Russia-Georgia: Doth the lady protest too much?

Ariel Cohen / April 17, 2009

Leading Russian officials are loudly protesting the forthcoming NATO staff exercise in Georgia. The exercises do not involve any armed troops and are essentially a crisis management drill. Yet, as the Bard said, “the lady doth protest too much.”

Since March 25, the Russian Federation has significantly increased its military presence in the occupied Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Moscow built up its forces, Georgia officials say, particularly in the areas adjacent to the troop separation lines in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region.

In parallel with this buildup, there has been increased maneuvers of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet close to the waters around Abkhazia. Russian aircraft fly regular patrols in Georgian airspace over Abkhazia. These actions were conducted in the wake of the April 9 opposition rallies in Georgia, adding tension to already complicated political situation in Tbilisi. (more…)