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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Merkel in Georgia: bi-polar diplomacy in action(s) to ensue |
| 2008-08-17 |
| I think it's safe to say that the Germans will say anything and do anything needed to keep the gas flowing. Chancellor Angela Merkel is due in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Sunday to meet Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and add her voice to international efforts to ensure a ceasefire with the Russians holds. Merkel met Russian President Dmitri Medvedev on Friday, criticizing his actions during the week-long war between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. And all of Moscow laughed and laughed ... Now she is set to give Saakashvili something of a dressing down too, for wrongly second-guessing Russia’s reaction to his sending troops into the area, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. At the same time though, she is keen for her visit to Tbilisi to be seen as a gesture of support for Saakashvili, who the German government recognizes as legitimately and democratically elected. The chancellor will insist on a complete and verifiable ceasefire, upon which peace between Georgia and Russia can be built. German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said on Sunday, “It is clear that what went on there cannot in any way be accepted by the international community. “One can only hope that things in South Ossetia and Abkhazia become stable and peaceful enough for a political settlement to be possible.” Or else what, Franz? The Russians only understand one thing, bud. Words without a viable threat to back them up = surrender to the Russians. The Germans know that, of course, but they're weak and soft, and easy pickings. The Georgian government says rebel Abkhaz forces with the support of Russian troops are occupying 13 Georgian villages, effectively pushing the border of Abkhazia westwards into Georgia proper. Medvedev signed a ceasefire agreement on Saturday which had also been accepted by Saakashvili. It says forces from both sides should withdraw to the positions they held before the conflict began. The Russians accepted the plan, but have not set any timetable for moving their troops. A poll published in Germany in the Bild am Sonntag newspaper showed 56 percent of those questioned would not support German forces being sent to Georgia. Half said Germany should not increase its civilian involvement in the region for reconstruction projects. 56+ percent of Germans want a bigger pension check, too. Not to mention a warm house in winter. And the Amis will protect them if the Bear comes too close, because the Americans are a Nato signatory! They promised! Fears that two German citizens have been kidnapped in the chaotic north of Georgia are being investigated by German diplomats and Georgian police. |
| Posted by:mrp |
| #6 link |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-08-17 13:49 |
| #5 nice link haven't seen the "Time Warp" for a while... |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-08-17 13:43 |
| #4 A Russian Act of Mercy? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-08-17 13:18 |
| #3 Maybe the Germans need to visit more dangerous places in Afghanistan (with weapons free) if the expect the US to protect them in Deutchland with actual weapons. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-08-17 13:05 |
| #2 done |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-08-17 10:39 |
| #1 aack! I should have posted this to page 3. Sorry. |
| Posted by: mrp 2008-08-17 10:24 |