Saakashvili is an "unpredictable, pathological, and mentally unstable drug abuser," says Medvedev.

Mikheil Saakashvili is a coke addict with a bipolar disorder. This is what the Western MSM is keeping quiet about. It's a huge embarrassment to western leaders who are looking to the ex-Soviet Republic joining the military-political organisation, NATO.

During the recent Caucasus Conflict the BBC caught Saakashvili chewing his own tie in a moment of anxiety. Then, on being challenged on Saakashvili's use of the European Flag, France's President Sarkozy while looking visibly embarrassed replied that no one could be stopped from using the European Flag if they so wished.

Now Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has stated publicly that Saakashvili is an "unpredictable, pathological and mentally unstable drug abuser":

“The Georgian head of state is not just a man we won’t do business with. He’s an unpredictable pathological and mentally unstable drug abuser. Western journalists, that interviewed him not so long ago, know it! A two-hour-long interview on the high – that’s over the edge for a head of state. If NATO needs such a leader - go ahead.”

Russia Today, 13 September 2008

The RT article, "I'll never forget that night" has had its sub-headline changed from "Saakashvili is a mentally unstable drug abuser - Medvedev". According to a leading RT journalist, several RT personnel had been present when Medvedev made the latter comment in a closed discussion with members of the Valdai Discussion Club.

According to the same journalist, Saakashvili has got an insatiable taste for coke as well as expensive wrist-watches. "If you want a meeting with Saak it is understood that he expects a watch worth no less than $15k."

A further report on Medvedev's allegations are, in reference to his comments about Georgia's possible NATO membership, on the Civil Georgia website:

“As far as Georgia’s NATO membership is concerned, I have already told you about it, it will clearly be one of the serious destabilizing factors for NATO itself and for Caucasus. It would have been only a half-trouble if there were balanced, wise politicians in the Georgian leadership – even if they were oriented towards overseas [referring to western orientation]; but it is another matter when there is a person as a head of state, with whom we will not only have any business, but also who is totally unpredictable, a person burdened with a mass of pathologies, who, unfortunately, is in an unbalanced psychological condition, [a person] who – am sorry but – takes narcotic drugs, which is a well-known fact for western journalists, who have interviewed him recently. Two hours of interview under the condition of a strong narcotic influence for a head of state – it is too much, it is overdose. If our colleagues from NATO want to have this kind of leader, then go ahead.”

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi, 13/09/08

You can see a report by RT on the Valdai Discussion Club speech here. Reference to Medvedev's comments are made in the final part of the video report.

Another commentator on a private forum observes that:

Tbilisi is a place where people enjoy vast social networks even if they don't have Internet access. My friends from there seem to be well aware of Mikheil's drug addiction.

Sadly, this problem is very typical among the people of his generation in the former USSR. In his case it's probably stemming from addiction to medicine he had to take for his bipolar disorder.

It’s a shame that his handlers and political entourage keep exploiting this sick man. I hope that Mikheil will be brave to seek professional help soon.

'Untimely Thoughts' - An Expert Discussion Group on Russia, 12/09/08

This may not be breaking news in Russia or in the Caucasus but most certainly is to those of us in the West who have been subject to an incessant barrage of disinformation and downright lies about recent events in the Caucasus Conflict where these days our embedded MSM behaves as if it were under Soviet-style reporting restrictions.

The prospect of a mentally unstable, drug-addicted sociopath leading an unstable ex-Soviet Republic with aspirations to joining NATO should be giving our western rulers nightmares. The disturbing fact that while not only is it failing to have that effect, that it is, on the contrary, only encouraging them to up the ante, to rearm the belligerent Georgians and to cheer them on to fully-fledged NATO membership should lead us to ask if the West, led by the US, is deliberately setting-up Georgia once more as its proxy in a premeditated, future hot war with Russia?

There is plenty of reason to believe so. It is widely held that such a confrontation might be sparked off in the Ukraine where another unstable regime, currently led by the unpopular Viktor Yushchenko, is in a rulership crisis. Many Ukrainians are of Russian origin and most Ukrainians would prefer to ally with Russia and not NATO:

Ukrainian citizens prefer integration with Russia and other CIS member countries to that with European and Euro-Atlantic structures, judging by the results of a recent poll posted at the Thursday press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine office in Kyiv.

