Georgia Conflict

[BAJR Host]

I have friends in Nokalakevi, Georgia just now... many of you will remember the Appeal to help rebuild the museum there..

Does anybody know what is happening... ? the site is now pretty surrounded.. and with the airport cut off.. I do worry for them...

Paul Everill is one of the people I think is there... so any news.. please let us know.

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[BAJR Host]

Seems that the Anglo GEorgian team or not yet in Nokalakevi...

.. a bomb landed about 350m from Dato?s house ( the Georgian Archaeologist we worked with to help rebuild the Museum at Nokalakevi) in Kareli, but they?re all out okay and in Tbilisi now. And Niko confirmed earlier that Russian troops appear to have taken Senaki and are advancing on Tbilisi....

Am trying to contact people there now.

Sakartvelos Gaumarjos!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Democracy - the right way.


Georgia is a fledgling democracy that?s being battered by Russian aggression and needs our support!




"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[BAJR Host]

quote:I have just sent Lali a message this evening and I will pass on any information I get from her regarding Nokalakevi as I get it. I have heard from Marika, Natia, Niko, Elene and Ano - all have said that they're are understandably confused and scared - not knowing what is going on around them and where it will all end. I have forwarded the petition to everybody I know. Nino told me yesterday that she and Dato met up with John and Belinda at the museum and helped them on their way home to Holland. I have messaged them both to let me know when they are home and safe. I am hoping that Tomek went back to Poland shortly after the expedition.

I will let you all know if I hear anything else. Like Paul, I just wish we could do more to help. The support of BAJR is greatly appreciated.

I'll be in touch again soon. Kathy

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[BAJR Host]

quote:Thanks, David. For some reason we chose to go in July this year. Ben was
the last to get home on Thursday and the Georgians invaded South Ossetia
on Thursday night/Friday small hours. Bloody foolish, and Saakashvili
appears to be to blame. But UK/US weapon sales to Georgia have probably
not helped. (An attempted recovery of South Ossetia has been on the
cards for years, but I didn't think they would risk it.) Russia's
reaction might have been predicted, but even so it appears to be worse
than we feared.

The terrible thing is that they are calling up all the young men who've
worked with us over the years. If there are any silver linings to be
grasped at it may be that the speed of the Georgian retreat may limit
the bloodshed.

Anyway, thank you for your support. I've passed it on to our Georgian
friends who are very grateful I think for any support they can get at
present.

You wouldn't believe how Nokalakevi has changed since you were there. (And the two of you[and all that supported the BAJR appeal] were catalysts for many of the improvements and are remembered for them.) I just hope Nokalakevi, our friends, and the country as a whole escapes the damage that war might inflict on it.

http://www.nokalakevi.org/

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[1man1desk]

Posted by BAJR Host:

quote:Georgia is a fledgling democracy that?s being battered by Russian aggression and needs our support!

I think the situation is more complicated than that, and it is really hard to pick out right from wrong in the very one-sided reporting we have seen so far in the UK.

It is true that Georgia is probably more democratic than Russia, but also that its government is accused of ethnic chauvinism. The story from the other side appears to be of minorities that are allegedly in danger of 'ethnic cleansing' by the Georgians.

It suits us in the West to sympathise with separatist minorities when they are struggling against a medium-sized country we don't like, and then we encourage a superpower to bomb the baddies (Kosovo, Serbia and the US anyone?). If we are politically in sympathy with the medium-sized country and out of sympathy with the superpower concerned, then all of a sudden we forget about the allegedly oppressed minority (Georgia, Russia and the non-Georgian inhabitants of South Ossetia or Abkhazia).

I'm not saying that Russia is in the right here, or that Georgia is in the wrong - just that we can't tell from the way it has been reported so far.

1man1desk

to let, fully furnished

[beamo]

As someone who was working in Georgia as recently as last year, this whole affair is particularly worrying.

The Georgian government appears to have cynically decided that the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games was a good time to test Russia's resolve with regard to the protection of 'their people' within the expectant breakaway region of South Ossetia. A frosty reception could have been anticipated, however Russia's reaction has been outrageously out of proportion.

The chances of Georgia ever joining NATO have just receded very rapidly into the distance - just imagine what would be happening now if NATO had allowed Georgia to join last year as they had requested!

As ever it will be the innocent civilians that will pay the price for this political fiasco. Georgians will have had to flee South Ossetia and neighbouring parts of Georgia, as well as Abkhazia, whilst 'Russians' living in South Ossetia have had to cross the Caucasus into Russia and may well be unable to return.

Last year I saw plenty of Georgian 'refugees' in the Lesser Caucasus who had been forced out of South Ossetia in the early 90s and were resigned to never being able to return to their homes. This recent debacle will only add to their number.



Beamo

[oldgirl]

I thought the comments from the head of the Georgian National Ballet (in Edinburgh at the mo) on Radio 4 yesterday morning were excellent. She praised Russian and Georgian culture and suggested that the present conflict was the result of two little boys who didn't like each other and didn't realise the consequences of their actions to normal people. (I'm paraphrasing, so I hope I do her justice)

[TheDoc]

Been a long time coming this one and as someone already said it's the ordinary people in the middle who are the innocent victims. Strikes me you don't go poking an angry bear (pun intended)when your own military position is so weak, even if right is on your side (which is debatable here). I'm sure Russia would love to reintegrate many of the former Soviet republics and this sort of situation gives it a great excuse.

Would I be too cynical in wondering if oil is not at the back of this conflict, as in so many others? There's a nice pipeline running through Georgia these days isn't there?

And did none of the media notice the irony of Russia attacking Gori, birthplace of a certain moustached dictator I believe (who may himself have been Ossetian rather than Georgian)

[BAJR Host]

Doc... you say it.

It was like a strange dream.

I am just so happy that they are pulling back... wtf did this achieve?

Oldgirls post is what people in Georgia are thinking

this is a mess that will take years to sort.

Our Magazine is running a special article in September - and in the future we will be runnign a full issue on

Archaeology - people and conflict

Looking at Afghanistan, Iraq and other conflict zones. If you have stories? contact me

THis is not just about the archaeology - it is about the people

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[BAJR Host]

Dear all, This is the first news I have had out of Senaki/Nokalakevi. As
you will read, the news is not good for Senaki; the Russians apparently
bombed the town again on Wednesday, apparently hitting the civilian centre
and not just the out of town military base. Nor, perhaps, is it as bad as
one might have feared in that Lali mentions no return of the Russians, and
I assume from her silence that there have been no new bombings yesterday or
today. Unfortunately, we are left wondering what else is happening in the
regions west of Gori, where there seem to be no journalists at all.

It was disconcerting to hear this morning the Russian military announcing
their seizure of 1200 (or so, I forget the exact figure) US made armaments
from the town of Senaki. That probably refers to the destruction and
dismantling of the Georgian military base outside the town on Monday (and
at least 600 of this supposedly shocking arms cache were automatic rifles;
there is little surprising about the discovery of US arms at a major
Georgian military base), but the very fact that the Russians are still in
Poti and Zugdidi means Senaki district and Nokalakevi are still within
reach of the Russians, should they choose to launch further punishment
operations.

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers