Note: The following is from the August 13 issue of Working People's Advocate
-- Eds.WPAnalysisBy HENRY MILESWPA Editor In-Chief
The recent six-day conflict in South Ossetia between Russian and Georgian troops was, in fact, a proxy war between Russia and the United States.
The conflict began on Aug. 7, when Georgian soldiers crossed into the territory of the breakaway region, which had been
de facto independent since 1992, in order to "reclaim" it. In the process, Georgian forces shot at and killed a number of Russian peacekeepers who had been there since the breakup of the former Soviet Union.
Thousands of South Ossetians fled in advance of Georgian troops, crossing into Russia or taking refuge around the region's capital, Tskhinvali. They then surrounded the capital and began shelling it, demanding the surrender of the region's government.
Moscow responded by sending in more peacekeepers and units from the army's Special Forces, to retake the capital and drive Georgia back across the border.
By Aug. 10, Russian and Ossetian troops had secured the capital and pushed back Georgian troops to pockets along the border. To bolster their position, Russia sent warships to close off the Georgian port city of Poti and it was reported that bombers from the Russian Air Force had attacked the Georgian border city of Gori.
Three days later, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev agreed to a cease-fire brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, acting for the European Union, who then went to Georgia's capital, Tblisi, to get the agreement of its president, Mikheil Saakashvili.
During the conflict, thousands of South Ossetians were killed and tens of thousands became refugees, fleeing mainly to Russia.
This seemingly regional conflict between Russia and Georgia was, in fact, orchestrated by Washington, and may represent the opening of a new phase in the lead-up to the next world war.
Last month, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Tblisi and met with Georgia's president. During the visit, Rice made clear that the U.S. supported their claims to South Ossetia and the other breakaway region, Abkhazia, in spite of Russia.
In addition, at about the same time as Rice was meeting with Saakashvili, U.S. military "advisors" were landing in Georgia to train their military. Shortly thereafter, Georgia conducted military exercises that involved over 1,000 American troops.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has not only pushed ahead with its sponsorship of Georgia for membership in NATO, but has also moved forward on its planned "missile defense shield" aimed at containing Russia.
Shortly after Rice's trip to Georgia, the U.S. government signed a deal to install military radar systems in the Czech Republic as part of this "missile defense" system. The U.S. had already inked a deal with Poland to install similar radar systems there.
Russia has responded to these moves by beefing up its alliances with former Soviet republics, such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzia, and has sought to strengthen its military.
Ten days before the conflict with Georgia began, Moscow announced the construction of the first new naval aircraft carriers since the end of the USSR. In addition, the Russian military has restarted its bomber flights over the Arctic and Pacific oceans.
The Russian government has also begun to reverse the decade-long degradation of its ground forces by undertaking a massive program of re-equipping its soldiers with new weapons, gear and combat vehicles.
Russia has also sought to strengthen its alliance with China and the other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, formed in 2001, to counter the growing power and actions of the United States.
In spite of all of its belligerent language and provocative actions, however, Washington is still not yet prepared to challenge Russia or any of its other rivals.
The continuing fall of the U.S. economy, and the military failures in Afghanistan and Iraq, have stopped the Bush regime from engaging in a new conflict with Moscow. Even a new "cold war" is out of the question, since it would break the proverbial bank.
The ruling circles in Washington and on Wall Street are now seeking out a means of cutting its losses in order to reorganize and prepare for future conflicts -- including those involving Russia and the other imperialist Great Power rivals, such as the EU.
The 2008 election is offering them an excellent opportunity to choose a chief executive who can best serve these needs while also neutralizing domestic dissent.
Labels: Georgia, Imperialism, Pres. Bush, Proxy, Russia, US, War, World War
