11.08.2008 Georgia. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, left, and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, right, touring Gori.
Photo: Vasily Shaposhnikov
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Blamestorming in Georgia
New “blamestorming” has started in Georgia, which appears natural given that the country still has more or less active opposition. President Saakashvili promised back in August to set up a body of that kind expecting that the commission would finally justify his actions.
Today the new commission looks “vegetarian”. It would be more reasonable to try to answer the questions posed by Georgia’s second famous (after Mr Saakashvili) politician Nino Burjanadze, who turned from the President’s ally into his opponent.
Moreover, there is much speculation in the world that Georgia started the mess itself, and now doesn’t want to admit it. The commission’s hearings can be regarded as a sort of reaction to the world’s public opinion.
No doubt, the commission won’t shed light on the five-day war and President Saakashvili’s actions. Only the possibility to question the Government’s line will be demonstrated.
The commission’s work is likely to arouse malicious joy with Russian politicians, who will say that if Georgians themselves admitted the possibility of making mistakes during the war, Mr Saakashvili’s Government does not have the support of the entire society. The Kremlin will closely watch who will criticize the President, and for what. You never know, some of the commission’s members might become Georgia’s next President.
All that said, no one in Russia has bothered to carry out public hearings regarding the war. The situation’s analysis and pure propaganda became a single unit.
However, there are still a lot of questions to answer. For example, why Russia’s troops were so slow; whether the military (including the Air Force) did everything right; whether the facts of genocide were registered. By the way, China insisted on excluding the mentioning of genocide from the declaration adopted at the latest SCO summit.
I presume that, as a winner (which is doubtless), Russia should speak about mistakes. Unless it is done, the public will question much of what the Government tells it, including the real death toll, looting, and the true scope of destruction in Tskhinvali.
Under such circumstances ordinary people will have more evidence that they should not fully trust the Government. At the times of a financial crunch, which is turning into an economic crisis, the Government needs trust as never before. Provided that this Government has a clear vision of the situation, of course.
Alexey Malashenko, expert with the Carnegie Moscow Center
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 27, 2008
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