Professors Alexander Cooley and Lincoln Mitchell in the Washington Quarterly on US-Georgia Relations
Wednesday, 03 December 2008
"...as analysts focus on the Russian-Georgian relationship, the questions of how the United States–Georgia’s friend and patron–failed to anticipate the conflict and prevent its escalation need to be addressed. Two unequivocal, but ultimately flawed, principles guided recent U.S. policy towards Georgia. First, the United States supported the Saakashvili government, rather than promoting broader Georgian democratic development. Second, the United States backed reuniting Georgia’s territorial integrity, rather than acting as an honest broker to resolve the frozen conflicts with South Ossetia and Abkhazia."
Link to full article
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Prof. Lincoln Mitchell Discusses Georgia's Disappointing Direction on RFE/RL
Saturday, 22 November 2008
"The events of last November cast doubt on the ideals of the Rose Revolution," [says Mitchell]. "If we add to that the August events, which brought the loss of the territories for Georgia -- this is something that, according to many observers, outweighs the other possible positive results of the performance of this government. Whether Georgia will remember the Rose Revolution five years from now.... I think it will be remembered only in the history books."
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Alexander Cooley on a Trusteeship for Abkhazia (Editorial, The Wall Street Journal)
Monday, 17 November 2008
In a recent Wall Stree Journal editorial, CU Professor Alexander Cooley and Borut Grgic argue that "...there is an intermediary sovereign formula that could bridge the two absolutist positions. While neither restoring Georgia's territorial integrity nor recognizing Abkhazia's independence is acceptable to all sides at the moment, Abkhazia could be placed under an international system of trusteeship or supervised administration."
Link to full article
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Lincoln Mitchell Reassesses Georgia on Times Topics
Thursday, 25 September 2008
In a new piece on the New York Times website, CU Professor Lincoln Mitchell argues for a sober assessment of Georgia, "without the rose-colored glasses."
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CU Professor Lincoln Mitchell talks to Newsweek about Georgian Democracy
Saturday, 20 September 2008
"Lincoln Mitchell, a Georgia expert and Columbia University professor, says Georgian democracy suffers from having no real line between state and party, and while it has made great economic strides under President Mikheil Saakashvili, he has never created a meaningful judiciary, has weakened the legislature and has centralized executive power."
Link to full article
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Professor Lincoln Mitchell on Burjanadze
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
In connection with Nino Burjanadze’s appearance at Columbia, the Georgian online daily “Sakartvelos respublika” interviews Professor Lincoln Mitchell about Burjanadze’s political aspirations and the current Georgia-Russia conflict.
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CU Professor Lincoln Mitchell comments on Georgian politics and Nino Burjanadze in the Wall Street Journal
Monday, 08 September 2008
“Nino Burjanadze, the former speaker of Georgia's parliament who served as acting president of the country during two interim periods, said she couldn't rule out the possibility of creating a new political party in Georgia but stopped short of openly breaking with President Mikheil Saakashvili. … Lincoln Mitchell, a professor at Columbia who specializes in Georgian politics, said the establishment of a new party in the country would be a positive step toward furthering democracy there. ‘Georgia is effectively a one-and-a-half party system,’ he said, noting the government is dominated by the United National Movement.”
Link to full article
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"A firm west can prevent a new cold war"
OP-ED in the Financial Times by CU Visiting Scholar David Phillips
Sunday, 31 August 2008, 7:33pm
David Phillips urges the west to take a tough stance with Russia over its ruthless behavior in Georgia and its refusal to cooperate with the international community. Phillips says that the west needs to be strong, consistent and coherent in its response to Russia, and that it must not abandon Georgia. To learn more please click on the link below.
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Barnard Professor Kimberly Marten on the Russia-Georgia Conflict
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Barnard Professor Kim Marten was quoted by the Associated Press and interviewed by a Barnard Graduate for an Estonian Newspaper about the Georgia-Russia conflict. She was also interviewed on KCBS News Radio in San Francisco on August 20th, but the interview is not available online. To learn more please click on the links below.
