Georgian troops mutiny ahead of NATO exercises

Georgian authorities foiled an attempted army mutiny that they believe was designed to disrupt planned NATO exercises in the former Soviet republic, the country’s interior ministry said Tuesday. About 500 troops at a military base outside the capital, Tbilisi, were involved in the rebellion, said Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili. Full Story : CNN.com…..

Georgian president resists resignation demands

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili vowed Friday to remain in office until his term ends, defying calls by anti-government protesters that he step down. Up to 60,000 demonstrators took to the streets Thursday, issuing a 24-hour ultimatum to Saakashvili to resign. Full Story : CNN.com…..

Tens of thousands march in Tblisii to demand ouster of Georgian leader Saakashvili

Tens of thousands of protesters thronged the Georgian capital Tbilisi today for the start of mass demonstrations to oust Mikheil Saskashvili, the country’s flamboyant but increasingly unpopular president. The US-trained lawyer has come under increasing pressure since Georgia’s disastrous war with Russia last year, which even some of Mr Saakashvili’s key allies have accused him of mishandling and for which, they say, he should take responsibility. Full Story : Timesonline.co.uk…..

Russsia Vs Georgia Computer Game

“Confrontation: Peace Enforcement” is the name of the computer game developed by Russian programmers,which will be released next month. The strategy game, supposes what might happen if Georgia decided to have another go at retaking the region with support from NATO. “Nato does not stay out of it, pushing Poland forward as its representative and Ukraine blockades the Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol,” according to the description of the game supplied by its creators.

Birth of Two New Nations.

Russia formally recognizes the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which have had de facto independence since the early 1990s, thanked Russia. The US state department had said that recognition of the two provinces’ independence would be “a violation of Georgian territorial integrity” and “inconsistent with international law”. Russian president Medvedev called on all other countries to follow suit.“That was a no easy choice to make, but it is the sole chance of saving people’s lives,” he said. US and western European countries recognized Kosovo’s independence early this year amid strong protection from Russia. There are 192 member countries in United Nations, even though Kosovo and Vatican City are recognized as independent countries they are not members of UN. With the addition of two new countries there are 196 countries in the world now.

Fragile fictions of ’sovereignty’ and ‘territorial integrity’

Just a few months ago the United States along with Britain, Germany and a host of Western states, embraced the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo from Serbia, over the vehement protests of Russia. The Western states solemnly declared that the will of the majority of Kosovans could not be ignored for the sake of ’sovereignty’ or ‘territorial integrity’. Last week these roles were laughably reversed. It was the West which backed Georgia’s onslaught into South Ossetia to end the rebellion - even though the entire population there, along with that of Abhazia, clearly want to be free of Georgian rule. The two contrasting situations have revealed the utter hypocrisy of the United States, Europe and the Russia when it comes to notions of ’sovereignty’ or ‘territorial integrity’; they have amply illustrated that whether these are important principles or fragile fictions depends wholly on if and how they suit or frustrate the self-interested maneuvers of powerful states.

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Russia and Georgia agree on Peace plan

Russia and Georgia agreed an outline peace plan brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy after Moscow ordered a ceasefire in the six-day battle over the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia. The plan includes six conditions for peace, including the withdrawal of Georgian and Russian troops to positions held before the conflict and an end to the use of force. But the two sides remained split over the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another separatist region, and on the introduction of international peacekeepers. Fighting erupted last Thursday night when Georgia attacked South Ossetia.

Russia and Georgia at War

Russia sent its troops into South Ossetia, a day after Georgian forces were sent in to seize the region. South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia after a 1992 civil war. Around 1,400 people had been killed by the aerial bombardment of The South Ossetia capital of Tskhinvali by Georgian air force. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Georgian forces were engaged in a campaign of ethnic cleansing. Georgia, a U.S. ally against war against terrorism, has about 2,000 troops in Iraq. It is the third-largest contributor to coalition forces after the United States and Britain.

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