BUSH ADMINISTRATION PUSHES SHEVARDNADZE OUT OF POWER IN GEORGIA
USA TODAY is reporting that Secretary of state Colin Powell was instrumental in convincing Georgian president and former Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze to resign rather than use force to confront opposition protests. Shevardnadze had come to power after the democratic but increasingly paranoid regime of Zviad Gamsakhurdia was overthrown.
Apparently this was a an application of joint Russian-American pressure on Shevardnadze, a sign that the United states and Russia have moved closer on foreign policy questions as Putin has consolidated power in his own hands and is no longer vulnerable to internal criticism on his political right.
That mass bloodshed was avoided in Georgia is positive but the administration needs to follow up by putting out diplomatic pressure for democratic and anti-corruption reforms in the Caucasian republic lest Trans-Caucasia become the new bananna republics of Eurasia.
Addendum
Analytical article from CACI
