NATO is Projecting itslef to Russia's Underberlly

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That Moscow would attempt to overthrow the current government of
Georgia by force is not particularly surprising.  Political
intrigue is one of the cheapest means of confronting the growing
NATO influence in the Caucasus.  Like several former Soviet
Republics, Georgia is turning to the West to guarantee its
security from what it considers an avaricious Russia.  On
February 22, 1999, Shevardnadze announced his country would not
extend its membership in the Commonwealth of Independent States'
Collective Security Treaty.  Incidentally, he justified this move
on the grounds that Russia had not delivered on Georgian requests
to extradite Giorgadze.  Georgia has aligned itself with other
CIS republics that have opted out of the Security Treaty --
including Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Moldova, and Azerbaijan -- in the
semi-formal GUUAM organization.  At the recent summit
commemorating NATO's 50th anniversary, the GUUAM members agreed
to cooperate militarily for regional security, strengthening
relations with NATO in the process.  NATO and U.S. officials this
month announced plans to significantly increase relations with
Georgia.

this year, three out of the nine original signatories of the 1992
CIS Collective Security Treaty -- Georgia, Uzbekistan, and
Azerbaijan -- made it clear that they did not intend to continue
as members in the alliance.  The three former Soviet republics
said they were dissatisfied with Moscow's dominant position and
its policies toward the CIS.  On May 20, only six CIS countries -
- Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and
Tajikistan confirmed their readiness to extend their membership
in the alliance.  The original treaty will expire this month.
Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have already joined in a
security alliance with Ukraine and Moldova, two CIS members that
never joined the Security Treaty in the first place.  That
alliance operates under the auspices of NATO's Partnership for
Peace program.
  


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                   ANDRE GUNDER FRANK
250 Kensington Ave - Apt 608     Tel: 1-514-933 2539    
Westmount/Montreal PQ/QC         Fax: 1-514-933 6445 
Canada H3Z 2G8              e-mail:agfrank@chass.utoronto.ca 

My Personal/Professional Home Page> http://www.whc.neu.edu/gunder.html
My NATO/Kosovo Page> http://csf.colorado.edu/archive/agfrank/nato_kosovo/       
My professional/personal conclusion is the same as Pogo's - 
            We have met the enemy, and it is US 
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