Feral Jundi

   Hey guys and gals, I have a real treat for FJ readers in regards to the latest developments going on in Georgia.  We have a guest author who lives in Georgia, but is currently working in Iraq, who has written a gem of an article.  Chris is his name, and he has graciously allowed me to post his ideas and thoughts on the current events in Georgia.    

     Chris is currently working in Iraq, as I have stated, and has had to deal with two wars–one for work and one impacting his home.  His family was in Georgia during the beginning of the war and luckily they were able to get out of Georgia as events unfolded.  Very scary stuff and by the grace of god, they made it out safely.  It is extremely unfortunate that they had to leave their home like that.  

     For the backdrop on this article, Chris was responding to a question about his views on the situation there in Georgia in a forum called The Black Flag Cafe.  Like most forums that cover current affairs and world events, the BFC has been very active with discussion about the war in Georgia.  

     I have found the BFC to be an excellent source of ideas and discourse, when trying to analyze and understand current events that are happening quickly.  The BFC is also owned and moderated by the author Robert Young Pelton.

     Thanks to Chris for such a well thought out article and I wish the best for him and his family during this most unfortunate of events. –Head Jundi

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From a discussion on the Black Flag Cafe in regards to the current war in Georgia…

By Chris

Here is a shot at enlightening all of you about some of the past events that have led us to where we are today.

Zviad Gamsakhurdia is largely blamed for the conflict in S. Osettia. This is in part because he opposed the S. Osettian movement (around 1989 I think) to become part of N. Osettia, and in part because many of his supporters used the slogan “Georgia for the Georgians”. I could be wrong, but I do not believe that this was ever his slogan.

During Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s presidency fighting again broke out in S. Ossetia (1991-1992). People on both sides (Georgians and Ossetians) of the conflict were displaced. Russians move in and stop the fighting, and install themselves as peace keepers.

About this time Zviad Gamsakhurdia’s government was overthrown by several members of his inner circle as well as forces from Russia. Russia sent in their boy Eduard Shevardnadze back down to his home land. Many people believe that he agreed to trade S. Ossetia and Abkhazia for the presidency. At any rate Shevardnadze (Chevy if you are GHWB) took control in or around January of 1992. Chevy abolished the office of president, and appointed himself supreme puba.

In the Autumn of 1992 fighting in Abkazia began. Some say that it began at a university in Sukhumi over the right to use Georgian language to study in or not. I really do not know or care why it started, because in the end it was over bull shit. What I do know is that around 10,000 Georgians and other ethnic groups were killed in the fighting and that 250,000+ people lost their homes. At the time of the fighting Georgians made up slightly less than 50% of the population. Even though the were slightly less than 50% of the population they were the majority.. The remaining 50+% was a mixture of Armenians, Russians, Abkhaz, Greek, etc, etc.

When the Georgian armed forces intervened they retook Sukhumi, until Russian forces, Abkhaz separatists, and Cossack militants began attacking. From what I understand at least 3 cease fires were called. Each time a cease fire was called Russia used it as an opportunity to reinforce militant positions until they were strong enough to make the final push on Sukhumi. This is where Shamil Basayev is said to have cut is teeth. I believe later in life he said that he regretted fighting on the Abkaz side, because he realized that he and his men had been played by the Russians.

Chevy vows to stay in Sukhumi or die, but goes back on his word (too bad if he had only died then) and flees. Russia again installs themselves as peace keepers and all is well.

Now that our short history lesson for the night is over (yes there may be mistakes, because this comes from memory of past readings) we can talk a bit about the negotiating formats that have led us to the events of the past week.

For many years Georgia has said that the negotiating formats in Abkazia and S. Osseita were heavily tilted against them. In Abkazia the negotiations were pretty much Abkhaz against Georgians with Russia in the middle. In recent years the international community has made an attempt to involve itself in the negotiation format, but the Abkaz out right refuse to come to the table unless conditions X, Y, and Z are met first. I use X, Y, and Z because over the years the conditions have changed.

In S. Ossetia the negotiating format was 3+1. With the 3 being S. Ossetia, Georgia, and Russia. The +1 being N. Ossetia. I am not sure which jack ass signed this agreement (Zavid or Chevy), but they are just that, a jack ass. This format has proven even less useful than the one in Abkhazia.

Now that we see why there is such a problem settling these 16+ year old conflicts we can move on to the problem today.

You see on the Abkaz front a small portion of the IDPs have been allowed to return to the Gali region of Abkhazia. These Georgians (mainly Mingrelias) have been subject to martial law, beatings, rape, murder, extortion, not being allowed to study in their native language, and just about everything else. Russian peace keepers (that are there under the guise of CIS troops) in large part do jack shit to stop any of this. In fact Russians are constantly getting arrested for smuggling vodka, smokes, fuel, and other items into Georgia. I have personally almost been run over by a BTR-60 that I would bet was full of drunk Russian peace keepers. Oh yeah, they get arrested for driving their APCs around drunk often. As a matter of fact they drove one off a bridge a year or so back.

S. Ossetia on the other hand has pockets of Georgian Villages mixed in with S. Ossetian villages. Both sides are constantly taking pot shots at one another, but Russia has been supplying heavy equipment (in breach of several agreements with Georgia) to the S. Ossetian militants.

OSCE observers constantly make note of equipment, or structures (trenches and the like) that S. Ossetia should not have. Again Russian peace keepers are selective in how they choose to enforce the peace, but most of the time (99%) they largely ignore what the S. Ossetians do.

Since the denial of Georgia’s NATO bid Russia has stepped up the pressure. They have continually violated Georgian air space, they shot down a Georgia UAV (admittedly over Abkhazia) with a Mig 29 and then had the balls to say that their pilots had the day off when the Georgians produced video footage of the incident. Russia has been massing tanks at the N. Ossetian border saying that they were only conducting training exercises. All the while the rest of the world did nothing at all.

If you want my take on the past weeks events it went something like this…..

Putin: Hey Kokoity have your guys really start breaking the cease fire. Our peace keepers will turn a blind eye.

Kokoity: So you are telling me Vlad that if we just keep taking pop shots at the Georgians they will get fed up? Do you have our back?

Putin: Shit comrade, I am all over that shit like white on rice. It is the Olympics my comradizzel and the Americans are bussy in Iraq and A-Satn. The Eu aint got shit on me either, and while I am at it f*** NATO

Kokoity: Sounds good

So what happened next? Georgia got tired of being shot at, and made a much larger push then even Russia really expected. In doing so Georgia really f****** up, by not blowing the Roki tunnel FIRST! Russians pour in, and the rest is recent history. Oh yeah, then there is that part about the Russians using the forces they have been slowly building in Abkazia to attack Western Georgia, thus rendering my wife a refugee.

Are my views slightly slanted? Sure, but I feel that they are not too slanted, and the whole having lived there for more than four years thing gives me a little more knowledge about all of the little skirmishes that do not make the BBC.

Link to the Discussion on the BFC