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Russia-Georgia War Policy FASD Elliot Grizzard, Luke Clark

1AC Region IX Clark/Grizzard

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An ancientAfrican proverb once taughtthatUntil lions have their own storytellers, tales of the hunt will alway

glorify the hunter.1

This proverb serves as a fresh reminder thatthere are two sidesto every story.

Unfortunately whenitcomesto Russiaswar with Georgia, the truth has beentwisted andsuppressed by both

the media andthe government. Itis because my partner and I believe that Russiasstory must be told, thatwe

standresolved: that the United States federal government should significantly reform its policy toward Russia.

In order to first understandwhatwe are reforming, lets look atthe status quo inSection 1: BackgrounPoint A) Russia Invades GeorgiaThe war itselfwasthe breaking point of relationsthat had beensimmering for years. Whenthe Soviet Union

collapsed, Georgia claimedindependence while simultaneously, three other regions attemptedto claim

independence from Georgia. These three regionswhere, North & South Ossetia, andAbkhazia. This bid for

independence wasstaunchly resisted by Georgia butsupported and encouraged by Russia, thus, these regions

have always been a source ofsevere tension between Georgia and Russia. The war itselfis explained by the

Congressional Research Service2inAugust, 2008:

Onthe evening ofAugust 7, 2008, South Ossetia accused Georgia of launching a massive artillery barrage against Tskhinvalithatdamaged much ofthe town, while Georgia rep

intense bombing ofsome Georgian villagesinthe conflict zone. Saakashvilithat evening announced a unilateral ceasefire andcalled for South Ossetia to

followsuit [but]. He also called for reopening peace talks and reiteratedthat Georgia would provide the regionwith maximum autonomy within Georgia as part of a peace settlement. Georgia

claimsthat South Ossetian forcesdidnot endtheir shelling of Georgian villages butintensifiedtheir actions, forcing Georgia to declare an en

to itsceasefire and beginsending ground forcesinto South Ossetia. Georgiantroops reportedly sooncontrolled much of South Ossetia, including TskhinvRussian President Medvedev addressed an emergency session ofthe Russian Security Council onAugust 8. He denounced Georgiasincursioninto South Ossetia, asserting that women, children andthe elderly are nowdy

South Ossetia, and most ofthem are citizens ofthe Russian Federation. He statedthat we shall not allow our compatriotsto be killedwith impunity. Those who are responsible for thatwill be duly punished. He appeare

assert perpetual Russiancontrol instating that historically Russia has been, andwill continue to be, a guarantor ofsecurity for peoples ofthe Caucasus.7 OnAugust 11, he reiteratedthis principle that Russia isthe perma

guarantor of Caucasiansecurity andthat we have never been just passive observersinthis region andnever will be.8 In response to the Georgianincursioninto South

Ossetia, Russia launched large scale air attacksinthe region and across Georgia.

OnAugust 12, the Russian government announced at mid-day thatMedvedev hadcalled Javier Solana, the European UnionsHigh Representative for

Common Foreign and Security Policy to reportthatthe aim of Russias operation for coercing the Georgianside to peace had been

achieved andit had beendecidedto conclude the operation.

Point B) US PolicyThe Sunday Times

3in 2008 reportedthat:

Russia sentintroops and armour, saying they were there to protectits peacekeepers andthe civilian population. The invasion attractedworldwide condemnation and

ledto a deteriorationin relations between Moscow andthe West. Many western leadersdepicted Russia as an

expansionist giantdeterminedto crush itstiny neighbour. They ralliedto Georgiasdefence amidcalls for itto

rapidly admittedto Nato, Saakashvilis most ferventwish.

1Originally from the Ewe-mina, a major ethnic group from Benin, Ghana, and Togo

2Jim Nichol [Specialistin Russian and EurasianAffairs ForeignAffairs, Defense, and Trade Division] Russia-Georgia Conflictin South

Ossetia: Context and Implications for U.S. Interests August 13, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE


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This policy is reminiscent of Cold-War feelings and political biasthat has attemptedto bury the truth. Itisnow

time thatthe US reform its policy toward Russia by implementing Section 2: The PlanThe United States Federal Governmentwill enact and enforce the following Mandate:

The United Stateswill internationally announce a reversal ofits policy regarding the August 2008 war between

Russia and Georgia. Itwill accept Russias legal and humanitarian arguments as a valid basis for invasion andw

supportthe Russian government asit pertainsto the specifiedwar.

The Affirmative reservesthe rightto clarify the plan asneeded.

The course of action has been established, butwhatcould possibly justify support for Russiasinvasion?

Section 3: The FactsFact #1: Georgia Orchestrates Ethnic CleansingIn order to fully understandthe situation, you have to understand policiesdating back to the dissolving ofthe

Soviet Union. Robert English4, a Professor of International Relations recountsthe mindset of Georgias first

Presidentwhen he reportsthat:

Gamsakhurdia rantedthatsubversive minorities, should be chopped up, they should be burned outwith a rehotiron from the Georgiannation. We will deal with all the traitors, hold all ofthem to proper account, and

drive [out] all the evil enemies andnon-Georgians!

The current presidents open admiration for this racist maniac resultedin his military waging anillegal war of

aggression onthe civilian population of South Ossetia. Nicolai Petro5, a Professor of Political Science writing wi

the Fordham International Law Journal arguesthat:

Itisclear from the Ossetian responsesome 17,000 flednorth to Russia inthe first hours ofthe attack, swelli

to over 35,000 by the end ofthe weekthatthey regardedthe possibility ofthe restoration of Georgian

sovereignty to be a dire threatto their existence.85 This begsthe question: ifthe flight ofnearly half an ethnic population,

who had been labeled ungrateful guests and Indo-Europeanswine by the countrys former president, isno

considered ethniccleansing, thenwhatis?86

Itisimportantto note, thatnot only were egregious human rights violations being orchestratedwith impunity,

butthe majority of South Ossetianswere Russiancitizens.

Fact #2: Georgia Attacks IndiscriminatelyReuters News Service

6in 2008 reported onthe comments of US ambassador to Russia, John Beyrle saying:

In his first major interviewsince his arrival asAmbassador last month, John Beyrle gave the Russiandaily Kommersant his views onthe conflict andwarned aboutitsimpact on U.S. investor confidence in Russia."Nowwe

Russian forces, which respondedto attacks on Russian peacekeepersin South Ossetia, legitimately, we see those forcesnow haadvanced onto the soil of Georgia; Georgianterritorial integrity isin question here," Beyrle toldthe newspaper.He said Washington hadnotsanctioned Georgia'sinitial actionswhen onAugust 8, after a succession oftenskirmishes, Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia, triggering a massive Russian reactionwhenits peacekeepersthe

came under fire.

4Robert English [Professor of International Relations, University of Southern California, andthe author of Russia andthe Idea ofthe

West. (November 2008)] Georgia: The Ignored History November 6, 2008 NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS


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Beside the attack on lawfully present Russian peacekeepers, Georgia also usedindiscriminate force in attempt

to force restoration ofthe status quo.

The Sunday Times7

reported:

Ryan Grist, a former British Army captain, and StephenYoung, a former RAF wing commander, are saidto have

concludedthat, before the Russian bombardment began, Georgian rockets and artillery were hitting civilian ar

inthe breakaway region of South Ossetia every 15 or 20 seconds. Their accountsseem likely to undermine the American-backedclaims of President Mikhail Saakashvili of Georgia this little country wasthe innocent victim of Russian aggression and actedsolely inself-defence. During the war both Grist andYoung were senior figuresinthe Organisation for Security and Cooperationin Europe (OSCE). T

organisation haddeployedteams of unarmed monitorsto try to reduce tension over South Ossetia, which hadsplit from Georgia in a separatiststruggle inthe early 1990swith Russiassupport. Onthe nightwar broke out

wasthe senior OSCE official in Georgia. He wasincharge of unarmed monitorswho became trapped by the fighting. Based ontheir observations, Grist briefed European Uniondiplomatsin Tbilisi, the Georgiancapital, wit

assessment ofthe conflict. Grist, who resigned from the OSCE shortly afterwards, hastold The NewYork Timesitwas Georgia that launchedthe first military strikes against Tskhinvali, t

South Ossetiancapital. Itwasclear to me thatthe [Georgian] attack wascompletely indiscriminate anddisproportionate

any, ifindeedthere had been any, provocation, he said. The attack wasclearly, in my mind, anindiscriminate

attack onthe town, as a town.

Fact #3: Peaceful Solutions RejectedPerhapsthe greatest barrier to the truth being told, is our insistence onseeing Russia asthe Cold War aggresso

we once knew, whenin fact, the way that Russia conducteditselfduring and prior to the attack was actually

commendable. Professor Petro8in 2009 arguesthat:

Far from being an example of vigilante justice, Russias peace enforcement actionsin South Ossetia appear to have been a reluctant application of force to upholdits peacekeeping mandate inthe region. Inthemonths preceding the attack, Russia soughtto have all partiessign a binding treaty disavowing the use of force

Before intervening, Russia [and]desperately soughtinternational support for animmediate ceasefire. Whenthat failed, Rus

askedthatinternational forces be sentto the regionto rebuff Georgian aggression. Russia acted unilaterally on

when all these efforts failed andthe ethniccleansing ofthe population of South Ossetia appearedimminent.

Eventhen, Russia soughtto adhere strictly to the confines ofits original peacekeeping mandate.

Itisthis overlooked, underlying truth that has beenthe basis for now 2 years oftension between Europe and

Russia. Itisnowtime thatthe West finally acceptFact #4: The TruthRussia did all itcouldto bring about peace through a ceasefire; whenthat faileditsoughtto have internationa

forcescalm the storm; butwhen all its options had been exhausted, Russia didthe rightstep instepping in and

preventing the mass genocide of South Ossetians.

The United States must recognize thatitwaswrong and acceptthe advice ofthe Fordham International Law

Journal9whenit urgesthe US Similarly, itistimeto revise the dismissive attitude takentoward Rus-sias legal and

humanitarian arguments for interventioninthiscase.

7John Swain, 2008

8Nicolai Petro, 2009

9Nicolai Petro, 2009

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