Unless you have been living under a rock, everybody knows all about the very big deal being made out of this very big European Union report headed up by Swiss diplomat Heidi Taglivini (she must have drawn a very short straw for this job) looking into the cause of Russia's invasion of Georgia in August of 2008.
As many of us expected, the report is all things to all people. Russia wanted to make sure that the report put the blame on the Georgians for firing the first shot? Sure, we can do that for you. Georgia wanted the report to cite the pre-war planning, the ethnic cleansing and war crimes, and the illegality of annexation of the territories? Sure, here you go.
Read the full text of the report for yourselves right here.
As many of us expected, the report is all things to all people. Russia wanted to make sure that the report put the blame on the Georgians for firing the first shot? Sure, we can do that for you. Georgia wanted the report to cite the pre-war planning, the ethnic cleansing and war crimes, and the illegality of annexation of the territories? Sure, here you go.
Read the full text of the report for yourselves right here.
You're actually mistaken, it's not all things to all people. It's conclusions are quite simple and plain despite the length, and you've overlooked the issuance of a second report on the post-war issues.
The key conclusions are here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125431087432152321.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_world
Equally important is this scathing, must-read condemnation of Russian misconduct in the aftermath of the war by the same entity:
http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/WorkingDocs/Doc09/EDOC12010.pdf
In short, the Council condemns Russia for:
1. Violating international law by invading Abkhazia (where there was no conflict).
2. Violating international law by invading Georgia (including mass killings of civilians).
3. Violating international law by recognizing Abkhazia and Ossetia.
4. Violating international law by supporting ethnic cleansing of Georgians.
5. Lying about ethnic cleansing by Georgians.
6. Provoking Georgia by failing to curb attacks on it, issuing passports to Ossetians
7. Flouting the Council’s post war demands regarding access to the disputed territories and post-war conduct, with which Georgia is in substantial compliance.
Georgia’s only fault according to the Council was in responding with heavy artillery when it had not been attacked by heavy artillery and by moving troops into Ossetia faster than the Russians did. Talk about praising with faint damns! In essence, Georgia’s only fault according to the Council was walking into Putin’s trap.
Certainly those are important conclusions included in the report and related documents. My point is that everybody, especially the Russian expansionists and Georgiaphobes, are going to wave around the document as a victory trophy.
That's pretty much of a non sequitor. Regardless of the report's content, the Putin apologists would have only two responses: (a) Dismiss it as biased Russophobia or (b) Claim it proves Russia is innocent.
So it really doesn't matter what they or what the report says as far as they are concerned.
However, if they are going to do as you say, I'll be thrilled. That will mean all the conclusions stated in my comment above are validated and approved by Russia, because of course the Russophiles can't pick and choose which conclusions they like. On those grounds, I'll be delighted to embrace this report and would expect Russia to either apologize and pay reparations for its repeated violations of international law or to be booted out of the COE and the G8 and the UN Security Council.