DejaVu

When you watch the Russian tanks rolling over Georgia the only humanity in the scene comes from the faces of the soldiers and the bystanders watching.

The former group looks more mystified than triumphant, confusion clear on their faces. They don’t understand why they’re not being greeted with friendship and fraternal greetings.

The look on the faces of the bystanders is one of horror and terror; clearly they can’t believe what’s happening or cope with the consequences. I remember that look; I have seen it before.

I was in Czechoslovakia in 1968 when the Russians invaded that country putting an end to freedom that would imprison those wonderful people for another 21 years until the velvet revolution.

I was there for that first hopeful Spring that promised so much, but then resulted in a further quarter century of misery for Eastern Europe.

That invasion was supposedly about Communist solidarity but was all about the continuation of the Russian empire, and this invasion is exactly the same.

Now the Russians have confirmed to the representatives of the European Union and others that by today at noon the Russian troops would withdraw from Georgia to the semi-autonomous region of South Ossetia.

More ominously the Russians have stated that they are conducting a phased withdrawal of their soldiers and replacing them with “peacekeepers”. That sounds very much like an Orwellian euphemism. My grandmother’s description of old time cowboy films is apt, “same men, different hats!” she would laughingly shout.

As this article is written the Russian government spokesman announced that the French foreign minister had misunderstood their negotiations. The Russian forces would be withdrawing, but not necessarily by today at noon. The Russian actions become murkier, more worrying and worse with every passing hour.

Meanwhile the people of Georgia visited their churches on Sunday and prayed for a future free of their Russian occupiers.