http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7179&Item
id=65
BBC News
September 2, 2008
Saakashvili a 'political corpse'
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has described his
Georgian counterpart as a "political corpse", saying
Moscow does not recognise him as president.
"President Saakashvili no longer exists in our eyes.
He is a political corpse," he told Italy's Rai
television.
He said US support for Mr Saakashvili had helped
provoke the crisis, which has seen Russian troops
invade Georgia.
He said Russia did not fear isolation by Western
countries that have condemned the Russian
intervention.
Fighting between Russia and Georgia began on 7 August
after the Georgian military tried to retake the
breakaway region of South Ossetia by force.
Russian forces launched a counter-attack and the
conflict ended with the ejection of Georgian troops
from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Russia has since recognised the independence of both
regions, though no other country has.
'Carte blanche'
The Russian president blamed the US for helping
provoke the crisis by supporting Mr Saakashvili.
"Unfortunately, at a certain point they gave
Saakashvili carte blanche for any actions, including
military," said Mr Medvedev in the Rai interview.In a
broadside aimed at international calls for Russia's
isolation, he said Moscow did not fear being expelled
from the G8 group of rich nations nor did it fear Nato
cutting ties with his country.
He said Nato had more to lose than Russia by a
severing of relations.
Earlier, Mr Medvedev had mixed praise for the European
Union, which on Monday decided to suspend talks on a
strategic pact with Russia until its troops were
withdrawn from Georgia, but declined to impose
sanctions.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who stepped down as
president earlier this year, praised the European
Union's "common sense".
But he warned that Moscow would respond to the growing
presence of Nato warships in the Black Sea, where
Russia's navy fleet has a huge presence.
He did not give any details.
Serbian News Network - SNN
[email protected]
http://www.antic.org/
