Russia Has Widened Its Peace-Making Mandate on Poti - "Whether the Russians Want War"?

Approximately thousand inhabitants of Poti organized today protest action against presence of the Russian militarians near the Georgian port. As correspondent of Reuters informs, protesting cry out angry slogans and swing the Georgian flags. The Russian militarians who are engaged in construction of a post near Poti answer local residents that they are there with peace-making mission.

The deputy chief of the Joint Staff of Armed forces of Russia general - colonel Anatoly Nogovitsyn declared that the Russian divisions would patrol Georgian port Poti.

"Patrolling is a form registered in the international agreement. Poti isn't included into a safety zone. But it does not mean that we shall sit behind a fence and look how they are driving "Hammers" there, - Nogovitsyn said.

There are no Russian military men in the Georgian port Poti, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov declared to the journalists on August, 13th.

"I purposefully checked it in the Joint Staff. No Russian forces which are in territory of Georgia in support of peace-making operation are present", - Lavrov said.

The Russian peace-making units and the divisions given to it didn't enter the Georgian city - port Poti, the representative of Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation declared to the journalists on August, 12th, state RIA of News informed.

The prime minister of Georgia Vladimir Gurgenidze declared that the Russian armies occupied Poti. "There was no such a task put before them", - the representative of Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation said. As he said, "there was intelligence support in the city which already left it".

---

From editorial board: The Kremlin and its semi-official organ meaningly misinformed citizens of Russia concerning the scales of the conflict in Georgia, talking about limited operations in a zone of the South Ossetian and partly Abkhazian conflicts. In reality the war touched practically all territory of Georgia. It was obviously the lie for the internal use - armed opponent on behalf of the Georgian management and its allies in the person of the USA and some other countries of NATO had quite trustworthy information about format and volume of military presence of Russia in Georgia.

So, they lied to us. It's clear, why and what for - there were formal bases to capture of the port quite far from a zone of the responsibility of the Russian peacemakers. Armies of the Russian Federation are in Poti by "Iraqi right" - for protection of the Georgians from their own management. Whether you like it or not, but this management is quite lawful and even legitimate. Things are also bad with not legal motivation, "with law unto itself" - destruction of the Georgian fleet in Poti as potential threat to us, to the Russian inhabitants it's clear. But after all Georgian dangerous boats are burnt - what else should be patrolled there?

Nogovitsyn's explanations about driving "Hammers" are impressive but not convincing. That is, it's clear that "the Georgian fascists" now till their death should drive only donkeys. Who with who blockhouses in Poti are being separated by the Russian "peacemakers"? There in fact are only the Georgians there...

Though on spot-check of port Poti huge destroyer of the Navy of the USA "Macfol" already could be seen and others are also expected - with "humanitarian cargo". It's clear: our - peacemakers and Yankee-doodle-doo brought humanitarian help - absolutely Russian-like, eggs packed in riding breeches.

Excuse me, what did we put our names under? Under the rescue of the brotherly Ossetic people giving us vodka "Istok" from "the Georgian fascists", poisoning us with "Borjomi"? Or under the big war with the Georgian army of the USA?

We already understand that from the military point of view the Georgian campaign was quite thoroughly considered by militarians - otherwise whence "a grand piano in bushes" as a column of tanks near Roksky tunnel and other quite alertness of ordinarily lax army units appeared. At the same time it's obvious that it was not considered by politicians. That is - it was considered but "from here up to there". As in samba - I do thigh blocking turn, he goes back and tries to "contract", while I do the same thigh with recapture. By the way, it's V.Putin's favourite combination according to his own recognition. While it doesn't matter what was there before judicial whistle and what will be after. The more so - in geopolitic policy. That the conflict in Georgia will get the character far from local, that generalization of the conflict can accept character of world crisis and even world war - they forgot about it in the Kremlin, as well as they forgot to issue own war as it is necessary in Council of Federation.

Whether Main Operations Directorate of the Joint Staff has detailed plan of war with NATO on Black Sea sub-theater? Something prompts me that it's not present. What war can be with the Black Sea fleet consisting from 3 ships of the 1-st class, 3 of the second, 1 diesel submarine and group of auxiliary ships strongly closed in Troitsky Bay near Sevastopol and not having even places of reserve basing? To list things that resist to our fleet on the part of three Black Sea countries of NATO (not speaking about the fleet of the USA) I am even afraid - I will be considered as not patriot, this term is equal now to the traitor to the country.

Once such a mistake was made by Nikolay I but he at least had army which could be thrown against the British lights and heavy cavalry. There was really almost unapproachable fortress Sevastopol - while Russia does not have opportunity even to supply the fleet if Ukraine will not let. And instead of a base at the Caucasian coast Olympic village in Sochi is being built.

If someone ask us, people of Russia, whether "the Russians want wars"? The Georgians, by the way, were asked even twice - when there was referendum on NATO and when Saakashvili retired and was re-elected for the next term with rather militaristic program. While we have as always - artful enemy attacked. Always unexpectedly - even if under information of the Russian Joint Staff itself:

- In 2002 military budget of Georgia made $8 million, by 2008 it was increased in 50 times.

- For 2006-2007 quantity of staff of the Georgian army was doubled.

- In view of off-budget intakes which are approximately equal to the sum of budgetary charges, real expenses of Tbilisi for military purposes, by some estimations, already exceed gross national product on 8.5%.

- From January, 1, 2005 till January, 1, 2008 the quantity of tanks on arms of the Georgian army was increased almost in 2 times - from 98 up to 183, fighting reserved machines - more than in 1,5 times - from 83 up to 134, artilleries of calibre more than 100 mm - in 3 times - from 96 up to 238, shock helicopters - in 3 times - from three up to nine and warplanes - from 7 up to 9.

And all this "is cunningly and unexpectedly".

As, and we wrote about it not once FORUM.msk, during the struggle for "successor" we have been impudently and shamelessly told lies about nonexistent successes in reequipment of our country, restoration of its defensive and military-industrial potential, we have no doubts in readiness of Russia to defeat any opponent and even all opponents at once. Cunning enemy from the very foothills of Caucasus will reach Moscow where it will be, according to beforehand authorized plan of the Joint Staff, crushed by the Siberian divisions (a variant - Denis Davydov's guerrillas).

I am interested only in one, almost insignificant question - whether all these questions are not my business? The management knows, how it's better and our business is to execute orders? To ask us - only to lose time, for it are forbidden to have referenda and other will expressions, am I right?

As to doubtless competence of the heads and their especial knowledge, if tomorrow I shall hear as V.V.Putin (variant - D.A.Medvedev) will declare that 2Х2=4 - I shall necessarily check it up, whether it's actually so... The credit of trust to the Russian authority is very high.

Аnatoly Baranov, editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk