The Doomed City

It is absurd to comment on a war, but it took place. There are victims, politicians and generals who try to get in front of the TV cameras. Things can’t be undone: the sea of lies and hypocrisy can’t ever be bailed out. Everyone used the fire of the war to fry their own omelettes, using somebody else’s pain as hot spices. The meal will be devoured quickly, but the shame and the bitter memory will remain forever. All this is the result of the “political cuisine” of the communal apartment called South Ossetia.

Who is to blame for the deaths is a rhetorical question. After all, every side has its own point of view. However, if everyone is right than obviously everyone is also wrong. Who suffered the most because of the war are clearly the South Ossetians whose land became the stage of this cruel political play.

The pain and death are good arguments for a UN public speech. This is precisely why Russia publishes pictures of ruined Tskhinvali and reports on ethnic cleanings in the “occupied” territories. Meanwhile Georgia displays photos that were taken in Gori, which is outside the conflict zone. In this photos you can see the consequences of the Russian aircraft attacks: an older woman injured and crying amid the ruins, a man hugging a dead relative surrounded by the dark view of destroyed buildings.

The main consequence of everything what has happened is that Russia loses her right to be an agent in the peaceful regulation of the Caucaus conflict. Now Russia became part of the conflict: our tanks have invaded a country and our aircraft dropped bombs in Georgian towns. In fact, the Russian’s peace keeping role was suspicious from the beginning, but now it became evident; also for the Russians themselves.

The sad incident leaves a number of open questions. For example, South Ossetia has been regularly reporting that Georgia plans to attack Tskhinvali. Only last week did they accuse Georgian soldiers of killing 6 people and of preparing a large scale armed intervention. But in this case it’s inexplicable why the authorities didn’t take any measures to improve the safety of the population. There wasn’t even a bomb shelter for the government members, not to mention an attempt to evacuate women and children. Was this simply immense stupidity or criminal negligence.

However, Georgia’s actions were also rather odd. If Tbilisi planned to attack Ossetia than they should have expected Russia to intervene. The only way the Russians could have helped the Ossetians is by using the Roki Tunnel. So why didn’t Georgia block the Tunnel, if they really planned the attack; or did they figured that if Russian troops moved into South Ossetia, Moscow would appear as a clear aggressor in the world’s eyes? If this is the case, than as it turns out Saakashvili has cunningly lured the Russians into his trap.

But what about the Russian reconnaissance? Why did the attack in Tskhinvali ended up to be a surprise? Our enthusiasm in terms of cosmic reconnaissance is well known, so how come that we couldn’t follow the progress of the Georgian military technology? Remember how the Russian government reacted to the news about the War: Medvedev was absent on leave and Putin was enjoying the Olympic Games. The United Nations Security Council reunited as slowly as during peaceful times.

Outrunning the president, who was held off by his leave, Vladimir Putin practically warned Tbilisi that Russia is prepared to react with force to Georgian invasion into South Ossetia. And only than did the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev appear on the screens reading off the intimidating message that wherever he might be, his duty is to protect the lives and the dignity of his population.

He was referring to the Ossetians who on short notice received Russian passports and became Russian citizens, which by the way was the actual motivation for the Russians to intervene (I wonder whether our fellow citizens have been paying taxes). And what about the figures that appear regularly in the papers: the state pays out wages and retirement money to a population of 80 thousand people while in reality there are only about 30 thousand citizens in the republic. Needless to say, the money for the remaining imaginary citizens lands in the civil servants’ pockets…

If we were to speak about those who have profited from this war, we‘d have to mention the president of the South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoity (rumor has it he is the main consumer of the “retirement fund”), who managed to be outside of town during the night attack and refused to enter negotiations with Tbilisi. What’s more, he consequently provoked Georgia into military confrontations. Now Premier Putin declared that Russia is willing to pay billions for Tskhinvali’s reconstruction. This money is worth a war, right?

Chances are that the most pro-Western politician on the soil of former USSR, the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili is also one of the winners of the conflict. Having the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and the reputation as a furious enemy of Putin, Saakashvili can count on support from the West. Besides, the radical solution to the separation problem is likely to increase his authority over Georgia.

Wasn’t it what happened in Russia, when Putin, at that time still a premier, decided to renovate the territorial integrity and, despite the innumerable victims in Chechnya, received support from the populations, which in the end made the previously unknown FSB chief the second president of Russia?

By the way, Vladimir Putin is also considered one of the winners. He immediately left Bejing and in a military style strengthened the leading party of Russia and at the same time making sure everyone understands who the real leader is…

As to the most likely popular topic about the U.S.A. being behind Georgia and provoking the war with Russia–I would agree. Without Western support Georgia would never attack Tskhinvali. However, I’d like to add that at the same time Kokoity’s actions are decided in Moscow. I doubt that he would dare provoke Tbilisi on his own account.

It would be far more interesting to let this brave politicians enter the ring and fight each other without involving their population. I can’t imagine which of them would strike first, but sooner or later each of them would, this is for sure.

P.S. Reading blogs, I found an entry by a young woman wishing the Georgians peace, the Ossetians common sense, and the neighbors conscience. Neighbors, where is our conscience?