Georgia, Russia and NATO

The June 4 editorial "Railroading Georgia" correctly criticized Russia's latest effort to bully its former Soviet satellite. Clearly, for the better part of 15 years, Russia has been interfering with Georgian sovereignty and supporting two regions in Georgia that have attempted to form de facto separatist regimes. Russia has used both its military might and energy-sector leverage to muscle its way back into hegemony over many of its former republics.

Your suggestion, however, that the Bush administration address Russia's unacceptable provocations by "pressing NATO to grant Georgia a membership action plan" was shortsighted. The present Georgian government bears primary responsibility for NATO's reluctance to grant such a plan.

To get a membership action plan, a government must show a strong commitment to democracy, including a vibrant, independent judiciary. NATO, along with every other independent observer and nongovernmental organization that has reviewed Georgia's judiciary, has found such independence lacking. The Georgian judiciary is quite willing to disregard clearly written laws and regulations in order to adhere to the will of the executive branch. Sadly, I speak from experience, having recently provided legal representation to a participant in a closed trial of dissidents whose basic rights were repeatedly violated or ignored.

Georgia deserves a chance to chart its own path, independent of ham-handed interference by Russia. But Georgia does not deserve slavish and uncritical support from the United States, the European Union or any democratic government if it tramples the legal and human rights of its citizens.

E. LAWRENCE BARCELLA JR.

Washington