Thursday, August 14, 2008

Caucasus chaos

The mainstream media coverage of the Georgian conflict has roundly been painting the Russians as the aggressors, with reports (some accurate, some not) of Russian troops in action across Georgia. But a report on Fox News this afternoon showed a different side of the conflict.

One of their correspondents sent in some harrowing tape of their camera crew running for cover after being threatened at gunpoint - by Georgian troops. The Fox crew had to run for their truck and make a hasty getaway (all caught on camera) after being confronted by a pistol-totting Georgian soldier. The correspondent reported that the Georgian was angry and frustrated and it seemed (in his opinion) that he was looking for someone to take it out on and happened to find the Fox crew.

This isn't meant to be an excuse for the Russians. There are credible reports of Russian troops active in two Georgian cities - Gori and Poti, which would seem to be in violation of the cease-fire agreement. The troops appear to be systematically dismantling the Georgian military, including sinking several Georgian coast guard ships at anchor in Poti. Since South Ossetia is landlocked its hard to argue that these ships would somehow be a threat to the Ossetians.

But blaming all acts of violence, or reported acts of violence, anywhere in Georgia is inaccurate (as the Fox crew showed this afternoon). Keep in mind that there are at least seven armed groups active in Georgia at the moment - Georgian troops, Russian troops, the South Ossetian militia, South Ossetian irregulars (basically local citizens with guns), Georgian irregulars, Cossacks and other "volunteers" who have traveled to South Ossetia on their own initiative, and the Abkhaz militia. Like the title says, that many players makes for a chaotic situation. Still, given the rising tensions between the US and Russia over Georgia, the media has an obligation to report the facts on the ground, not their own opinions.
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