OpEdNews » Michael Collins: Not One Dime for Georgia

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Tag(s): Georgia Russia Conflict; Rice Condoleezza; Saakashvili
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September 5, 2008 at 05:27:15

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Headlined on 9/5/08:
Michael Collins: Not One Dime for Georgia

by Michael Collins Page 1 of 3 page(s)

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Not One Dime for Georgia

The president of the Republic of Georgia eats his tie on national television. BBC

$1.1 Billion Giveaway for the Republic of Georgia Announced:
"The United States Supports The Recovery, Stability,
And Continued Growth Of Georgia's Economy"
The White House, Sept. 3, 2008

Michael Collins

(Wash. DC) We're not talking about the great state of Georgia, which deserves everything it has coming to it and more. We're talking about the Republic of Georgia, a nation of 4.5 million people wedged between Russia and Turkey.

On Wednesday, September 3, the White House announced a comprehensive aid package valued at $1.1 billion dollars to help the Republic of Georgia recover from the whipping it took after it attacked Russian peace keeping forces in South Ossetia, a breakaway province of Georgia near the Russian border. That region experienced a major war in 1991 and varying tensions since.

Russian personnel were in Georgia as part of a multi-national peace keeping regime created by the United Nations and endorsed by the European Union in 2006.

As the Soviet Union dissolved, Georgia declared its independence in April 1991. This resulted in tensions with the Russian government, sparked a civil war, and also generated real concern among those living in South Ossetia. They're not ethnic Georgians and have experienced periodic conflict with the government. As a result of war related violence in 1991, for example, 100,000 fled South Ossetia for refuge and safety in Russia.

South Ossetia held two national elections which endorsed independence form Georgia. The Georgians refuse to recognize this claim and, unlike Kosovo, which had no elections, there was little international support for the aspiring nation. As a result, there have been ongoing skirmishes and political conflicts between the South Ossetia and Georgia from 1991 on.

Georgia is wedged between Russia and Turkey. South Ossetia
is near the middle of the Georgia-Russia border.
WikiCommons

Tensions between Russia and Georgia had been building in recent months. On Aug. 7, 2008, the Georgian president issued orders to his negotiators to meet with the chief Russian negotiator.

"We should find all the means to stop incidents and to stop the violence, to stop threats and creating of problems to the peaceful population. Of course, we will show maximum restraint, but we do not recommend anyone to continue provocations." Mikeil Saakashvili, Aug, 7, 2008, 12:45

A few hours later, the government of Georgia said it had "decided to restore constitutional order in the entire region" of South Ossetia" through military efforts. By the afternoon of Aug, 8, officials in South Ossetia confirmed that, "Numerous Georgian military units are moving towards the border [with the breakaway region]" and that Georgia was carrying out "large scale military attacks" against their country.

The TimesOnline (London) reported that this was the start of military conflict. They're clear that the conflict was initiated by the military actions announced by the Georgian government on August 8, 2008.

"Russia and Georgia edged dangerously close to direct conflict today after Tbilisi (Georgia) launched an overnight offensive to regain control over the breakaway province of South Ossetia.

1 | 2 | 3

http://electionfraudnews.com

Michael Collins is a writer who focuses on clean elections and voting rights. See this summary of his articles plus Election 2004: The Urban Legend and groundbreaking research and commentary in "" His web site, Election Fraud News & The Money Party, offers a collection of resources and commentary on critical issues facing the country.

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6 comments

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Bia Winter is an Artist/Writer from Maine, and has been an activist and letter-writer since the 60's. In 2004 she received the Roger Baldwin Award from the Maine American Civil Liberties Union for furthering Democracy after she got a Resolution Against the USA"Patriot"Act passed in her small home town of Mount Vernon, by overwhelming show-of-hands vote at Town Meeting. She continues to Write, Activate and Cartoon for Progressive causes. Her Letters are often seen in the Baltimore Chronicle, as w...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Bia WinterBia Winter is an Artist/Writer from Maine, and has been an activist and letter-writer since the 60's. In 2004 she received the Roger Baldwin Award from the Maine American Civil Liberties Union for furthering Democracy after she got a Resolution Against the USA"Patriot"Act passed in her small home town of Mount Vernon, by overwhelming show-of-hands vote at Town Meeting. She continues to Write, Activate and Cartoon for Progressive causes. Her Letters are often seen in the Baltimore Chronicle, as w...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Are we in the business of...

