Georgian Military Had to Stay in South Ossetia
// Another conflict broke out in the conflict zone ahead of Condoleezza Rice’s visit
Georgia and South Ossetia are teetering on the brink of war
Yesterday the tensions in the zone of the Georgia – South Ossetia conflict got so much fueled that they were about to result in a military confrontation. In response to the detention of four Georgian military by South Ossetian security officers Tbilisi threatened to use force when freeing those “kidnapped.” The strain was taken off as Tskhinvali decided to release the captives, though a high combat readiness level was declared in South Ossetia. Both Russia and the USA are worried about the explosive situation in Georgia. Moscow has put the question of the situation in the region for discussion in the UN Security Council, and Washington has urged to change the format of the peace-keeping mission in Abkhazia, putting the blame on Moscow.
“Georgians are waiting for the “Go!” command”
Yesterday the authorities of South Ossetia reported detaining four Georgian military men in the zone of the conflict on Monday night. “Those detained turned out officers and sergeants of an artillery brigade. They were arrested in an Ossetian village of Okona, where the Georgian party has been amassing its artillery units,” Irina Gagloeva, Chief of the breakaway republic’s Information and Press Committee, stated. “According to preliminary data, the group was to reconnoitre the future battle-field to correct the artillery fire.” Ms Gagloeva listed the names and military ranks of those detained: Colonel Zviad Berikashvili, corporal Nikolos Megrelashvili, sergeants Givi Alim Barashvili and Ramaz Kolichishvili. At the same time officials with South Ossetia’s Interior Ministry assured Kommersant that the Georgian military will be charged with espionage and trespassing, and later they’ll be exchanged for Ossetian soldiers who are in Georgia’s prisons now.
At first Tbilisi flatly denied the messages about the detention of its military. But then Commander-in-Chief of the peace-keeping mission with the united headquarters of Georgia’s armed forces Mamuka Kurashvili acknowledged that the four military men “visited one of the families in the conflict zone, but they were kidnapped by separatist brigades consisting of local Ossetins and North Caucasians.” “Unless the military are released in no time, the Georgian state will do its best to set them free,” the Commander-in-Chief threatened. After it, all Georgian TV channels broadcast Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili’s address he delivered at the session of the country’s Security Council. “We demand that the kidnapped officers be released immediately. Otherwise, I will order that the Georgian Interior Ministry set them free using all means provided by the law,” the head of state said.
At first, these statements were ignored by South Ossetia. Moreover, Chief of the breakaway republic’s Home Office Mikhail Mindzaev stated that the captives will be released only in case a 14-year-old teenager, who was allegedly detained by the Georgian police in the zone of the conflict, is freed. A few hours later, after the OSCE interfered in the matter, Tskhinvali yielded. “We decided to set the military free and we haven’t let the Georgians, who resemble hungry dogs waiting for the “Go!” command, push ourselves around,” Ms Gagloeva told Kommersant. “But there is no détente still. The situation is utterly tense.” According to Irina Gagloeva, the Georgian security officers have been stoking tensions. From her viewpoint, they have been preparing for a military operation. “Georgian civilian population and children have been evacuated from the neighboring Georgian villages. Georgia’s peacekeepers have taken all their stuff out of the united headquarters of maintaining peace in Tskhinvali. A high combat readiness level has been declared in our republic, though we do not want to wage war.”
“Georgian aggression is ridiculous”
Georgia has denied the accusations of preparations for hostilities. “All these messages about evacuation are lies. The population is where it was. No one is preparing for war,” head of the Analytical Center with the Georgian Interior Ministry Shota Utiashvili told Kommersant. “It’s just Kokoyty’s tactics (Eduard Kokoyty is the President of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia – Kommersant). He will tell you about a forthcoming war every month, but you shouldn’t trust his statements. We are much more worried about the fueling of tensions after a few months of lull. It all started with an assassination of Sanakoev (Dmitry Sanakoev is the head of the South Ossetian administration loyal to Georgia – Kommersant).” According to Mr Utiashvili, after this assassination the Georgian party decided to seize Sarabuk. “It is located above the road where the mine against Sanakoev was laid. We had to seize it to make the route safe in the future,” the official with the Interior Ministry said.
The Administration of Mikhail Saakashvili suggested that we shouldn’t pay much attention to the “hysterics of the authorities in Tskhinvali.” “Georgian aggression? Sounds ridiculous. No one is making any preparations for war,” a high-ranking official with the Presidential Chancellery told Kommersant.
At the same time, the relentless terrorist attacks in Abkhazia and the mounting confrontation with South Ossetia arouses concerns of Washington and Moscow. Monday, the U.S. Department of State for the first time officially reacted to the escalation of the conflict in Abkhazia. And it was done with unprecedented harshness. “The United States reiterates its strong support for Georgia’s territorial integrity, and calls for an immediate halt to recent bombings on both sides of the ceasefire line in Abkhazia, Georgia. We urge the Georgian Government and Abkhaz de facto authorities to build on efforts of the UN Friends group and resume direct talks,” the State Department’s press-release reads.
The USA has virtually attached the blame for the escalation of the conflict to Russia. Washington calls on Russia “to reverse its recent provocative steps in Abkhazia and consult Tbilisi on any future steps in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia.” Besides, the USA noted “the urgent need for an international police presence in the areas where these bombings have occurred.” This said, the State Department demanded that Russia replace its peace-keeping contingent with international forces.
Yesterday in his interview to the Georgian Rustavi-2 channel, Matthew J. Bryza, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, declared that “the world community must persuade Russia to stop its provocative activities in Abkhazia.” Condoleezza Rice, who arrives in Tbilisi for an official visit, is likely to follow this line, too. According to the information of Kommersant, in the course of her visit she’ll discuss with Mikhail Saakashvili deployment of international forces in the conflict zone. Yesterday Ms Rice expressed her vision of Moscow’s peace-keeping role, “To tell the truth, Russia’s policy within a few months has escalated the conflict in the region.”
Yesterday Russian officials preferred to abstain from categorical statements. For all that, the Russian party brought up the issue of the situation in Georgia during consultations at the UN security Council.
Vladimir Solovyov, Alexander Gabuev; Georgy Dvali, Tbilisi
All the Article in Russian as of July 09, 2008
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