tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:30:23 +0000http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)Blogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-5310877948189590149Sun, 22 Feb 2009 14:46:00 +00002009-02-22T19:06:25.027+04:00Georgia's political awakening since 1990s carries a mark of aggression, that proves hard to shrug off. This aggression clouds and trumps the logic, diverts attention from clarifying country's true objectives and condemns the body politics to the cycle of violent self-destruction. Georgia's 'thinkers' - intelligentsia, politicians, the media - carry the most virulent strain of this phenomenon. Thehttp://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2009/02/agression-in-political-discourse-must.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Fletcher)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-1886196187781845745Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:22:00 +00002009-01-30T14:07:56.842+04:00EUMMconflictsA picture from EU Monitoring Mission to Georgia (EUMM) official website captures its current predicament perfectly - bogged down in the native mud, it has only low-tech options for finding the way out, and even when such solutions are on offer, the EUMM itself keeps to the sidelines.The 200-something deployment is huge by pre-August 2008 standards. It was seen as a breakthrough by the Georgian http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2009/01/picture-from-eu-monitoring-mission-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Fletcher)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-7576728526600804454Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:02:00 +00002009-01-22T14:22:25.630+04:00civil serviceSome may doubt the sincerity of the Parliamentary Commission to investigate August War, but its hearings shed rare light on functioning of Georgia's political system and, to a great extent, also civil service. The angry brawl at yesterday's hearing was controversial, and thus revealed with more certainty the shortfalls that were only pale contours during the previous, more academic hearings.It ishttp://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/11/official-communications-act-needed_26.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Fletcher)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-5589049239194337151Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:21:00 +00002009-01-22T14:19:47.050+04:00War CrimesA voluminous report by the Amnesty International is the latest in the series of independent investigations that documents evidence of violations of the humanitarian law during the Russo-Georgian war in August. Georgia must respond to these allegations by appointing a War Crimes Prosecutor charged with investigating the allegations.The Amnesty International report details the allegations of http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/11/georgia-must-appoint-war-crimes_21.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Gabriel Fletcher)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-4597507956249431329Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:50:00 +00002008-11-21T16:19:39.866+04:00rulesDear readers,Civil.ge blog has served as well when our site was under attack during the 5-day war in August.Starting today, Civil.ge will experiment with posting opinion pieces in this space, open for discussion. Our initial format will consist of the key argument, and a counter-argument. We would ask you, and at times selected commentators of Georgia affairs to express their opinions.Should thishttp://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/11/opinions-page-launch.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-7132504843859287248Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:22:00 +00002008-11-25T15:31:57.701+04:00Civil.Ge is back and is again available on http://www.civil.ge/If the problem still remains for some users please try to log on http://www.civil.ge/ through web-proxy servers:unfilterme.comWebProxy.pro Unblocked.org OurProxy.com http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/civilge-announcement.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-2730187993933588881Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:09:00 +00002008-11-25T15:32:44.650+04:00Speaking at a joint news conference with the U.S. Secretary of State on August 15 in Tbilisi, President Saakashvili lashed out at “most of the European countries” for their “muted and quiet” reaction to what he called was Russia’s preparation of Georgia’s invasion in recent months.In an emotional speech He said those troops attacking Georgia were “barbarians of 21st century.” “All these could http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/saakashvili-lashes-out-at-wests-muted.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-6583018898988193043Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:07:00 +00002008-08-16T02:07:54.316+04:00German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, said on August 15, there was no change in position about Georgia and Ukraine’s NATO membership, as it was agreed at the alliance’s summit in Bucharest in April.“We have left the timing open and we have said they could be made members if they want this and that position remains,” She said at a joint news conference with President Medvedev after talks in Sochi.http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/no-change-in-position-on-georgias-nato.