Category: Caucasian Politics
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Gear for Tbilisi
I’ve been stewing on my Lara Marlowe post for some days. While I lack any of her experience in the field, and don’t intend filing copy in any way similar to her own, I do find myself asking how I would do things differently. And if I am to do things differently, I have to…
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Bias and a trip to Georgia
I have been accused of being biased in favour of Georgia in prior posts. I guess I should explain. Since the conflict I have been watching just as much CNN and Sky News as I have been Russia Today. The coverage of Russia Today has been astounding. I can’t recall watching such bile, it could…
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Journalists shot at in Georgia
An incredible piece of footage. Turkish journalists under fire in Georgia.
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Who started it?
It seems to be this has been the biggest question of the war. In general, Western media have attributed blame to Saakashvili for starting an assault on Tshinvali. They then conclude that this was a massive miscalculation on his part. But we have no evidence either way of who fired first, or whether Georgia was…
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Bush's push
As confusion reigns about what exactly the Russians are doing in Georgia, the situation no longer looks as stable at it did yesterday. So Bush has taken the first option I indicated, “he could escalate the stakes by sending a US fleet to the Eastern Mediterranean or the Black Sea”. President Bush also said U.S.…
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On the move?
There are a huge amount of conflicting reports about what exactly Russian troops are doing in Georgia. AP is reporting that “Troops waved at journalists and one soldier jokingly shouted to a photographer: “Come with us, beauty, we’re going to Tbilisi!” Georgian and Russian officials appear to be denying it is a move towards Tbilisi.…
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Marlowe in Georgia
I have been reading and indeed listening with interest to Lara Marlowe’s exploits in Georgia. The telephone interview with her is up on the Irish Times website. The IT has recently gone down this route of interviewing their own journalists in various locations. It certainly adds value. But could she be doing more? I’d like…
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What does the US do now?
Bush said: Russia’s government must respect Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Russian government must reverse the course it appears to be on, and accept this peace agreement as a first step toward resolving this conflict. Russia’s actions this week have raised serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region. These actions have…
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Bush's statement
Reading between the lines this statement is has a number of consequences. My reading of what he said is this: Threatening, bombing or taking Tbilisi International Airport (giving away some American, likely satellite, intelligence) is a Rubicon moment. If Russian forces act against the airport, it will be taken as crossing the Rubicon. Bush made…
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And it rolls on
The latest reports indicate that Russian forces have captured the Georgian airbase at Senaki, in Georgia proper. We have to ask why Russia is now pushing on, and what its strategy may be. We also have to question the media’s rather curious comparisons between Russia’s conventional military power, and that of Georgia. Let’s take the…