While most media are reporting on current events in Georgia, some calling it civil war, others calling it an insurrection, still others labeling it an invasion, few are giving facts or commentary concerning the background. A documentary aired last Friday night on public radio here brought up a number of interesting issues concerning the outbreak of violence.
The first is that Georgia has never been in control of the disputed region, not politically, not militarily. It’s not clear what the legal status of that area truly is, nor who has the greater claim, Russia or Georgia. The only thing that is clear at this point is that both nations believe North Ossetia to be of strategic importance.
The timing of the war is interesting. Georgia has applied to become a member of NATO, and is seeking to be fast-tracked into that organization. The United States is applying considerable pressure to the other NATO nations to have that request granted. Analysts interviewed by CBC radio wondered openly whether the US had overtly or through ignorance given the Georgian leadership the idea that a military drive for dominance over North Ossetia would have American support.
But bear in mind that the US as a nation has historically never acted out of pure ignorance, rather it maintains a huge intelligence-gathering machine with eyes and ears in every region of the world. They have merely found it to their advantage to appear innocent of any motive other than that of protecting themselves and their allies from sinister elements.
In this case, the addition of Georgia to the NATO alliance is important to American political and economic interests. Supporting the Georgian government in a successful quest for NATO membership and for dominance over North Ossetia would provide the U.S. with a firm political hold in the South Caucasus. It would also allow them effective control over and access to the part of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan crude oil pipeline that runs through the area.
Aside from the political and economic advantage of solidifying alliances in that region of the world, it behooves the US to find an enemy to draw attention away from the fiascos in Iraq and Afghanistan. Russia is a good one, the American people being already primed for it. Historical relationships and the wishes of the people of North Ossetia aside, Georgia is a small state up against a comparative giant. The US can be seen to be supporting the underdog, something that goes over well with its people.
by Eve London, Canada