Russia blames Georgia for its problems

Russia is officially blaming Georgia for its problems in the North Caucasus. This is nothing new; Russia cannot control its north Caucasus regions and is using Georgia as a scapegoat. By doing so Moscow is trying to kill several birds with one stone. Firstly it is trying to prove itself to the Russian population. Secondly it is trying to discredit Georgia throughout the world with the accusation that Tbilisi allegedly trains terrorists, and thirdly it creates a background for a possible repeat intervention into Georgian affairs.

However it is unlikely that world community will trust Moscow any more. On the contrary, if we recall, Hamas was the first organisation which followed Russia in recognising the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Of course it means nothing from an international legislation point of view but it means a great deal from the moral point of view. Tell me who is your friend and I will tell you who you are. Meanwhile the situation in the north Caucasus is becoming more tense with the occurrence of several terrorist attacks. On September 5 a suicide bomber drove a Zhiguli into the tented camp of the 136th infantry regiment; the car exploded killing 3 and wounding 34 servicemen.

The north Caucasian separatist movement is obviously gaining strength. Just the previous day a Dagestan minister was attacked; the minister and his bodyguard were wounded and their driver was killed. On September 5, in Nalchik (the capital of Kabardo Balkaria) the militia stopped a man who killed one of the militia men and escaped. There are many more similar random but deliberate attacks. With the background of these events, Moscow is pointing its finger towards Georgia. The Kremlin does this from time to time but no evidence has been given to support its allegations. To the contrary, the Georgian authorities have organised several tours for foreign diplomats and experts to the Pankisi Gorge – the territory on which the Russians accuse the Georgians of sheltering North Caucasian militants.

There is no evidence, no facts, no witnesses to prove Georgia’s involvement in any such activity. Moreover, the US State Department report of August 5, 2010 categorically denies any involvement by Georgia in terrorist activities. But it does talk about the concentration of arms and ammunition in the Russian controlled territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Nevertheless despite this reality Moscow still continues its dirty policy against Georgia. In fact the rise of separatist moods in the northern Caucasus is due to Moscow’s unwise policy of supporting separatism in Georgia. And the result? It backfires upon Russia.