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-3019034477654543749Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:05:00 +00002008-08-16T02:07:01.474+04:00• Merkel: some of Russia’s actions disproportionate;• Medvedev: breakaway regions unlikely to join Georgia;• Medvedev: Abkhaz, S.Ossetians trust only Russians;Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, said on August 15 it was unlikely Abkhazians and South Ossetians would agree to live in one state with Georgia; he also said although Moscow was not against of internationalization of peacekeeping processhttp://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/merkel-medvedev-georgia-talks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-3401157490587110140Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:03:00 +00002008-08-16T02:04:47.248+04:0017:19U.S. President George W. Bush has again reiterated Washington’s strong support to Georgia and warned Russia its actions may lead to its isolation.“A Cold War is over,” he said on August 15. “The old days of satellite states and spheres of influence are behind us.”He said that Georgia was a democracy, but “unfortunately, Russia has tended to view the expansion of freedom and democracy as a http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/bush-says-cold-war-over.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-4720697004195268641Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:13:00 +00002008-08-15T14:14:07.996+04:0014:15Russian forces again seized the Georgian coast guard base in Poti this morning, the Georgian Border Police, said on August 15.It said 23 Ural trucks of the Russian forces and two armored vehicles were deployed on the base territory. Two Russian army helicopters have also landed there, the Georgia Border Police, said.The Russian forces entered in and then pulled back from Poti for several http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/russian-forces-seize-poti-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-4323383502977142499Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:12:00 +00002008-08-15T14:13:10.053+04:0014:13Russia used Iskander short range, earth-to-earth, missiles to target at least three locations in Georgia, the country’s Interior Ministry, said on August 14.The missiles were used to target port of Poti, town of Gori, Shota Utiashvili, the Interior Ministry spokesman said. He also claimed that the area close to the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline was also targeted with the same missile.“These are http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/russia-fired-iskander-missiles-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-8449658387752819722Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:30:00 +00002008-08-15T11:31:54.282+04:0011:20Human Rights Watch said on August 15 its researchers had uncovered evidence that Russian aircraft dropped cluster bombs in populated areas in Georgia, killing at least 11 civilians and injuring dozens.Russian aircraft dropped RBK-250 cluster bombs on the village of Ruisi in the Kareli district of Georgia on August 12, killing three civilians, it said.On the same day, a cluster strike in the http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/cluster-bombs-used-by-russia-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-3486088172543256869Fri, 15 Aug 2008 07:20:00 +00002008-08-15T11:29:56.447+04:0010:50The Russian forces, which control Gori, continue refusing to allow the Georgian police units inside the town.Russian armored vehicles are blocking the entrance of the town are continue controlling the major highway linking Georgia’s east with the west of the country.Alexandre Lomaia, the secretary of Georgia’s National Security Council, told journalists on Friday morning that it was stable. http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/russian-troops-continue-presence-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-2512092602166616827Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +00002008-08-15T05:01:22.305+04:0005:01President Saakashvili said Russia was blackmailing Georgia through military and diplomatic maneuvering to force it accept “a Munich-type of deal” – a reference to the 1938 treaty that allowed Nazi Germany to annex part of Czechoslovakia. In a statement made for a group of foreign journalists on August 14, Saakashvili said the deal would mean Georgia abandoning its drive to restore http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/saakashvili-russia-wants-to-impose.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-268366661616924239Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:58:00 +00002008-08-15T02:00:02.272+04:0001:59“In the eyes of the mankind Russian troops are perpetrating ethnic cleansing, brutally mercilessly in my country and we can not do anything about it,” President Saakashvili said at a late-night press conference for foreign journalists on August 14.He said not only the Georgian villages of the South Ossetian conflict zone, as well as of the Gori distinct have been “cleansed,” but upper Kodorihttp://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/saakashvili-i-accuse-russia-of-ethnic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-2675303690918361132Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:00:00 +00002008-08-15T01:20:47.832+04:00Civilians from the both sides, in Gori and Tskhinvali, have been victims of indiscriminate attacks, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on August 14.An attack on the main square in the Georgian town of Gori on August 12 killed and injured dozens of civilians, it said. And in Tskhinvali HRW researchers saw numerous apartment buildings and houses damaged by shelling.