Propping up the grandiose and deluded?

Sure we are: just look at Israel!

by Bia Winter (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 10 diaries, 419 comments) on Saturday, September 6, 2008 at 9:17:08 AM

Cameron Salisbury is a biostatistician, epidemiologist and grant writer living in Atlanta. For more camsalis go to: www.opedinfo.com
Cameron SalisburyCameron Salisbury is a biostatistician, epidemiologist and grant writer living in Atlanta. For more camsalis go to: www.opedinfo.com

Good job!

We were in Spain when the news broke - on CNN Europe - that S. Ossetia had been attacked by Georgia, which the separtist area had ticked off by leaning toward an alliance with Russia. It surprised no one that Russia had sent troops to protect its friends and teach the bellicose Georgia president and his big money friends in the White House to back off.

So you can imagine our surprise when we arrived back in the U.S. and learned from CNN-U.S. that Russia had been the aggressor! Its no wonder that Vladimir Putin treats the U.S. with such disdain. Its an attitude that he's been perfecting for some time.

Arriving back in the U.S. and hearing the media's, and therefore Washington's, spin on events in Georgia was like walking through the Looking Glass.

I was planning to write an opednews article about the U.S. media's complicity in the international ignorance that abounds among American citizens, and its clear and present potential for leading us to disaster, especially in the Middle Ease, but you said it so much better.

by Cameron Salisbury (12 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 18 comments) on Friday, September 5, 2008 at 10:14:31 AM

Michael Collins is a writer who focuses on clean elections and voting rights. See this summary of his articles plus Election 2004: The Urban Legend and groundbreaking research and commentary in "" His web site, Election Fraud News & The Money Party, offers a collection of resources and commentary on critical issues facing the country.
Michael CollinsMichael Collins is a writer who focuses on clean elections and voting rights. See this summary of his articles plus Election 2004: The Urban Legend and groundbreaking research and commentary in "" His web site, Election Fraud News & The Money Party, offers a collection of resources and commentary on critical issues facing the country.

Thank you! Please write it and let me know

This is the perfect confirmation of my observations here. We're unique in that we just get the 'party' line here. In looking at reports on Georgia, it looked like Russia TV busted CNN a couple of times for using phony footage, one town when claiming to be shooting with another in the background. I never thought I'd see the day; or maybe, I've never noticed.

Let me know if you write on that. It's a point that can't be made too many times. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any thing like you're describing.

Or maybe we could both just get our heads straight and concentrate no the real story - All Palin, All the Time!

by Michael Collins (106 articles, 16 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 358 comments) on Friday, September 5, 2008 at 9:25:31 PM

People say,"An honest elections cow, I don't get it." So I say back, "Well, it's obvious I am a cow, see, udders, horns, spotted fur, big head, floppy ears. And I happen to think that making our elections honest again is about the most inportant thing we can do for our supposed Democracy. Thus, Honest Elections cow. What's so hard to get?" moo
MJ CreechPeople say,"An honest elections cow, I don't get it." So I say back, "Well, it's obvious I am a cow, see, udders, horns, spotted fur, big head, floppy ears. And I happen to think that making our elections honest again is about the most inportant thing we can do for our supposed Democracy. Thus, Honest Elections cow. What's so hard to get?" moo

tie-eating

He really ate his tie on BBC? that is sooooo weird. And I thought OUR leaders were psychotic. Sorry, Michael, I got distracted....

by MJ Creech (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 16 comments) on Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 12:03:02 AM

Marj

We take our little pleasures where we can. I'm glad you liked the tie thing - I did too!

I think it was his moment of total awareness - realizing just how stupid he'd been to attack the Russian personnel. So what do you do - eat your tie!

by Michael Collins (106 articles, 16 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 358 comments) on Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 12:08:16 AM