Georgia Should Outline Strategy of Information Counterattack
Situation in Abkhazia is uneasy again and it is not controlled by Georgian government. The press highlights that Georgian state officials are feeble and inactive; that is why it has lost informational was with Russia.
The Resonance
The Resonance blames Georgian government in being slow and says: “Russia and de facto government of Abkhazia always precede the Defense Ministry of Georgia in disseminating information about events in Abkhazia”.
Conditions get uptight in Samegrelo region (western Georgia) also. Population there asks for arms and is ready to stand by Georgian guerrillas. “People are in panic”, the paper reports and goes on to say that Georgian state officials do not consider the situation in Samegrelo region alarming somehow.
The government does not support Georgian fighter anyway, leader of the Fighters’ Union Ruzgen Gogokhia told the Resonance. According to him, Russia regards Abkhazia part of its own territory.
The Dilis Gazeti
The Dilis Gazeti publishes an interview with expert in Caucasian matters Mamuka Areshidze. He says events occurring in Abkhazia may be regarded as a provocation directed against Georgian-Abkhazian negotiations. He said he was informed that Russia was planning a big Caucasian war involving Georgia about a month ago.
Whatever is occurring in Abkhazia right now is negative for Georgia and each state official is responsible for it, he said.
The Akhali Taoba
An article named “Venom of Stalin and Shevardnadze Troubles Russians” was published in the Akhali Taoba today. The article is about informational war Russian Mass Media lead against Georgia. “Putins’ Mass Media has no limit in insulting Georgia”, the author states. He particularly points at the host of Russian ORT-TV program “Odnako” Mikheil Leontiev.
“For last several programs Leontiev has been insulting and cursing Georgia and being cynical about President Shevardnadze”, the paper says and later explains the reason of the program’s attitude: “It seems Leontiev is the one among many Russians who found it difficult to get over the fact that Georgians have created the Russian history”. Another reason of Russian Mass Media being offensive towards Georgia is that Russia aspires to appropriate Abkhazia. Russia is an occupant of both Chechnya and Georgia, the Akhali Taoba says.
Georgia has lost informational war against Russia but author of the article hopes that Georgian government still has a chance to win it over in case it forms the strategy of informational counterattack.
The Alia
The Alia talks about participation of Georgian political authorities in the Abkhazian conflict. “Georgia faces a revolt in deed. Political crisis will be inevitable if nobody takes responsibility over the procedures occurring nowadays”, the paper says and casually mentions the unusual silence of Georgian Interior Minister Kakha Targamadze.
by Salome Jashi
