Strange bedfellows: Ahmadinejad e Saakhashvili

[Manfr]

[Farian Sabahi su Panorama.it, blog. panorama.it/mondo/2010/05/27/lalleanza-tra-iran-e-georgia-contro-le-sanzioni/]

Quando ayatollah e pasdaran devono prendere delle decisioni importanti, il loro punto di riferimento non è l’Islam ma l’interesse nazionale. A costo di allearsi con i paesi cristiani. Era successo con la Cecenia, “dimenticata” in virtù dei buoni rapporti con la Russia. Ora, l’ennesima dimostrazione di questa politica è l’accordo concluso con la Georgia.

Dal 20 al 24 maggio una delegazione di giornalisti iraniani ha accompagnato in Georgia il portavoce del ministero degli Esteri iraniano Ramin Mehmanparast, il cui grado corrisponde a quello di vice-ministro. Il portavoce e il suo collega georgiano Nino Kalandadse hanno firmato un memorandum di cooperazione e scambio tra i media dei due Paesi con l’obiettivo di facilitare la comprensione reciproca.

In base agli accordi dei giorni scorsi, l’Iran promette di sostenere incondizionatamente l’integrità territoriale georgiana. In previsione ci sono una conferenza sull’economia che si svolgerà a Teheran, voli aerei diretti, la possibilità di spostarsi da un Paese all’altro senza visti e l’apertura di un consolato nella città di Batumi (situata sul Mar Nero) visto che nella capitale Tbilisi già c’è una rappresentanza diplomatica. Già si programma una visita del ministro degli Esteri Manoucher Mottaki, prevista per luglio, cui seguirà un viaggio del primo ministro georgiano Nika Gilauri a Teheran. E non si esclude una visita a Tbilisi persino del presidente iraniano Ahmadinejad.

L’Iran aveva già ottimi rapporti con l’Armenia, e ora li ha anche con la Georgia. Sono due paesi cristiani. Situati nel Caucaso meridionale. Entrambi confinano con l’Azerbaigian dove la maggior parte della popolazione professa l’Islam nella versione sciita duodecimana. Azerbaigian e Iran si guardano in cagnesco, ma questa è un’altra storia.

L’avvicinamento tra Teheran e la Georgia sembra un avvertimento nei confronti di Mosca, che ha dichiarato di sostenere il quarto round di sanzioni contro Teheran voluto dal segretario di Stato americano Hillary Clinton.

Intanto a Tbilisi sdrammatizzano: l’Iran è semplicemente un dirimpettaio, avere buoni rapporti è d’obbligo. Ma è evidente che se Mosca e Washington si avvicinano, con il pretesto delle sanzioni a Teheran, a farne le spese potrebbero essere proprio queste piccole repubbliche del Caucaso meridionale su cui la Russia potrebbe facilmente mettere le mani. Non sarebbe nemmeno la prima volta…

[Tsotne Bakuria, The National Interest, www. nationalinterest.org/Article.aspx?id=23464 ]

Tbilisi and Tehran
by Tsotne Bakuria

06.02.2010

Stung by President Obama’s recent snub at the nuclear-security summit in Washington D.C. and angry over the thawing relationship between the White House and the Kremlin, Georgian President Mikhael Saakashvili has begun a new stage in his “beacon of democracy” foreign policy, one that relies on the old adage “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Now that the West has officially begun to ease its support for the Georgian president, and refused to sell him defensive weapons, he has turned to Iran and Syria—two of America’s worst enemies—to forge new and dangerous alliances.

In a bid to anger the Obama administration and antagonize the Kremlin, Saakashvili is embarking on a path to win Tehran’s friendship and economic support. Whether he is bluffing or serious, this shift demands rebuke.

We know the facts: The Iranian foreign minister is traveling to Georgia’s capital Tbilisi in June. After that, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to visit Georgia on the invitation of Saakashvili.

In addition, Iran plans to build a hydroelectric plant in Georgia and intends to import electricity from the country. At a forum hosted in Tbilisi, the Iranian Ambassador to Georgia, Majid Samazadeh Saber stated: “We’re getting a good response from the Georgian government on improving ties in our region, and we're ready to do so.”

