhaz and South Ossetian sources reported on March 3. The South Ossetian Press and Information Committee said Medvedev garnered 90.24% of votes in the region. Voter turnout in South Ossetia was not reported. (Georgia Online)

What a great idea! Now I think Norway should start holding elections in Sweden and Iceland too. Boosts the numbers, no doubt. And to the Abkhazians and South Ossetians: Who are you? Once you managed to get rid of the Georgians by ethnic cleansing, you vote for a Russian president? I doubt the Akhazians / S-Ossetians understand what kind of Cocoo they vote into their aledged nest.

This is the Russian imperialistic totalitarian democracy in action, handing out Russian passports to the Abkhazians and South Ossetians to get votes; probably by promising them a bright future in tourism. After all the Abkhazians have proved their abilities of displacing huge numbers of people in the past.

Russia condemns Georgian Polls

2008-01-06T17:00:00.001+01:00

According to Georgia Online, the Russian Foreign Ministry today said:

Media sources, non-governmental organizations and representatives of opposition are reporting about numerous cases of violation of the electoral laws by the authorities. It was not a surprise if we take into account the entire electoral campaign, which can hardly be described as “free and fair.” It was actually launched against the background of state of emergency. The presidential race was marked with widespread use of administrative resources, unhidden pressure on opposition candidates and strictly limiting their access to financial and media sources.

This coming from Putins capo regime in Moscow, who did everything they could do to sabotage their own elections lately is hillarious! What a tragic joke Putins Russia has become.

Why does Georgia matter?

2008-01-06T15:59:00.000+01:00

I sometimes have been asked why I am so interested in Georgia, and I have a lot of answers to the variety of people asking. But today, I saw a particulary good answer when it comes to international politics in the BBC World's website, talking about the elections in Georgia:

Why does Georgia matter? Georgia's proximity to Iraq, Iran and Turkey makes it strategically important. A key oil export pipeline from the Caspian Sea also runs through it. The West regards Georgia as a key test of Russia's readiness to respect other ex-Soviet states' independence, while Moscow is sensitive to any potential source of instability along its border in the Caucasus.

Chess & Politics

2008-01-02T17:24:00.000+01:00

Being a passionate chessplayer back in my younger days, I couldn’t help noticing that the five times female worldchampion in chess, Nona Gaprindashvili, has teamed up with tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili in an attempt of building a new party. I am not sure if that particular move was on par with her former achievments at the chess table. I have always believed in taking particular care of my peasants, remembering that one of them, with some help, could always reach the other side and transform into a queen. I fear this strategy might work the other way around when dealing with Mr.P in the political game taking place in Georgia.

Georgias NATO membership

2007-12-28T13:51:00.000+01:00

According to Michail Saakashvili, Georgia will be a NATO member very soon. Ahha, you laugh: Yet another fantasy from the outspoken president..sorry ex-president for now. But is it that far fetched? To understand the situation we need to look at whats happen in Kosovo. Russia says that recognition of Kosovo's independence from Serbia will set a precedent and lead to a landslide of other regions, autonome or not, seeking the same solution. Good examples are Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia. So Russia says no, and supports Serbia. EU on the other hand seems to recognise Kosovos claim, and thereby initiating the process in other regions..like Abkhazia. So by doing this EU legitimize the same process in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, thereby giving Russia carte blanche to act as a co-player for both regions in the process of independence. Oh, but that's nothing new, you might say. And you are right. The only difference is that the Russian operations are now legitime. Thats a BIG difference. So what counter measures might EU and the western countries, together with US have in order to prevent this happening? To me it seems that the only possible solution, if they don't want to loose their influence in the Caucasus and leave Georgia to be a helpless pray for the Russians, is to speed up the NATO membership process in Georgia. To loose Abkhazia with the help of Russia means war, Georgian officials have stated numerous times, wich in it's turn might lead to Russia occupying Georgia. So maybe Misha is not that far out in his predictions? Or maybe he is. The western countries are extremely passive when it comes to the Russian FSB-mafia extortionists in Kreml.

