US Backs Up Georgia’s Sovereignty

Russia Increases Pressure on Georgia

The US Administration has responded to the diplomatic war between Georgia and Russia and armed clashes in Chechnya near the Georgian borders that has been going on for the past few days.

“We are closely following the situation on the Russia-Georgia border. We would be seriously concerned to learn of any violations of that sovereignty.  So we’re closely monitoring reports of clashes between Russian troops and armed Chechen groups along Russia’s border with Georgia.” – this is a comment made by Phillip Ricker, Deputy Spokesman of the Department of State on July 31 in connection with violation of the Georgian airspace and bombing of unpopulated areas by the Russian helicopters.

In connection with Russia’s demand to deploy Russian military units in Pankisi, Phillip Ricker said, “we believe that the problems there should best be addressed by the Georgian Government”.  The United States works with Georgia to improve its capacity to provide better border security.  “We have a Train-and-Equip program that will assist Georgia in developing its own capability to control its own borders and conduct limited counter terrorism operations,” the Department of State official added. 

The statement by the US Department of State was preceded by exceptional activity of the Russian diplomatic circles and propaganda, claiming that Georgia is sheltering the terrorists. The official Moscow argues that the Georgian government did know beforehand the plans of incursion of the Chechen fighters from Pankisi. The Russian side refers to indications of a Georgian shepherd and two captured Chechen fighters to prove its claims.

Commander of the Russian Federal Border Guard Service Alexander Totski stated during the meeting with the Russian president Vladimir Putin on July 31 that the Russian border guards were informed about the possible incursion not by the official Tbilisi, but by a local Georgian shepherd. He was awarded order for courage by the Russian president.

On July 31 Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov of Russia, who was participating in ASEAN summit in Brunei, used the opportunity to accuse Georgia for harboring the terrorists.

Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagharishvili explained intense diplomatic war from the Russian side in his interview to Rustavi 2 TV: “This is an attempt to create a diplomatic umbrella for those aggressive actions, such as violation of the Georgian airspace and bombing of the Georgian territory”.

Another border incident has coincided with the ongoing diplomatic war: on July 31 local Georgian residents of Kodori gorge, the only part of breakaway Abkhazia controlled by the Georgian government, found a group of up to 30 well equipped Russian border guards.

As the Georgian President’s Representative to Kodori Emzar Kvitsiani has said, Russians left the Georgian territory only after negotiations with the Georgian Defense Minister David Tevzadze. Real purpose of appearance of the Russian soldiers in Kodori remained unclear, however soldiers said that they entered the gorge accidentally.

This was a third act of aggression by Russia in the past four days. Along with these events the Russian side keeps urging the Georgian side to allow deployment of the Russian army units to Pankisi. If not the strict position of the US government regarding this issue, Tbilisi probably could not have resisted to this pressure and Georgia would have been involved in yet another bloody conflict.

By Giorgi Sepashvili, Civil Georgia

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