Paper Speculates on Kodori Developments

The Georgian daily Rezonansi (Resonance) wrote on July 31 that as information from Kodori still remains extremely scarce, media sources have yet to speculate on what triggered wanted warlord Emzar Kvitsiani to announce his defiance towards the central authorities, a move that was followed by a Georgian special operation in the gorge.

The paper notes that the version put forth by the authorities involves allegations that Russian special services were behind Kvitsiani, through whom Moscow tried to fuel tensions in the region. ?But the authorities will have to put forth very strong evidence to prove that a large-scale provocation was being prepared in the gorge,? Rezonansi says.

Another version of the story related by Rezonansi is that Kvitsiani was provoked by officials in Tbilisi. According to this version he became aggravated after a source from the General Staff from the Armed Forces informed Kvitsiani of the planned disarmament of his militia group Monadire (Hunter), which triggered him to assume a position of resistance against the central authorities.

?If the deployment [of troops] in Kodori was part of a well-planned move by the Georgian special services, then their goals are clear, and in the longer term perspective this move might not be the last step in respect to [Tbilisi?s] Abkhazia policy. In a short-term perspective, the authorities staged an excellent PR campaign through this move? which has improved the image of even Vano Merabishvili [the Interior Minister], as all public attention shifted from a scandal involving the high-profile murder case of Sandro Girgvliani to the developments in Kodori Gorge,? Rezonansi writes.

The paper further allows for the possibility that developments in Kodori were the spontaneous result of Kvitsiani?s ?emotional response? to the authorities? decision to disarm the Monadire paramilitary group. ?If true, then a prompt end to the first phase of the special operation should not be a surprise, as Kvitsiani had a small group of supporters,? Rezonansi says.

The paper notes that whatever motivation was behind Kvitsiani?s decision, the authorities have benefited from the developments in Kodori gorge. ?The Monadire paramilitary group is now disbanded; arms have been seized; one step forward has been made towards Abkhazia? and [the authorities] managed to restore their previous image,? Rezonansi states.

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