The Age of OBLOGMA

The key to coming to an amicable solution for the Russian-Georgian conflict is good leadership through diplomacy, reduced nationalism, and the intervention of international institutions.  After reading “Russian-Georgian Conflict Impacts Middle-East” by Rayyan al-Shawaf, I found the main sources of conflict to be failed leadership, nationalism, and a lack of international institutions.  By addressing these three root causes of the conflict we can increase the possibility for a solution.     

The South Ossetia war was the result of years of faulty leadership and nationalistic tensions that re-ignited the clash between the South Ossetians and Georgians. The war is often referred to as the Russian-Georgian Crisis and served as a daunting reminder that also raised concerns regarding the capabilities of Russia’s military strength.  The incident shed light on the possibilities of strategic alliances for the purposes of “political and economic concessions” that could occur between the countries of Russia, Iran, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. 

"Both Russia and Iran have become increasingly alarmed with the West's attempts to bypass them in the quest for oil."  A prime example would be the Baku-Tblisisi-Ceyhan pipeline.  “Moscow wanted the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (B.T.C.) pipeline, the worlds second longest, to pass through Russia.  That way, Russia would not only benefit financially, but also be able to exert some control over the supply of oil to the west, much as it does with the longest pipeline in the world, the Druzhba which, flows from southeast Russia to Europe.”               

                                                                                                                              Tomorrow Part 2......