Charlie Rose

Lucky Barker  10/27/2008 02:30 AM Report

!It is impossible to deceive me!

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The Russo-Georgian war exhibited the features of a proxy war pitting US-NATO imperialism against Russian nationalism. Russian forces thwarted Georgia's armed provocations and issued a challenge to American and NATO policies in the borderlands. When Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dimitry Medvedev ordered Russian forces to move through South Ossetia and cross the border into Georgia, they violated the UN charter. Their initial justification - defense of the Ossetians' right of self-determination - was as arbitrary as the one the United States and NATO put forward for their attacks on Kosovo and Serbia, where unlike in Russia's case their self-defense was never involved. So, in responding unilaterally to a very real threat that had actually materialized, did Russia commit an act of aggression? Neither the UN Security Council nor the General Assembly could make that legal determination. Even if they had, Russia wouldn't have taken seriously a US-NATO charge of aggression that served only to emphasize its accusers' egregious double standards. In the course of conducting the war, Georgian ground troops, tanks and some South Ossetian militia deliberately targeted civilians, committed acts of ethnic cleansing and wantonly destroyed civilian property in Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital, and in villages along South Ossetia's border with Georgia proper.

Alas poor Yorik...

AmericanPravda  09/25/2008 01:27 PM Report

Mr. Charlie Rose, After having enjoyed your show for the past 5 years, I was greatly surprised that you didn't ask him about killing innocent people. So-called operation "clean field". Lets try to remember, who started killing people. Carrying out such a vicious attack, launching rockets at residential buildings and destroying vital resource areas. Burning building where women and children were sheltered. And what attack on Georgia was he talking about? This guy needs a healthy vacation. At 11:30, on the day that Saakashvili made a televised speech to South Ossetians, promising peace and long-term friendship, and assured them that Georgia will not use force, HE unleashed a strategically planned operation, which destroyed at least 75% of Tshinvali and displaced almost everyone. Those of you who are promoting Georgia's democratic appeal, can you imagine that type of conduct in the US?, by the US?, against a small town? What would the US do if, for instance Quebec attacked Toronto IN THAT MANNER (absolute disregard for human life)? Would they not send troops to push back the aggressor and attempt to disarm the nearest army base? There is nothing all you ignorant people can say that will justify killing innocent people WOMEN, ELDERLY, CHILDREN (The caps are for the weakest of all of us that must be protected by all men, not slaughtered) What democracy are they building, can some one please comment on the understanding of that concept in Georgia? I'm sure most Americans would love to be entertained by the contrast in opinion. Let's keep it honest and transparent.

Luca  09/22/2008 08:06 PM Report

It's really interesting what's going on right now in both occupied territories of S.Osetia & Abkhazia. The Russians and Separatists are celebrating cheap and short victory. It's like a play directed at Mental Institution left without the Guards :))) Do Russians or Osetian really think that This is IT? It's just the beginning of the Fight against the Evil and Wrong and when it's done will see who will be laughing last;)Both Osetians and Abkhazians need to realize the The Lands are not going anywhere, it's right there and unless they are trying to move them, They can Run but can't they HIDE;)

maia  08/31/2008 03:23 AM Report

The russians commenting here (and not only here) express such a hatred to Saakashvili. Why it is so? What did he do to them? Did he support Chechen or any other separatists in Russia? No. Did he spread georgian passports to russian citizens? No. Did he cut economic ties? No. Did he attack Russian territory? No. Did he bomb Russian cities and villages? No. Is Georgia occupying Russian territories? No. It is Russia who did all these to Georgia. 150million Russia to 4.5million Georgia.

The only reason for russians’ hatred is that Saakashvili didn't give up Abkhazia and South Ossetia – which are Georgian territories by international laws, and when he finally exhausted all means to solve these problems with the help of Russia (these conflicts are more then 15 years old), he turned to the West for help and protection, including his determination to make Georgia a NATO member. And the recent events have shown that he was absolutely right. Even Poland, who is much stronger country then Georgia, signed the anti-rocket defence agreement with US promptly after Russian invasion of Georgia. Russians act irrationally, like jealous wife. It would be just ridiculous and funny, if it hadn’t been so terrible and life-threatning.

Well, it's so symptomatic that none of Georgian presidents satisfied russians. They didn't like Zviad Gamsakhurdia - the first president of Georgia, they hated Shevardnadze - the second president. Saakashvili just drives them nuts. It seems, we georgians didn't manage to elect the president that would please russians. Moreover, every next ruler irritates them more and more. But they keep saying that they love georgians – by bombing cities and villages, killing at least 100 civilians during this war (we still don’t have final number of victims) and much more since 1992. God save anybody from this kind of “love”.

