What is clear is the hypocrisy coming from all sides in this conflict. It is not necessary to point out the crimes of the Russian state against the people of Georgia. They are all too obvious and despicable and, unfortunately, predictable when you look at what is being under in the name of Russian nationalism in the region at the moment. Russia has been provoking the Georgians since 2004. But the US and states around the world are choosing to side with the underdog for bogus reasons, not because the Georgian state is innocent, or maybe got a little carried away. They declare Georgia a democratic sovereign state, but this democracy bombed the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali, at 4.00am in the morning on 8th. This was clearly an attempt to terrorize Russian-identified people in its population, not to restore a balance in military power that might have been going Russia’s way.  

Furthermore, the US is refusing to recognize that there is no way Russia will realistically adhere to a ceasefire without taking some Georgian territory around South Ossetia as a buffer zone to prevent another bombardment of Russians living there. Gori is being attacked as part of this, to neutralise Georgian military operations. This is appalling, of course, but to portray it as an apparent ‘invasion’ by Russia is to introduce language and an escalation of fear that could justify ‘humanitarian intervention’ going beyond the US current control of Georgian airports and Black Sea ports.  

Anarchists recognise this war as part of a wider struggle for influence in the Caucasian region. It borders Iran as well as Russia, and vast oil pipelines cross it. We refuse to take sides in wars between states and extend support and solidarity only to the ordinary people who suffer. No War but the Class War!

The Anarchist Federation, August 2008

Read on for the KRAS Statement …

Full source in Russian and English: http://vivalafora.livejournal.com/64209.html

Autonomous Action (Просмотров: 209): http://avtonom.org/index.php?nid=1926

11.08.2008 | No to new Caucasian war!
The eruption of military actions between Georgia and South Ossetia threatens to develop into a large-scale war between Georgia supported by NATO on the one hand, and the Russian state on the other. Thousands of people are already killed and wounded – principally, peaceful inhabitants; whole cities and settlements have been wiped out. The society has beed flooded with muddy streams of a nationalist and chauvinistic hysteria.

As always and everywhere in conflicts between the states, there is not and cannot be the righteous in new Caucasian war – there are only the guilty. The coals which have been fanned for years now have caused a military fire. The Saakashvili regime in Georgia keeps two thirds of population in poverty, and the greater internal discontent in the country this causes, the more it desires to find a way out from the deadlock in the form of a “small victorious war” in the hope, that it can write everything off. The government of Russia is full of determination to keep the hegemony in the Caucasus. Today they pretend to be the defender of weak, but their hypocrisy is abundantly clear: in fact, Saakashvili only repeats what the Putinist soldiery did in Chechnya 9 years ago. Ruling circles of both Ossetias and Abkhazia aspire to strengthen their role as exclusive allies of Russia in the region, and at the same time to rally the impoverished population around the tested torch of the “national idea” and “rescue the people”. Leaders of the USA, the European states and NATO, on the contrary, wish to weaken the influence of their Russian rivals in the Caucasus as much as possible to provide to themselves with control over fuel resources and their transport. Thus, we became witnesses and victims of the next coil of world opposition in struggle for power, oil and gas.

This fight does not bring to working people – Georgians, Ossets, Abkhasians or Russians – anything, except for blood and tears, incalculable disasters and deprivation. We express our deep sympathy to the friends and relatives of the victims, to the people which have been left without a roof over their head and means of subsistence as a result of this war.

We shouldn’t fall under the influence of nationalist demagogy which demands unity with “our” government, flying the flag of “protecting the homeland”. The main enemy of the simple people is not the poor brothers and sisters on the other side of the border or of other nationality. Their enemie are the rulers and bosses of all kinds, presidents and ministers, businessmen and generals, those who generate wars for the sake of multiplying power and riches. We call on the working people in Russia, Ossetias, Abkhazia and Georgia to reject the bait of nationalism and patriotism and to turn the anger on rulers and the rich on both sides of the border.

Russian, Georgian, Ossetic and Abkhazian soldiers! Do not obey the orders of your commanders! Turn your weapon against those who sent you to war! Do not shoot the soldiers of your “opponent” – fraternize with them: a bayonet in the ground!

Working people in the rear! Sabotage military efforts, leave to go to meetings and demonstrations against the war, organize yourselves and strike against it!

No to the war and to its organizers – rulers and richmen! Yes to solidarity of working people across borders and the front lines!
Federation of Education, Science and Technical Workers, CRAS-IWA.
This declaration is open for signatures.