Wednesday, 05 May 2004
Georgia Update: I Am Psychic
Looks like the shit has hit the fan in Georgia:
Georgia imposes rule over Ajaria
Georgian leader Mikhail Saakashvili has imposed direct presidential
rule in the rebel region of Ajaria. The moves came amid growing
pressure on Ajaria's leader Aslan Abashidze to accept Tbilisi's
authority or resign. The Georgian government has warned Aslan Abashidze
that he has only a few hours to step down and avoid bloodshed. Police
have joined the thousands of people in Ajaria's capital to call for his
resignation, but Mr Abashidze still has the support of private
militias.
[...]
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania was able to enter Ajaria for
talks with local officials, the BBC's Natalia Antelava in Batumi said.
Mr Zhvania had to cross on stones over a river into the territory,
because Mr Abashidze's militia blew up bridges linking Ajaria with the
rest of the country. Georgian officials have said that Ajarian forces
may have planted explosives at the region's main oil terminal in
Batumi. Earlier on Wednesday, Georgia's security council secretary,
Vano Merabishvili, said Mr Abashidze's private militia must lay down
their arms to avoid blood being spilled.
Georgian leader Mikhail Saakashvili has imposed direct presidential
rule in the rebel region of Ajaria. The moves came amid growing
pressure on Ajaria's leader Aslan Abashidze to accept Tbilisi's
authority or resign. The Georgian government has warned Aslan Abashidze
that he has only a few hours to step down and avoid bloodshed. Police
have joined the thousands of people in Ajaria's capital to call for his
resignation, but Mr Abashidze still has the support of private
militias.
[...]
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania was able to enter Ajaria for
talks with local officials, the BBC's Natalia Antelava in Batumi said.
Mr Zhvania had to cross on stones over a river into the territory,
because Mr Abashidze's militia blew up bridges linking Ajaria with the
rest of the country. Georgian officials have said that Ajarian forces
may have planted explosives at the region's main oil terminal in
Batumi. Earlier on Wednesday, Georgia's security council secretary,
Vano Merabishvili, said Mr Abashidze's private militia must lay down
their arms to avoid blood being spilled.
And here's the money quote:
The US is backing the construction of a
multi-billion dollar pipeline to transport Caspian Sea oil through the
volatile region to the international market.
multi-billion dollar pipeline to transport Caspian Sea oil through the
volatile region to the international market.
Boy, is that ever an understatement. Here's a little background to sum up where the "interests" lie in the Caspian region:
- The Head of Emergency Situations Department of Adjara was shot in the head by an unknown gunman on February 22.
- On
March 22, the Adjaran government arrested four men and claimed to have
uncovered a secret plot to seize the republic and it's capitol city of
Batumi - An intrinsic part of today's oil transport network is the Batumi Oil Transport Facility.
- Both Anadarko and Chevron have been "long time users" of the Batumi Oil Transport Facility in Adjara.
- Condoleeza Rice was on the Board of Directors for Chevron.
- Bush created/served as a consultant to Anadarko.
- On February 28, Colin Powell went to Georgia to offer the new president a "symbolic stamp of U.S. approval."
And of course, we've got Mr. Oil himself on the record saying:
"I cannot think of a time when we had a region emerge as suddenly to become strategically significant as the Caspian."
- Dick Cheney, CEO Halliburton, Inc. 1998
- Dick Cheney, CEO Halliburton, Inc. 1998
I've been following this story for a while now. For a more in depth look click here, here, or here.
It kills me how predictable these people are. Every conflict, every
"insurgence", and every invasion can be easily explained by simply
following the oil. It always leads to the same place.
Click for detailed maps of Caspian oil/natural gas pipelines
UPDATE: Reports
are now coming in saying that Abashidze has resigned. Obviously this is
good news in that it would avoid more unnecessary bloodshed in the
region. We've already had quite enough of that, thanks.
UPDATE II:Now it's looking like he's NOT going to resign:
Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze dismissed reports
regarding his intentions to flee Adjara as “disinformation.â€
“Secretary of the Russian National Security Council Sergei Ivanov
will arrive in Batumi and we will discuss who to solve the current
crisis in Adjara,†Aslan Abashidze told Adjara TV, while thousands of
protesters are rallying in Batumi demanding his resignation. “We
should avoid bloodshed,†he added. President Saakashvili said a
shortly before the Abashidze’s comments that he asked Russian
President Putin, with whom Saakashvili talked twice on May 5, to grant
Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze political asylum after he resigns.
“Several hours are left before the final victory,†Mikheil
Saakashvili added as a hint that Abashidze is ready for resignation.
However, in his comments to the Adjara TV Aslan Abashidze showed no
sights that he intends to step down.
regarding his intentions to flee Adjara as “disinformation.â€
“Secretary of the Russian National Security Council Sergei Ivanov
will arrive in Batumi and we will discuss who to solve the current
crisis in Adjara,†Aslan Abashidze told Adjara TV, while thousands of
protesters are rallying in Batumi demanding his resignation. “We
should avoid bloodshed,†he added. President Saakashvili said a
shortly before the Abashidze’s comments that he asked Russian
President Putin, with whom Saakashvili talked twice on May 5, to grant
Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze political asylum after he resigns.
“Several hours are left before the final victory,†Mikheil
Saakashvili added as a hint that Abashidze is ready for resignation.
However, in his comments to the Adjara TV Aslan Abashidze showed no
sights that he intends to step down.
I'll shut up now. If there's one thing this world doesn't need any more
of it's idiotic breathless reporting. I'll leave that to Drudge.
Posted by flow Frazao on May 5, 2004 at 01:17 PM | Permalink
Post a comment
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/851317
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Georgia Update: I Am Psychic: