INTERVIEW

'Russia Should Follow Georgia's Lead'

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on democracy, NATO and American support.

By Lally Weymouth | NEWSWEEK
Published Sep 27, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Oct 6, 2008

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  • Posted By: fionalucky @ 10/05/2008 6:34:59 AM

    Why are we interviewing this creep? Why do I see his face all over our TV channels? Why do we believe this idiot? Now he tells everyone that he won because Russia did not achieve its "goals" of deposing him by force and destroying the pipeline. If Russia had those goals, it would've achieved them very easily. How dares he blaming others when he is the one who started a war during Olympics! Stop publishing this garbage!

  • Posted By: fionalucky @ 10/05/2008 6:34:19 AM

    Why are we interviewing this creep? Why do I see his face all over our TV channels? Why do we believe this idiot? Now he tells everyone that he won because Russia did not achieve its "goals" of deposing him by force and destroying the pipeline. If Russia had those goals, it would've achieved them very easily. How dares he blaming others when he is the one who started a war during Olympics! Stop publishing this garbage!

  • Posted By: bandito @ 10/01/2008 2:38:13 AM

    Hey, David 77, why u shud find a window and with shouts: Russians go heare! - to be thrown out therefrom...
    There is still a second variant: Let surgeons will make to you brain change... couse you'r brain is not work...terrible =(

    • Posted By: DAVID77 @ 10/04/2008 8:20:49 PM

      To you and your supporters not even surgeon will help, because you dont have a brain at all.
      your kind of people are cald braiwashed.

      • Posted By: bormotello @ 10/05/2008 5:44:11 AM

        See, you only proofed that you brainwashed yourself, if you falling into personal attacks, try reply logically with your own arguments

  • Posted By: bandito @ 10/02/2008 1:01:13 AM

    Oh, David...
    Lenin in kremlin now, becouse it is a history...
    In Russia there is Guantanomo, no Abu-Grejp, the death penalty, all it is in the USA... Russia, did not bomb Yugoslavia, not accupate Iraq... In Iraq the peace population was lost so much... But you, David, it do not see... The blind man...

    • Posted By: DAVID77 @ 10/04/2008 7:54:41 PM

      Keep him well!
      The big problem is that russia has no his own head, which can be used in critical situations.
      They are just trying to compete with USA but hard luck, that does not work this way.
      Now they are in deep *** and they have to clear up themselves because nobody is going to help them, neither they get any support from other countries even from Belarus.

      • Posted By: bormotello @ 10/05/2008 5:28:28 AM

        I slightly disagree with you sentence. I would write it as <The big problem is that russia had no his own head>, another word it is in the past. Russia is not trying to compete with USA yet, it is simply stopping to support USA and starting to create their own politic, as result USA is collapsed. Market are falling without Russian money, UAS is loosing war in Afghanistan. With Iraq, Iranians decided to keep it peace and let USA leave Iraq, then they can quickly get a full power. No reasons for resistance, which will only extend US force in Iraq.
        So ??? try to understand, Russia is not important USA, which cannot solve any their problems themselves, and always requires Polish and Georgian troops to help them. Russia can sort own problem without call to useless allies. Of coarse, somebody can disagree with this, but if he cannot do anything ??? you can ignore his disagreement.

  • Posted By: DAVID77 @ 10/04/2008 7:47:40 PM

    Georgia did start war with separatists, where from this separatists have russian passports, and how come they have become russian citizens?
    Why dont you ask your goverment to stop puting nose in other countries bussines.
    Dont you have things to be done in your big country?

