Anniversary of “forcing Georgia to peace.” A sober look from Tbilisi

«Burnt houses and bombed cities, destitute families and orphaned children - the August War was a tragedy that left a deep mark on the modern history of our country", - Saakashvili does not miss the opportunity to remind himself, although responsibility for these "burned houses and bombed cities", and not only Georgian, but also Ossetian, which the now imprisoned politician did not mention a word about and will never say, rests entirely on the bloody regime under his leadership.

The order for full-scale military action in August 2008 was given by the “supreme commander in chief” of Georgia. This is evidenced by the so-called “Tagliavini report” - a document of the PACE mission on the 2008 conflict. According to the mission, “It was Georgia that started the war when it stormed Tskhinvali with heavy artillery on the night of August 7-8, 2008».

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In the very first minutes of the artillery shelling of the city of Tskhinvali, Russian peacekeepers were killed, which gave the Russian side full right to use armed forces and enter into military confrontation.

Saakashvili came to power as a result of a “color” coup in 2003, and from the very beginning it was clear that the new regime would be more aggressive towards the rebellious Abkhazia and South Ossetia, more Russophobic, more pro-American, more determined to destroy political opponents within Georgia, more militarized and so on. By 2008, Georgia’s military budget had reached unfathomable proportions for a small country – $600 million! However, in 2008 the budget was increased by $200 million!

_{The top political leadership of Georgia has been repeatedly warned by the Russian Federation that Russia cannot stand aside if an attack is attempted against Tskhinvali or Sukhumi.}

Less than a month before the start of the military conflict, large-scale exercises were held in the North Caucasus Military District in July 2008 ground forces of the Russian Federation "Caucasus-2008", in which a total of 8 thousand people were involved. Units of the Airborne Forces, Air Force and Air Defense of the North Caucasus Military District, forces of the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla, the FSB directorate for the Southern Federal District and the regional command of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were involved in the exercises!

The notorious Igor Konashenkov, who then, wearing colonel's uniform, served as assistant to the commander-in-chief of the Ground Forces, explained:

“Due to the growing tension in the zones of the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Ossetian conflicts, “peace enforcement” operations will be practiced during the exercises.

_{How else could one explain the determination of the Russian side to respond to the military action? How much clearer?}

But no! Simultaneously with the Russian military exercises "Caucasus-2008", joint Georgian-American military exercises "Immediate Response - 2008" began! The exercise was entirely funded by the Pentagon.

And, despite the real prospect of involving the Russian Federation directly in a military conflict, the Saakashvili regime makes a decision “restore constitutional order on the territory of South Ossetia"and drags Georgia into a military adventure that has led the country to a military-political and state disaster!

The fall of the Saakashvili regime in 2012 was due not only to the terrible prison footage of torture of prisoners, but also: the war crime of this ultra-liberal tyranny, which entailed the tragedy of thousands and thousands of Ossetians and Georgians - civilian residents of South Ossetia, the re-ignition of interethnic hostility, the extreme aggravation relations with its powerful northern neighbor, a sharp deterioration in the situation of hundreds of thousands of Georgian migrants living in the Russian Federation, brutal repressions against supporters of peace in Georgia itself, the boundless cynicism of the regime, which declared a disaster a victory!

Then, after the parliamentary elections of 2012, the broad masses of the population were ready to wipe out “Saakashism” from the face of the earth, but under colossal pressure from the West, the new government retained the pro-American platform of gangster agents, this infection, a source of constant instability and tension, which plagues life to this day! It is the presence of this powerful “Trojan horse” that does not allow official Tbilisi to normalize relations with the Russian Federation. Recently, Georgia signed an agreement with China on a strategic partnership. This became possible after Prime Minister Garibashvili’s visit to Beijing and meeting with the leader of China. But it is much closer to Moscow, and there is no doubt that the restoration of strategic relations between Georgia and the Russian Federation can be based on much firmer ground and much deeper common interests.

This is why Prime Minister Garibashvili is categorical in his statements regarding the 2008 conflict, emphasizing the responsibility of the Saakashvili regime in starting the war, and claims a criminal disregard for the then guaranteed opportunity to resolve interethnic contradictions exclusively by peaceful means! 

_{Russia was forced to use military force to protect not only Tskhinvali from bombing by Georgian artillery, but also to protect its, as it is now fashionable to say, existential interests in the southern Caucasus. Russia could not allow the militarization of Georgia with the prospect of its joining NATO! Russia could not fail to provide adequate protection for the southern direction, which could not have been achieved without a military presence beyond the ridge of the Caucasus.} 

We firmly believe that it was this factor that played a key role in the decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, conclude a military alliance with them, and subsequently locate Russian military bases on the territory of these republics. Thus, the most serious military-strategic damage inflicted on Russia by the Istanbul Agreement of 1999, which has lasted for decades, was neutralized.

