Talk about a Prescient Article

Almost two years ago, Jon Sawyer, then director of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, wrote an article for Foreign Policy’s web site. The article was entitled “Georgia’s Dangerous Game". It basically foretold the current catastrophe. Sawyer refers to Georgia’s actions as “a triumph of bluster over geographical common sense in a nation that remains very much in Russia’s shadow”.

Georgia at that time seemed to be baiting Russia and relying on U.S. help. Among the incidents: arresting four Russian soldiers for spying, trying to block Russia’s entry into the WTO. Russia responded by cutting off trade and deporting Georgians.

The U. S. has backed Georgia with money, both in foreign aid and Millennium Challenge grants. Bush thinks highly of Saakashvili, the Georgian president. He called him “a man who shares the same values I share [who] believes in the universality of freedom”. Human Rights Watch does not share that view; they have blasted Saakashvili for judicial corruption, police abuse and the mistreatment of prisoners.

Two excerpts from Sawyer’s essay:

Saakashvili shouldn’t believe everything he hears from Washington. Despite the fulsome rhetoric and American largess, make no mistake—the United States would not come to Georgia’s aid if its confrontation with Russia heats up. Georgia is in Russia’s backyard. Given its military exposure elsewhere and its interest in Russian help on issues like North Korea and Iran, the United States will almost always side with Russia, or at the very least, remain on the sidelines.

If Saakashvili gets the war with Russia he has sometimes appeared to seek, it is the people of his country who will pay the price. But, far away from the fighting, the United States will bear a large part of the blame.

Despite the main stream media's attempt to blame Russia for this and stress Georgia's innocence, this is not likely the case as Georgia did start this battle by trying to take over South Ossetia, which seems to prefer being Russian rather than Georgian citizens.