Georgia, Russia: Governments Unable to Protect Civilians

Ukrainian journalist Ihor Lutsenko – LJ user igordaily – has just returned from an assignment in Georgia. Below is one the latest posts on his blog (UKR):

[…] It was difficult to get back. Many of our journalists got stuck there, because there are no return tickets, and they can't [do their work], because the road to Gori is blocked.

The essence. I would like to talk about two wonderful governments.

The Georgian [government], for some reason, did not announce officially and in a way that's easy to understand that there was a need to evacuate residents of Gori and the nearby villages. It did not help with evacuation in a systematic way. Private “patriots” didn't help, either, the ones who [drive recklessly] around Tbilisi with [Georgian] flags on their cars, even though it's only an hour's ride to the crisis area. And today in my almost native village of Tkviavi looters have killed five people, according to a local [I spoke with on the phone].

The Russian government has deserted its citizens in Georgia. They are calling the embassy of [the Russian Federation] in Tbilisi, asking for help (because direct flights have been canceled) – but they are told, It's your problem, get out any way you wish, we here are [almost being bombed] ourselves. Back home, however, the media are writing that they are all but handcuffed [and being held hostage by Georgians] – even though not a single Georgian has said a harsh word to them.

[Vladimir Putin and Mikheil Saakashvili], I hope that one day you'll pay in full [for this].

4 comments

  • Western ukrainian journalist is always “objective” to Russia.
    They will pay especcially Saakashvili,may they will meet each other in Gaaga

  • 48639tb3lvdvbh3w

    The situation in Georgia should make it absolutely clear to the world why countries like Georgia want to be part of the west with security gurantees to protect them from Russia.

    In the name of “peacekeeping” Russia has levelled Tskhinvali, the city it claimed to be protecting. The Russians along with vigillantes from Chechnia and North Ossetia are engaged in looting, pillaging, kidnapping, murder, rape, and ethnic cleansing of Georgians.

    In Chechnia the Russian soldiers regularly supplimented their insufficient salary with ransom from kidnapping. Is this happening now in Georgia?

    When you look at what is happening in Georgia you see scenes from what we in the West thought happened only in the past. Are the Poles surprised? Are the Checks surprised? No. Those people experienced Russians first hand in the last century. But this is also the behavior of 21st century Russia.

    What is happening in Georgia is the cold war in a microcosm. It puts the difference in values between Russia and Europe under a magnifying glass so everyone in the world can see it clearly. Europe and the US stand for democracy, individual freedom and the rule of law. Russia stands for looting, pillaging, kidnapping, murder, rape and ethnic cleansing.

    But the biggest difference is that Russia is proud of these actions and wants them to be known around the world because they believe it will generate fear, respect and thus cooperation from other countries. In the west, we attract allies through our own example. Peoples want to join the west. They want to live in countries like ours, not because they are afraid of us, but because they want safety and freedom and do not want to be subject to stallinist practices.

    How tragically ironic that today those techniques which made Stallin fameous are being inflicted on innocent people in the country in which he was born.

  • Pier

    -World notice – Is necessary to prepare a great world (global) holiday (party) to celebrate the day that G. W. Bush after-taste of being A President of U.S.A.

  • RBG

    Russia-vs-Georgia.com – visitor can vote there for one of the conflict sides. Now Russia leading – only 20% of visitors support Georgia.

    And there is more then 2000 comments about war in South Osetia – interesting to read opposite opinions –

    http://www.russia-vs-georgia.com/

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