America's Favorites Cause It Trouble
Each time the U.S. is looking for a protégé-leader of countries over which they have influence, it is clear that on most occasions, the chosen people aren’t the best choice – the most likely explanation is that the most serious politicians in those countries are usually disinclined to become “pawns” on the American “geopolitical chessboard”. Three of these politicians, for reasons of bad behavior, have monopolized the news on international and regional developments, causing serious headaches to their protectors.
Americans found Shaakasvili in some law office in New York. They realized that his out-of-the ordinary ambition and his talents were all he needed to lead the “Revolution of the Roses” in 2003 and take reluctant Edward Shevardnadze’s place. He will also win this January's election, even though not in the “cleanest” manner. All those years he cooperated with the tens of American consultants lodged in Georgia, and applied for his country’s NATO membership.
The electoral victory and the shameless support he received from the USA fired his uncontrollable ambition. He decided to invade South Ossetia, which had seceded from Georgia and was under the protective wing of Russia. The Americans totally abandoned him – they would never send troops to fight the Russians. And of course, Russians secured total control over South Ossetia and the adjacent Abkhazia…
The USA is now paying too for the Shaakasvili fiasco. After their problems in Iraq, the dead-end situation in Afghanistan, the loss of their “friend” Musharraf in Pakistan, and the issue of Iran’s nuclear weapons, the last thing their strategy needs is a crisis in their relationship with Moscow. In many situations, Russia has stood as an “ally”… But this, ever so small, breach in NATO could potentially result in problems for American presence in Europe.
It wouldnÂ’t come as a surprise if Shaakasvili ends up like Musharraf, who was forced to quit his presidency to avoid an impeachment that was demanded by Benazir BhuttoÂ’s opposition party. Benazir Bhutto was murdered right before the elections.
Musharraf took up the presidency after a coup d’état in 1999 against Naouaz Sharif. His name came up in a pre-election television interview of George Bush Jr., causing the president to create a great scandal, since when asked the name of the General who took office in Pakistan was, he had no answer for the journalists. Everybody laughed at him, friends and foes. Subsequently, they became friends and allies in the war against terrorism, even though not so effectively!
Another gem of the Americans is our neighbor Gruevski [Editor's Note: prime minister of the Republic of Macedonia since 27th August , 2006]. He is not so different from Shaakasvili in psyche, ambition and his “soldier of fortune” attitude. Washington is in a state of emergency and pushes to have the name issue resolved so that they can go ahead with the inclusion of Skopje [Editor's Note: Capital of Macedonia] into NATO. It is, after all, a strategic move for the politics in the Balkans, after Kosovo’s independence.
The undivided support of the Americans has led Gruevski to rampant nationalism, rendering him totally indifferent to the fact that his obsession with unhistorical claims to recognize a “Macedonian minority” in Greece, not only harms his relations with our country but also peace and stability in the broader region.
The future is still unknownÂ….
Americans found Shaakasvili in some law office in New York. They realized that his out-of-the ordinary ambition and his talents were all he needed to lead the “Revolution of the Roses” in 2003 and take reluctant Edward Shevardnadze’s place. He will also win this January's election, even though not in the “cleanest” manner. All those years he cooperated with the tens of American consultants lodged in Georgia, and applied for his country’s NATO membership.
The electoral victory and the shameless support he received from the USA fired his uncontrollable ambition. He decided to invade South Ossetia, which had seceded from Georgia and was under the protective wing of Russia. The Americans totally abandoned him – they would never send troops to fight the Russians. And of course, Russians secured total control over South Ossetia and the adjacent Abkhazia…
The USA is now paying too for the Shaakasvili fiasco. After their problems in Iraq, the dead-end situation in Afghanistan, the loss of their “friend” Musharraf in Pakistan, and the issue of Iran’s nuclear weapons, the last thing their strategy needs is a crisis in their relationship with Moscow. In many situations, Russia has stood as an “ally”… But this, ever so small, breach in NATO could potentially result in problems for American presence in Europe.
It wouldnÂ’t come as a surprise if Shaakasvili ends up like Musharraf, who was forced to quit his presidency to avoid an impeachment that was demanded by Benazir BhuttoÂ’s opposition party. Benazir Bhutto was murdered right before the elections.
Musharraf took up the presidency after a coup d’état in 1999 against Naouaz Sharif. His name came up in a pre-election television interview of George Bush Jr., causing the president to create a great scandal, since when asked the name of the General who took office in Pakistan was, he had no answer for the journalists. Everybody laughed at him, friends and foes. Subsequently, they became friends and allies in the war against terrorism, even though not so effectively!
Another gem of the Americans is our neighbor Gruevski [Editor's Note: prime minister of the Republic of Macedonia since 27th August , 2006]. He is not so different from Shaakasvili in psyche, ambition and his “soldier of fortune” attitude. Washington is in a state of emergency and pushes to have the name issue resolved so that they can go ahead with the inclusion of Skopje [Editor's Note: Capital of Macedonia] into NATO. It is, after all, a strategic move for the politics in the Balkans, after Kosovo’s independence.
The undivided support of the Americans has led Gruevski to rampant nationalism, rendering him totally indifferent to the fact that his obsession with unhistorical claims to recognize a “Macedonian minority” in Greece, not only harms his relations with our country but also peace and stability in the broader region.
The future is still unknownÂ….
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