Russia's Covert War

It is rare nowadays that in the mass media much news about Georgia hits the front page. How much of this covert war is still going on?

I suspect currently it is the old fashion cloak and dagger stuff, espionage and whatnot which Russia employs to muzzle true independence of Georgia.

Russia waged covert war on Georgia starting in '04

Russia waged a covert war against Georgia that included missile attacks, arms shipments to anti-government rebels and car bombings since 2004, a newly disclosed U.S. Embassy cable says.

REMNANTS OF WAR: A South Ossetian honor guard pays his respects at a war memorial in the village of Khetagurovo on Sunday amid the wreckage of cars burned during the brief Russia-Georgia war in August 2008. Russian troops have stayed in South Ossetia to this day. (Associated Press)

Among the secret war operations were a 2007 helicopter gunship attack on the headquarters of a pro-government group in the Georgian province of Abkhazia, and the murder of Georgian police officers in the town of Gory. Known inside the Russian security services as "active measures," the tactics employed against Georgia included political disinformation campaigns, industrial sabotage and assassinations.

"The variety and extent of the active measures suggests the deeper goal is turning Georgia from its Euroatlantic orientation back into the Russian fold," said the cable, signed by the U.S. ambassador to Georgia, John Tefft.

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