From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: US/NATO: From Caucasus To South Asia, Abkhazia To Afghanistan [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- The Russian Issues October 10, 2001 -[T]he Georgian president is irritated by the Russian presence. He is constantly trying to bring in UN or even NATO troops. -Establishment of direct U.S. control in different parts of the globe is the main goal of the anti-terrorist globalisation. -The first and most obvious result of the anti-Taliban operation is the beginning of America's geopolitical presence in the sphere of Russia's interest in the CIS. Abkhazian Front In Afghan War Alan Kasaev During his most recent visit to the US, Eduard Shevarnadze thanked the State Department and George W. Bush in person for assisting democratic Georgia. With no interruption, he called for UN reformation and accused Russia of its "unconstructive" behavior in Abkhazia. Several days after Shevarnadze's visit, a group of fighters entered Abkhazia from Georgia-controlled territory and began robbing and killing people in a "constructive" way. It is very likely that among these bandits are the Chechens and Arabs of the so-called "Gelaev detachment" - a group of hungry and armed guerillas that has been hiding from Russian missiles on the Georgian side of the border for quite some time now. Yet the majority of the terrorists that came down from the mountains are the Svans that have been leading guerilla warfare against the Abkhazians for many years. The Russian peacemakers are about to enter the fight - they are being moved from Ochamchira to Northeast Sukhumi. The escalation of the Abkhazian conflict has not only coincided with the war in Afghanistan. These two events are synchronized even though the Abkhazian conflict is obviously seen as less important. Yet, the war in Afghanistan is happening thousands of kilometers from our borders, while the Abkhazian front is only a few kilometers away. Figuratively speaking, echo of explosions in Abkhazia could be heard in the presidential residence at Bocharov Ruchei (Sochi). Until now Russia has been a reliable peacemaker who did not take sides in the prolonged conflict between Georgia and Abkhazia. Yet the Georgian president is irritated by the Russian presence. He is constantly trying to bring in the UN or even NATO troops. This has been impossible until now. As a result of the internationalization of the conflict the Russians could be pushed out from Abkhazia. Shevarnadze is not going to support the Svans or Gelaev who are fighting on his side. On the contrary, he is going to condemn "Bin Laden's supporters and agents of Al-Qaida" and send in the Georgian army to "solve the conflict". This is the way it was done nine years ago, when the necessity to protect the roads from terrorists was used as an excuse to annex Abkhazia. Back then that operation led to thousands of casualties on both sides. Georgia was defeated in that war, but times have changed. Support of the world leaders and the public opinion in the West could be on the side of Shevarnadze, who would "help" the Abkhazians, who are obviously "defenseless against the international terrorists". Establishment of direct US control in different parts of the globe is the main goal of the anti-terrorist globalization. Shevarnadze's Georgia is desperately trying to fit this new reality. The experienced Georgian president is not going to miss an opportunity to become the "best anti-terrorist in the Caucasus." This way he could be remembered as the "land collector" and the "integrator into the western system of values" instead of the destroyer of Georgian economy and statehood and the father of large-scale corruption. After his US visit Shevarnadze changed his tone. For instance, yesterday he accused Russia of bombing the Kodor ravine and said that Georgia's reaction would be "harsh." In response, RF minister of defense Sergey Ivanov pointed out that the Georgian leadership was either assisting the terrorists or not controlling its own territory. The first and most obvious result of the anti-Taliban operation is the beginning of America's geopolitical presence in the sphere of Russia's interests in the CIS. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