    • Posted By: bormotello @ 10/05/2008 4:14:50 AM

      Everybody know that Russia issued passports to Ossetians. Russia did it only to protect them from genocide from Georgians. If Georgia is killing Ossetians with Georgian passports, it is internal Georgian affair. If Georgia is killing Ossetians with Russian passports, it is Russian affair as well. Because, main goal of Russia is to save lifes on innocent people, you can see that issuing of passport is only way to go. Especially, when practically all Ossetians have relatives on Russian side of the border. So, it is not only Georgian affair, it is Russian as well. Georgian a long time ago were trying to wipe Ossetians out of Georgia ??? few hundreds thousands came to Russia and started to settle on Ingush lands. As result, it was a big war betwin Ingushs and Ossetians inside Russia. Now Russia doesnt want to see it repeated again. Georgia had used limit for police actions and now Georgians can think only about peaceful solution. This why Russia is asking for ful disarmament of Georgia, and anyway they cannot use it properly. Everybody see that Georgians are using oil pipe as the main reason to forgive them genocide and ethnical cleansing. So, world will have to think what to do with Georgians. Saakashvili is committing political suicide ??? his advisers doesn???t realize that world has been changed since creation of internet, they can buy lie articles in newspapers, but they can stop people explaining that he is lying.
      Unfortunately, few years ago it was possible to buy indulgence in Washington for ethnical cleansing, for example Croatians and Albanians got it. Thanks to God, now USA is not super power anymore.

  • Posted By: St. Germain @ 09/28/2008 10:57:59 AM

    Can anyone blame Georgia for defending their territory? There is no country in the world that will let a large portion of their territory go with out a response. That is like California claiming allegence to Mexico, or Washington state claiming allegence to Canada as the Fed's would send troops to take the states back. Now having said the above I got to mention that Britton should get their Gov. out of the Falkland Islands as the islands are in Argentina's territory. Not to mention other territories in the South Pacific that Britton lays claim to. You lead by example , and the example that Britton is setting by laying claim to territories half a world away and defends militarily gives encouragement to countries like Russia .

    • Posted By: AlCo @ 09/28/2008 1:04:42 PM

      ==Can anyone blame Georgia for defending their territory?==
      It's not their territory
      The enclaves were included into Georgia by Stalin in 1927
      If you believe this type of Stalin's desisions are legitimated, then the 3 Baltic states are still parts of Russia

      • Posted By: DAVID77 @ 10/04/2008 8:08:24 PM

        it is a dream of putin to have all back but he will die dreaming......

    • Posted By: AlCo @ 09/28/2008 1:07:16 PM

      ==Can anyone blame Georgia for defending their territory?==
      The enclaves are not Georgian territiries. They were included into Georgia by Stalin in 1927
      Otherwise, the 3 Baltic states are parts of Russia because it was Stalin's deed as well.

  • Posted By: trueworld @ 10/04/2008 10:19:50 AM

    I cant belive these guy! (Sakarashvili) Even after most people now know that Georgia started the war, he steel says that russians did it...
    These guy is gonna get it bad, eventually!

  • Posted By: System7 @ 10/02/2008 11:11:55 PM

    Georgia cannot lead Russia because it is poor, weak, and has a bad president.

  • Posted By: riddelup @ 10/02/2008 7:05:57 AM

    What a bunch of post conflict hogwash. Obviously Mr. Saakashivili has had time to fashion an argument other than the one he had prior to and right after he attacked the Russians. Yet if he did not wish to involve America in the conflict why would he attack the troops of a country he acknowledges as vastly superior. Part of the blame is on America for giving him the impression that we would support him regardless. By including them inin the Iraq war colition

  • Posted By: bandito @ 10/02/2008 6:37:49 AM

    Russian have artfully attacked democratic georgian systems "hailstones"(Grad) when those peacefully bombed Tshinvalli =))

  • Posted By: Krohn @ 10/01/2008 8:59:38 PM

    A man of great wisdom:
    http://www.atlah.org/broadcast/manningreport.html

  • Posted By: DAVID77 @ 10/01/2008 9:43:56 AM

    Exactly you still keep the Lenin in kremlin and still admire that thing that Russia has to be respected like Soviet Union, but sorry you have to work for that respect in a civilized way not that way what they do now.
    Listen if you believe that Zuganov is the opposition? Here is the full stop.
    That party they let in because, they know that no harm they can do to the ruler party and of course they will cooperate, they have no other choice.
    What about the other parties which they even did not let to participate in the election?
    What about them?

