[A-List] Former Soviet Space Prototype: Georgia 'Branch Of Soros Foundation, CIA Club'

Fri Mar 5 19:57:06 MST 2004

1) Prototype For Former Soviet Republics: Georgia A
Branch Of Soros Foundation, Club Of CIA Agents
2) How The Real World Works: Georgian Human Rights
Outfit *Shocked* That Torture Has Increased 506% Since
'Rose Revolution'
3) With US-Provided Armor, US-Trained Commandos At The
Ready, Saakashvili Pledges To 'Control' Adjaria

1)
http://www.geotimes.ge/fullview1.php?id=5025&cat1=6

Daily Georgian Times
March 5, 2004

Branch of Soros Foundation and Club of CIA agents?
By Kate Ramishvili

--The head of one of the opposition parties even
publicly dubbed the new cabinet as [a] ‘branch of
[the] Soros Foundation and [a] club of CIA agents.” 
-Three of the members of the cabinet were trained in
[the] Soros Foundation – the man who pays them
salaries now. Majority of the new ministers worked in
the US-based structures. The youngest minister Irakli
Rekhviashvili served in the European headquarter of
Soros foundation. And the ministers of Education and
Justice Kakha Lomaia and Giorgi Papuashvili directed
the Open Society-Georgia Foundation — local office of
the Soros fund. One more colleague of the two Giorgi
Gabashvili has become minister of culture. Just a year
after he left the foundation he joined Zhvania’s
party.
-What is clear is that kind Granny George Soros will
himself pay salaries to them. US-loyalty has become a
bargaining card in shaping the government of Georgia.

A new broom sweeps clean - an old Russian proverb
goes. Indeed. Mikhail Saakashvili’s come to power has
changed the government as well. The new government has
turned back to old system of Cabinet of Ministers,
disbanded in 1995. The guidance of executive
government has fallen on the fifteen sectoral and four
state ministers. 

A number of opposition factions boycotted approval of
the new government. According to their leaders the
cabinet was staffed by ‘inadequate’ people. Majority
of them lack experience. Despite the severe criticism
of the old president, many of the ‘new ministers’ were
companions and disciples of Shevardnadze. The head of
one of the opposition parties even publicly dabbed the
new cabinet as ‘brunch of Soros Foundation and club of
CIA agents.” However, it is just an opposition’s
viewpoint. What has changed in Georgia with the shift
of power in the country? Should we really assume that
new people with clear conscience and iron will came to
power or… 

New Government with old faces… 

Let’s start with the head of the cabinet. Zurab
Zhvania emerged as former aide to “White Fox”. Quite
recently he was a leader of the ruling party Citizens’
Union of Georgia. Giorgi Baramidze, another member of
Shevardnadze’s team got one of the key government
portfolios—he currently is a minister of internal
affairs. His namesake Giorgi Tsereteli is also ‘a long
party track record’. In the old days he served as a
chief of the Georgian capital “Union” but now he is
already a Health Minister. The new leaders did not
forget of Shevardnadze’ former ally Tedo Japaridze
either. Before the ‘revolution’ he was a secretary of
the National Security Council. Now he chairs the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Four more members of the
cabinet also experienced elevation. From the seats of
the deputies they smoothly moved to the seats of
ministers. 

Neither the four ministers without portfolios are new
faces. The four oversee the issues of conflict,
European integration, national accord and also
business and investment. So, the state minister for
conflict settlement and cinema director Giorgi
Khaindrava has already served on this position during
the Georgian-Abkhaz war. Since then he never worked in
the state structures. In recent years Khaindrava
directed a private radio station owned by Giorgi
Jokhtaberidze, Shevardnadze’s son in law arrested
quite recently. 

His colleague working for national accord Guram
Absandze is also a veteran politician. He served
prison term under Shevardnadze and was a finance
minister under Zviad Gamsakhurdia. Later he fled to
Russia. A criminal action was brought against him on
allegations of organizing armed attack and government
fund embezzlement. He was accused of masterminding
terrorist act against Shevardnadze. Russian government
extradited him to Georgia and later the Georgian
government amnestied him. Second political wind came
to Absandze in the days of Rose Revolution. Being in
the West Georgia he declared support to the
opposition. Shortly after Shevardnadze was ousted from
his office, Absandze proclaimed himself governor of
Zugdidi region and took over the office of the
regional administration. A few days later bowing to
pressure of the local population the self-styled
‘governor’ left the occupied office in return of a
high-ranking position in Tbilisi. 

Investment management and supervision of small and
medium business was assigned to Jambur Bakuradze. In
the old days he was a director of department store.
Then he shoved to Parliament where he smoothly moved
from the Shevardnadze-backed party to
opposition-minded Zhvania. The fourth minister without
portfolio is Tamar Beruchashvili. She is entrusted
with Georgia’s integration into CE. She worked in the
Shevardnadze’s government too and started ascending in
her carrier shortly after she graduated from the US
university. 