A recent poll held by the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences' Sociology Institute polled 1,800 Ukrainians nationwide on August 15-27 by request of the Ukrainian Forum foundation.

Twenty-seven percent of the respondents said they wished full-scale political and economic integration with Russia and other CIS countries, while 26% suggested economic integration within the CIS trade zone. Only 17% wished the soonest EU membership, and another 23% supported more profound relations with the European Union and a free trade zone.

Forty-six percent said that the possible accession to NATO would cause Ukrainian destabilization, and about 30% said the opposite.

Interfax, 04/09/08

But, for geo-strategic reasons, the area is up for grabs by the West which has no intentions of Russia regaining its old hegemonic presence in the Crimea. Not only have Ukrainian politics been destabilised by western neocon organisations but the present, highly unpopular Yushchenko is a US puppet.

The problem facing Ukraine today is the President, Viktor Yushchenko.

What we are seeing, but has not been properly reported ... is an ongoing power struggle between the Office of The President and the people's democratically elected representative Parliament (Pure and simple).

Yushchenko and his political party Our Ukraine continuously seek to undermine Ukraine's economic and democratic development. They have opposed every effort to see Ukraine become at democratic parliamentary republic.

Ukraine Today, 09/09/08

A mentally ill drug abuser on the one hand and a would-be tyrant on the other. These are the West's 'allies' in an area of the world which is in any event a geo-strategic flashpoint. As most analysts agree, it is inconceivable that the Georgians would have unleashed their genocide on the small republic of South Ossetia without some encouragement from neocons in Washington DC who had already armed them to the teeth. And as has been suggested by a previous article published here at least one of the motives of the US might have been to test the resolve of the Russians, their allies and the European Union in the face of Russian retaliation. A test case, then, for the US war-machine against more serious conflicts it might have in mind to unleash in Eurasia.

One Russian strategic analyst proposes a possible false-flag incident which could lead to a much wider conflagration:

[A] provocation such as a murder of Russian sailors or a blow-up of a Russian warship will be organized in Sevastopol, the result being a civil war in Ukraine and a direct military conflict between the country and Russia.

Obviously, the US intends to use Georgia as a foothold in a campaign aimed at dragging Russia into a low-intensity conflict as it has been done in Vietnam. The response of the Ukrainian leadership has shown that it is ready to join Georgia in a military confrontation with Russia in case Washington asks it to.

Parallelly, the US will be bracing for an attack on Iran. The result will be McCain's victory in the coming presidential race. The American society has given him carte blanche to take drastic measures to deal with the countries which do not side with the US.

'Georgia: the First Step Towards Chaos Control (II)', Yuri Baranchik, Strategic Culture Foundation

Baranchik goes on to observe the disastrous failure of the unipolar US in exercising foreign policy and the highly dangerous time in which we find ourselves:

The fact that the US elite aims at instigating a series of regional conflicts shows that the US is no longer able to carry the burden of the global leadership, and the coming war is the last resort to retain it. However, the conflict will not last forever and sooner or later the US will have to downscale its military and political presence worldwide. The reliance on war demonstrates that the US elite's intellectual potential needed to maintain the status of the US as the only superpower is exhausted.

'Georgia: the First Step Towards Chaos Control (II)', Yuri Baranchik, Strategic Culture Foundation

Now that the US puppet and dictator, Musharraf, is no longer in control even Pakistan is now threatening to retaliate if the US continues to make cross-border attacks against its territory. While the US is now weak it becomes even more dangerous and liable to strike out at any one of the innumerable enemies it has created for itself world-over. When does threatening talk lead to something far worse?

Anticipating the likelihood of a serious political crisis in the Ukraine, the US talks tough:

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried pledged Friday that the United States would back Ukraine in a territorial dispute ... Fried's remarks echo comments made last week by Vice President Dick Cheney. During a visit to the ex-Soviet Republic, Cheney said the U.S. has "a deep and abiding interest" in the country's "well-being and security."

Wiredispatch.com, 12/09/08

The great irony of this particular report is the contrast between the US' verbal machismo and the more cautious approach exercised by the Ukrainians themselves!

However, Ukraine's defense minister said during a visit to Denmark Friday that a war with Moscow was unlikely because Ukraine is such an important link in Europe's energy supply.

