ABOUT SAHAKASHVILI, THE GEORGIAN OPPOSITION AND FEMALE LOYALTY
The transmission of Imedi Georgian TV, showing a staged Russian attack against
Georgia, allegedly launched on 13 March, is still one of the top stories
discussed in mass media.
I suppose there is no need considering the reasons for broadcasting this
programme that took away the lives of several old people from the Georgian
nation, enriching the lamentably impressive list of the victims of the “policy”
conducted by Mikhail Sahakashvili. There is another point calling for special
attention. On 16 March, the press published the telephone conversation of
Georgi Arveladze, Director General of Imedi TV, with Eko Tsamalashvili, the
host of the Special Report Programme, that had taken place the day before the
aforementioned TV broadcast. During their emotional talk, G. Arveladze refers
to the direct instructions given by “Misha” (i.e. Sahakashvili), forcing his
employee into airing the programme without notification of its being staged.
In his comments on this material, the Director General of Imedi declared that
his conversation had been simulated and made public by the Special Services of
Russia. This version, however, is highly doubtful. Firstly, it implies that
prior to its publication, the CIA, FIS or FSB organised the airing of the
report on a TV channel controlled by the Georgian authorities, which is
impossible. Secondly, it is incredible that the broadcast was shown on the
initiative of the journalists themselves. Were they dreaming of reaching the
glory of Orson Welles, who frightened half of America in 1938 with his radio
version of the War of Worlds? Even Kshishtof Dombrovski, Head of the Polish
portal kaukaz.pl who is known for his loyalty to the Georgian powers, stated
the following in his interview to Talk FM Radio Station: “This channel used to
represent the Opposition, but today... it is controlled by a person from the
ruling camp. It is hard to think that such a powerful video could have been
released without permission from the supreme powers.” Thirdly, the broadcast of
the staged chronicle of events following the alleged Russian invasion inflicted
such heavy damage on the image of Sahakashvili and his camp outside Georgia
that Russia no longer needs to do anything to that end (the statements by the
French and British ambassadors, Eric Fournier and Denis Keefe, who severely
condemned the broadcast of Imedi, speak for themselves).
The source of the “leakout” of information on the conversation between G.
Arveladze and the programme host should rather be searched for inside Georgia,
or among its former citizens who abandoned it for fear of sharing the fate of
many Georgian political figures and businessmen who once got in Sahakashvili’s
way. So let us enumerate the versions that seem more verisimilar:
First (“conflict due to business”): the printed conversation “leaked out” into
the press with the efforts of the relatives of the former head of Imedi, Badra
Patarkatsishvili, who is trying, by applying to international courts, to
restitute the TV company Sahakashvili took from him.
Second (“vendetta in a Georgian way”): in its publication might be involved the
former companions-in-arms of the Georgian President, who remain deadly insulted
by him—ex-Minister of Defence Irakli Okruashvili, or the ex-representative of
Georgia in the UN, Irakli Alasaniya. It might also be of benefit to certain
forces in the USA and the West which counted on these political figures.
Third (“oppositional”): the “leakout” of the conversation of G. Arveladze is
the response of the Opposition leaders—first of all, ex-Speaker Nino Burjanadze
and ex-Premier Zurab Nogaideli—accused by Sahakashvili of treason and ties with
Moscow. It might also be viewed as part of the ongoing struggle towards the
mayoral elections of Tbilisi, scheduled for the end of May.
Fourth (“clannish”): this story might involve people from the camps of
ex-President Edward Shevardnadze, or former “master”of Ajaria Aslan Abashidze
(the latter was banished by Sahakashvili), who have lost money and power, but
not influence. This is further substantiated by the recent press publications
about the February meeting in Batumi between Sahakashvili and Berezovsky. At
that time, the runaway oligarch allegedly gave the Georgian President the idea
of a TV broadcast on a staged attack. It is beyond doubt that these (and many
other) people find it advantageous for themselves to harm Sahakashvili, doing
for this everything within their power. However, it remains uncertain how they
were technically able to intercept the conversation by satellite. It is at this
very point that the fifth (“treachery”) version arises. According to it, the
transmission showing the Russians’ attack against Georgia and the subsequent
press expose of G. Arveladze were the consequences of an inner conflict in
Sahakashvili’s team. As reported by Regnum Agency, Georgian Minister of
Interior Affairs Vano Merabishvili violently objected to the broadcast of the
staged transmission. For this reason, it was aired when the Head of the
Ministry of Interior Affairs had gone abroad. This has given rise to the
presumption that the intercepted telephone conversation of the Director General
of Imedi was made public by the very Ministry headed by V. Merabishvili.
By the way, until very lately the Minister of Interior Affairs was considered
one of Sahakashvili’s best companions-in-arms. To him is ascribed the
organisation of the majority of the “dark” episodes of the recent history of
Georgia connected with the disappearance, or mysterious deaths of many of the
opponents of the President, the activity of the so-called “squadrons of death”
in the regions of the country inhabited by ethnic minorities, and the
establishment of “blocking detachments” (or anti-retreat forces) during the war
of August 2008.
Apparently, even this companion-in-arms of Sahakashvili’s realises that the
collapse of his regime is near and is attempting to dissociate himself from his
half-sane boss as soon as possible.
It is evident that not only V. Merabishvili, but also others from the
presidential team avoid commenting on the scandal connected with Imedi TV. It
is only the female members of Sahakashvili’s camp that manifest unswerving
faithfulness to him. His Press Secretary Manana Manjgaladze held a pompous
meeting with journalists during which she did her utmost to defend “the leader
of all Georgians.” In her turn, in her attempts to save her boss’s image,
Secretary of the Security Council of Georgia Eka Tkeshelashvili hysterically
called on the Western PR companies to help them (in this field, the authorities
of Georgia work in close partnership with David Cracknell’s British Firm
Project Associates, Public Strategies American Company, as well as prominent PR
specialists Daniel Kunin, Gregory Maniatis and others).
However, after the scandal connected with Imedi, even their efforts will hardly
be enough for anybody in the West to take Sahakashvili for a political figure
of at least partly sound mind.
Alexei MUKHIN
Director General of the
Centre of Political Information
http://www.standard.rs/
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