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Arm Saakashvili, Arm the Opposition
// The price of the question
Many countries armed Georgia before the five-day war in August and provided it with military equipment of both defensive and offensive nature. For example, six 122-mm. RM-70 multiple rocket launchers, 24 Dana self-propelled howitzers and 70 T-72 tanks were purchased in the Czech Republic. Georgia bought five 262-mm. M-87 Orkan multiple launch missile systems from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bulgaria supplied it with grenade launchers and antitank complexes, and Greece provided grenade launchers as well.
The prudent Israelis limited their military-technical cooperation with Georgia to nonaggressive weapons – drones, electronic equipment for tanks and planes and Tavor TAR-21 assault rifles. The Georgians asked to buy 300 Merkava tanks, and were decisively refused. The Israelis showed enviable foresight. When relations between Russia and Israel became strained after the war over military supplies to Georgia, it passed quickly as Moscow sorted out the details.
Ukraine tops the list of suppliers to the Georgian armed forces. It spared nothing, selling them 90 T-72 tanks, seven Mi-24 assault helicopters, various self-propelled artillery units and, importantly, air defense elements – radar and ballistic missile complexes. That was the main reason Ukraine’s vicarious participation in the war turned into a major scandal. The administration of Viktor Yushchenko gave the opposition a chance it could not pass up.
From the legal point of view, there is little to find fault with. The Ukrainians violated no international norms with their arms supplies. On the other hands, Georgia could have been charged with exceeding the limits on weapons in the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe with its frenzy of weapons buying.
However, it should not go unnoted how it was done. Buk-M1 and Osa-AK/AKM ballistic missile complexes were simply taken off duty when they were designated for Georgia. It was a shocking practice for modern history. Contracts were met with maximum speed. Their real costs remain unknown. The Ukrspetsexport company, which is directly answerable to Yushchenko, was overeager to get rid of its weapons “overstock.” In addition, it was no secret to anyone that the Ukrainian arms would be used in a war against the unrecognized republics, which meant against Russia. Russia mentioned it ceaselessly.
The temporary investigative commission headed by member of the Supreme Rada Valery Konovalyuk has not yet shown any serious proof of illegal arms supplies to Georgia. But there can be no doubt that the commission will continue to operate. Arms scandals too often provide a way to topple the current regime.
Ivan Konovalov
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 29, 2008
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