Asked about a potential military conflict with Russia, Yuri Yekhanurov said he didn't "believe something like this might happen in the future."

A conflict would "have an influence on not only Ukraine but the whole world," Yekhanurov said, noting that 80 percent of the natural gas exported to Europe passes through Ukraine.

ibid

For Europeans, the situation is crystal clear. The days of the all-powerful US are now finally gone. It is in the interests of Europe to find a stable entente with Russia as a partner and an ally. If outright EU membership for Russia is inconceivable than it should be given nothing less than a most favoured nation status. The US won't like such moves and will do everything to stop them from happening. All the more reason why the EU should now work more closely with Russia and China and, at the same time, stand firm against any further warmongering from the White House.

Rory Winter

South Ossetians celebrate Independence

Despite the lunatic behaviour of Georgia's Saakashvili (eg. chewing his own tie on TV) the servile MSM of the West is obliged to keep up the pretence that this nutcase rules over a democratic country. Well, it must be democratic because the US, Britain and NATO supports it, mustn't it? Here's another revealing essay on the subject by Peter Lavelle of Russia Today:

Where is the media now?
September 10, 2008

Have you noticed or not noticed something about Western media coverage of Russia since the Medvedev-Sarkozy deal? Well I have – there hasn’t been much. And at a time in which seeing the peace process move forward is of up-most importance. It would appear the “commentariat” (which means most of Western mainstream TV and print media) much prefers stories that show Russia in the worst possible light. When Russia constructively works to establish peace and security in its own backyard, in tandem with the EU, the commentariat loses interest.

Why does this happen? The reasons seem obvious to me.

As far as the commentariat is concerned, if Russia gets something positive out of negotiations settling the South Caucasian crisis something is wrong. The conclusion drawn is either the EU, for example, screwed up or Russia is up to no good. It is part of the commentariat’s gospel of faith that Russia should not be allowed to have ANY national security interests. And if Russia disagrees with the West, it is because Russia is against “democracy,” “liberal values,” and other ideological principles the West hides behind to promote its geopolitical interests at the expense others. Russia is no longer the Soviet Union, but West’s media is becoming more Soviet with every passing day.

When Russia claims it is protecting its national security interests, the commentariat automatically translate anything Moscow does into “hostility,” “aggression,” and bullying.” What was Russia supposed to do when Saakashvili embarked upon his genocidal campaign against South Ossetia? Was it supposed to stand on the sidelines and telephone the UN for a Security Council meeting? Well, that’s what the commentariat was probably hoping – hoping that Russia would cave into Western sponsored aggression. The storyline the commentariat wanted to write was “Russian occupiers rightly pushed out of Georgian territory.” They same copy probably would have never mentioned ethnic cleansing committed against the South Ossetian people. Well, Russian peacekeepers and military DID step in and foiled a humanitarian catastrophe – and the commentariat has demonized Russia every since. The commentariat is on the wrong side of morality and common decency – not to mention the obligations of responsible media.

Then there is the issue of the main villain in this plot – Mikhail Saakashvili. It is appalling how the commentariat protects him. The US State Department is on the defensive recalling its close ties with him and Georgia’s crippled political opposition (because of Saakashvili authoritarian tendencies) now openly demands to know why Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity have been compromised. The commentariat doesn’t have the moral fortitude to even make a pretense toward serving the public good by really questioning why the West continues to support “the beacon of democracy in the Caucuses.”

All of this strikes me as quite strange and an obvious double-standard. Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic proved to be quite popular for the commentariat to demonize (and maybe for good reason). However, Saakashvili strikes me as part of that crowd who should be subject to intense scrutiny as well. But the commentariat will never admit this or do what is right. Milosevic and Karadzic were not puppets or supporters of the West, but Saakashvili is. This is why Saakashvili is getting a free pass. Again, this is a disgrace and a dereliction of duty on the part of Western media.

I can only guess when the commentariat will again consider Russia – like when claiming Russia “again fails to fulfill its ceasefire commitments.” I bet you that this will never be said about the Georgian side. Saying as much doesn’t sell.

