MIKHAIL SAAKASHVILI IS A WAR CRIMINAL

Amid the slavish devotion of America's leaders to the adventurist in Tblisi, and the barrage of pro-Georgian anti-Russian wafflegab coming from Washington, there are some signs that not everybody is in love with Mikhail Saakashvili.

At least on the other side of the pond some news organizations are more realistic about who started the slug-fest, which group of civilians got it in the shorts, who is in the wrong, and why.

News coming out of South Ossetia make it fairly clear that Georgia's leaders are a less than savoury bunch - headed by a man who should be delivered for trial to the Hague.


Excerpts from a BBC article:

"Barely a building in the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali escaped unscathed from the fighting that began last week ... "

"Everywhere, there are mountains of shattered glass. Those who didn't flee South Ossetia as refugees are now emerging from their basements to begin the clean-up. "

"...many Ossetians I met both in Tskhinvali and in the main refugee camp in Russia - are furious about what has happened to their city.
They are very clear who they blame: Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili, who sent troops to re-take control of this breakaway region. That effort has clearly backfired. The pro-Russian sentiment I experienced on my last visit four years ago has become far fiercer as a result of this conflict. "

"Look how many people died here! We can never join Georgia after this. We'll cope on our own."

" "We were bombed for three days and nights. If Russia had not helped, we would have disappeared," Lusya's neighbour Elena said, visibly angry. "Only Russia takes us under its wing. We want to be with Russia." "

"Despite international calls for a withdrawal, there is no sign of Russia pulling its troops out of Ossetia. By Wednesday, they had received an order to cease fire, but not to leave.
Their presence is popular with many locals, who wave as soldiers drive past in the street. "

"This conflict has already destroyed any trust between Georgian and Ossetians. It now looks like any chance there was of reconciliation is burning along with the houses."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7558619.stm

[Note: There are many more sources that say much the same thing; the problem is that they are all in 'Foreignese', which is something many of my readers do not comprehend. Hence my citing of only one news source.]


Now, I know there is more to this than the pipe-lines, and oil. But claiming that Mikhail Saakashvili is a progressive, and his country a beacon of liberty and democracy is just a load of horse manure. The man is an oaf and a kleptocrat and his country is on par with the brutal regimes that once littered America's own back yard.

I have scant sympathy for the Georgians in this matter, and really wish our politicians would learn to shut up if they cannot learn the facts. Lending credence to mr. Saakashvili's opportunistic pandering makes a whore out him - no problem, he seems to have a hang for it - but also makes a whore out of us. It may be a talent of ours also, but it would be meet of our leaders to not be blatant about it.

We are better than that; bugger the gangsters in Tblisi .