The west cannot impose its 'unite and rule' principle in Georgia and South Ossetia

The Guardian by Anna Matveeva | Oct. 14, 2008 (Opinion)

Why do we fail to notice that the three groups have mutually exclusive and irreconcilable visions of what the country should be, and force them to co-habit with one another? Why do we refuse to see that considerable international engagement failed to bring them closer to our desired notion of their affairs? Could it be that the policy really says more about us than "them" on the ground? Full Story »

Posted by Peter Barnett

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by Peter Barnett - Oct. 15, 2008

It challenges the idea of 'set piece solutions' for conflicts that arise more from external vested interests, than from the interest of those actually 'in conflict'.

Perhaps an idealistic view of conflict resolution where super powers are involved, but someone needed to say it.

n comments to reporters, Saakashvili agreed at the first stage of the ceasefire agreement signed last month had been complied with by the deadline, 10 October, but noted that Russia still stations troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia and urged Russia to withdraw to positions it held before the war broke out on 7 August

On the eve of talks, however, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili cast serious doubt on any chances of success while branding representatives of Georgia’s rebel regions of South Ossetia and Abkazia as “ethnic cleansers.”

A Russian diplomat said Monday that the main reason for downgrading the talks was the refusal to allow the participation of representatives of South Ossetia and Abkhazia — both breakaway regions of Georgia whose independence was recognized by Russia after the conflict.

Peter posted this story.