Press Digest 10.10.2014

Islamic General Tarkhan Batirashvili promised his father to enter Georgia along with his thousands of warriors

“The fact that Tina Khidasheli was not among the members of the delegation has made us smell a rat in the situation…”

We’d better stop countering Russia – Akaki Asatiani

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Islamic General Tarkhan Batirashvili promised his father to enter Georgia along with his thousands of warriors

These forces have recently been actuated. An Islamic military unit known under the name of “Liberating Front of Iraq and Levant” launched an independent game a year ago. This unit is one of those 14 military units that fight against the Assad regime. This organization has become an independent body the members of which are strongly determined to form a Caliphate as well as an Islamic State on the territory of Iraq. Among the territories their state is planning to involve are Georgia, the entire region of Caucasus, Middle East, Aravian peninsula, Turkey, North Africa, many regions of Asia, the regions of eastern Europe, Balkans, Crimea and the Pyrenean peninsula,” declares expert on issues of Caucasus, Mamuka Areshidze, in his interview with the Alia gazette.

“Since it has been formed as a separate military unit and has seceded itself from Al-Qaida, it has set to taking active steps. In addition, they have managed to take over half of Iraq. It is not a nonissue any more; it’s a rather great accomplishment of theirs. The leader of this military unit is Tarkhan Batirashvili who gives different commands to his 25 000 warriors… If he desires, the number of his warriors will increase instantly as all Sunnis from Iraq do support him. No kind of financial or technical resources have been in their hands thus far; however, today, their financial conditions have substantially improved. Funds are channeled into their organization from Iraq, Arabian countries as well as from different regions of the world. They have also gained rather vast experience and have obtained more resources to put their plans into practice,” states Mamuka Areshidze.

“Batirashvili is not from Chechnya; he is from Pshavi. He is Muslim and has a Kist mother. Despite this, I doubt that they will use Georgia as a tool to counter Russia. The most acute question for us today is whether or not the circulating rumors ring true and whether or not they will really enter Georgia. Despite their move to send a personal letter to Putin, this does not necessarily mean that the warriors of the Islamic State will leave the regions where they are now and will march en masse to the countries of the post Soviet space,” maintains the expert.

“They have not carried out their key mission yet. They are expected to move heaven and earth to attain their goal of creating an Islamic State. No one knows what will happen next. Meanwhile a coalition that is moved by a strong desire to reduce the Islamic State to rubble is being formed. The most active and aim-oriented warrior of this Coalition is Turkey. That is why I claim that taking military actions in the countries of the post-Soviet space don’t really fall into their plans… Even if the West takes a neutral position and lets this state emerge, this will take years,” alleges the expert.

To the question how could Tarkhan Batirashvili have given his father a promise which he actually is not going to fulfill and which says that he plans to enter the region along with his thousands of warriors, Mr. Areshidze replies:

“If they really take this step, they are unlikely to be many in number. They will have a concrete mandate either to destabilize the region or counter Russia. Not even a single country around the world has a guarantee that these units will not decide to enter them… We must not allow them to grab more and more power. This force must be devastated before it becomes powerful as it poses a really great threat for our region. If we let them make our country a part of Caliphate, we’d better forfeit our right to be called a state here and now,” concludes Mr. Areshidze.

“The fact that Tina Khidasheli was not among the members of the delegation has made us smell a rat in the situation…”

"A resolution from the EU is passed once a year and qualified deputies have no right not to visit the EU Council on this landmark day. I simply cannot get what has hampered Tina Khidasheli from entering the EU council. She at least has a good command of English. In addition, she knows a great deal of foreign high officials and can be convincing even when she speaks off-the-cuff. Now what? Now they have drafted the resolution on the basis of Kandelaki’s gibberish. This resolution can have a negative ripple effect for us not only because of the fact that it is biased to the core but also due to the fact that it is an extremely serious document for the EU Council, which will definitely not pass this document off as something tenuous,” declares one of the leaders of “Burjanadze—United Opposition party”, Giorgi Akhvlediani, in his interview with the Rezonansi gazette.