GOTO Caucasus.net

2007-12-19T17:11:00.000+01:00

After a mildly extreme autumn, with lots of work in my company and too much time spent on my masterdegree, I have put together the final website: www.goto.caucasus.net. It consists of two parts: One with travel offers, and the second; the cultural part, with interviews, pictorials and portraits. Hopefully this will make it possible to both find some good tour-offers and sufficient background material for the cultural interested, and advanced traveller. Open the site from the top of my linklist.

Meet Elizabeth

2007-12-13T23:06:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I came across a blog from Georgia written by a Norwegian woman. She has travelled through Abkhazia, and currently lives in Tbilisim until x-mas. Then she returns to Norway. She has some great pictures from Abkhazia, and the demonstrations in Tbilisi in November. Take my advice: Visit her blog. It's in both english and Norwegian.

Russian agression, a concern for the West?

2007-11-30T15:38:00.000+01:00

President Vladimir Putin has signed a law which suspends Russia's participation in a treaty limiting military forces in Europe. It follows its adoption earlier this month by the Russian parliament. The Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, signed in 1990, limits the deployment of tanks, aircraft and other heavy conventional weapons. Russia says the suspension is a reply to the non-ratification of the treaty by Nato countries. The law will come into effect on 12 December, allowing Russia to boost its troop levels on its western and southern borders, although no imminent plans to this effect have been announced. Nato members, led by the United States, have refused to ratify the CFE treaty until Moscow withdraws its troops from the former Soviet republics of Moldova and Georgia, as Russia had promised in 1999. (BBC World, 30.11.2007 )

This means a further and probably more intencified threat in Abkhazia from the Russian "peacekeepers". It's not good news for Georgia. neither is it for the rest of the world. It means we are beyond the level of cold war, and probably entering a hotter one, where Russian KGB..or FSB as they now call themselves will act more offencively in order to expand their "empire". As an example I would like to mention that a journalist from the National Norwegian Broadcasting yesterday was arrested twice for covering the Russian election. That NEVER happened during the cold war. I think the escalating situation should call for a boicott of the Olympic games in Sochi in 2014, as it did in 1980 when Russia attacked Afghanistan. But who knows..the west is probably more concerned about money than politics theese days. The Norwegian forreignminister Jonas Gahr Støre is busy sucking up to the Russians because of the joint gas adventure at Shtokman developing field in the north. His comment to the situation in Adresseavisen 01.12.2007 is: "Russias main worries is in the south and east. Not in the north", thereby supporting earlier Norwegian official statements wich point out that "there is nothing to be worried about for Norway". They should be so lucky! This is exactly the same rethoric and attitude the Norwegian government expressed before they were attacked in the 2. world war by Germany. And we havent learned anything from that, have we? In order to evaluate a threat, you have to look at the general practice of a country, not the practice in some selected areas. Take the Russian agression in Chechenya, Dagestan, Georgia/Abkhazia/Ossetia, The Baltics, Moldova...I should say there is really something to bare in mind when the northern areas of Norway/Russia should be considdered a target for Russian agression, given the fact that this area is extremely more valuable concerning fish / gas than the areas in the south and east.

What about the others?Angela Merkel is probably having dinner with Putins liason in oil matters, Gerhard Schrøder, and Sharko is French in all the meanings of the word. I guess that leaves us with Bush. And he's busy at the moment. Anyway, it seems that the global community are more worried about finances than solidarity. Not that it came as any surprice..indeed.

Russia equals Albania in the seventies

2007-11-16T15:36:00.000+01:00

While Russian politicians try to makes a mockery out of the Georgian democracy, Putin denies OSCE observers to monitor the upcoming Russian election. This has happened only once in the history of OSCE. That was in Albania in the seventies, when they still were a communist dictatorship. All member states of OSCE have committed themselves to monitoring. As an example: Representatives from the Caucasian countries participated in monitoring the Norwegian election a few years ago. Afterwards they suggested some changes to the Norwegian election system. The changes were implemented soon after. So if all the other countries can tolerate monitoring: Why can’t Russia?
A little goodie for those concerned with Russian media: Notice how Putin always appears on the screen when there is positive news, and likewise notice his absence when the bad news have to be communicated.
I seriously think the Russian people deserve something better than a modern Stalin on steroids running his private Putinocracy.

