We’ll Give You Weapons, but Take Care of Your Democracy First

A few days ago, during the Atlantic Council meeting, U.S. senators presented their report: A Policy Road Map to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Future.

The senators who created these analytical documents believe that, if there will not be any formal security guaranteed for the country, then the U.S. should take the following three steps to help the Georgian military: Develop a program for the Georgian army’s preparation for participation in coalition operations, support Georgia in NATO’s Partnership for Peace program’s creation of a training center, and creat a logistics center for use during the deployment of troops from Afghanistan and for the transition of personnel and equipment, so that in the future it can serve as the main logistics base for Central Asia.

Of these three steps, the first one has already been implemented. There are already American military instructors in Georgia who train contingents for departure to Afghanistan.

The creation of a center for the Partnership for Peace program will truly be a step forward. The Sachkhere military training school might be a good place to start since it already has a certificate from the program.

As for the creation of a large logistics center, it might not be postponed for much longer. The U.S. has planned for all troops to return from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Creating this center will require the Pentagon to increase the number of military and civilian personnel in Georgia.

All this is only indirectly strengthening Georgian security because none of the above steps mention the combat units’ (primarily air defense) deployment from the United States.

The senators who created these documents do not hide the fact that Georgia might be in danger and that the U.S. will supply the Georgian army with defense weapons.

If the president’s administration agrees with the senators, there should be no problem supplying the Georgian army with air and anti-tank weapons, which would first be accompanied by military instructors.

If this happens, Georgia’s air space safety will increase significantly and will be a deterrent to the Russian army, which will once again be headed by Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin in the near future.

In addition, in these analytical documents American senators laid out strict requirements that must be met by the Georgian government: Georgia must strengthen the role of parliament, make courts and the justice system independent, and not restrict the freedom of the media. But most importantly, the 2012 parliamentary and 2013 presidential elections must be conducted in a truly democratic way.