“This is a really shameful document! Everyone knows that the members of our parliament cannot fulfill their entrusted duties and are really shameful. This is nothing new. But when a mammoth organization like the EU Council drafts a document which pursues the Nationals’ interest and is completely built on Giorgi Kandelaski’s gibberish, what can be said here? The fact that more than 100 deputies have signed this document is really immensely shameful! This means that they don’t even have the slightest idea what is happening in our day-to-day Georgia. How can I believe that the only obligation of an EU deputy is drinking coffee and getting paid to do nothing? The inability of our deputies to give detailed information to the EU members and to clearly explain to them why Bacho Akhalaia and Vano Merabishvili are still being kept in custody, is a horse of entirely different color; however, this does not absolve the EU deputies from their responsibility to be on top of the situation and to draft resolutions that will be based on facts rather than on rumors,” contends Giorgi Akhvlediani.

“We do know that the National Movement is a member of Europe’s public party but this means absolutely nothing as the EU incorporates other parties too… As for our delegation, it was something really incredible. I would like to know why Tina Khidasheli was not among its members. First I though she was ill, but later I found that she was not. It makes me smell a rat in the situation. Mrs. Khidasheli knows a great number of foreign top officials; she can really pull some strings. She has many acquaintances and she could really have passed right and exhaustive information on to them. She could have hindered the deputies from signing this ludicrous document,” claims the respondent.

“We all know that such kinds of resolutions are not adopted every now and again. How could we have allowed a really qualified deputy not to enter to the EU Council and serve our country’s interest there? Now this preposterous resolution will clearly affect a decision from the European Court… Mrs. Khidasheli could have come out on top with her excellent debating skills, but because of some vague reasons she was not one of the representatives of our delegation,” states Mr. Akhvlediani.

To the question whether he suspects that the Government has deliberately thwarted her in visiting the EU, the leader of “Burjanadze — United Opposition party” replies:

"Certainly, such suspicions have also surfaced especially today when the members of our Government cannot simply stand each other and are ready to stab one another in the back when this will suit them.”

We’d better stop countering Russia – Akaki Asatiani

"As for the statement from Russia’s Foreign Ministry regarding the deployment of NATO military infrastructure on the territory of Georgia, I think that the Russian side wants to negotiate a bargain with us. You probably remember a statement from Putin which he issued “by accident” and as per which the Georgian side had better think regarding the creation of a confederation or federation with Abkhazia and Tskhinvali. Now another statement that is not a far cry from the previously issued one has also been released by Russia. I think that the Georgian authorities’ position that the regional conflicts are most important today is absolutely right and pertinent to the present situation,” declares Transnationalist Akaki Asatiani in his interview with the Akhali Taoba gazette.

“The statement from Russia clearly refers to the formation of the NATO military training base in Georgia, and we all know that the Russian side has always been deeply convinced that this move from NATO will jeopardize its safety. Generally, Russia has always felt some threats coming from the West; the threats from NATO have replaced the threats from fascist Germany. This feeling has been firmly instilled in the Russians’ consciousness. North Caucasus is a serious problem for them even without this and it is becoming an even more serious problem for Russia with time. However, Georgia does not really have any other choice. It must follow the taken path whatever it takes. We cannot really afford to lose territories,” maintains Mr. Asatiani.

“Certainly, no one including Obama and Merkel will ever manage to convince the Georgian authorities that Russia is not dangerous for Georgia. In the present state of affairs, we must obviously try to assist the powerhouse countries to reach some kind of consensus in terms of Georgia,” says the respondent.

“I do not think that Russia will militarily intervene in Georgia today, especially against the dark background in Ukraine. In my mind, our Government has pursued a rather restraint policy that has already yielded its consequences. Russia has not piled any kind of aggression against Georgia; on the contrary, our economic ties have even picked up. I don’t really think that these relations between us will be worsened in the near future. Moreover, if our Government pursues the proper policy in the future too, threats from Russia can easily be neutralized. Even more, I think that Georgia can even play the role of mediator between Russia and our western partners,” concludes the respondent.