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Russia bears its fangs
By taking on Georgia, Moscow is re-asserting its regional presence and influence.
- By Abdul-Hadi Al-Timimi, Abu Dhabi Editor
- Published: 23:21 August 17, 2008
- Image Credit: Illustration: Nino Jose Heredia/Gulf News
The Russian military drive in Georgia has triggered a frantic debate on whether Russia has finally emerged to claim the former Soviet Union super power tag and assert itself as a major player on the world's or regional stage, or it is just a one-off campaign against a neighbouring weak former satellite nation.
It is certain that there are several and inter-linked motives behind the Russian military action in Georgia which was previously discounted. While some of those motives remain unaccounted for, others can be deduced from the realities of the geopolitics and strategic objectives of the two Cold War leaders: The United States of America and Russia (formerly the Soviet Union).
The most important factor is, however, the proximity of the threats to Russia's security and standing that forced Moscow to act. What is prominent is the unwavering political attitude of the Russian leadership which has conducted the "crisis" and reacted in a "super power" manner to Western, notably, US criticism of the military campaign. It is evident that Russia has surprised all parties, including the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili who had shown, prior to the break-out of hostilities, over-confidence in the West-US commitments to support him. He was left exposed to take the brunt of a super power might.
During the long acrimonious and dilapidating decades of Cold War that ended in the collapse of the Soviet Union in early '90s, each superpower had played and promoted the game of proxy wars and spheres of influence. Both set up alliances, including military and blocs all over the world. Russia grouped some of central Asia, including Georgia, and European countries into the then Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact Alliance, whilst the United States led a European-based military alliance under the umbrella of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato).
Despite the collapse of the Soviet (communist) bloc and the emergence of the US as the main dominate power in the world, rivalry had not abated between the Cold War adversaries, although it took discreet and different forms. Russia was unable to withstand the overwhelming US drive and prevalent hegemony in the world, mainly in the Russian former spheres of influence and vital interests. Moscow has been building quietly its various strands and sources of economic, military and diplomatic power, the lack of which had previously lost it such vital spheres as Iraq, to the US drive.
Anti-missile shields
The crucial plateau of risk and threat to Russia's security was reached last year when the US started to negotiate constructing anti-missile shields in the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine and opening the membership of Nato to former Russia allies in the Warsaw Pact. It was the first time that Moscow objected vehemently to such a project. Former president, and current prime minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin, threatened to end Moscow-Washington strategic understanding and cooperation if such a shield is set up.
At the same time Georgia, through which runs a strategic 850,000 barrel of oil per day pipeline from Azerbaijan to Europe, had been consolidating its relationship with the US. The alliance was started by Edward Shevardnadze, the former foreign minister of the Soviet Union who later became the president of Georgia from 1994 to 2002. Membership of Nato and installation of an anti-missile shield were such an eventuality that would have surrounded Russia by political and military US alliances and "shielded" it inside its territorial nutshell.
The risks posed by that prompted Moscow to seize the opportunity that was created by the Georgian military operation in South Ossetia, where Russian peacekeepers have been deployed since 1992. The overriding motive is that Russia has to re-assert its regional "presence" and possibly influence which has been dwindling for decades.
When Washington protested voicing verbal support for its Georgian ally, Putin came publicly in his criticism of US policies, accusing Washington of "displaying a cynical Cold War mentality". Another eloquent indication of the new Russian thinking can be found in Vitaly Churkin, Russia's Ambassador to the UN, defence before the UN Security Council. In response to the US ambassador's accusations that Russian troops had indiscriminately killed innocent Georgian civilians in its military operations, Churkin said it was ironical and paradoxical that such an accusation is levelled by the country which had "committed" such acts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Those attitudes and verbal duels are not only reminiscent of the Cold War rivalry only, but they reflect a new trend in Russia's doctrine that will not shy away from using its military revamped muscle to re-assert it influence in the region. That step, which is long overdue, is most urgently needed at a time when the US and its allies are targeting two of the last few Russian allies in the Middle East: Iran and Syria.
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