- Home
- About Us
- Contributors
- Departments
- Topics
- Back Issues
- Weekly Archives
- AmSpecBlog
- Subscribe
- Newsletter
- Advertise
- Donate
- Contact Us
- Daily Digest
- Templeton Essays
AmSpecBlog
We Are All Georgian (Aggressors) Now
Last year the impulsive authoritarian Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili presented the meme that his was a heroic government victimized by the evil Russians. American politicians like Sen. John McCain rushed to the Georgian standard, declaring that "We're all Georgians now."
Make that "We're all Georgian (aggressors) now."
Yesterday the European Union provided additional evidence that Georgia actually started the war. Reports the BBC:
As a European Union report into last year's conflict between Georgia and Russia puts a large part of the blame on Georgia, the BBC's Tom Esslemont in Tbilisi asks where this leaves the small Caucasian nation.
Even before the EU-sponsored report was published, Georgia was pushing the line that it does not matter who fired the first shot. The main issue, it said, is Russia's ongoing "occupation" of its sovereign territory and years of stoking tensions between Georgia and its rebel regions.
Now the independent inquiry into the conflict has concluded. But it is not entirely the conclusion Georgia wanted to hear.
It said Georgia's use of force on the night of 7 August 2008 was not justifiable in the context of international law.
It also said that it could not substantiate "Georgian claims of a large-scale presence of Russian armed forces in South Ossetia prior to the Georgian offensive on 7/8 August".
The Georgian government's response - as expected - has been to dismiss those comments.
There's much to blame on Russia, particularly its brutal, disproportionate response to Georgia's attack. But for the West, which attacked Serbia in 1989 in order to detach Kosovo from Belgrade's control, to complain about Moscow's support for South Ossetian and Abkhazian independence is rather rich in hypocrisy. Washington cares about the territorial integrity of nations only when it's convenient. The U.S. can hardly complain about Russia not behaving in a more principled fashion.
But the most important lesson of the Russia-Georgia war is how foolish it would be to extend NATO membership to a country which is not only irrelevant to American security but prone to start wars with nuclear-armed powers. It was one thing for America to risk all to protect Europe from the Evil Empire. But to contemplate a nuclear confrontation on behalf of a country prepared to foolishly initiate hostilities against Moscow? Such a step would make America less, not more, secure.
Comments
Leave a Comment
- Tex Mess
- The Podhoretz Method
- The Right of Conscience in the Age of Obama
Martin| 10.1.09 @ 10:32AM
You bought the EU spin-artist propaganda wholesale, didn't you? Like the Obama administration in Honduras, the EU will always support the left against the right, and manufacture evidence to support its leftism and disarmament.
Georgia is abastion of economic freedom in a very collectivist region. Doesn't mean we should start World War III to save it. But it certainly is more worthy of NATO intervention than Afghanistan or Iraq (given that Al Qaeda HQ is in fact in Pakistan, which we pretend is an ally.)
S.L. Toddard| 10.1.09 @ 10:42AM
"There's much to blame on Russia, particularly its brutal, disproportionate response to Georgia's attack"
Of course, most Wilsonian internationalist Republicans have no credibility to criticize Russia for a brutal and disproportionate response, considering their condemnation of the very idea of proportionate response vis a vis Israel's actions in the Gaza War.
Excellent piece, Mr. Bandow. Bravo.
Tim| 10.1.09 @ 12:08PM
Where are all the folks who wanted to send in cruise missiles, Marines and Rangers? You guys were slobbering all over the place on this last year.
Rich| 10.1.09 @ 12:20PM
Tim, I don't remember much, if any, serious talk about about marines and cruise missile. Revisionist history, or just making things up, is great, isn't it?
Tim| 10.1.09 @ 4:18PM
Let me clarify, not Amspec bloggers, posters, of whom there were several.
Rich| 10.1.09 @ 12:33PM
When I first read this post, I thought it was a joke, such as Hillary Clinton taking over your body. However, unfortunately I don't think you are joking. First, I highly doubt the objectivity of the EU in its report, given its cowering in fear of and reliance for natural gas on Russia. This is Javier Salina we are taking about. As for your argument about extending Nato to Georgia, we could use the same argument to Greece, Norway, Portugal, Benelux countries as well. Why didn't you do that? There are also significant differences between Kosovo and Georgia. First of all, the US attacks were to stop ethnic cleansing, not to support Kosovo independence. Did the attacks aid independence, well yes as obviously presenting the forcible removal of Kosovans from their home aiding the independence movement. I guess you have a problem with that or are you in favor of genocide? Secondly, S Ossetia and Abkhazia are part of Georgia, only conquered by Russia by force and have limited (Russian only, I believe) recognition of their independence. To assume the legitimacy of claims of indepence for them is crazy and to deny history. Ultimately, your position supports the re-incorporation of the old Soviet Union, with no resistance from the US as freedom, human rights and self-determination are not worth fighting for. I wonder how the 100K war dead from WWI, 400K of war dead from WWII and all the others who have died in support of those values feel about that? I think there must be an opening at the Obama state dep't for you.
Otto| 10.1.09 @ 12:56PM
This sound like a joke Article, This report shows that Georgia suffered more the Russia, more Georgian are now without houses and Georgians were ethnically cleansed from those areas by Russians so of course we are all Georgians and not the aggressors as you mention, i do not see anything in this report that Georgia was aggressor on it's own soil and def. not on Russian one, you must be like one of the Russian propaganda machines.
Pingback| 10.1.09 @ 1:55PM
We Are All European Union Reports Now « Around The Sphere links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Ruben| 10.1.09 @ 2:51PM
This guy is not serious.
First of all the West attacked Serbia in 1999 and not in 1989. Second, the intervention did not mean to help Kosovo secede from Serbia, but to stop an humanitarian catastrophe caused by the heavy-handed Serbian army which was needlessly targeting the civilian population.
It is a weak and naive attempt to warn America against offering NATO membership to Georgia. He warns that this would cause a nuclear confrontation. I am sure he reached this conclusion based on the same correct information sources that he used to describe the Kosova War of 1999.
I can't believe I wasted five minutes in this place.
Dragoslav| 10.3.09 @ 11:24PM
"First of all the West attacked Serbia in 1999 and not in 1989. Second, the intervention did not mean to help Kosovo secede from Serbia, but to stop an humanitarian catastrophe caused by the heavy-handed Serbian army which was needlessly targeting the civilian population. "
and what would be the appropriate response to a terrorist group(the kla were labelled as such in 1998 by the CIA)which is killing policemen,soldiers and civilians.I suppose nato bombing bridges,hospitals,schools,factories and market places was proportionate.Read more about the war in kosovo to find out what really happened ,please dont regurdgitate the same old hate propaganda against Serbs.God bless.
Red Phillips| 10.1.09 @ 5:30PM
Thank God for the sanity of Doug Bandow among all the crazed interventionists here. He is to be commended for co-existing with all these liberal interventionists without pulling his hair out.
And isn't it just like a bunch of Lincoln venerating "conservatives" to support Georgia against secessionist South Ossetia. Who cares about the self determination of South Ossetia when you can fret about Georgia’s “territorial integrity” (Ossetia was never part of Georgia until Stalin declared it so) and fear monger about the resurgent Russian Bear.
Pathetic. You clowns wouldn’t know conservatism if it bit you on the rear.
Nick| 10.1.09 @ 11:07PM
"Washington cares about the territorial integrity of nations only when it's convenient."
You can substitute Washington with S.L. Toddard.
Apsua| 10.3.09 @ 12:19PM
To Rich: Abkhazia was made a part of Georgia in 1931 only by the will of the bloody dictator Stalin. You know what followed? 90 per cent of Abkhazian intellectuals, politicians and public figures was murdered, the Abkhazian school closed and teachers thrown to the streets, to be replaced by Georgian teachers to teach Abkhazians in the language they simply did not know. Stalin planned to exile all Abkhazians to Siberia to follow the Chechens, but he died before he could fulfil his plans. Take 1992-1993 : the Georgians invaded Abkhazia, killed 4 per cent of its entire population, burned the Abkhaz national archives and cultural institutions. The chief Georgian commander greeted the Abkhazians on the Abkhaz TV with open threat of genocide (to be found on YouTube now). Tell, why do you want us Abkhazians to be a part of that genocidal state? No, thank you, never again!
electgogo| 10.29.09 @ 10:57AM
The contents of article are wonderful!!!Great!
brand new discounting Laptop Batteries
brand new discounting Laptop cpu fans