U.S. Criticizes Russian Moves In South Ossetia, Praises Georgia

Radio Free Europe ^ | March 2, 2006

[lizol]

U.S. Criticizes Russian Moves In South Ossetia, Praises Georgia

(RFE/RL) PRAGUE, March 2, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- For the second time in three weeks, a senior U.S. representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has registered concern over the ongoing tensions in Georgia's unrecognized breakaway Republic of South Ossetia and Russia's policies towards that region.

Addressing the OSCE's Permanent Council in Vienna on March 2, U.S. Charge d'Affaires Kyle Scott expressed concern that recent incidents in South Ossetia could have triggered new bloodshed there, and he called on "both sides to exercise restraint and take care to avoid any further incidents."

Scott listed several recent Russian moves that he said give cause for concern, including statements that Russia will take unspecified measures to protect its citizens in South Ossetia. He said Russia's granting of citizenship to residents of the unrecognized republic "calls into question the Russian Federation's stated support for Georgia's territorial integrity and [its] commitment to support a peaceful resolution of the South Ossetia conflict based on that principle."

Scott likewise expressed "dismay" at Russia's "perplexing decision" last week to pull out of a session of the Joint Control Commission (JCC) tasked with monitoring the situation in the South Ossetia conflict zone that was scheduled to take place in Vienna on February 20-21. Russia instead summoned South Ossetian and North Ossetian leaders to Moscow for talks in which Georgia did not participate.

Scott said the cancellation of the Vienna talks was "a significant setback," and he called on "all sides to agree now to a meeting of the JCC as soon as practical and in a mutually agreeable location." He added that "there is much work to do, including reconciling the relatively few differences between the peace plan proposed by Georgia, which the OSCE Ministerial [meeting in Ljubljana in December] recognized as a basis for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, and the plan proposed a few days later by South Ossetia."

Noting that "the current situation calls for confidence-building steps by all parties," Scott praised "the unilateral steps recently announced by the Georgian leadership to begin demilitarization and improve security in South Ossetia." U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Julie Finlay called for an immediate start to demilitarization in her address to the Permanent Council three weeks ago.

Scott urged the South Ossetian leadership to accept Georgia's repeated invitations for talks on resolving the conflict, and specifically on a Georgian draft law on compensation for those residents of South Ossetia who suffered during the war.

Scott further commended Georgia for "its continuing efforts to make the difficult decisions needed to secure a lasting peace," and he called on Russia and South Ossetia "to reciprocate with confidence-building measures of their own.

[x5452]

This shouldn't be puzzling. Georgia's government has been sympathetic with Kosovo and Chechnya being recognized as nations. The all but explictly stated a few weeks ago that if Kosovo independance was recognized they would back Abkhazia and South Ossetia in independance.

http://www.iwpr.net/?p=crs&s=f&o=259985&apc_state=henh

The moral of the story? Don't back Muslim terrorists getting their own country if you don't want your neighbors backing the breakaway intentions of folks in your own.

[RusIvan]

Georgians and osetians hate each others. The land S.Osetia was given Georgia by Stalin. It never was georgian.
You may ask what about Chechnya. I'd answer that there are many pro-russian Chechens who fought against separatist from start in 1992. But if you find few pro-georgian osetans then I will be surprised.

[1rudeboy]

Did you post the proper link? I found nothing there that supports what you are suggesting.

[eleni121]

Most Ossetians are Christian right? To what extent do they support Russian hegemony as opposed to the Moslem Ossetians?

[RusIvan]

Most Ossetians are Christian right? To what extent do they support Russian hegemony as opposed to the Moslem Ossetians?==

I know that Georgians partly muslims. But AFAIK ossetian are all christians. It is abkhasians are partly muslim not osetians.

[Lukasz]

It was a Georgian land in the past. Ossetians are descendants of Iranian tribes, they found their safe home in this region because |Georgians allowed them to settle there. It is the Russians who are total aliens in the Caucasus.

[RusIvan]

Ossetians are descendants of Iranian tribes, they found their safe home in this region because |Georgians allowed them to settle there.==

I beleive you since I don't know. I just know that ancient name of osetians is Alans. Thier ancient country was called Alania. And this country was ally of Kiev Rus in ancient time. So today Osettians still ally of Russians.

So if today Europe decided to let go albanians with Kosovo then why not ossetians with thier lands since latter same way just hates georgians and cann't live with them together. If you do not seek total extermination of ossetians of cause?

It is the Russians who are total aliens in the Caucasus.==

I agree. Russians as nation got formed from ugro-finn tribes populated the forest north of Northern Europe. Ethnically Russians are brothers to Finns, Estonians and Hungarians from one side and whole bunch of today small urgo-finn ethnicities in between river Volga and Ural mountains. Like permiaks, chyvashes, bashkirs, maries, mordians and even Kazan tatar who really is volgarians. Real tatars like Cremians are turks.

Later those pre-russian tribes got assimilated with southern tribes of polians from which polish ethnicity and ukranians ethnicity got devised.
Hence from other side Russians are ethically brothers to Ukranians and Poles.

We all the total aliens to mountain people of Caucausus.

[orange mike]

If this is true osetia should be independent like chehcennya. But it is not: Osetians settled on Georgian land in middle aages and they wer only able to rebell against georgia because russia give them support. If russia tries to recognize ossetians i wish that they are drowned in blood by chehcens.

[RusIvan]

If russia tries to recognize ossetians i wish that they are drowned in blood by chehcens.==

You so blood thirsty as truly orange "democrate":).

[Lukasz]

Another friend of Russia, not bad entry not bad :)

[x5452]

Well I hope Poland doesn't start using that logic. They'd have half of Ukraine if they went back to middle age maps of Poland.

Should poland steal back that land that Ukranians stole?

[MarMema]

Something like half, and many of those are probably Georgians living there. I believe South Ossetia has been invaded by radical muslims, probably chechens, in the last year. There have been some ugly kidnappings and killings of Georgians at the border - with body parts returned to families, reminiscent of chechen behavior. Also a few children kidnapped....one I think was finally returned alive, but had been "kept" in a very chechen manner.

I used to study the chechens quite intensely so I feel like I know their behaviors....

[MarMema]

I am glad the US is keeping an eye on the Georgian people.
They really need our help.

[eleni121]

one I think was finally returned alive, but had been "kept" in a very chechen manner.

---

Does "kept" mean what I think it does?

[MarMema]

Kidnapping has long been a problem in the South Ossetian conflict zone. Eleven-year old Petriashvili told journalists he was kept in a pit for some of the time with his arms bound.

The stories of survivors are like the relics of some wild, half-forgotten era of warlords and lawless barbarism. Victims have been kept in earthen pits or small cells that are often scrawled with the initials of hundreds of earlier captives.

[eleni121]

Oh my God. Words fail me...that these evil Muslim beasts have survived for so long.