Peter Lavelle

A Time for Europeans to Choose

As my regular readers will observe I am not only taking a Russia-friendly approach on my blogs but I am posting articles which are actively calling for the European Union to build and strengthen a rapport with the Russian Federation as a friend and partner of the EU.

Ex-chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder is right to see Russia's destiny to be with the European Union. Moreover, I would like to see the Russian Federation join the EU but recognise that to be a pipe-dream, at least for now. Firstly, the EU would feel threatened by the prospect of its huge neighbour swamping the rest and secondly, the US would never allow such a threat to its global, imperial pretensions to materialise.

The present danger that we face in Europe is not from Russia but from the continued trouble-making instigated by self-serving neocons ensconced in the White House and their errand-boys in Downing Street and the east European EU. These fifth-columnists are on the payroll of US imperialism and have no wish to see a united Europe developing a foreign policy independently of the US. They would rather that the EU take on a 'Euro-Atlantic' role together with Washington's cat's paw, NATO, under US global military-economic hegemony.

Any sane person would see that such an arrangement, the present status quo, not only results in the destabilising of European security --as we have seen recently result in the Caucasus-- but that it puts Europe under the constant threat of regional war exacerbated and provoked by US interference. Saakashvili is not the only madman to have wheedled his way into power in eastern Europe. There are other narrow-minded fanatics and opportunists, for example in Poland, the Czech Republic and the Ukraine, who would be more than willing to do the bidding of neocon bosses in the USA to bring destruction upon the heads of Europeans.

Some of us remember how the US planned its nuclear strategy in the 'eighties to include a European Theatre of War, meaning a 'limited' nuclear exchange with the old Soviet Union to include Europe and not the north American continent. That threat led to the growth of a huge Peace Movement in Europe and an equal loss of US popularity. It is ironic that the US appears to be free now to develop its First Strike nuclear doctrine of 'Compellance' with the installation of the ABM missile shield (more of that anon) with no such resistance from Europeans.

The ABM shield is certainly not popular either amongst the people of Poland or the Czech Republic where public opinion is simply being ignored by opportunist, pro-US governments. While crowing about the need for representative democracy amongst others, the Atlanticists' own record in that concern is, to say the least, deplorable. While ruthless imperialism by war criminals is ok for the Good Guys of the West where Might is Right the slightest sign of the East's approaching western atrocities is noisily denounced. It's all rather yawningly tiresome.

At least one Russian strategist is warning us that the conflict in the Caucasus is by no means over and that the mischief-makers in Washington DC will now be looking to cause a bigger crisis in the Ukraine which could lead to civil war and a confrontation between Russia and the West. As well as that, the ongoing threat of a surprise attack by the US proxy, Israel, with or without support from the US military during the time prior to the November presidential election, puts us all on a Red Alert.

The need for a collective, friendly European initiative towards Russia is now needed urgently. As France's Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, is reported to have said the other day in respect of our need to build a common alliance with Russia:

"We have to be together. The US have their own views, but we are living close to Russia. We need to develop our own policy, a neighbouring policy. We have to talk about our views of being close to Russia, a great country, a partner."

Kouchner, of course, is absolutely right. It's not surrender-monkey talk but that of the pragmatic, classic diplomacy for which while France is traditionally famed is anathema to the fanatics who still rule the dual-party, opposame dictatorship in the USA. Kouchner, all credit to him, speaks as a European, unlike the traitorous Brown and Miliband who will happily sell out the interests of their own people in order to ensure a continued political sodomy by their American minders.

It's time to cut the crap and deal with matters of survival. The hour is already very, very late. Homegrown Europhobes who continue to bleat about a 'fascist EU state' are their and our worst enemy. For all their talk about a loss of 'sovereign' powers the reality is that they would rather Britain forsake its European partners to continue as a vassal state of Washington DC, serving the warmongering interests of the notorious Anglo-American fraternities responsible for the deaths of 70 million Europeans in two world wars.

So which is it to be, fellow Britons? Will you, as Europeans, choose a common destiny where Europe and Russia coexist together in peace or are you prepared, through inaction, to allow your quisling leaders continue with a diabolical 'special relationship' which has caused so much bloodshed and misery on this war-torn Planet? The time to decide has come and the time for dithering is ended.

Which is it to be?

Rory Winter, Chimes of Freedom

EU wants truth about Ossetian war
Russia Today, 6 September 2008

EU Foreign Ministers are calling for an international inquest into identifying who was responsible for starting the conflict in South Ossetia.

They made the statement in the French city of Avignon, where they have gathered for an informal meeting.

The ministers said the EU needed to re-evaluate its foreign policy, particularly in relation to Washington. French FM Bernard Kouchner said U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney was not America’s best ambassador

"The very fact that Americans didn't find anything else to support their failed ally - Mr. Saakashvili - other than sending Mr. Cheney to the region, who is incredibly unpopular in the world, who is associated with the war in Iraq, with all these neo-conservative, black-and-white visions of the world, who was accused of corruption - remember the Halliburton affair in Iraq. And if they wanted, if the Bush administration really wanted to consolidate the international community behind the United States in criticising Russia, I think they should find somebody else and not send Mr. Cheney," Kouchner said.

He also said the European Union should develop a joint approach to Russia.

"We have to be together. The U.S. have their own views, but we are living close to Russia. We need to develop our own policy, a neighbouring policy. We have to talk about our views of being close to Russia, a great country, a partner," he said.

The ministers are also debating when and under what terms civilian monitors will be sent to Georgia. EU is about to send 700 observers to the region.

A discussion on delivering humanitarian aid and restoring Georgia’s economy is also on the agenda.

The meeting comes just four days after an emergency summit in Brussels, at which EU leaders denounced Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

To watch the full press-conference of French FM, Bernard Kouchner, and other EU foreign ministers, please follow link.

International parliamentarians visit South Ossetia

Meanwhile, an international parliamentary delegation is already in South Ossetia. The main goal of the trip is to clarify the sequence of recent events in the region.

The group consists of members of parliament and public representatives from several European and CIS countries.

They will be joined by a delegation from Russia.

The officials will meet local residents, before heading to the neighbouring republic of North Ossetia, which hosted large numbers of refugees after the conflict.

Saakashvili – the shame of the Western media
from Russia Today

Much to my delight, the word is getting out. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili is slowly but surely being seen for what he is: a liar and an opportunist. However, my delight will never make up for the disdain I have for those among the commentariat who have protected him and covered up his lies. Western mainstream media continues to disgrace itself. And at the same time it lectures Russia about media standards. Again, we witness in front of our very eyes the death of outrage.

During Saakashvili’s war, we mostly heard from Saakashvili – not his victims or the Russian side. This of course was all so convenient for Saakashvili and his Western handlers. It was supposed to be that way. Saakashvili after all is Western – he’s “just like us.” But is he? Well, if he is just “like us,” we should be ashamed of ourselves and change – and look for better stooges to advance Washington’s neocon agenda.



The timelines are now becoming clear. Saakashvili ordered an attack against civilians he called his own. He said he “loved” the South Ossetian people and that we would never harm them. Only hours later, he attacked them in their beds – a 12-hour assault against innocent civilians. When things didn’t go the way he expected, he blamed Russia. The West’s commentariat swallowed this hook, line, and sinker. This was the commentariat’s first shame in the affair - much more follows.

To this day, Saakashvili is getting away with murder. Saakashvili started a war, with Washington’s support, and now expects a very pliant Western media to bail him out. Amazingly, and almost meeting his expectations, he nearly pulled it off. But the truth is catching up with him. Finally, there are those connecting the dots – Saakashvili has problems with dots being connected. He never really expected this. His Washington handlers in Tbilisi and the US were tasked with sanitising all of this. But it is not happening.

CNN, the BBC, Sky News, and all the American domestic networks cannot admit to their appalling coverage of Saakashvili’s preemptive war. Now they all prefer to ignore the facts that are coming to light. They simply lack the professional guts to admit they were wrong when the world needed the truth. Sadly, this is very much part of a trend.

I am pleased that at least more and more print media outlets are now reconsidering what really happened a month ago. They certainly don’t have a balanced view of Russia’s position regarding this conflict, but at least they are distancing themselves from Saakashvili’s. This is a small step towards correction and commitment to the truth.

Saakashvili is on his way out. Something tells me he won’t get the Western media coverage he wants and expects. The West’s media loves winners and morally defensible heroes. The more we learn, the less Saakashvili is either.

Peter Lavelle, Russia Today