Latest posts by Onnik Krikorian from August, 2008
Georgia: Unfrozen Conflicts
Marilisa Lorusso's Blog comments on the conflict between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia and says that the military solution has brought the world closer to a new Cold War. However, the blog notes, while the Georgian president continues to survive defeat on the battlefield, a political solution would have...
Georgia: Security in the Caucasus
Security in the Caucasus, a new blog established by a PhD candidate at the London School of Economics currently undertaking field work in the region, says that the recent conflict between Russia and Georgia was largely the result of a major miscalculation by Tbilisi. The blog also says that the...
Georgia: Behind The Poti Lines
Behind the Poti Lines, a blog by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, reports on the recent visit by the Georgian president to the Russian-occupied port. The blog also notes that Russian soldiers are keeping interaction with residents to a minumum and no longer buying bread and vodka from local...
Georgia: Photographs of Tskhinvali and Gori
Regional Reporters [RU] posts photographs from Tskhinvali, capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, and Gori, the strategic town until recently under Russian occupation, in the aftermath of the recent military conflict and war of words between Moscow and Tbilisi.
Armenia: Opposition Truce
Unzipped commends the opposition in Armenia for deciding to postpone planned street protests and other political actions ahead of next week's historic football match with Turkey in Yerevan. The move is meant to contribute to the possibility for Armenian-Turkish reconcilliation.
Georgia: Armenian Opposition Leader Claims Genocide
Archuk's blog criticizes the first president of the Republic of Armenia and radical opposition leader, Levon Ter-Petrossian, for claiming that the Russian invasion of Georgia was justifiable in order to prevent “Genocide.”
Georgia: Blogging the War
The conflict between Georgia and Russia over the breakway territory of South Ossetia was accompanied by cyber-attacks on several Georgian government and independent media sites. But rather than prevent journalists from utilizing the Internet to report on the war, it achieved the opposite. Many Georgians — media professionals and citizen journalists alike — set up blogs to report or comment on the conflict. Global Voices Online speaks to Giga Paitchadze, a veteran local blogger.
Georgia: Recklessness & Recognition
Although noting that Russia oversteppend the mark by invading Georgia, Registan says that Moscow's gambit in the South Caucasus paid off. However, the blog notes, it required a temperamental, reckless and impulsive leader such as the Georgian president, Mikhail Saakashvili, in order to succeed.
Georgia: Different Opinions on South Ossetia
Registan responds to a post made by Michael J. Totten on the conflict in South Ossetia. The blog strongly disagrees with the background to the conflict between Russia and Georgia put forward at a government press conference in Tbilisi.
Georgia: Pulitzer Crisis Analysis
Untold Stories, Dispatches from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, quotes from a speech made by its Executive Director blaming all sides for the crisis in Georgia. In a second post, the blog examines the issue of Abkhazia's independence.
Georgia: Russian-Georgian News Item Translations
Exercises in Translation has started translating news items in Russian and Georgian on the conflict between Moscow and Tbilisi over Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In the two most recent posts, for example, the blog translates a news item on Russian president Dmitri Medvedev's interview to French TF-1 and a Georgian...
Georgia: The View from Tbilisi
Michael J. Totten's Middle East Journal is in Tbilisi and reports from the Georgian capital on a recent press conference given by the government's media advisor. The blog also recounts a conversation on the conflict with Russia between Totten and veteran Caucasus journalist and author, Thomas Goltz.
Georgia: Blogging from Poti
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is once again blogging from Georgian towns under Russian military occupation. The station's Tea Absaridze is providing daily updates on the situation in the strategic Black Sea port of Poti, currently controlled by the Russian military despite a ceasefire agreement requiring Moscow to withdraw...
Georgia: Photo Blogs
Georgia & South Caucasus posts a selection of images from two photo blogs taken in the aftermath of the Russian-Georgian conflict over South Ossetia. The photos include those of IDPs in Tbilisi and from the strategic town of Gori which was until recently occupied by Russian troops.
Georgia: Russian Parliament Recognizes Abkhazia, South Ossetia
Unzipped comments on news that the Russian parliament has voted to recognize the independence of the breakway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia. The Armenian blog says that the move sets an important precedent for resolving another frozen conflict in the region — Nagorno Karabakh.
Georgia: Dispatches
My The Caucasian Knot has posts accompanied by photographs of a press conference given by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, an account of attempts to get into the Russian-occupied town of Gori, humanitarian concerns in Tbilisi following an influx of IDPs, and a report...
Georgia: McCain Benefits?
Nazarian says that the real winner in the war between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia might be U.S. presidential candidate John McCain. The blogger also believes a new Cold War is in the making.
Georgia: Regional Reporters
The conflict between Georgia and Russia over the breakway territory of South Ossetia were accompanied by cyber-attacks on several Georgian official government and independent media sites. But rather than prevent journalists from utilizing the Internet to report on the war, it achieved the opposite. Many Georgians -- media professionals and citizen journalists alike -- set up blogs to report or comment on the conflict.
Georgia: Dispatches Under Russian Occupation
When Russian forces rolled into the strategic Georgian town of Gori, information on the occupation was scarce. Journalists died during Russian bombing runs in the military campaign leading up Gori's capture, others were shot at, and access to the town was not only limited, but also perilous with South Ossetian, Chechen and Cossack militia hijacking cars and robbing occupants. The posts by the radio station's Goga Aptsiauri are a fascinating account of life under Russian occupation. In his final post made two days ago, Aptsiauri reports that the Russian military had finally left.
Georgia: Goltz on South Ossetia
Writing for Untold Stories, Thomas Goltz offers his opinion on the conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia.
Georgia: Ukrainian Bloggers Action
Peace in Georgia points its readers to an action staged by Ukrainian bloggers. Following reports that Russian troops and South Ossetian irregulars engaged in looting, the bloggers have set up an online shop for looted Georgian goods.