Artem Smolin  08/29/2008 08:27 PM Report

Bravo!!!

The guy sells himself as a savior of the region and as a fighter for freedom against this huge and scary USSR-like Russia.

Let me point out few things from Russian economist's view:

1. If you study the "gas problem" in Russian-Georgian relationships you will find that Georgians still buy it from us at a half price of what other Europeans do. Is that a pressure of a "dangerous neighbor"? If the prices were close to what the Europe pays, Misha would be wiped away by the "Revolution of roses. Part II".

2. The corruption in Georgia is tremendous. It's not just judicial system - it's absolutely everything. Try to come there to do business. Compare it to Russia. That is really night and day. Guess whose party has monopolized all the "black income"â?¦

3. 3 000 000 Georgians work illegally in Russia. They don't earn a lot here, but they make a living and provide their families with enough money only because they are not being deported from our country. For some reason we really feel for those people.

Russian government presses the Saakashvili's regime, this is true. This does not have to do anything with Georgian people which really have many historical ties with us. And they have great wine too. Can't argue with that. I would recommend everybody to come to Georgia, talk to people and see everything by themselves. The first thing you are going to see will be an International George Bush Airport and you will drive the street named after George Bush. In the Soviet Union only Stalin would have his name standing by geographical objects. What a shame!

To me, this interview stands in line with Ahmadinejad's by the amount of lies. Charlie, you were unusually quiet in it. All comments and questions are welcome. smolin@yahoo.com

Ella  08/29/2008 08:06 PM Report

Enough!!! What's wrong with you People! We, Geogians just want to enjoy our piece of Land and those Russian Pigs have Not given a chance for centures. Is it much to ask in the 21st century! I am realizing somthing that Russians actually enjoy pain, blood and distruction. I fear that if the WORLD comes to the End it will be because of THEM and not the MIDDLE EAST!

Sb  08/11/2008 09:37 PM Report

the most hysterical part of a rose's conversation with holbrooke today was coverage of georgia-ossetia crisis... the program showed several times a statue of stalin outside the town hall in gori... that's certainly a very good sign of georgia being democratic under the saakashvili regime... the cult of stalin in 76km of the national capital... what's next on your list for democracy, mr. rose?

Sb  08/11/2008 05:01 PM Report

well, mr. rose,

mark almond, a history lecturer at Oriel College, Oxford, wrote in the guardian on august 9, 2008

"in 1992, the west backed attempts to reassert georgia's control over these (ossetia and abkhazia) regions... for ossetians and abkhazians the brutal plundering of the Georgian troops is the most indelible memory..."

"although saakashvili has done little for the refugees since he came to power... he has spent 70% of the state budget on his military... at the start of the week he decided to flex his muscles"...

what a boy! and a self-proclaimed conscience of the democrats, charlie rose, sings hosanna to the fuhrer of georgia...

yet, let almond continue:

"in the years since the so-called rose revolution, the cronyism and poverty that characterised the shevardnadze era have not gone away... allegations of corruption and favouritism towards saakashvili mother's clan, together with claims of election fraud, led to mass demonstrations against saakashvili last november... his ruthless security forces - trained, equipped and subsidised by the west - thrashed the protesters"...

well, mr. rose, your portraying saakashvili as a democrat at best was ignorant, at worst arrogant...

Sb  08/10/2008 02:01 PM Report

2Skhulukhia,

i don't know how it is in the states... but i do know how it was in tbilisi and in kiev during the days of "colored" revolutions, which by the way brought the fuhrer of georgia to power... nobody was asking a permission for gathering and tents... and lines weren't set for the protesters...

as to "only then you should make your voice heard", it maybe under mishiko georgians need to seek "go-ahead" for posts in the internet...

thank god i live in a free country, and make my voice heard when i see it fits...

Ray   07/11/2008 03:55 PM Report

You gotta love this guy.

Keti Nazgaidze  05/05/2008 04:06 AM Report

He is absolutely right when he talks about change in Georgia. You can not compare Georgia now and before Saakashvili, economically, politically, human rights everything. It was horrbile before him, now we are moving quite quickly towards normality. It is just 4 years he is ruling georgia and he has done so much. It is incredible. But i must admit, there are some problems with judical systems. There is no independent judical review. That is the main problem. When it is solved Georgia will be far more forward to democracy. Human rights is complicated issue. Not especially Saakashvili is the problem, but the people have little cultur of respekting freedom of individual rights. But both people and the president are ready to lern and that is important. He is not like Putin or any other monster. Long live to georgia and georgian people.