Look what crawled out of the woodwork!

2007-11-09T20:08:00.000+01:00

According to Civil Georgia, in a phone interview with The Associated Press, Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of News Corp. said: "We're shocked and horrified that in what was allegedly a democratic country something like this could happen… that, effectively, stations are put off the air."

A shock? At least Murdoch, as head of several of the less democratic-oriented nespapers and TV-stations in USA should be familiar with this situation. The way he allways have administered and imposed biased newscoverage in favour of Bush is nothing less than gagging his own journalist in FOX network. Why not take a look? Here it is: "Outfoxed, Rupert Murdochs war on journalism" covering this issues. Please Murdoch, crawl back into your hole and don't give more interviews about matters you have hardly any credability in. It's probably better that people with at least the notion about democratic processes and media discuss these matters.

Shuh, shuh...

Turbulence or flatulence?

2007-11-08T00:24:00.000+01:00

I have been receiving letters asking me to comment on the recent development in Georgia. The reason I haven't posted anything about it, is that the situation is very much unclear to me. On the one side you have the opposition apparently lead by an oligark in exile. On the other hand a triggerhappy government harming their position with radical measures. As far as I can see, the opposition is weak, and makes more noice than the it's size should call for. Thir claims is rather diffuse: To have an early election, and general improvment of living conditions. The rest is namecalling and noice.
Invading the Imedi TV-station is a set back for the democratic claims the government make, and gives at least me the cold creeps. It's a totalitarian approach to demonstrations. The government friendly Rustavi TV is still going on the air. Blaming it all on the Russian seems to be either a tactical move in order to gather the people. But, hey, who knows what the allmighty Tsar Putin have up his sleves. They constantly violates Georgian airspace, and dropped a missile near Tbilisi last time I visited Georgia.
As for now, I think the Georgian government have handled the situation rather disappointingly with its measures taken against the demonstrants.

A good start

2007-09-10T16:52:00.000+02:00

The Norwegian Government have provided 30 refugee families with brand new houses in Terjola and Tskaltubo. That is in the western part of Georgia, near Kutaisi. Atta Norway! Build 20 000 more, and make me proud to be a Norwegian.

The Big Conspiracy

2007-08-22T11:24:00.000+02:00

On background of all events lately involving Russia, and on basis of the rethorics the Russian officials use, I find it most fruitful to look at the incidents that haven't happened.

FSB did not blow up the apartementbuildings in Moscow in order blame the Chechens to initiate the second war in Chacheny.
Russia did not boycott Moldovian wine in order to dicipline the country. It was contaminated.
Russia did not boycott Georgian wine in order to dicipline the country. It was contaminated.
Russia did not boycott Norwegian salmon in order to dicipline the country. It was contaminated.
Russia did not blow up and kill a Japanese fishing crew because they fished in Russian territorial water.
Russian FSB did not kill Litvinenka in London
A Russian army helicopter did not fire the rockets that blew up the administration building in Khodori Gorge
A Russian SU-fighter did not fire an air to ground missile 60 km outside Tbilisi.
There have been no Russian GRU-spies in Georgia.
All international commissions that have looked into the incidents in Georgia have been wrong in their conclusions.
* Update: Russian SU-fighter did not fly into Georgian airspace at Omarishara village on August 21 at 6:46 pm local time.
It’s all a big conspiracy against Russia.

Update 2007 on my website

2007-08-19T19:07:00.000+02:00

Now I have updated my website with a lot of new stuff from the summer 2007 vacation..or should I say work..in Georgia. Mountains, trekking, fishing..and a visit to Retro City.
Site adress:

www.writern.no/georgia.html

Why are you bombing me, Vladimir?

2007-08-10T15:51:00.000+02:00

While I am on vacation in Georgia, I would appreciate it if you keep your fancy toys away from the area. I DO NOT find it comfortable that you are bombing targets in Georgia, only some kilometres away from me. But of course you didn't do it. As any five year old would say, it was somebody else.... in spite of overwhelming evidence. Excuse me for saying it, Vladimir, but have you gone completely off the track? Do you want to talk about it?

Another thing: This expedition in Antharctis, where the Russian flag was planted on the bottom of the sea....what genious decided that it would be a good idea use videoclips from the movie "Titanic" to prove it? hehehe.

The Orthodox Church-backwards into the future

2007-07-18T11:41:00.001+02:00

Look closely at this picture. What you see is a depository at the entrance of a Georgian church for skirts that has become obligatory for female visitors in some of the churches in Georgia. As a woman you are forced to wear one. You may wonder why, and I have no concrete answer. It is only one of many signs indicating that the Georgian Orthodox Church is heading into the past. I have on occations been asked to leave the church because my shorts were not appropriate to enter the house of God. They have also started to denie photographing inside some of the churches. Once a young clerc started to jump up and down in front of the camera, waving his hands to avoid me taking a photo. Now this obligatory female skirt prohibition in some churches is a more serious thing. It has the flavour of fundamentalism attached to it. Maybe it is a reaction to the modernizing of the Georgian society.

Having been travelling a lot in Georgia, the one thing I particulary appreciate is the Georgian hospitality. It is unique. It is sad to say that I, and many of the Georgians I have spoken with don't feel welcome in the Georgian churches. The contrast to the Georgian mentality is striking, and I really hope the Orthodox church changes it's direction, and don't end up in the fundamentalistic darkness of the middle age. But there seem to be two directions: One represented by young, less educated, and more fundamentalistic clercs/priests, and another more relaxed direction represented by the more reflected ''fathers''. As one, educated old priest answered me when he gave permission to photograph during his ceremony: ''God also loves photographers''. I guess it also should apply to women, and men in shorts.

Putin on Steroids?

2007-06-06T01:24:00.000+02:00

Some commentators look at Putins behavior the last year as a show-off. His goal is to regain the Soviet Union power by portraying Russia as a strong and willful actor at the political scene. Unfortunately he uses the cold war rhetoric, and the strange notion that Russia runs all the former Soviet republics. This shows a particularly nasty lack of understanding the democratic realities. Which is no news for most of us. I am still trying to figure out if EU is ignoring him, or just wet their pants. But Russia is in no way possessing the power the Soviet Union could display, so it becomes more like the show small guys, fresh from the steroid gym put up. Flexing muscles, and acting generally silly. It seemed like Angela Merkel viewed it that way, facing Putin’s threats of targeting Europe with his nukes.

But is it “the steroid boy”, or a cunning political strategist we see? I am not sure, because there is another way of interpreting this aggressive behavior: By doing this Putin creates a strong negotiating platform for his successor: By being more “civilized” than Putin, he will be able to portray himself as a “reasonable” man willing to compromise and improve the relationship between east and west. But with a very important difference: A much stronger negotiating position due to the position Putin has created for him. For this to work he only needs to give..lets say 30% “rebate” on Putins outrageous foreign politics and by this move secured a much better bargaining position, and a excuse for the EU-countries to accept the invitation and avoid further insecurity of oil supplies. But maybe I overestimate Putin. After all he keeps Lavrov as his favorite pet, and in the land of the blind, the one-eyed is, after all, king.

I can understand that Putin is in hysteria over the missile-case . It didn’t do much good to the situation that Bush made a mockery out of it all: Vladimir.., I call him Vladimir. Don’t be afraid. Why don’t you cooperate with us on this matter of the rocket shield. I guess that gave Putin approximately the same bloodpressure he probably got when Saakarshvili called him Lilliputin in front of TV-kameras last year.

It will be a nice G8 meeting.

Homosexuals next door?

2007-05-31T19:05:00.000+02:00

CRRC has made it possible to download datasets from the Data Initiative Survey 2004-2006 in Caucasus in SPSS format. I just made a quick unscientific crosstabulation. I wanted to check tolerance for homosexuality, and how it varies across the nationalities in the Caucasus. Here is how it came out:

There is a significant difference between Aserbadijan and Armenia, and Georgia. In Georgia 31% of the respondents do mind having homosexuals as neighbours. In Aserbadijan and Armenia only 6% and 7% did mind. But if you ask the Georgians if they can be friends with a homosexual, only 10% mind. So it seems that homosexuals are ok as long as they don't move in next door.

