"Lyrik" <lyrikfjern@heaven.dk> skrev i en meddelelse news:g91u30$1pma$1@newsbin.cybercity.dk...
> Linien er klar. Befolkninger som ønsker selvstyre skal have det! Antallet af nye stater er
> eksploderet siden første verdenskrig.
>
> Men vesten....som har givet bolden op med Kosovos løsrivelse fra den russisk allierede Serbien, må
> nu tømme forbitrelsens bæger når det vestvenlige Georgien nu må se på at Abkhasien og Syd-Ossetien
> får "Kosovo-status"
>
> Se Condoleeza Rices hykleri.
> --
> Hilsen
> Jens "Lyrik" Bech
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9c7ad792-7395-11dd-8a66-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1
Why I had to recognise Georgia's breakaway regions. By Dmitry Medvedev
Published: August 26 2008 18:48 | Last updated: August 26 2008 18:48
On Tuesday Russia recognised the independence of the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. It
was not a step taken lightly, or without full consideration of the consequences. But all possible
outcomes had to be weighed against a sober understanding of the situation - the histories of the
Abkhaz and Ossetian peoples, their freely expressed desire for independence, the tragic events of
the past weeks and international precedents for such a move.
Not all of the world's nations have their own statehood. Many exist happily within boundaries shared
with other nations. The Russian Federation is an example of largely harmonious coexistence by many
dozens of nations and nationalities. But some nations find it impossible to live under the tutelage
of another. Relations between nations living "under one roof" need to be handled with the utmost
sensitivity.
After the collapse of communism, Russia reconciled itself to the "loss" of 14 former Soviet
republics, which became states in their own right, even though some 25m Russians were left stranded
in countries no longer their own. Some of those nations were unable to treat their own minorities
with the respect they deserved. Georgia immediately stripped its "autonomous regions" of Abkhazia
and South Ossetia of their autonomy.
Can you imagine what it was like for the Abkhaz people to have their university in Sukhumi closed
down by the Tbilisi government on the grounds that they allegedly had no proper language or history
or culture and so did not need a university? The newly independent Georgia inflicted a vicious war
on its minority nations, displacing thousands of people and sowing seeds of discontent that could
only grow. These were tinderboxes, right on Russia's doorstep, which Russian peacekeepers strove to
keep from igniting.
But the west, ignoring the delicacy of the situation, unwittingly (or wittingly) fed the hopes of
the South Ossetians and Abkhazians for freedom. They clasped to their bosom a Georgian president,
Mikheil Saakashvili, whose first move was to crush the autonomy of another region, Adjaria, and made
no secret of his intention to squash the Ossetians and Abkhazians.
Meanwhile, ignoring Russia's warnings, western countries rushed to recognise Kosovo's illegal
declaration of independence from Serbia. We argued consistently that it would be impossible, after
that, to tell the Abkhazians and Ossetians (and dozens of other groups around the world) that what
was good for the Kosovo Albanians was not good for them. In international relations, you cannot have
one rule for some and another rule for others.
Seeing the warning signs, we persistently tried to persuade the Georgians to sign an agreement on
the non-use of force with the Ossetians and Abkhazians. Mr Saakashvili refused. On the night of
August 7-8 we found out why.
Only a madman could have taken such a gamble. Did he believe Russia would stand idly by as he
launched an all-out assault on the sleeping city of Tskhinvali, murdering hundreds of peaceful
civilians, most of them Russian citizens? Did he believe Russia would stand by as his "peacekeeping"
troops fired on Russian comrades with whom they were supposed to be preventing trouble in South
Ossetia?
Russia had no option but to crush the attack to save lives. This was not a war of our choice. We
have no designs on Georgian territory. Our troops entered Georgia to destroy bases from which the
attack was launched and then left. We restored the peace but could not calm the fears and
aspirations of the South Ossetian and Abkhazian peoples - not when Mr Saakashvili continued (with
the complicity and encouragement of the US and some other Nato members) to talk of rearming his
forces and reclaiming "Georgian territory". The presidents of the two republics appealed to Russia
to recognise their independence.
A heavy decision weighed on my shoulders. Taking into account the freely expressed views of the
Ossetian and Abkhazian peoples, and based on the principles of the United Nations charter and other
documents of international law, I signed a decree on the Russian Federation's recognition of the
independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. I sincerely hope that the Georgian people, to whom we
feel historic friendship and sympathy, will one day have leaders they deserve, who care about their
country and who develop mutually respectful relations with all the peoples in the Caucasus. Russia
is ready to support the achievement of such a goal.
The writer is president of the Russian Federation
__________________________________________________________
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry_Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, born 14 September 1965)
is the third and current President of Russia, inaugurated on 7 May 2008.
He won the presidential election held on 2 March 2008 with about 70% of the vote.
Jan Rasmussen