Iran and Georgia also plan to lift visa requirements between the two countries, essentially making the central Caucus nation a potential haven for terrorists. (The official reason is to promote “trade opportunities.”) The Georgian prime minister is planning an official trip to Tehran amid talks of an Iranian consulate opening on the Black Sea town of Batumi, which borders Turkey.

Observers in Washington believe Saakashvili’s purpose is to demand attention. It’s no coincidence that Tehran and Tbilisi have turned to each other just as Russia is making concessions to the United States on the Iranian nuclear issue.

Just as Obama and other major leaders have agreed on new sanctions against Tehran, the Georgian opposition claims President Saakashvili has been involved in weapons deals with the Islamic Republic.

If the latest accusations from some experts prove to be true, Obama cannot be blamed for putting distance between his administration and Saakashvili, the darling of the neocons during the Bush years.

“Saakashvili is mad at President Obama for not meeting with him during his recent visit to America and decided to get back at the United States by becoming friends with Tehran,” accused a member of the opposition Labor Party. “He buys missiles in Ukraine and sells them to Iran.”

The cozying up of Georgia and Iran is a disproportionate reaction and a personal slap to Obama, which should be troubling to the Georgian people. In doing so, Saakashvili has painted himself into a lonely corner. Is visa-free travel and free trade between Georgia and Iran worth the price?

Georgia has already found itself in trouble with Russia over the purchase of weapons from Ukraine prior to the conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia in 2008. This time, if the allegations prove to be true, Tbilisi will lose even more support in the West.

In a separate development, Georgian Foreign Minister, Grigol Vashadze, recently met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the field of economy and tourism. The talks dealt with the situation in the Middle East and the Caucasus.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, the Syrian foreign minister stressed that various Syrian ministries also intended to sign similar bilateral agreements with the Georgian counterpart agencies “in the economic fields for building constructive and good relations between Syria and Georgia.”

The other news out of Tbilisi is that the Georgian president just spent $56 million from the state budget on a private Challenger jet. A curious upgrade was allegedly added for $7 million: a personal “ejection seat” for Saakashvili—no doubt hoping he’s over Tehran or Damascus when the turbulence starts.



Tsotne Bakuria is a former member of the Georgian parliament. He lives in Washington, D.C.

[Georgia Times, www. georgiatimes.info/en/news/35691.html ]

Opposition: Saakashvili sold Iran Ukrainian missiles
2010-05-21 13:01

Zviad Dzidziguri, the Conservative Party leader, states he has information about the fact of selling missiles, previously purchased from Ukraine, to Iran - the VZGLYAD.

"The USA are conduction a serious inspection over the fact, - he notices. - This scandal is the reason why ex-Minister of Defense of Georgia David Kezerashvili ran away."

Previously Zurab Noghaideli, the Movement for Just Georgia leader, said the government of the country is involved in illegal arms trade.

"I know for sure that Georgian authorities are involved in arms business, - he highlighted. - They have serious incomes, part of which will be allocated for self-governance elections of May 30th .

Grazie a ulver81 per la segnalazione !

[Spetaktor]

Pan per focaccia?

[Canaglia]

E' interessante come le relazioni tra Russia e Iran ricalchino in parallelo quelle tra Usa e Israele.

Siamo in una congiuntura (principalmente a causa della crisi economica) in cui Mosca e Washington non ne vogliono sapere di tensioni internazionali, e giocano con i rispettivi alleati strategici in Medio Oriente (Mosca con Teheran, Washington con Tel Aviv) per cercare di appianare i contrasti e scongiurare possibili conflitti bellici.
Ovviamente ciò comporta frizioni tanto con Israele (per gli Usa), quanto con l'Iran (per la Federazione Russa), in quanto i due attori su scala regionale non vogliono farsi dettare la propria agenda politica dai loro due amici su scala globale.

[Nazionalistaeuropeo]

L'Iran ha fatto benissimo.
C'è chi dice "fanno i loro interessi" quando la Russia
(e la Cina..*) votano le ingiuste sanzioni usraeliane.
Quindi anche l'Iran "fa i suoi interessi".
O facciamo 2 pesi e 2 misure?









* e l'asse terzomondista Cina-Venezuela-Iran da contrapporre a Eurussia?