CRRC Data Initiative Development Team, CRRC Data Initiative Survey 2004-2006: Tbilisi, Georgia, Caucasus Research Resource Centers (2006).

Year of The Georgian Diaspora

2007-05-28T16:08:00.001+02:00

A state-sponsored forum opened in Tbilisi on May 27 in an attempt to restore the bridge between Georgia and Georgians abroad. The government has initiated 2007 as the ‘Year of the Georgian Diaspora.’ A brand new website, was also presented at the forum. This according to Civil Georgia.ge.

I know many of my readers are Georgians living abroad. You might have some interest in looking at the site. I myself have had a look (with interpreter) and found it excellent! It covers many topics regarding culture and traditions. Professional, interesting and well designed. As of today the site is only in Georgian, but will emerge in English, Turkish and probably Russian soon.

I look forward to read the site in english :-)

Sopho IN FOCUS

2007-05-13T12:11:00.000+02:00

Sopho and Georgia did a remarkably good performance in the Eurovision Song Contest yesterday. Judging from responce in many norvegian blogs and newspapers, the Georgian contribution was perceived as exciting and innovative. That, combined with a general curiosity around the traditional dancing and rythm, and her great voice made her contribution become very good PR for Georgia. Another fact I personally found amusing, was that Georgia sent 4 machomen with swords against a horde of boy-toys in feathers, wigs and extreme make-up.
(Photo by Indrek Galetin)

Bezhuashvili SHAKY

2007-05-03T23:42:00.000+02:00

Reuters Tbilisi reports 03.05.2007 that "Georgia would, if asked, consider hosting elements of the proposed US missile shield", Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said on Wednesday in a newspaper interview.
Listen. Can you hear Vladimir whispering "Make my day, Gela. Make my day!"? God I'm glad I 'm not in charge of the gas and electricity in Georgia theese days...

*Update: He didn't say it,he says.

Instead this came up today in Civil.ge: "Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on May 5, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported. The two ministers discussed the Georgian-Russian relations and the ways to improve these relations, according to the same report."

Saakashvili FRIED

2007-05-02T18:56:00.000+02:00

Well actually not at all. The president attended BBC Worlds Hardtalk last night. That is by no means ordinary chit-chat . Stephen Sackeur, BBC’s notoriuous hardtalker, attempted to fry Saakashvili over several hot issues, but did not succeed. Instead we witnessed an interesting conversation, where Saakashvili never was tempted to either slam Putin, nor get aggrevated over Abkhazia. Compared to his earlier "have your say" with BBC, wich I commented some time ago, he gave a solid and proactive impression. This is oviously a president with future plans!

Arveladze SUPERSIZED

2007-04-29T14:46:00.000+02:00

Georgia Today 27.04.2007 Margaret Shakarashvili,
In Tbilisi, near the Sport Palace and the Skating Rink a new McDonald’s will soon welcome its consumers offering counter service as well as special McDrive-through services.

“Generally, Mcdonald’s is the symbol of progress around the world”, Giorgi Arveladze, Georgian Minister of Economic Development said on April 24, at the presentation of the spot where the new McDonald’s will be erected. “McDonald’s is always associated with the pleasant moments and emotions for kids and citizens. It also linked with the beauty and vitality of our cities,” Giorgi Arveladze pointed out.

I really feel that Arveladze has grasped the essence of McDonalds with his statements. But let me add: McDonalds is also known for it’s contribution to good taste and nutrition all around the world. They have a solid reputation of paying their workers very high wages, never using cheap parttime workers, and beyond all: Their social responsibility is above all other transnationalcompanies, bringing joy, happiness and tastful food to the starving masses around the world. And thank you Ronald Mcdonald for your great aesthetic contribution to Rustavelis view in the city centre of Tbilisi.

