[Argos]

Originally Posted by freddie

... Like the part where it's stated Americans eventually got tired of pouring money into a black hole.

I didn't know that your comprehension of the English language is sooo weak!!!

Originally Posted by Wiki

Eventually, even his American supporters grew tired of pouring money into an apparent black hole.

...means, others were getting much earlier tired, and that's exactly what you could read in comments from French and German sources at that time.

Originally Posted by freddie

You can't have "unbearable corruption" without your own people maintaining control over the whole whole political & social spectrum of the country.

Again the problem is not dictatorship per se, the US have and always had good relationships with a row of dictatorships, the cause of the abandonment of Eddie was, that the corruption blocked any development in the country, but the USA were the last ally who turned away from him. To tell me that this is wrong, is plainly ridiculous.

Originally Posted by freddie

Please show me links...

Look for yourself. Do you really think that I would comb through the paper archives of a dozen newspapers all around the world, just to prove for you, what everybody else who ever followed the current history of Georgia has read already more than once?

What you can find about him in no time is for example, that he lowered down the age of full legal responsibility for crimes to 12 years and forced school children to visit jailhouses, where people with death penalty sentences were kept, just to show them where they will land if they became criminals. Drug tests for all people in administration jobs and the like. His numerous outbursts of fury for quite minor reasons and his regular panic attacks can't be so hard to find too, and that he is an egomaniac isn't a secret too, you have just to read!

Originally Posted by freddie

I seriously don't know what you've been reading.

If you read what I wrote, you would know where I read it, from New York Times! An article about ambivalent messages from the Bush administration, telling different things in personal talks and in public speeches, which gave Saaki the impression that he would have unparted and far-reaching support whatever he does.

It is interesting to note that Burdzhanadze was called for a visit to the USA almost immediately after her decision to resign. A person who has no more influence in Georgia's politics was invited for talks by the president, the Secretary of State and by delegations of both Senate and House of Representatives. When she came home she announced to build up a think tank for the further development of the country (sponsored by the United States). This proves that the US don't want to lose this important moderate politician under any circumstances, even if she is just working extra parliamentary.

The US are completely aware that they can't continue their politics in Georgia with Saakashvili alone, too much obstinacy and unpredictibility, and all other politicians with 'weight' in this country have become lost the last few years mostly under strange circumstances. There are no alternatives inside the government party and no ones in the heavily splittered opposition, so there's no way around Saakashvili. The public support of the allies for him should not mislead, he is by far not the darling for the west.

Originally Posted by freddie

When he said it he actually believed it, but that's a seperate issue.

Overcredulous then?

Originally Posted by freddie

So... what ARE his motives then?

There are no real motives, if we see it as a Caucasus problem alone. Noone could win anything from the war, and that was clear from the first moment.

Russia would lose the control over the renegades to the UNO forces, the latter would suffer the consequences of the war and their self-determination under the Russian protection was at least temporarily satisfying, this would be gone, if other parties interfere (not so much the population, but the leaders = war lords), the Georgians would lose completely the control over these regions and the NATO membership would be postponed for many years. The EU has invested much money in vain, the repair will cost more and more and their military involvement will be inevitable. The USA can't be interested in more control organs in the country, where they had almost a monopole, the problems aren't solved, the carefully built up bridges between Russia and USA (which are for the USA even more important than for Russia) are now at risk.

No, there seems to be no reproducible motives 'inside' the Caucasus problem and other ones are just wild speculations. The most probable explanation is, that the crisis was a self-runner of the conflict parties around the cities of Gori and Tskhinvali. What were just occasional shootings at the end of July became critical on Aug. 1st, when even the peacemaker troops began to shoot against each other. Then Saakashvili lost his nerves...