Tensions Rise Between Russia And Georgia

The former Soviet State of Georgia has detained four Russian army officers on spying charges. In response Russia has recalled it's ambassador from Georgia and has ordered a partial evacuation of Russian staff. Russia has also said that it would use any means necessary to free the army officers that Georgia is holding. Russian citizens are recommended not to travel to Georgia. The army officers were arrested with locals that they recruited. Although the ambassador has been recalled Russia has not broken diplomatic relations with Georgia.



Tensions have been rising between both of these countries for a while. This scandal is just the latest in the series. Last winter explosions believed to be from terrorists shut down a gas line for several days. Russia has also stopped importing wine form Georgia, one of its chief exports. This led to Georgia accusing Russia of economic war fair. Lets hope that this will not turn into a shooting war. There is no reason to think that yet but in things can seem to happen awful fast in that part of the world.

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Gog and Magog

Georgia, last I checked was an ally of America. Russia has been angry about that since Georgia broke away.. interesting to see how this goes, Russia had bad feelings over the Ukrain as well, which they tried to poison the democraticaly elected president.

Originally posted by Rockpuck
Georgia, last I checked was an ally of America. Russia has been angry about that since Georgia broke away.. interesting to see how this goes, Russia had bad feelings over the Ukrain as well, which they tried to poison the democraticaly elected president.

Rockpuck,
I do rember the poisening, but to my best memery it was blamed on a rival political canadate. Are you saying that it was Russia or were they supporting the rival canadate?

Russia warned Georgia earlier on Thursday that it would use every means available to free Russian officers who were detained in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on suspicion of spying

Kind of starting to sound like the pre conflict situation between Isreal and Hezbollah/ Lebanonn. Its going to be very interesting to watch this one play out and see if the situation will stay diplomatic or escalate into a more explosive situation.

Honestly I think anymore conflict in that region will just further enflame everything around it.

Red, the American government feels strongly that Russia poisoned the president, if not directly through the rivals camp. The man that one was a strong reformist and very pro American. Well.. as close to Washington as a former soviet bloc can get. The rival had close ties to the Kremlin..

Originally posted by Rockpuck
Red, the American government feels strongly that Russia poisoned the president, if not directly through the rivals camp. The man that one was a strong reformist and very pro American. Well.. as close to Washington as a former soviet bloc can get.

The rival had close ties to the Kremlin..

rockpuck.
I was not aware of all of that. Thanks for the information. And that does exsplain things a bit better. All this sounds like another chapter in the sauga of Georgia.

Originally posted by Nathabeanz

Kind of starting to sound like the pre conflict situation between Isreal and Hezbollah/ Lebanonn.

Honestly I think anymore conflict in that region will just further enflame everything around it.

Nathabeanz,
well you are right it does kind of sounds like the same situation between Isreal and Hezbollah. However I would really like to think that Russia and Georgia will not escalate the situation to what it is between Isreal and Hezbollah.

Yeah, tensions between Georgia and Russia have been rocky because of the relationship they have with America, which I think is mostly because of the rebel states to Georgias north and east. Last winter during a harsh winter it was suspected by Georgia and America that russia was behind the bombing of their natural gas line. Because it was destryed and temporarly unavailable people froze, it sent a message of fear to the Georgian people. A terrorist attack and psychological warfare.

I've been following the Georgia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia conflict since July 2005. Here's my thread. I'm still adding updates to it. Feel free to add updates/comments/or whatever to it, if you like...

Abkhaz Leader Has Ordered Army To Sink Any Georgian Ships In Its Waters


Click here to go to the last post in that thread

Originally posted by Hellmutt
I've been following the Georgia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia conflict since July 2005. Here's my thread. I'm still adding updates to it. Feel free to add updates/comments/or whatever to it, if you like...

Wow sounds like your really up on the situation Hellmutt. Thanks for the information.

The soldiers have been freed that were being held on spy charges in Georgia. Although Russia is still blockading Georgia. Russia claims it has no intention to lift the blockade any time soon.

Russia has ``no plans'' to lift its blockade of Georgia, a day after the Caucasus country freed four Russian soldiers accused of spying, said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who blamed the U.S. and NATO for inspiring the crisis.

``We are worried by the anti-Russian rhetoric coming from the Georgian leadership in terms that imply Russia is an enemy,'' Lavrov told reporters in Moscow today, explaining the decision. He said Russia ``can't understand'' why its southern neighbor plans to be able to mobilize Army reservists within 48 hours.

Lavrov said Georgia's ``provocations'' intensified after Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili visited Washington. He said Georgia's comments became more bellicose after it ``intensified dialogue'' on joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Bloomberg

You're missing an important point here -> the soldiers were wrongfuly accused.

It was said they set up a spying network 2 years ago, while they have been in Georgia only 2-3 months.
They have also shown footage, which was supposedly a "coded" conversion. It's funny just how fragile all their evidence actually was.
As well as having a lack of any significant evidence, they mis treated the officers' rights. No phone call, no decent translator (just a guy who translated as clearly as they might have done themselves), their advocate presented no defense etc.


In my opinion, this incident was not without the help from our western "friends".

Originally posted by Alex Dude
You're missing an important point here -> the soldiers were wrongfuly accused.

Ok they were wrongfuly accused or there was insuffishent evidence. It is not as if that sort of thing has not happened before. Could you please post your sorce so we can have it look over?

More is happening with this unfolding situation. It still does not sound to good.

MOSCOW Russia deported 153 citizens of Georgia on Friday as a wave of punitive measures against Georgian migrants and their businesses grew, prompting criticism that the government was escalating an ethnically motivated campaign of harassment.

The deportations came at the end of a week of political and diplomatic conflict between Russia and Georgia that began with the arrests of four Russian military officers for espionage and has showed little sign of easing despite the officers' release.

The Russian police, who had begun to shutter some businesses linked to Georgians, searched and closed still more on Friday, including two more casinos and two of Moscow's better-known Georgian restaurants, according to officials and news reports.

Hearld Tribune

I was hopeing this situation would calm down, but its looking like it will not.

My source is the ChannelOne in Russia and my own brain. If you look at the situation, Russia had no choice but act the way it acted. Otherwise, there would've been worse long-term consequences for itself. Even if you read the CNN news about this incident, they don't actually deny that US might have helped this incident arise.

Originally posted by Alex Dude
My source is the ChannelOne in Russia and my own brain. If you look at the situation, Russia had no choice but act the way it acted. Otherwise, there would've been worse long-term consequences for itself. Even if you read the CNN news about this incident, they don't actually deny that US might have helped this incident arise.

Alex,
I did not read CNN but it wason the telvishen news ok. As far as the U.S. might have have helped cause this I really dont see where that creating these problems between Russia and Georgia would be in the best intrists of any of the countries invalved. Not that the U.S. has not done some dumb things in the past.

edit for typo

[edit on 13-10-2006 by RedGolem]