Lets hope the Georgians now will abandon their homemade, unsophisticated food, and replace it with the great McDonalds products. Finally I wish mr. Arveladze a short convalescence, and welcome back when wisdom chooses to enlightens his mind once again.

For those who want more:

A movie about the benefits of McDonalds: Supersize Me
A theoretical approach:The McDonadization of Society

Goodbye, Boris

2007-04-24T00:56:00.000+02:00

We will remember you as the man who brought democracy into Russia, amused us on TV, and a man larger than life, contrary to (you know who..the little evil one who didnt call you the day he became president). I think I choose the picture of you on the tank to store in my memory, together with the sequence on TV when you and Clinton laughed your a**** off.

So, thanks for the ride, Boris!

It's been a while...

2007-02-05T23:39:00.000+01:00

Now, it has been a while since my last post. At the moment I am writing an article about how Eastern-european women living in transnational marriages are represented in Norwegian media. It is fair to say that this, together with my job takes more than it's fair share of my time. Hence no postings.

One of the headlines in Norwegian tabloids last week was about a Georgian woman, newly wed to a Norwegian man, waiting for her visa, was attempted kidnapped for ransome in the Gali-region. The article said that the attempt was made because the kidnappers knew she was wed to a forreigner. But a quick search for articles on the internet soon revealed that kidnappings happens from time to time in Gali-region, and probably don't have anything to do with her marital status. Still it stirs up headlines calling for people to be careful when going to Georgia.

They should be MUCH more concerned about tha hazards involved with meeting the average Georgian drivers on the road. :-)

Happy New Year!!

2006-12-31T16:36:00.000+01:00

Civil Georgia reports that Tbilisi Municipality will host the largest-ever feast in Georgia with huge traditional New Year dishes in downtown Tbilisi on December 31.

A 1.5-ton cooking pot full of Satsivi, turkeys in walnut sauce; 25 square meters big Gozinaki, nuts candied in honey and a 10 square meters big Khachapuri will be displayed on Rike in downtown Tbilisi.

Hold on! I am coming!!!

Uh oh...STARQUALITY!

2006-12-28T18:41:00.000+01:00

Sopho Khalvashi from Batumi is the Georgian contribution to the Eurovision Songcontest in Helsinki, Finland in May 2007. I saw and heard her on TV this summer in Georgia, and WOW this girl is a talent! She has a tremendous voice, and performs with confidence, personality, and style. It is fair to say that she has got what the Americans call "star quality". As much as I don't watch the Euroivision Songcontest, I think I will make an exception next year. So should you!

(Picture..ripped off a Swedish site..sorry :-)

Case 4675 Attempted assasination of Khrushchov

2006-12-27T13:46:00.000+01:00

On 13 December 1960 Chairman of Georgian Security Committee Alex Inaur signed a remarkable document requesting immediate arrest of an illegal group operating in Tbilisi. The order clearly stated the date and the name of the person against whom the act of terrorism was planned. It was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchov. Why the terrorists were plotting to assassinate Nikita Khrushchov? What were the roots of their hatred? The documentary displays this secret conspiracy. Previously secreted unique video, photo material and unpublished documents provided by Security Committee are used in the film ( Rustavi 2)

Astonishing documentary series by Chageishvili

Toma Chageishvili began working on the documentary program "Georgia - Modern History" in January 2001 in Rustavi 2 Broadcasting Company. 24 documentaries have been shot since then. Director of the documentaries - Demna Japaridze, journalist - Zaza Jgharkava.

View the documentaries on the PC

This series of documentaries are mildly put "a must see" for everybody with the faintest interest in Soviet - Georgian history. Never before seen (at least not by many in the west) old movie clips of Stalin, Khrushchov and other notabilities from the cold war. Together this series tells the story about Georgia during the 70 years incorporated in the Soviet Union. Unfortunately the clips are only in Georgian, so you need an interpreter. But the stories are well told through pictures, so have a go at it!

Dear Rustavi 2

This documentaries are of such high quality, and have so much to offer also for westerners not speaking Georgian: Can you PLEASE add english subtitles? Please...Please?

View the documentaries

Merry X-mas!

