| Page 2 of 2 < |
Georgia's Defiant President Finds Support in Midst of War
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
When critics pointed to shortcomings in areas such as human rights and rule of law, administration members routinely invoked Abkhazia and South Ossetia, saying these were more pressing issues. According to some of them, Georgia was already at war with Russia. Such talk fueled Georgia's ambitions to join the NATO alliance, and Georgians were sorely disappointed this spring when the country was denied a formal plan toward future membership. Without a place in NATO, they felt, the threat of war with Russia loomed larger.
Assistant Deputy Secretary of State Matthew Bryza, who arrived in Tbilisi on Monday with harsh words for Russia, said the Georgian government's rhetoric had at times in the past been worrisome. "Belligerent or fiery rhetoric is part of life in the Caucasus," he said. "It is the intention that matters, and intentions can change in the heat of a crisis and lead to bad decisions."
When war finally erupted last week, it affirmed what many in the leadership had long been saying, and brought a huge amount of international attention to the little-known conflict here. It also caused once-vocal critics to put aside their differences and rally around the president.
On Tuesday, as the Russians said they would stand down and try to negotiate peace, Saakashvili addressed a huge crowd in front of Parliament, the same spot where nine months ago people had poured into the streets against him.
This time the crowd chanted "Misha! Misha!" and cheered wildly as he compared Georgia's situation to Soviet crackdowns in Prague in 1968 and Hungary in 1956. He cited the support of former opponents, including one whom he said had called from exile to offer his services as a reservist.
People in the crowd spoke of him glowingly and several commented on how stressed he had seemed in recent days.
"I think that he is a brave man," said Maya Gokiely, 49. "Maybe not always balanced, but he is young and he is brave."
Russian demands that Saakashvili be removed from office for now are helping assure his lock on it. But with the war apparently ending, it remains to be seen how long this affection will remain. Although his regular critics say now is not the time for criticism, some say privately that they are furious at the president for Georgia's part in causing civilian deaths.
Nika Loladze, a business consultant who attended the rally, said he thought the events of this week may have given Georgia an unexpected chance to regain the disputed land, through international talks that are now supposed to begin. "It was lost anyway, but we just didn't call a spade a spade -- and now?" He smiled and shrugged.
Kulick, the director of studies, was more cautious. "Who knows what's coming down the pipeline?" he said. "I suspect that he will not be judged as wise or brave for having done this."