The Istanbul Agreement forced Russia to withdraw military bases from Georgia's Batumi and Akhalkalaki, and to disband the Vaziani military base (the Vaziani infrastructure near Tbilisi is now used by the US military). The withdrawal was carried out under the regime and pressure of Saakashvili. By the way, the head of the Georgian Foreign Ministry at that time was Salome Zurabishvili, the current president of the country, who proudly takes credit for the “liberation” of Georgia from Russian bases. Moreover, the Istanbul Treaty forced the Russian Federation to disband the Gudauta base, located on the territory of Abkhazia!

The change in the military-strategic balance in favor of the United States freed Saakashvili for an even more open military-political confrontation with Russia.  The intensity of military cooperation with NATO has increased sharply. Moreover, we are confident that the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgian territory was one of the necessary conditions for inspiring a military clash with the Russian Federation, and it was implemented as part of the strategy of preparing for war. The rapid militarization of Georgia (as discussed above), the sharp increase in anti-Abkhaz and anti-Ossetian rhetoric, the formation of an alternative South Ossetian government and its placement near Tskhinvali, the declaration of the Kodori gorge as “Upper Abkhazia” with the subsequent militarization of the gorge and many others were elements of this strategy - a military clash with Russia was conceived and planned with the advent, and maybe even before the “pink revolutionaries” came to power.

Garibashvili’s interesting statement on the anniversary of 08.08.08 about the confidential information he has in connection with Saakashvili’s military adventure may be connected with these processes. After all, such statements are fully motivated by a qualitatively new situation - against the backdrop of open confrontation between Tbilisi and Washington.

In short, to ignore the vital security interests of a neighboring country, moreover, to threaten its security by developing strategic relations with NATO, is exceptionally irresponsible.

Saakashvili turned Georgia into a military battering ram directed against Russia, and he has been working towards this for 5 years from the very beginning - from the moment he came to power! Ukraine as “Anti-Russia” only repeats this destructive path of Georgia. This is why Saakashvili is an enemy and a state criminal, although he was convicted not for a disaster, but for misappropriation of public funds. It is noteworthy that Garibashvili used precisely these terms, pointing out the exceptional irresponsibility of the “anti-national” Saakashvili regime.

The United States cannot come to terms with the surprisingly abrupt change in the situation when Georgia is beyond its control. The main ally in the South Caucasus does not repeat the mistake, and at the snap of a finger does not open a “second front” at the most crucial moment of the total confrontation with Russia! Moreover, Garibashvili declares that there is no alternative to the peaceful resolution of all problems and categorically emphasizes the continuation of the policy of peace on the day of the Tskhinvali tragedy!

The smell of gunpowder is in the air again. The Americans are clearly preparing a new “color coup”. In the fall, the post of US Ambassador to Tbilisi is occupied by a new American official, an experienced diplomat. It is quite likely that the scenario of the parliamentary elections of 20 years ago will be repeated in a year (there will be parliamentary elections in the fall of 2024). Moreover, unlike 2003, when the Saakashists came to power, the executive branch is now formed by the parliament.

The 30-year-old American dominance in Georgia is mainly based on American formal support for the territorial integrity of Georgia, while Russia found itself on the other side of the “barricades.” But the disaster of 2008 revealed firsthand the instigator and main beneficiary of the confrontation with the Russian Federation.

_{Yes, Georgia got rid of the adventurers in power. The North Military District in Ukraine and the impudent pressure of the Americans demanding that they repeat the adventure and go to war again against the Abkhazians and Ossetians caused a new round of anti-American sentiment. Americans are hated by the general public. The only reliable ally of the pro-Western forces remains the difficult social background. Getting rid of the flawed economic policy of the “Georgian Dream” will create the conditions for the final getting rid of the pro-American corrupt domestic platform.}

The final squeezing of the Americans, in turn, from Georgian politics will open the road to allied relations with Russia and the restoration of a common peaceful and prosperous home with the Abkhazians and Ossetians!

_{It remains to recall an interesting fact that the above-mentioned Istanbul Treaty was signed by the then Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, who later directly had a hand in the success of the “pink coup”, arriving in Tbilisi at the height of the confrontation and convincing Eduard Shevardnadze to resign. After all, by the time Ivanov arrived, a curfew had been declared, which testifies to the determination of the “white fox” not to cede the presidency to the Saakashists.}

_{A year later, having arrived in Georgian Adjara, Ivanov convinced the leader of the region, Arslan Abashidze, to leave Georgia, clearing the way for Saakashvili’s armed forces to Batumi. After all, Abashidze was determined - on his orders, all the bridges leading to Adjara were blown up.}