2006-12-23T19:39:00.000+01:00

I would like to wish you all a merry x-mas and a happy new year. (Ok. I know Georgians are celebrating in January, but still). I will now pay special attention to traditional Norwegian food, exessive lazyness, and hopefully some family-disputes for the next few days.

Here's to you and your families!

The Break-Away Triade

2006-12-19T10:48:00.000+01:00

Parliamentarians from the breakaway regions of Abkhazia, Transdnestria and South Ossetia called on the international community to recognize their independence and build equal relations with the three breakaway regions, the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee reported on December 18”(Civil.ge)

"Tell me who your friends are, and I 'll tell you who you are"
Transdnestria is a hard-core dictatorship founded on nepotism and brutalism run by former Russian FSB/KGB-officers backed by Russia. As shown on a French documentary, a BBC reporter was offered to buy “dirty bombs” from officials in the so called republic of Transdnestria. The biggest asset this “republic” posesses, is a formidable arsenal of weapons left there after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Illegal sales of weapons is one of the “republics” main income sources.

Exactly what you look for in a friend….?

Social Science in Caucasus

2006-12-17T15:20:00.000+01:00

I found this great blog which contains a lot of exiting research about people living in the Caucasus region. It is easy accessible and written as pretext with links to the in-depth material. Visit their homepage for more information. Most of it is written in English.

An Escalating Peace

2006-12-07T21:12:00.000+01:00

Aleksi Aleksishvili, Georgian Minister of Finance estimates a total loss of 250 million dollars due to the Russian Embargo. That equals 2.05% of Georgias GNP.

At the same time President Putin said in an interview with the Mexican publisher Mario Vasquez Rana that [..] there is no conflict between Russia and Georgia. The Georgian government, without Russia understanding anything of it, does everything to destroy the relationship between the two counties. During the last years Georgian politics has been extremely anti-Russian”, Putin says. In his opinion the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian Ossetian conflict heads towards armed conflict.

Fortunately we can depend on the Russian Peacekeepers
As there is no conflict between Russia and Georgia, we are witnessing an escalating peace, I guess. It is then a great comfort to us all that the Russian Duma emphasizes freedom of will, peace, human rights and stability in dealing with South Ossetia.

So: What's it going to be, Vladimir? Peace or armed peace?

Source: http://gazeta.ru/

Russian concern about human rights??

2006-12-06T18:42:00.000+01:00

"Concerned" Russians

- A statement from the Russian Duma which concerns South Ossetia, says that the November 12 independence referendum in the region has manifested “evident aspiration” of its population towards independence and it “should be fully taken into consideration by the international community in order to ensure human rights, peace and stability.”

- “The State Duma believes that the Russian Federation should build its policy based on the expression of free will by the people of South Ossetia, which was expressed during the recent referendum held in full compliance to the international legal norms and procedures, as well as based on the laws of the Russian Federation,” statement reads.

Unbelievable
The Russians giving advice to the international community regarding human rights, free will, peace and stability? Excuse me! Did the Russian Duma sleep the last six years? I think further comments are unnecessary. Someone must stop serving those people vodka.

Source: Civil Georgia

The Georgian Mothers

2006-12-03T16:28:00.000+01:00

Mothers are important in Georgia. To be fair I hadn’t done much thinking about mothers before a particular incident at a Tbilisi restaurant brought the subject to my attention.

"Generally you find three kinds of Mothers in Georgia. One traditional with capitol M and the second, more modern and younger version with small m, focused on creating a career for themselves outside the family still parallel with the traditions. The third mother is the more abstract and provoking kind, watching over the country (as seen on the picture). This kind of “mothers” with swords and strenghty attitude gives many Georgian men high blood pressure and force them into panic, at least in the columns of the Tbilisi newspapers, debating the shere presence of Mother Georgia standing on the hills above Tbilisi. She has, as a sign of contempt?, her back turned to the american “refugeecamp” of rich Americans wives living in their protected luxury quarters high above Tbilisi, shielded from the Georgian “plebeians”. It could be frustrating to have such a dualistic female statue stiring at you every day, watching your steps….

The complete article is found on my website.