Russia Is Quietly Seizing
Territory In Georgia As It Warns Of A ‘Horrible Conflict’ With NATO, by John
Haltiwanger, 8/8/18.
Despite warnings from Washington and the
fact Georgia is a top U.S. ally, Russia and local allies have been swallowing
more and more territory in recent years. The Georgian government and
international community have continuously decried this ongoing practice as
illegal .
The ongoing, incremental seizure of land
has had a detrimental impact on many locals, as the Russia-backed
"borderization" has split communities and led some Georgians to
literally find their homes in Russian-controlled territory overnight, NBC News reports.
Russia occupies 20 percent of Georgia's internationally recognized territory
Since 2011, there have been at least 54
instances of "borderizaton" on the border separating South Ossetia
and Georgia, according to the Heritage Foundation . The "borderization" process
"includes constructing illegal fencing and earthen barriers to separate
communities and further divide the Georgian population," the conservative
think tank said in a recent report.
It's not clear whether this is being
directed by Moscow or the pro-Russian government in South Ossetia, but the
Kremlin hasn't done anything to stop it.
Russia has 19 military bases in South
Ossetia alone and its activities in the region, on top of its annexation of
Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, have continued to raise alarm bells in the West.
The Russian military and its allies currently occupy roughly 20 percent of
Georgia's internationally recognized territory.
The ongoing dispute over these
territories has made the normalization of relations between Georgia and Russia
impossible.
It's also a large part of the reason
the U.S. has continued to provide Georgia with $100 million in aid every single
year, which is also linked to the country's active role in supporting the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Afghanistan as part of the International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Georgia has sent more troops to Afghanistan
per capita than any other U.S. ally.
With Russia to the north, Turkey to
the west, and Iran not far to the south, Georgia is at the crossroads of Europe
and the Middle East. It's also an important route for oil from the Caspian Sea.
In short, Georgia may not be on the
forefront of every American's mind, but the country is of great geopolitical
significance to the United States.
Activists hold posters and Georgian
flags at rally commemorating victims of the Aug. 2008 conflict between Russia
and Georgia, near the Russian Consulate in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, Aug. 7,
2018. The activists protested Russian politics for Georgia within the framework
of the events to mark the 10 year anniversary of the Russia-Georgia war. Associated
Press/Shakh Aivazov
Georgia's NATO woes - Prior to the 2008 conflict, Georgia
received assurances it would soon join NATO. The war complicated this process,
but NATO's General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg recently reaffirmed the
alliance's intention to accept Georgia as a member state. Subsequently, Russian
President Vladimir Putin warned he would respond aggressively if this occurred.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev
on Monday echoed Putin and said if NATO admitted Georgia it could trigger
a "terrible conflict."
"This could provoke a terrible
conflict. I don't understand what they are doing this for," Medvedev told
the Russia-based Kommersant newspaper.
The Russian prime minister added that
Stoltenberg's recent reiteration of NATO's intention to admit Georgia is
"an absolutely irresponsible position and a threat to peace."
'The United States support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering'
The U.S. government has spoken out
against Russia's activities in the region but seems reluctant to offer a more
forceful response.
"The United States support for
Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering," Elizabeth
Rood, chargé d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, told NBC News.
"We strongly support Georgia in
calling out Russia and the de facto separatist regimes on human rights abuses
in the occupied territories," Rood added, "and on the continued
violation of Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Vice President Mike Pence made similar
remarks on a visit to Georgia last year.
"Today, Russia continues to occupy
one-fifth of Georgian territory," Pence said .
"So, to be clear — the United States of America strongly condemns Russia's
occupation on Georgia's soil."
A decade later, a six-day war is still on Georgia's mind. The subject of who fired the first shots
in the 2008 Russia-Georgia conflict is a subject of great debate. But the
conflict ended in a matter of days after Russian troops pushed past the
disputed territories and marched well into Georgia, sparking international
condemnation.
The conflict resulted in the deaths of
roughly 850 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. The six-day war
was largely fought over two disputed territories in the region: South Ossetia
and Abkhazia.
Russia has occupied these territories
since the conflict ended, though the vast majority of the international
community recognizes them as part of Georgia. The Russian government at one
point agreed to remove its troops from the territories but has not followed
through with this pledge.
Tuesday marked the 10th anniversary of
the war. Georgians marked it by taking to the streets in Tbilisi and protesting against Russia's ongoing
occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Comments
The bottom line for
Russia is to avoid violating the borders of neighboring sovereign countries.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody
GA Tea Party Leader
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