US seeks Russian blind eye
on Iraq war with "permission to bomb Georgia"
January 24, 2003
US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who is in Moscow, made a sensational
statement yesterday. In an interview on Ekho Moskvy radio he made it clear
that the United States would not criticize Russia if it carried out pre-emptive
strikes against Chechen gunmen on Georgian territory. However, Moscow wanted this
statement from Washington four months ago. Today it is the United States itself
that needs it most...
The US Embassy in Moscow, where Kommersant's correspondent sought clarification,
stated officially that it "cannot comment on the remarks by the deputy secretary
of state"... In fact, as Kommersant has learned, the words of the high-ranking
State Department representative caused real shock at the US embassy.
There was a similar reaction in Tbilisi. However, there they immediately
attributed the whole thing to the Russian media: They must have misunderstood
the deputy secretary of state.
It may well be, however, that Richard Armitage's sensational statement was not
a diplomatic blunder but was done deliberately. Russia was waiting for this kind
of remark from its American partners in the antiterrorist coalition four months
ago. In September Moscow basically announced the possibility of starting military
operations against Georgia: President Putin gave Tbilisi an ultimatum, demanding
the immediate extradition of the gunmen on its territory and threatening otherwise
to carry out strikes against the terrorists' bases.
At that time Russia, in effect, offered the United States a deal: Iraq in exchange
for Georgia. The Kremlin more or less told the White House: We will not stop you
dealing with Iraq but you will have to agree to our plans regarding Georgia. Especially
given that they are consistent with your approach to Iraq, and there are people
lying low in Georgia who are involved in terrorist acts not only against us but
against you too. At that time, however, the United States supported Tbilisi, stating
that the imposition of order in the Pankisi Gorge was a matter for the Georgian
government. Moscow did not get the long-awaited statement until four months
later.
However, today Russia's relations with Georgia have stabilized and no serious
Russian politician is now talking about pre-emptive strikes onPankisi. And Georgia
is divulging intelligence information on the situation in the gorge and on links
between the gunmen hiding out there and Al-Qa'idah. Moreover, just a couple of
hours before Mr Armitage's statement, the Kremlin officially announced that Vladimir
Putin is to meet Eduard Shevardnadze on 28 January during the CIS summit in Kiev.
And some time after that the Russian Federation president summoned the leaders
of Gazprom and UES [Unified Energy System of Russia], Aleksey Miller and Anatoliy
Chubays, and tasked them with resuming the supply of Russian gas to Georgia
- which was broken off because of an accident on the gas pipeline - within 24
hours.
So in principle Russia does not really need America's carte blanche today: It
will not be bombing Georgia. And the United States knew this when it granted it.
It is the United States itself that needs Mr Armitage's statement. By giving Russia
carte blanche on Georgia (even if it does not need it), Washington is counting
on a similar gesture from Moscow - this time in relation to Iraq. After all, Moscow
itself offered the United States a deal: Iraq in exchange for Georgia. And
that deal would come in very useful for George Bush right now.