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Was Georgia a CIA coup?

Keith Parkins | 27.11.2003 16:19 | Analysis | Repression | Social Struggles

Was people power in Georgia in reality a CIA coup? An example of the desire of George W Bush to bring 'democracy' to the world?

'To me, I confess that [countries] are pieces on a chessboard upon which is played out great game for domination of the world.' -- Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India, 1898

'We have 50 per cent of the world's wealth but only 6.3 per cent of its population. In this situation, in the coming period ... is to maintain this position of disparity. To do so, we have to dispense with all sentimentality ... we should cease thinking about human rights, the raising of living standards and democratisation.' -- George Kennan, US strategic planner, 1948

'It looked like a popular, bloodless revolution on the streets. Behind the scenes, it smells more like another victory for the United States over Russia in the post-Cold War international chess game.' -- Mark MacKinnon

Rumours that people power in Georgia was in reality a subtle CIA coup deserve closer scrutiny.

The first argument against is that the CIA is many things, but subtlety has never been one of them.

Coups engineered by CIA/MI6 have brought down progressive governments: Vietnam, Indonesia, Iran, Guatemala, Chile etc.

CIA has no qualms about bringing down dictators, or those previously classed as friends, sentimentality has no place in the CIA lexicon: Iraq, Indonesia, Panama.

There has even been cases of civil disobedience, bringing people out on the streets: Venezuela, Iran. But in these cases it has been relatively small scale.

In Georgia, there is a temporary co-incidence of interests. Those who may take over are pro-Western, pro-Nato, although it should be recognised they still wish to have a foot in the Russian camp.

Eduard Shevardnadze was a Grand Master of the Great Game, past masters being the British. That he has been checked, check-mated and driven out of the game, is in the interest of the West, if not Russia. That he was corrupt and authoritarian is neither here nor there.

The neighbouring countries have corrupt, authoritarian regimes. It remains to be seen whether the people will follow the example of Georgia and take to the streets, and if they do, what will be the reaction in Washington and London.

Eduard Shevardnadze may have been holding up the Baku Ceyan pipeline. This will not have gone down well in the boardroom of BP.

What is important is not who is running the country but to who they are accountable, and whether or not there is stability.

US was only too willing to deal with the Taliban. What held up a deal and ultimately led to the attack on Afghanistan was the need for regime change and stability to guarantee pipeline routes, 9-11 simply provided a useful pretext.

The Caspian is a region of great oil and gas reserves, exceeded only by the Middle East. There are three routes for pipelines: through Russia, Iran, or under the Caspian Sea through Georgia and Turkey and onto the Mediterranean. Only the Mediterranean route is acceptable to the US.

US bases are now in every former-Soviet Republic in Central Asia. US military has posts all along the proposed pipeline routes through Afghanistan.

Thus we can with certainty say that the removal of Eduard Shevardnadze, whether or not CIA inspired, was not to be opposed. The US was quick to recognise the interim president. It remains to be seen whether the IMF as quickly restores loans that were blocked under Eduard Shevardnadze.

People power has toppled regimes in Argentina and Bolivia. Toppled regimes contrary to strong warnings from US. What will be the reaction if people take to the streets in neigbouring countries to Georgia where the regimes are far worse than that of Eduard Shevardnadze?

Georgia is currently in a state of flux. The will of the people and the CIA are for a brief moment in history the same. It is now for the people to push for participatory democracy where they will be in control at every level, and not to accept imposed democracy US style which will enslave them to the will of international capital.

Ref

A very American Coup I, BVEJ newsletter, June 2002

A very British Coup?, Indymedia UK, 25 November 2003

Baku Ceyan pipeline, BVEJ newsletter, August 2003

Georgia keeps sights set on West, BBC News on-line, 24 November 2003

Mark MacKinnon, Georgia coup stinks of CIA involvement, Indymedia, 24 November 2003

Oil and the Caspian Region, BVEJ newsletter, January 2002

Oil and Turkey, BVEJ newsletter, October 2002

Pipeline politics, BVEJ newsletter, September 2003

Keith Parkins, Oil and Turkey, Indymedia UK, 31 August 2002

Keith Parkins, Pipeline politics, Indymedia UK, 11 August 2003

Keith Parkins, Pipeline politics, Indymedia UK, 21 August 2003

Keith Parkins, A sense of the masses - a manifesto for the new revolution, November 2003

Keith Parkins, Democracy US style, Indymedia UK, 21 November 2003

Keith Parkins, Georgia, Indymedia, 25 November 2003

John Pilger, The New Rulers of the World, Verso, 2003

John Pilger, I Know When Bush Is Lying: His Lips Move, New Statesman, 21 November 2003

Q&A: Georgia's 'velvet revolution', BBC news on-line, 23 November 2003

Regional alarm at Georgia crisis, BBC news on-line, 23 November 2003

Russia has Georgia on its mind, BBC news on-line, 24 November 2003

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