C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 001571

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR GEORGIA MONITORING GROUP AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM RU GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: SITREP 30: OSSETIANS REFUSE ACCESS TO OSCE

REF: TBILISI 1554

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN F. TEFFT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Summary. Russian forces allowed OSCE monitors past
checkpoints outside Akhalgori, but an Ossetian checkpoint did
not allow the OSCE into Akhalgori. This raises questions
about the prospects for South Ossetian cooperation with OSCE
and EU monitors in the future. A special letter has been
prepared in the Georgian parliament on human rights
violations during Russian aggression and was sent to all
European Parliaments on 12 September. Eduard Kokoity
announced yesterday that South Ossetia is an independent
republic and has no intention to integrate into Russia. The
opposition faction New Georgia/Christian Democrats will split
into two factions. Saakashvili countered Russian accusations
that the United States was rearming Georgia by labeling it
Russian propaganda. End Summary.

OSSETIANS DENY OSCE ACCESS TO AKHALGORI
--------------


2. (C) On September 11, OSCE monitors successfully passed
Russian checkpoints outside Akhalgori, but were refused
access to the village itself by Ossetian forces, who
explained that the OSCE would need clearance from the
"authorities" in Tskhinvali to travel into South Ossetia.
This is the first time Ossetian forces have made the decision
to deny the OSCE access. (COMMENT: No matter what the
outcome of the negotiations on the modalities of the
increased OSCE contingent and the new EU observers, it is
possible that Russia will cite the unwillingness of the
"sovereign" government in Tskhinvali as a reason to allow no
monitors into South Ossetia -- even if Russia itself agrees
in principle to allowing the original eight into South
Ossetia. We may need to find a way to convince Russia to
convince South Ossetia to cooperate with Russia's own
concessions. End comment.)

PARLIAMENTARY OPEN LETTER ON HUMAN RIGHTS
--------------


3. (SBU) According to press reports, a special letter has
been prepared in the Georgian parliament on human rights
violations during Russian aggression and was sent to all
European Parliaments on 12 September. The document outlines
the details of the bombing in Georgian villages, the arson
attacks in Georgia's National Parks, and how churches and
monasteries were attacked. Georgian Parliament Human Rights
Committee Chairman Giorgi Arsenishvili stated, "If you take a
look at the text of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, you will fail to find a single point in it which
Russia did not violate during this intervention. You cannot
find a single point in the 1977 Geneva Convention that Russia
did not violate." Both the ruling party and the opposition
unanimously supported the letter.

KOKOITY CHANGES HIS MIND ON JOINING RUSSIA
--------------


4. (SBU) According to press reports, the leader of the
South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoity, announced yesterday that South
Ossetia is an independent republic and has no intention to
integrate into Russia. His statement contradicts his earlier
statements suggesting that within a few years, South Ossetia
would join Russia. Kokoity clarified that he was
misunderstood.

OPPOSITION FACTION SPLITS
--------------


5. (SBU) According to press reports, the opposition faction
New Georgia/Christian Democrats will split into two factions.
Gia Tortladze will be the head of the New Georgia faction
and Giorgi Akhvlediani will lead the Christian Democrats.

SAAKASHVILI SAYS NO U.S. MILITARY ASSISTANCE
--------------


6. (SBU) According to press reports, Saakashvili countered
Russian accusations that the United States was rearming
Georgia by labeling it Russian propaganda. "We don't expect
to get anything from the United States. We haven't got
anything from the United States recently and we will not be
getting any large-scale hardware or military material
assistance from the United States. No matter what kind of
theoretical assistance we could have received from anybody,
there is no way Georgia can fight wars with Russia,"
Saakashvili said in an interview with the Associated Press.
TEFFT