“Some of them had been hit by http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/hrw-indiscriminate-attacks-on-both.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-8889769185520668031Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:55:00 +00002008-08-14T23:55:45.399+04:0023:58U.S. President George W. Bush reiterated on August 14 that Georgia’s territorial integrity should be respected and ceasefire agreement respected.Bush made the statement in a lobby of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters after having been briefed on situation in Georgia. Michael V. Hayden, CIA director, was standing right beside him.President Bush said that CIA was analyzing http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/cia-chief-briefs-bush-on-georgia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-1487381575596537833Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:20:00 +00002008-08-14T22:22:44.742+04:00Gates: Russia wanted to punish Georgia;Standard package of humanitarian aid ongoing;Gen. Cartwright: Russia “generally complying” with ceasefire.“I do not see any prospect for use of military force by the United States in this situation,” U.S. Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, said at a special news conference about situation in Georgia on August 14.The press conference was held jointly with http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/gates-no-prospect-for-use-of-military.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-5217041798907371534Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:13:00 +00002008-11-21T15:27:47.411+04:0020:15A group of villagers from the areas in and around the South Ossetian conflict zone, who have fled the region, were gathered outside the Parliament on Wednesday evening.A Georgian-language website presa.ge posted a video showing several dozen of displaced persons on the Tbilisi’s main thoroughfare complaining angrily about, what they called, the Georgian authorities failure to protect them http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/people-fleeing-conflict-areas-angry.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-2908615775520759754Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:35:00 +00002008-08-14T17:43:29.927+04:0017:43Turkish PM, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said after talks with Saakashvili that Georgia's territorial integrity “must be preserved.”Turkish PM arrived in Tbilisi after holding talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.President Saakashvili said at a joint news conference after the talks that Georgia was grateful for Turkey’s support and also said that Turkey would provide assistance http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/turkish-pm-visits-tbilisi-after-talks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-4008619931951366209Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:24:00 +00002008-08-14T17:25:51.322+04:0017:07OSCE needs 100 monitors on the ground “to swiftly respond to the crisis,” the Finnish diplomat said.The situation in and around the South Ossetia conflict area remains “fragile” and up to 100 additional OSCE monitors are needed on the ground, Heikki Talvitie, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office special envoy, told an OSCE Permanent Council special session in Vienna on August 14.“The proposed number http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/osce-envoy-situation-still-fragile.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-7662576216746516940Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:02:00 +00002008-08-14T16:03:42.879+04:0016:03Up to 150 inmates escaped from the high security prison in Khoni, western Georgia, Justice Minister, Nika Gvaramia, said at a press conference on August 14.The mass jailbreak took place on August 12, but it was only reported two days later.“You know that during this tense period the prisons were not guarded by special purpose units as these troops were involved in the military conflict,” http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/mass-jailbreak-in-western-georgia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-7232907044860866069Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:01:00 +00002008-08-14T16:02:40.949+04:0015:40President Medvedev said Russia would “support any status for South Ossetia and Abkhazia that is accepted by the people of these republics.”The Russian President made the remarks at a meeting with Abkhaz and South Ossetian secessionist leaders, Sergey Bagapsh and Eduard Kokoity, respectively, in Moscow on August 14, the Kremlin said.Both Bagapsh and Kokoity signed a six-point document, http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/secessionist-leaders-sign-six-point.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9119022135417967474.post-5291366719486399316Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:50:00 +00002008-08-14T14:50:39.917+04:0014:23The Georgian police failed to enter into Gori so far, despite earlier agreement with the Russian forces to allow them inside the town on August 14.Georgian police vehicles are lined up outside Gori, an eyewitness said, and there are talks underway between the Georgian official representatives and Russian military officials. It, however, is not yet clear what they are negotiating on.Deputy http://civilgeorgia.blogspot.com/2008/08/georgian-police-fails-to-enter-gori.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Page Editor)0