MADE IN USA 

Majority of ministers are Saakashvili’s age. The
youngest of them is 28. Eight members of the cabinet,
including the power ministers have Western education,
three others even worked there. But only few have
experience of working in the government structures.
Three of the members of the cabinet were trained in
Soros foundation – the man who pays them salaries now.
Majority of the new ministers worked in the US-based
structures. The youngest minister Irakli Rekhviashvili
served in the European headquarter of Soros
foundation. And the ministers of Education and Justice
Kakha Lomaia and Giorgi Papuashvili directed the Open
Society-Georgia Foundation — local office of the Soros
fund. One more colleague of the two Giorgi Gabashvili
has become minister of culture. Just a year after he
left the foundation he joined Zhvania’s party.
Minister of Infrastructure Tamar Sulukhia and Minister
of Environment Tamar Lebanidze also come from US
organizations like the energy minister Noka Gilauri.
His appointment might have been a very unpleasant
surprise for Anatoly Chubais. As he returned to his
fatherland, the new minister closely cooperated with
the rival companies of Rau UES. 
And the minister of Finances Zurab Noghaideli is
really a special case. He proved smart enough to take
this seat before and even smarter to leave it in time.
It was in the Shevardnadze era. His case is really
very special, particularly as the seat he has occupied
is the one to be most frequently targeted. Like it or
not you have to be responsible for the state budget,
the deficit of which has become a kind of tradition
for Georgia. Adding more peculiarity to the case he
doesn’t have any economic education, he is just
physicist. He came to the executive government from
the parliamentary committee. I remember when an issue
was raised to dismiss Noghaideli, Shevardnadze himself
stood up for him. The arguments provided suggested:
“he has just learned finances and you want to sack
him". 

For the conclusion 

This is a snap shot of the post-revolution government
of Georgia. It is still unclear whether or not the
government will be able to keep the promises it made
to people. It is also unclear how the ministers are
going to increase salaries and pensions, restore
territorial integrity of the country and solve tough
social problems. What is clear is that kind Granny
George Soros will himself pay salaries to them. US
-loyalty has become a bargaining card in shaping the
government of Georgia. In short, let us just wait and
see what happens. The time will show everything… 
------------------------------------------------------
2)
http://www.geotimes.ge/fullview1.php?id=5027&cat1=6

Daily Georgian Times
March 5, 2004

“Detainees are tortured, beaten and threatened with
rape”

Instances of torture are on the rise, Nana Kakabadze
says
By Rusiko Mumladze

Number of cases of torturing detainees has increased
by 506% after the revolution — Nana Kakabadze,
chairperson of the Former Political Prisoners for
Human Rights Ngo said. Moreover, she says that to
extort evidence police still resort to electric shock
and a well-used threat: unless you give evidence we
will rape you. What is the situation in the post
revolution-democratic Georgia? What is the course of
the country led by the people who strongly criticized
instances of torture in Shevardnadze era and scores
political points by doing so? 

Q: What is the human rights situation in Georgia? 

A: The rate of torture has dramatically increased.
Most of the detainees are tortured in the police
pretrial detention cells. The complaints about the
ill-treatment of the detained have also increased. 

After Kakha Targamadze and Soso Alavidze quit the
position the rate of torture conspicuously diminished.
But today we see an upsurge of mistreatment by police
officers again and [it has] become [a] widespread
practice again. People are tortured by electric shock,
are beaten and threatened with raping. A group of
criminals arrested on the charges of abduction of
Maghlakelidze, member of the Board of Directors of the
United Georgian Bank, came under similar pressure.
People suspected on less grave crime are also
submitted to torture. 

Several men were detained on allegations of robbing a
woman of golden rings and 5,000 USD. These guys were
arrested in a very cheap inn in the Hotel Kolkheti.
They were sitting at different tables when police
officers broke in and arrested almost all of them.
They were taken to Didube-Chugureti police station and
were tortured by electric shock. None of them have
been previously convicted. As they claimed had they
really stolen 5,000 USD they would not have dined in a
cheap inn. 

Q: Human Rights Watch has provided a very alarming
report about the violations in Georgia. Is there a
real threat that Georgia will reintroduce torture
practice? 

A: We face a real danger. Many cases of torture and
illegal arrest were reported lately. Foreigners are
concerned and very surprised. They are very much
disappointed and their position is well reflected in
their reports. 

Even more dangerous is that police are remarkably
encouraged by the comments of top police officials.
They are told they work effectively but in actuality
they grossly violate human rights. A clear
demonstration of that is breaking up a meeting of
hawkers by police officers. They were batonned to
ground. Those who tried to flee were caught and
beaten. When police are even more encouraged as they
enjoy near total impunity. That becomes very
dangerous; there is no political will that a police
should be punished for crime. 
Q: Do you find it difficult to protect human rights
today? 
A: It has become very difficult to work. We did
whatever we were able to do before but now we are
prohibited to do so, for example to enter police
stations and monitor their activity. It seems that the
government does not listen to us. 

Q: What is interesting is that the power is held by
people who have always listened to you in
Shevardnadze’s era. Why has the government alienated
from the non-governmental sector? 
A: We are also very surprised. The force that has
always been identified with the non-government sector
and democratic values cooperated with only those NGOs
that are affiliate to government and have always
served as their basis. These organizations
inadequately react to the violations of human rights
or sometimes even refrain to do so. 
------------------------------------------------------
3)
http://www.rbcnews.com/free/20040305180004.shtml

RBC.ru (Russia)
March 5, 2004

Georgian leader wants to control Adzharia 

Tbilisi - Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has
promised to establish full control over Adzharia, an
autonomous republic within Georgia. "I declare it with
full responsibility that I want and I will establish
control over Adzharia," he said at a meeting with
Georgian journalists. According to Saakashvili,
Adzharia's leader Aslan Abashidze should realize that
"Adzharia will be controlled by the center". 

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