Daily Archives: August 11, 2008

“Regime change” may be an American term, as Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin explained to reporters, but it sounds like Russia is going to force their own version.   “Sometimes there are cases,” Churkin explained, “when leaders become obstacles to a people’s way out of a situation. In those situations, some leaders make the brave decision in regards to their political future.” Cynical? Maybe.  Opportunistic? Certainly. Don’t count on the Russians to pass up a good opportunity to get rid of their Georgian irritant.  As Kommersant notes, “Moscow considers the removal of Saakashvili a matter of principle.” The Russians are claiming that they want a cease fire with Georgia but there just isn’t anyone to talk to.  After all, as Chunkin stressed, “What decent person will talk to him now?”  Clearly not the decent Russians, who have essentially cut Georgia into two.  Russian forces have taken Gori and other strategic towns and ..read more

How did Han Solo put it to Chewbacca after he was freed from carbonite in Return of the Jedi?  Oh yeah, he said, “I–I’m out of it for a little while, everybody gets delusions of grandeur.” There I was in Israel with a self-imposed ban on blogging and war ignites between Russia and Georgia. In an instant, the information I was gathering on Russian immigrants and Israeli street kids suddenly appeared less relevant.

While Han Solo’s “delusions of grandeur” was meant to be ironic in Jedi, its current application to Georgia lacks ironic overtones. Just what was President Mikhail Saakashvili thinking when he sent Georgian troops into South Ossetia?  Did he really think that Russia was going to sit by and twiddle its thumbs?  Did he think that his paltry contribution of America’s War on Terror and its support for Georgia’s NATO membership was enough political capital for US save him?  ..read more