Erratic Saakashvili and Georgia's "War of the Worlds" Broadcast

Last Saturday, Georgia's Imedi Television station broadcast a 20 minute program that claimed a Russian attack of Georgia was underway.  Although there was a disclaimer at the beginning, throughout the program there was no announcement or banner that it was false.  The result was widespread panic in Georgia and an increase in miscarriages and deaths from heart attacks.  The program claimed that President Mikhail Saakashvili had been assassinated and that two members of the political opposition former parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze and former Prime Minister Zurab Noghaidel were aiding the Russians.  

It does not look like the timing was a coincidence.  Recently the two opposition leaders had traveled to Moscow and met with Russian leaders.  President Saakashvili has been extremely critical of them.  The television station that broadcast the false report is run by President Saakashvili's former chief of staff.  Most observers believe that Georgia's leadership either had direct involvement or knowledge in the broadcast.  Mr. Saakashvili did not claim responsibility for the report, but did not distance himself from it either.  He called it "close to the real situation."

The regime in Tbilisi has seen its human rights record deteriorate and there are many instances of intimidation of political opponents.  But last Saturday's program calling the two prominent opposition leaders traitors has to be seen as a direct threat.  Using these kinds of tactics to scare the population and intimidate or silence opposition is hardly the mark of President who values democratic principles.  

President Saakashvili again has exposed himself as a desperate demagogue who is willing to go to war, imprison political opponents and use the kind of political propaganda that dictatorships in the last century would have been proud of to achieve his political goals.  The United States should offer no aid to Georgia except humanitarian.  And any military aid or advice should be absolutely out of the question until Georgia has peaceful and responsible leadership that respects its citizens, renounces violence against its neighbors and does not use the media and police to attack and intimidate its political opposition.