Cold war battle still simmers in Tbilisi

[muriel_volestrangler]

Tension between Russia and Georgia has been building for months and will not be defused even if the latest clash over alleged Russian spying is resolved. Territorial, ethnic and religious disputes, local politics, ideology and history are all contributing factors. But the broader context is a continuing post-cold war struggle for influence between Moscow and Washington in the strategic trans-Caucasus region.

Since winning power after the western-backed 2003 "rose revolution", President Mikhail Saakashvili has moved to integrate Georgia into Nato and the European Union. The US has been especially supportive, with President George Bush visiting Tbilisi last year. Mr Saakashvili accuses Russia of seeking regime change and encouraging separatist movements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Speaking at the UN last month, he said Moscow was conducting a "gangster occupation" of parts of his country.

Buoyed by the partial reverse of Ukraine's "orange revolution" in elections earlier this year, Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, now has his eye on Georgia. He has dragged out the withdrawal of 4,000 Russian "peacekeepers" from two bases there, imposed economic sanctions, and reportedly met Abkhazian and South Ossetian leaders. Put simply, Russia views Georgia as part of its "patch" - the post-Soviet space it seeks to dominate.

With some justification, Mr Saakashvili says on-off mediation efforts by the EU, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the UN's so-called "Group of Friends" (which includes the US and Britain) have proved inadequate. "If we fail to unite in support of new mechanisms to advance peace, we give a green light to those who seek otherwise and risk plunging the region into darkness and conflict," he warned the UN.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldbriefing/story/0,,1886163,00.html