Sb  02/26/2008 01:29 PM Report

well, now we see real mishico the fuhrer... he crushes the opposition, decrees martial law, shuts down independent TV and then proposes presidential election... democracy, saakashvili's way

Mikheil Skhulukhia  11/22/2007 02:25 PM Report

Moreover, dear SB, if you follow the things that happen around the world, always ask the question â??why?â?? before you make any judgment on any matter. And ask that question to yourself and do researches before you say, â??â?¦shuts down independent TV and then proposes presidential electionâ?? (SB). When you get the facts in your answer after you have asked that question, only then you should make your voice heard, otherwise the voice has no credibility.

Mikheil Skhulukhia  11/22/2007 02:13 PM Report

Dear friend SB, Saakashvili did not order the Special Forces to break the protest until after the protesters decided to disrupt the lives of other civilians. Protesters tried to block the streets disrupting others who did not wish to get involved in the protest from their normal daily lives. Moreover, Saakashvili did not order to break the protest until the leaders of the opposition decided to build a shelter in front of the parliament to guard them from rain, from getting wet. Would any democratic country, for instance, the US, allow protesters to build a shelter in front of The White House? I think whatever Saakashvili did was the right thing to do. He allowed people to protest as long as they did not break the rules of the democratic nation. I know how it is in the US. When there is a protest there is a line set according to the cityâ??s rules where the protest takes place. The protesters are not allowed to cross that line. And that is what happened during the recent protest in Georgia. Protesters along their leaders broke that line set by the city, Tbilisi, where the protest took place. Therefore, the government had to get involve to bring the order to the nation.

Sb  11/07/2007 06:32 PM Report

well, mr rose... this is your second miss in a row... first, ahmadinejad, and now saakashvili...

your portraying saakashvili as a democrat at best is pathetic, at worst is misinformed... you are not doing your homework mr rose...

last night the georgia's fuhrer has sent special troops to crush the rally against his regime in tbilisi... and you know what his had said: that's how democratic country, like america, disperse demonstrations... would you agree, mr rose? or perhaps you don't follow up the life of dictators...

Mikheil Skhulukhia  10/22/2007 07:41 PM Report

Artem Smolin,

you are probably another one of Putin's agents trying to instill bad things about Georgian government to American people, because Putin dislikes that we have such a good relationship with the US. American people are not stupid not to understand where you are coming from. You accused our president of lying when all he said was true. In fact, you are the one who lied in your comments. You said there are 3 000 000 Georgians who are working illegally in Russia, which is absurd! The whole Georgian population is 5 000 000. And never in Russian history, even during the communist times, Russia had seen greater number of Georgians, living let alone, doing business in Russia, than 600 000. Today, that number is no more than 300 000. Maybe you did, but the world didn't forget how unethically and brutally Russian government deported Georgians from Russian soil. I don't know the facts about "gas problems" that you had mentioned, but one thing I know for sure is that not only Russia wouldn't give gas to Georgians for half price, but it wouldn't give snow to Georgians in the winter for half price.

Secondly, Mr. Liar! there is no International George Bush Airport in georgia. There is a street named after the US president, Mr. G. W. Bush. It was a historical moment for all the Georgians to host an American president, and that was the sole reason why we named the street after Mr. Bush. It was a landmark visit by the US president. I guess you are mad because we didnâ??t name any street in Georgia after Mr. Putin. Speaking of Putin, corruption is at the lowest ever in Georgia. Our president is committed to eliminate corruption in Georgia! Moreover, sir, keep your kind words for your president, because he is going to need them at some point of his presidency. And I, as a Georgian, despise people like you who come out and lash out things which are not even close to the truth. Bottom-line is you are a pathetic lier!

Crispulo Marmolejo  10/05/2007 07:30 PM Report

Charlie: I´ve arrived from Chile to spend one year studying in US, Houston. This interview to President Mikhail Saakashvili is a good source to understand the process of growing and insertion of Georgia. Thanks for this good example. All the best for you and your team.

Chris Baker  10/01/2007 01:21 PM Report

Thanks to Charlie for bringing Georgia to our attention, which apparently is up and coming in spite of active Russian interference and separatists in two provinces. It has a terrain and climate ideally suited for agriculture and a key oil pipeline passes through Georgia, which perhaps accounts for Bush's interest.

David  10/01/2007 11:31 AM Report

Dear Artem, Georgia pays $235 per 1000 cubic metre of Russian natural gas, that's about the same price as for Western Europe. For comparison, Georgias neighbour Armenia only pays $110.

3 mln Georgians working in Russia? Why not 3 bln? How do you come up with these numbers? They are 2-3 hundred thousand at most, and please don't say that Russians "feel for them", you are being ridiculous.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42173000/jpg/_42173078_school_afp.jpg

This is how Russians feel for them. You may not want to acknowledge it, but todays Russia is just one step from fascism.

BTW, Tbilisi International Airport is not named after George Bush, only street near it is.