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CORNELL SCHOLARS: GEORGIA DISPUTE MORE THAN A FIGHT OVER LAND
By Liz Lawyer
Press & Sun-Bulletin
August 14, 2008
NY
The conflict between Georgia and Russia over the disputed territory
of South Ossetia is more complicated than a simple sovereignty dispute.
Georgia's placement of troops in the region could be a violation
of Russia's rights or an action of self-defense, said Sarah Kreps,
an assistant professor in Cornell's government department. The West
may see Russia's reaction as overly forceful, but to a Russian it
probably looks like a simple assertion of its resurgent national pride,
Kreps said.
"To say this was caused by Georgia sending in troops over-simplifies
the matter," she said. "It's really a multi-faceted situation."
As Russia's economic clout has slowly grown, the country is now
matching it with military strength, Kreps said. It's part of the
Russians' regenerating power, and Kreps said she wouldn't be surprised
to see the country's leaders asserting it in other areas, politically
and geographically.
As a former Soviet republic, Georgia has a history of pro-Russian
leanings. However, Georgia's president, Mikhail Saakashvili, has
built his platform around pro-Western philosophy and has sent troops
to Iraq. Until the conflict with Russia required Georgia, a country
a little smaller than South Carolina, to call the troops home, the
Georgian military had the third-largest international troop presence
in Iraq, after the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
Added to the growing tension between Georgia and Russia is a divided
populace in South Ossetia: Some are for unification with Russia, others
for Georgia, and others feel it should be politically independent of
both Georgia and Russia, said Irakli Kakabadze, a Cornell visiting
scholar who is from Tbilisi, Georgia.
"These tensions and this rhetoric have been simmering over the last
couple years," Kreps said. "(The Russians) really feel humiliated by
what happened in the '90s. I think these last few days have seemed
shockingly like something that would have played out during the
Cold War."
The similarity to a Cold War proxy war is very close, Kakabadze said.
"I would say right now it is definitely a proxy war between the
ultra-right-wing politicians in each country," he said.
Kakabadze said more than two centuries of Russian domination has left
the Georgians fearful of being drawn into that system again. The main
conflict isn't about South Ossetia, he said, though it is important
to many in his country.
"I think it is about many issues," he said.
The U.S. trying to include Georgia and Ukraine in NATO is reason
number one, he said. Another reason is an oil pipeline running through
Azerbaijan, Georgia's neighbor to the southeast.
Kreps said Saakashvili's pro-Western stance hasn't endeared him to
former Russian president and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin,
and there may even be a personal element in the rivalry between
Georgia and Russia.
But the bigger rivalry in the picture is the one between Russia
and the United States, she said. The Russian government sees the
Westernization of Georgia, including being considered for membership
in NATO, as threatening. Kreps said this looked like the United States
messing around in Russia's backyard.
In Kakabadze's estimation, the dispute over South Ossetia is a pretext
for an attempt by Russia to dominate the Caucus region, which includes
Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, he said.
"As you can imagine, it is a big, bloody mess," he said. "We hope
for a peaceful solution."
Kakabadze, who said he is a professional peace worker who worked in
Georgia as a conflict resolution specialist for many years, said he
personally supports a completely demilitarized zone in the Caucuses
as necessary to a lasting peace.
By Liz Lawyer
Press & Sun-Bulletin
August 14, 2008
NY
The conflict between Georgia and Russia over the disputed territory
of South Ossetia is more complicated than a simple sovereignty dispute.
Georgia's placement of troops in the region could be a violation
of Russia's rights or an action of self-defense, said Sarah Kreps,
an assistant professor in Cornell's government department. The West
may see Russia's reaction as overly forceful, but to a Russian it
probably looks like a simple assertion of its resurgent national pride,
Kreps said.
"To say this was caused by Georgia sending in troops over-simplifies
the matter," she said. "It's really a multi-faceted situation."
As Russia's economic clout has slowly grown, the country is now
matching it with military strength, Kreps said. It's part of the
Russians' regenerating power, and Kreps said she wouldn't be surprised
to see the country's leaders asserting it in other areas, politically
and geographically.
As a former Soviet republic, Georgia has a history of pro-Russian
leanings. However, Georgia's president, Mikhail Saakashvili, has
built his platform around pro-Western philosophy and has sent troops
to Iraq. Until the conflict with Russia required Georgia, a country
a little smaller than South Carolina, to call the troops home, the
Georgian military had the third-largest international troop presence
in Iraq, after the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
Added to the growing tension between Georgia and Russia is a divided
populace in South Ossetia: Some are for unification with Russia, others
for Georgia, and others feel it should be politically independent of
both Georgia and Russia, said Irakli Kakabadze, a Cornell visiting
scholar who is from Tbilisi, Georgia.
"These tensions and this rhetoric have been simmering over the last
couple years," Kreps said. "(The Russians) really feel humiliated by
what happened in the '90s. I think these last few days have seemed
shockingly like something that would have played out during the
Cold War."
The similarity to a Cold War proxy war is very close, Kakabadze said.
"I would say right now it is definitely a proxy war between the
ultra-right-wing politicians in each country," he said.
Kakabadze said more than two centuries of Russian domination has left
the Georgians fearful of being drawn into that system again. The main
conflict isn't about South Ossetia, he said, though it is important
to many in his country.
"I think it is about many issues," he said.
The U.S. trying to include Georgia and Ukraine in NATO is reason
number one, he said. Another reason is an oil pipeline running through
Azerbaijan, Georgia's neighbor to the southeast.
Kreps said Saakashvili's pro-Western stance hasn't endeared him to
former Russian president and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin,
and there may even be a personal element in the rivalry between
Georgia and Russia.
But the bigger rivalry in the picture is the one between Russia
and the United States, she said. The Russian government sees the
Westernization of Georgia, including being considered for membership
in NATO, as threatening. Kreps said this looked like the United States
messing around in Russia's backyard.
In Kakabadze's estimation, the dispute over South Ossetia is a pretext
for an attempt by Russia to dominate the Caucus region, which includes
Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, he said.
"As you can imagine, it is a big, bloody mess," he said. "We hope
for a peaceful solution."
Kakabadze, who said he is a professional peace worker who worked in
Georgia as a conflict resolution specialist for many years, said he
personally supports a completely demilitarized zone in the Caucuses
as necessary to a lasting peace.