This video is an interview with “Joe Mestas, American citizen living in South Ossetia, who witnessed everything that [was] happening in the region.”
From United States magazine Rolling Stone, reviewing the new album by Metallica:
Death Magnetic is the musical equivalent of Russia’s invasion of Georgia — a sudden act of aggression from a sleeping giant.Well, I don’t intend to discuss Rolling Stone’s views on music here.
Not even whether Russia committed “aggression” against Georgia. However, even people who consider that the Russian army did commit “aggression” will have to recognize it was not “sudden”.
As it was a reaction to the invasion by the army of Georgian president Saakashvili in South Ossetia; which killed and wounded thousands of Ossetian civilians and drove ten thousands of them across the North Ossetian border; which also killed Russian soldiers, in South Ossetia as peacekeepers according to a treaty signed by the Georgian government.
From Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad, 11 September 2008, paper edition, page 4. Quoting a Russian soldier in South Ossetia:
“What an absurd war, really. Georgians and South Ossetians have always gotten along so well. Behind this fence, a Georgian-Ossetian couple has been living for years.” …“Can NATO Survive Georgia?” -Immanuel Wallerstein.On the way back to Tschinvali we pass a burnt out customs office. “Here, we have been selling our products to the Georgians for years”, the very tall Zjota says … “It always went well. Until Saakashvili grabbed power, and immediately stopped that trade.”…
Then, his [Zjota’s] next door neighbour, Georgi Papashvili, comes out. He is a 63 year old Georgian, married to an Ossetian. “No one here is against me”, he says. “Relationships between Georgians and South Ossetians in Tschinvali have always been good. I was born here and I want to get old here. I am only afraid because of my sister in Tblisi [capital of Georgia]. Because, if they will find out in Georgia that I have stayed here, they will take that out on her.”…
We drive out of the city in a western direction, to the village of Getagurova. It was along the way of the Georgian forces, who left a track of fire and destruction in all villages which they passed on their way to Tschinvali.
Four women are drinking coffee, sitting on stools along the road. “Here, eight people have been killed”, the least shy of them, Rita Bestajeva, says. “They shot my male next door neighbour’s head off”.
She takes us to the garden of a burnt out house and points out a bomb’s crater.
“There, we have buried a 75 year old lady who lived next door. Her body was completely burnt. And in the garden on the other side, that nice man Pjotr Mamijev lies. Georgian soldiers had buried him in his cornfield”.
Scandinavian countries respond to Russia-Georgia conflict: here.
DID SAAKASHVILI LIE? The West Begins to Doubt Georgian Leader: here.
Interview with Lasha Shawdia, Anti-war Movement Georgia
Public protest against NATO today is impossible in Georgia. I myself was
detained and tortured in the aftermath of the war. The Communist Party is
declared a terrorist group and any opposition against the war is labeled
destructive force. A kind of Georgian Patriot Act has been enacted, which
de facto bans us.
The propaganda apparatus set in motion by NATO is very powerful. There is
for example not a single TV channel which counters this line. Nevertheless
the popular sentiments changed after the war. Many understood that the
rapprochement with NATO does not serve the interests of the people and
that friendly relations with Russia are indispensible. Furthermore we need
to be part of the Russian economic area in order to revive our economy.
We insist on the restoration of the territorial integrity of Georgia and
do not support the disintegration. But with a government in Tblisi which
wants to join NATO at any cost, this is not possible. We support South
Ossetia and Abkhazia inasfar as they struggle against the accession into
NATO. We are for the unity of Georgia in friendship with Russia.
View the entire interview:
www.antiimperialista.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5838&Itemid=55
Comment by Administrator — October 9, 2008 @ 12:19 am