    • Posted By: bormotello @ 10/01/2008 11:48:04 AM

      1. Lenin in mausoleum ??? it is the best punishment for him for what he did with Russia, stay as object for scientific research outside of graveyard.
      2. About respect ??? do you propose to behave as USA, so most of the people on the Earth hate them?
      3. It is true that there is no harm for rulers from Zyuganov. But problem that Russia doesn???t have an real opposition, which will think about Russia. Gaidar, Chubais, Nemtsov and their SPS is party of corruption. People of Russia never will forgive what they did in 90s. Kasparov and his prowestern supporters completely lost support after this war, because they decided to ignore facts that Georgians started this war and supported maniak Saakashvili with all his lies. So, you can forget about them. Few hundreds supporters is not enough to be visible in Russia, ebven after handshaking with biggest enemy of Russia ??? Bush. Nationalists like Zirinovsky and Dugin ??? it is better for everybody that they will be opposition, but they want there piece of pie and cooperate with Kremlin(not opposite). This big tragedy for Russia that there is no proRussian opposition. May it will take some to create ??? quick jump to democracy for big countries is not possible. If you think that peoples loves Putin and his team ??? you doing mistake. But they don???t have another choice ??? First in 20 years Russia got proRussian politic, which will not think how to sell oil and gas to West for nothing???
      4. About another parties in elections. Most of people in Russia believes that is better to stay without big changes, which been in 90s and they simply doesn???t want to vote for somebody who under good words about democracy just want to get into power. If you think that everything is done by Ptin ??? you doing big mistake. When people wasn???t happy ??? they were going on the streets and even FSB can stop them. Year ago it was a lot protests against court for jailing one driver, which killed Altai governor. It was meetings, protests, petitions. And people won. Of coarse, you illusion that you have independent media on West blinding you. You getting only what media magnates are allowing to read.
      Do a search for really independent sources of information ??? and you will realise how much you don???t know about Russia
      5.

  • Posted By: System7 @ 10/01/2008 10:03:24 AM

    Russia spared Saakashvili's life although its troops were in several miles from Tbilisi. But the boy does not understand how kind Russia was. He wants to play more. He thinks he's a great politician.

  • Posted By: DAVID77 @ 09/30/2008 4:41:18 PM

    georgians are not fashists and you who you ever are try to read some historical books, before saying something about others. you are russian and you think like they told you to think and you are repeating the other people opinions because you got none of your ones. dont get offended just take this like an advice and you will see that history has recorded everything. just have a look.

    • Posted By: bormotello @ 10/01/2008 9:19:43 AM

      The same applies to you ??? try not to read propaganda books, which are flooded USA bookshelves. Go to Internet and try to find independent sources of information

  • Posted By: Stop_lying @ 09/29/2008 10:48:47 PM

    This war are benefit for all conflict members. Saakashvili want to NATO. Russians want to take their positions in the Caucasus, which lost after soviet union collapsed. And doesn't want to see Georgia in NATO. South-Osetian leader (Kokoito) trying to explain his economic collapse by Georgian agression. And he changed gang support on the Russian support. McCain want to won U.S. president election. So... everybody's got what they wanted, but Osetian people are lost. Doesn't matter who started first, but everybody's are crossed the line.

    • Posted By: DAVID77 @ 09/30/2008 4:54:53 PM

      did you choose your nickname or they gave it to you. I am shure that russia is stil under communism, just hiding behind the democracy . what kind of democracy can be from this two little man who rules that country and there is no opposition, there is no even smell of opposition of course from where if there is dictatorship and no free mind and press. by the way i have many russian friends and they share my opinion and i believe that in russia as well are people who understands the real facts not that bosh only that you and your politics are talking. maybe the ukraine stole the gas but you stole the ground which doesnt belongs to you and that's a fact.

