Press Scanner
Compiled by Messenger Staff
Friday, July 9
Burjanadze – the opposition deceived the people
Nino Burjanadze, leader of the Democratic Movement – United Georgia, states in an interview with Kvela Siakhle that, "Clinton closing her eyes to the political prisoners here and the persecution of citizens will naturally intensify the anti-American mood in the country. As for Irakli Alasania and Giorgi Targamadze, I do not know who advised Hillary Clinton to meet them. I believe it will reflect badly on them. Today they are regarded by the public as the Government’s satellite opposition parties.
"I was not expecting Clinton to scold Saakashvili but I could have never imagined that her visit would give the Government carte blanche for a new wave of political repressions, as Joe Biden’s last visit to Georgia did. I do not know when the Americans will stop petting Saakashvili and thus prevent an even greater disaster for Georgia. Do you remember that former US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that Saakashvili had proved that he can play near the gunpowder box with a match in his hand? They are afraid of lighting that match, but how long must we endure this inadequate president? The Georgian people will show the world that they will not put up with these abnormal authorities any longer and I assure you, a radically different reality will be created in this country," Nino Burjanadze says.
"Certainly, there are the problems within the opposition. The opposition would have been better to bring last year’s actions to their logical end rather than betray people by participating in the local elections. They deceived the people into thinking that they would remove the Government. Where are the changes promised by Alasania?! Clinton mentioned the Rose Revolution nine times and I doubt that the Americans are not aware that Saakashvili was not the only inspirer of this revolution. Is it normal for one leader of the Rose Revolution to die in suspicious circumstance and another to be in the opposition? We should at last find out how Zurab Zhvania died," Burjanadze says.
Russians think they lost the information war
Rezonansi writes that Hillary Clinton's use of the word occupation to describe the presence of Russian troops in the Georgian breakaway regions has sown great confusion a well as dissatisfaction in Moscow. Russian analysts say that the statement is a consequence of losing the information war with Georgia.
Russian political scientist Anatoly Tsigankov says that "people should be aware of the truth of 5-day war; as there are Russian language radio stations in Georgia serving the interests of Mikheil Saakashvili, Russia should respond by setting up a channel in the Russian Federation broadcasting in Georgian which spreads objective information." He says that "the propaganda of Georgia should be suppressed in Russia". He urges the Russian authorities to set up an information headquarters. "Firstly there should be a structure to neutralise disinformation. Contract should be signed with other states on preparing TV programmes in every language for broadcast to every country. Not only journalists but producers and scriptwriters should also be engaged in this work,"Tsigankov says.
Tsigankov says that there is still a danger of information provocation from the side of Georgia and therefore it is vital to take responsive measures immediately. He also says that a diplomatic front should be opened in the information war. Russia should have raised a motion at the UN Security Council that Georgia started the assault in August 2008, but missed that moment, he adds.
Georgian political expert Ramaz Sakvarelidze tells the newspaper in response, "This is a typical reaction from Russia – when it does not want to admit its mistakes it says that the information machine and journalists failed rather than the country. The reality of the situation made Russia look bad and it was not hard for us to win the information war. But Georgia lost the information war from a certain point of view. For instance, the question of who started the war is now open again. There is ambiguity on this matter in the rest of the world," Sakvarelidze says.
"When Russian tanks crossed the borders beyond the conflict regions the international community supported us. It was a victory of the information war. To this was added the arrival of the East European Presidents. This is not only about the role of the media - Georgia managed to conduct the broader information war properly," Ramaz Sakvarelidze says.
Nino Burjanadze, leader of the Democratic Movement – United Georgia, states in an interview with Kvela Siakhle that, "Clinton closing her eyes to the political prisoners here and the persecution of citizens will naturally intensify the anti-American mood in the country. As for Irakli Alasania and Giorgi Targamadze, I do not know who advised Hillary Clinton to meet them. I believe it will reflect badly on them. Today they are regarded by the public as the Government’s satellite opposition parties.
"I was not expecting Clinton to scold Saakashvili but I could have never imagined that her visit would give the Government carte blanche for a new wave of political repressions, as Joe Biden’s last visit to Georgia did. I do not know when the Americans will stop petting Saakashvili and thus prevent an even greater disaster for Georgia. Do you remember that former US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that Saakashvili had proved that he can play near the gunpowder box with a match in his hand? They are afraid of lighting that match, but how long must we endure this inadequate president? The Georgian people will show the world that they will not put up with these abnormal authorities any longer and I assure you, a radically different reality will be created in this country," Nino Burjanadze says.
"Certainly, there are the problems within the opposition. The opposition would have been better to bring last year’s actions to their logical end rather than betray people by participating in the local elections. They deceived the people into thinking that they would remove the Government. Where are the changes promised by Alasania?! Clinton mentioned the Rose Revolution nine times and I doubt that the Americans are not aware that Saakashvili was not the only inspirer of this revolution. Is it normal for one leader of the Rose Revolution to die in suspicious circumstance and another to be in the opposition? We should at last find out how Zurab Zhvania died," Burjanadze says.
Russians think they lost the information war
Rezonansi writes that Hillary Clinton's use of the word occupation to describe the presence of Russian troops in the Georgian breakaway regions has sown great confusion a well as dissatisfaction in Moscow. Russian analysts say that the statement is a consequence of losing the information war with Georgia.
Russian political scientist Anatoly Tsigankov says that "people should be aware of the truth of 5-day war; as there are Russian language radio stations in Georgia serving the interests of Mikheil Saakashvili, Russia should respond by setting up a channel in the Russian Federation broadcasting in Georgian which spreads objective information." He says that "the propaganda of Georgia should be suppressed in Russia". He urges the Russian authorities to set up an information headquarters. "Firstly there should be a structure to neutralise disinformation. Contract should be signed with other states on preparing TV programmes in every language for broadcast to every country. Not only journalists but producers and scriptwriters should also be engaged in this work,"Tsigankov says.
Tsigankov says that there is still a danger of information provocation from the side of Georgia and therefore it is vital to take responsive measures immediately. He also says that a diplomatic front should be opened in the information war. Russia should have raised a motion at the UN Security Council that Georgia started the assault in August 2008, but missed that moment, he adds.
Georgian political expert Ramaz Sakvarelidze tells the newspaper in response, "This is a typical reaction from Russia – when it does not want to admit its mistakes it says that the information machine and journalists failed rather than the country. The reality of the situation made Russia look bad and it was not hard for us to win the information war. But Georgia lost the information war from a certain point of view. For instance, the question of who started the war is now open again. There is ambiguity on this matter in the rest of the world," Sakvarelidze says.
"When Russian tanks crossed the borders beyond the conflict regions the international community supported us. It was a victory of the information war. To this was added the arrival of the East European Presidents. This is not only about the role of the media - Georgia managed to conduct the broader information war properly," Ramaz Sakvarelidze says.