[AmericanInTokyo]

show sweet it is.

quick! somebody attach a .ram file so we can here Louis Armstrong sing "Georgia"! How fitting. Zdravistuye, Presidenti Shevardnadze.

[My2Cents]

Who'd have believed that Georgia, part of the former Soviet Union, would be a better friend to the United States than France!? (Well, on second thought, maybe it's not so surprising.)

[VadeRetro]

This appears mostly symbolic, alas! Georgia nestles between the Black and Caspian seas, a long way from Afghanistan. We'd still need flyover permission from Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia . . . Anyway you try to fly it, you're several countries away.

[The_Reader_David]

Excellent.

May the prayers of St. Tamara of Georgia be with us!*

.

*For those of you who don't know, St. Tamara was a 12th century Queen of Georgia who lead her army into battle, was renowned for her justice and charity, was called "King" by her people, and converted many of the Muslim hill-tribes in neighboring lands to Holy Orthodoxy.

[Rocko]

Friends will be remembered.

[blam]

[magellan]

Georgia on my mind.

[Zviadist]

Shevardnadze, known as "Bloody Eduard", should be useful to us in identifying the characteristics of a terrorist: his whole career has consisted of acts of brutal supression and terrorism as head of the KGB in Soviet Georgia. Later, after he killed thousands and overthrew a democratically-elected leader in post-Soviet Georgia, the entire political opposition was simply liquidated. Georgia is one of the most repressive nations on earth. And yes, I have been there. Wonderful parteners we have in this "war against the world".

[Georgian]

here you go Hello Oxi-Nato I do agree with you in most of your statements about situation in Georgia and Chechen terrorists hiding there. However: After 9/11 terroristic attack on America Russia tries to use US anger for its own interests, in particular, for retaliation against Chechens. Russian authorities are using cheap methods to achieve what it takes to make Chechens pay. For example, right after American tragedy, officials in Moscow tried to disseminate information that CD Rom was allegedly found in one of the Chechen "Boevik" leader's House that contained Boeing manuals and maps. Russian government can try to create an image of "Fighter against terrorism" to justify attacks on Chechen villages however it'll never work. Western democracies shouldn't give Cart Blanche to Russia in Caucasus. America has to be careful not to ignore what Russia might will do in the Caucasus region, especially in Georgia that is considered by Moscow as safe haven for terrorists. Chechen militias are present in Georgia and Russia's new wave of retaliatory attacks against Chechen people has to be blamed along with Georgian government's inactivity that could prevent their presence within its borders. Especially since 1999, when Russia initiated new war in Chechnya, tens of thousands of refugees were resettled to Georgia, in Pankisi Gorge region. Chechen refugees (most of them are unregistered in Georgia) brought along Several small Islamic militant groups in Pankisi. However I doubt that Russia can present any evidence that sucker Bin laden is funding them. This is another cheap provocative measures that Russian officials are using in order to gain justified access to Georgian territory for Russian troops. Chechen terrorists in Georgia have to be blamed in arm trade and in increasing number of crimes, among them kidnappings of Georgian and foreign Natiionals for ransom. Russia went too far however by making demands from Georgian government to extradite hundred of Chechen nationals that is virtually impossible since Georgian law-enforcement bodies don't even have an access to Pankisi. On one hand it may be true as well that there were allegations that certain Georgian officials from the Ministry of Interior were supporting arm trade in Pankisi Gorge and were profiting from it; but on the other hand, in case Georgian law enforcement goes after Chechens living in Pankisi, we can be dealing with the outbreak of new ethnic conflict in Georgia. Inspite of Religious differences Chechnia (moslem) and Georgia (Christian) survived from being engaged in war against each-other what Russian government is willing to achieve today. Georgian government doesn't have enough resources to control the situation and any attempt of using force against Chechen boeviks in Georgia would not be a good idea. It would be the best for Georgian government to call international community for help to deal with Pankisi Issue. But I doubt this will happen because Shevardnadze's regime will never acknowledge its mistakes that are clear and unequivocal in created uncertainty. Any ideas?

[StoneColdGOP]

Excellent.