      • Posted By: bormotello @ 10/01/2008 9:17:38 AM

        Sorry David77, but if you friends telling that children in Russian schools are praying to Lenin and that students in Russian universities are still studying Marks and Stalin ??? you need to know that your friends are LIERS. Communists are still exists, but now only old people are only supporting them. Communists leader Zyuganov and his party are the main opposition to Kremlin.
        I afraid, that yours friend are losers, which trying to get some sympathy from you, by telling terrible stories about Communists and bears on the streets of Moscow.
        Georgian are non fascists, but since collapse of Soviet Union they had only very nationalistic leaders, which were trying to create Georgia for Georgians. It is not their fault ??? but support for dictators, like Saakashvili, from USA bringing only pain to people of Georgia. And this is USA fault, not Russia, at least not in Georgia.

  • Posted By: joe_mama @ 10/01/2008 8:54:20 AM

    In the end, the Bush administration and the conservative lemmings said we went into Iraq to remove a bad man from power. After all, they argued, he attacked his own people...we were doing the Iraqis a favor, they claimed.

    Now they wants us to think Georgia--who sent it's military after it's own people--is the innocent victim in this situation.

    Puhhhleeeeeeze!

    That's like saying the guys OJ robbed are "innocent victims"!

    Truth is they're all dirty as h*ll (Russia, Georgia, OJ, and the rest) and we would be well served to steer clear of this regional dispute.

    Diplomacy is fine, mediation is great, but NO WAY should we commit American lives to protect another wannabe world leader.

    JM

  • Posted By: Mwalimu @ 10/01/2008 2:12:47 AM

    I do not believe we should hand Georgia a blank check. For ages Georgia has been engaged in a blood feud with South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Last April, Obama stressed the need of peace-keepers to resolve the dispute. Furthermore, a number of sources suggest that Saakahvili has become increasingly autocratic and dictatorial. This does not bode well for a democratic leader. Furthermore William Scheuneman, one of McCain chief strategists, is a lobbyist for Georgia and has received thousands of dollars from the government of Georgia. Evidence also indicates that Saakashvili started August fracas with Russia, with the encouragement of officials of the Bush Administration, so tht McCain could appear "presidential."
    If we are seriously about everyone's best interests, I'd suggest we delay letting Georgia into NATO. In stead we need to establish ourselves as neutral peace brokers and try to negotiate an end to the various crises in the Caucacus region. We could also work through intermediaries. This is the method Obama favors and as a patruiotic American, I want my country to be recognized as a nation of peace-makers rather than war mongers.

  • Posted By: Glenno @ 10/01/2008 12:23:47 AM

    It appears that Georgia can continue to rely on US support for their genocide in Ossetia. US is now a sponsor of terrorism with the support of Georgia, no respect for international law in Guantanamo and supports torture with waterboarding. This is all on top of the acceptance of pre-emptive strikes...
    US is now provoking war with Russia, Pakistan and Iran. With the army already loosing in Afghanistan and Iraq, is it not time to re-think if an American Empire ruling the world is the best thing for the american people???

    Americans travelling anywhere on the planet has to pretend to be Canadian to avoid harrassment... The reason the majority of the world view america as the biggest threat to global peace is not because they havent been fox news!

  • Posted By: poirot @ 09/30/2008 8:35:40 PM

    I read a few of them, David. But does this really matter? Does it matter if I am Russian?
    So this is the understanding of yours: either I am illiterate, or a Russian, or most probably all together.
    This is exactly what I was saying.
    You, people, despise the Russians, the Ossetians, the Abkhasians, the Adjarians, the Armenians, the Azerbaidjanians, the Jews, the Kurds.
    You thought that you could handle whatever the consequences could come up with this contempt to other ethnic groups and nations. With your extreme nationalism.
    But here is the direct and simple answer ??? you can not.
    It is a direct and simple situation ??? you do not posses any power whatsoever to maintain this nationalism. Do not stay delusional.
    The fascism could benefit nowhere.

  • Posted By: TZAZ @ 09/30/2008 7:32:19 PM

    Russia is and has always been territorially driven, as Thoynbe said czar or commissar the Russians are the same. Ideologies are not the issue Russian expansionism and pride are.

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