Iran offers Georgia assistance in handling energy crisis (wonder if they blew up the pipes?)

RIA Novosti, ^ | 25/ 01/ 2006 | Marina Kvaratskhelia

[jb6]

TBILISI, January 25 (RIA Novosti, Marina Kvaratskhelia) - Iran has offered Georgia assistance to resolve the recent energy crisis that has hit the country after key natural gas and electricity supply lines from Russia were disrupted at the weekend, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

On Sunday, the Mozdok-Tbilisi gas pipeline in the Republic of North Ossetia was damaged in explosions, cutting gas supplies to Georgia and Armenia. A similar incident knocked out an electricity line in the region. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili condemned the blasts as political and premeditated acts undertaken by Russia, though the Russian Foreign Ministry and energy giant Gazprom dismissed the claims.

The Georgian ministry said the country's energy experts and their Iranian colleagues were currently working on the issue, and the two nations' foreign ministers had spoken about the matter Wednesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Motaki Manuchehr "expressed regret over the energy problems and voiced [his country's] readiness to provide assistance by delivering Iranian gas," the Georgian ministry said.

A Georgian Fuel and Energy Ministry representative said Sunday that Georgia could start importing Iranian gas - reportedly at $120 per 1,000 cu m via the Georgia-Azerbaijan-Iran pipeline - if the problem persisted. Saakashvili said the Iranian gas would be $10 more expensive that Russian supplies, but it would be "a guarantee in case there are problems with Russian gas."

[sageb1]

"wonder if they blew up the pipes?"

With the Iranian government such as it is, anything is possible.

[jb6]

ping

[MarMema]

It's freezing in Georgia and they have no heat. They think Russia blew up the line.

I wish I could post the pics my friend sent me today from Tbilisi. I don't know how to do it.

[x5452]

Where are the pics. Are they on your home computer or somewhere on the internet?

[MarMema]

Home computer email.

But check this out.

Blizzard closes schools, stops traffic

How have the heavy snows and power shortages affected you and your family?

The friend who sent me the pics is using hot water bottles to keep warm at night.

[x5452]

If there's anyone well connected to the Iran government it's checnya. Chechen terrorist have already said they would target Russian energy, and they have contacts in Iran as well.

It's quite likely that this is a terrorist tactic by Iran's government in retaliation for Russia's comments regarding their Nuclear program.

[eleni121]

They think Russia blew up the line.
...................................................

Yeah...right. Seriously...does anyone believe that? Let's hope that Sorosism has not infiltrated this govt.

As for the weather and Iran's offer of "help" - beware of "iranians" bearing gifts.

[Tailgunner Joe]

I wonder if the Iranians used bombs sold to them by Putin.

[humint]

SOURCE: World Energy "Areas To Watch"

Another flashpoint in the Caspian/Caucasus region is Georgia's remote Pankisi Gorge region, which Chechen rebels reportedly use as a base and refuge. On August 14, 2002, Russia accused Georgia of directly assisting Chechen rebels and allowing them to use the Pankisi Gorge as a base for attacks on Russia. On August 9, Russia's defense minister said that the Pankisi Gorge had emerged as the world's second main "nest" of terrorism. The Pankisi Gorge situation, along with Russian support for Georgian rebels in the breakaway province of Abkhazia, has raised tensions between the two countries in recent months. On August 24, 2002, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer stated that the United States was "deeply concerned about credible reports that Russian military aircraft indiscriminately bombed villages in northern Georgia on August 23, 2002, resulting in the killing of civilians," and worried that the attacks could "escalate existing tension between Russia and Georgia."

[Tailgunner Joe]

The Chechen terrorists also support the separatists in Abkhazia. They teamed up with Russia to invade and occupy Abkhazia and ethically cleansed the region of hundreds of thousands of Christian Georgians. Shamil Basayev himself, the butcher of Beslan led an Abkhazian battalion against the Georgians. The muslims support the separatists because they want a "right of return" for Abkhazian muslim exiles in Turkey. It's all part of al-Qaeda's plot to create an Islamic Caliphate from the Black Sea to the Caspian.

[x5452]

Soros is a heavy contributor to the current government, and there is an anti-soros group strongly aligned against him.

[MarMema]

Shamil Basayev himself, the butcher of Beslan led an Abkhazian battalion against the Georgians.

Oh I wish I had not read that. I despised this man knowing he had killed Russians. To know that the Georgians faced him as well is almost more than I can handle.

[MarMema]

Additionally they love to stir up fights.
This is a very good thought!

[Hill of Tara]

"Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili condemned the blasts as political and premeditated acts undertaken by Russia, "

Oh please sakashvili, who do you think you're kidding? Russia blew up THEIR OWN pipelines?

I bet he thinks the CIA pulled off the 9-11 attacks too. What a moron.

In my opinion it was the Chechnyan terrorists who blew up the pipelines. They have the means and motive. It could have been Iran too, but it stands to reason that Iran would not want to provoke Russia into cancelling the enrichment on Russian soil deal. Of course, Muslims usually dont think before they act so it may well have been Iran.

Or perhaps Yuschenko...

[Hill of Tara]

"It's quite likely that this is a terrorist tactic by Iran's government in retaliation for Russia's comments regarding their Nuclear program."

Iran is going to wind up being squashed from the north by Russia and the east and west by the US and Israel if they don't stop acting dumb and alienating every single country on earth.

[jb6]

The Georgians who faced him at that time were busy butchering Orthodox Abkhazians and Ossessians. Later, in 2001 Baseyov and Gudayov were hired by the Georgians to start a new war with the Abkhazians. They started it by butchering 14 women and children in an Armenian village.

Tailgunner knows all this, he chooses to ignore it, doesn't fit his propaganda line.