NEWS: Georgia News Digest 05-09-08

A service of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies

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Archives and associated files at groups.google.com/group/genewsfiles (from February 2008) and groups.google.com/group/genews (before February 2008)

Conflicts news
1. Georgia warns of war risk with Russia
2. Georgia talks of war as tensions with Russia escalate
3. Kremlin source raps Saakashvili for saying war possible
4. Minister says police operation in Abkhazia possible - Russian agency
5. Abkhazia ready to retaliate if Georgia attempts invasion - Deputy Defense Minister
6. President denies Georgia to attack breakaway regions
7. Defense Minister denies war plans
8. Georgian foreign ministry blames Russian defense ministry for spreading misinformation
9. Georgia concentrates over 7,000 servicemen on Abkhazia's border
10. Russia ready for peacekeepers at their limit
11. Russian military says more Abkhazia peacekeepers possible; Georgian leader warns of war
12. Additional Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia monitoring area - Defense Ministry statement
13. Georgia assertion that peacekeepers number exceeds quota denied
14. Russia gives some details on troop increase in Abkhazia
15. Defense Minister condemns Russia’s ‘foolish moves’
16. Georgia not build up troops near Abkhazia, South Ossetia - David Kezerashvili
17. Georgia warns Russia over dispatch of extra troops
18. Abkhazia says fifth Georgian drone downed, Tbilisi denies claim
19. video: Abkhazia claims another Georgian spy plane
20. Georgia denies loss of unmanned aircraft
21. Some debris of Georgian spy drone found in Abkhazia
22. Separatists' minister hosts Cossacks' delegation
23. Abkhazia says it is bound for independence
Georgia-Russia relations
24. Georgia seeks to bring closer armed forces to NATO standards – minister
25. Patriarch says misconstrued on NATO
26. Tbilisi's desire to join NATO rooted in Russia's unfriendly policy - defense minister
27. Georgia to sign non-aggression agreement with Abkhazia
28. Georgia not to recognize Kosovo's independence – president
29. Russian Ambassador: You will not live to see Putin and Medvedev in conflict [excerpt]
30. Medvedev met with skepticism in Georgia
31. What the new president of Russia has in the Caucasus and what he will have there
32. Georgian authorities seek for ties with Russia’s new president – Bokeria
33. Storm clouds over Russian presidential handover
International views
34. US concerned that tensions between Russia and Georgia could escalate
35. U.S. worries Russia-Georgia dispute may get violent
36. Moscow's policy toward Abkhazia, S. Ossetia jeopardizes Georgia's integrity - U.S. ambassador
37. UNOMIG press release
38. United Nations briefing [excerpt]
39. Head of OSCE doesn't see temperature in Georgia’s separatist region as boiling
40. Sweden says 4 EU ministers traveling to Georgia to discuss Abkhazia crisis
41. UK backs Georgia's territorial integrity
42. ‘Chief-Pioneer' for Georgia
43. Politicians' disagreement on forming Lithuania’s stance on Georgia
Commentary and analysis
44. journal: Russia and the “Frozen Conflicts” of Georgia
45. Georgia’s offer
46. video: Interview: Evgeny Bazhanov
47. War with Moscow "very close"
48. Abkhazia cleaves closer to Russia
49. The west can respond more effectively to Russia’s assault on Georgia: part ii
50. Turning Abkhazia into a war
51. What side are we on?
52. Detained in South Ossetia: A reporter’s non-ordeal
Politics and elections
53. Opposition politicians complain about international election monitors
54. Elections polling
55. Opposition slams government for ''destructive reforms''
56. Senior MP on French decision to grant Okruashvili asylum
57. Nugzar Abulashvili: “Who not with me goes to jail!”
58. Repression of MP candidate
59. Head of the election HQ of the united opposition detained in Tsalenjikha
60. Member of National Movement seeks closure of newspaper
61. A forced meeting with the National Movement
62. Hard lost elections: 93 people registered in one flat!
63. Faithful and dearly departed voters in Kutaisi
64. Batumi before elections
65. Teachers barred from meeting opposition candidates
66. Raising the dead for parliamentary elections
67. Precinct election commissions members forced to resign
68. Black list of voter riggers -Giorgi Mosidze names exact people
69. Republicans speak about repression in Kutaisi
70. On May 5-6 working meeting was organized for practicing lawyers in the field of human rights in Telavi
71. Single mandate candidate from opposition party speaks of repression
72. Kakha Kukava shares infamous video over national single deputy candidate
73. Vakhtang Khmaladze request eradication of election list violations
Misc.
74. Saakashvili held the government session in Kutaisi
75. Georgia will not to refuse Russian investments!
76. Georgian & Azerbaijani companies connect networks
77. Soft drink exports down
78. The amount of credits released under the program of cheap credits totals over gel 15 million
79. The Government of Georgia has no intention to prevent any company from investing in Georgia
80. Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) appealed to the court against Tbilisi City Hall
81. Prisoner found hanged in jail
82. Imedi TV Company lawyers prepared the suit to be filed in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg
83. 63 Percent of IPReasearch survey respondents find TV-debates interesting
84. Georgian policeman kills fleeing man
85. Prime minister met with winemakers in Sagarejo district
86. Giorgi still most popular name in Georgia
87. Murderers of Giorgi Gamtsemlidze will be punished
88. video: God’s sign for Georgian peace?

Jonathan Kulick, Ph.D., Director of Studies, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, 3a Chitadze, Tbilisi 0108, Georgia (Republic), jonathan.kulick@gfsis.org, office: +995 32 47 35 55, mobile: +995 95 33 33 40, USA voicemail: 310.928.6814