Associated Press
Estonian daily Eesti Päevaleht (article in Estonian)
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Professor Jenik Radon on Chicago Public Radio re: Russia-Georgia
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Professor Jenik Radon does not think that the conflict between Georgia and Russia will lead to a new Cold War but he stresses the importance of incorporating Russia into the international community in order to avoid further tensions: "We need to eliminate the 'us' vs. 'them' mentality."
To learn more please click on the link.
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"For Often Unsung Scholars, a War Means Center Stage" HI Director Featured in the NYT
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Harriman Institute Director, Catharine Nepomnyashchy, speaks with the New York Times about the upsurge of media attention to the Harriman Institute since Russia's invasion of Georgia. Despite this spike, Dr. Nepomnyashchy is surprised by the general lack of global concern about the conflict. "This is a world event of the first order" She states, "And I don’t say that because I’m trying to push Russian studies. I say that because I’m scared.”
To learn more please click on the link.
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HI Director Discusses the Georgia-Russia Conflict with the New York Times
Monday, 18 August 2008, 7:18pm
Director Catharine Nepomnyashchy stresses parallels between the politics of modern-day Russia and those of the Soviet Union. Like Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Putin plays the victim in the conflict with Georgia. He legitimizes the belligerent invasion of his small neighbor with pretenses of peace keeping in the region, labeling the situation a “humanitarian catastrophe.” To learn more, please click on the link.
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Professor Lincoln Mitchell on the Georgia-Russia Conflict
Monday, 18 August 2008
As a scholar on Georgia, Lincoln Mitchell, Arnold A. Saltzman Assistant Professor in the Practice of International Politics with Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs was not surprised by Russia's military invasion of South Ossetia, a breakaway province within the country. He was surprised, however, by Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili's decision to send in the Georgian Army to reclaim South Ossetia, a main goal of his re-election platform earlier this year, on August 7.
Mitchell has been in heavy demand this past week for his expertise on Georgia. Tanya Domi, Columbia University Office of Public Affairs has gathered these on one page, along with a timeline of Georgian-Russian relations and a video of Saakashvili's participation in the World Leader's Forum at Columbia last year.
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Professors Lincoln Mitchell and Nina Khrushcheva discuss the Georgia-Russia Conflict on WC11 News Closeup
Sunday, 17 August 2008, 6:00am
Lincoln Mitchell, Arnold A. Saltzman Assistant Professor in the Practice of International Politics with Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and Nina Khrushcheva, Associate Professor of the Professional Grad Program of International Affairs at the New School, discussed the Georgia-Russia conflict with Marvin Scott on the CW11 News Closeup on Sunday August 17, 2008.
Both professors concur that Russia’s invasion of Georgia is not about South Ossetia; the real goal is to weaken Georgia and to oust President Sakashvili. Russia has long wanted to invade Georgia, a country with strong ties to the United States. President Sakashvili has given them the perfect opening to do so by attempting to re-take South Ossetia with military force. Mitchell asserts that “anyone in Georgia who didn’t see this coming is foolish.” To learn more, please click on the link.
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Professor Lincoln Mitchell on Eyewitness News
Sunday, 17 August 2008
Lincoln Mitchell, Arnold A. Saltzman Assistant Professor in the Practice of International Politics with Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs discussed the Georgia-Russia conflict on WABC Local NYC on August 18, 2008. While he doesn’t think that Russian tanks will be rolling into the Baltic States anytime soon, he believes the Baltic Region has reason to worry.
To learn more, please click on the link.
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Professor Jenik Radon on the Russia-Georgia Conflict
Saturday, 16 August 2008, 10:54am
Adjunct Assistant Professor, with Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, Jenik Radon discusses the Georgia Crisis on WCBS in New York City this Friday August 16, 2008. Radon states that while he had presumed that the conflict between Georgia and Russia would remain a “frozen” one, this is a lesson to the international community, not to neglect “frozen conflicts.” Radon stresses the importance of an international reaction in the form of international peace keepers and mediators. Radon states that there has been much injustice, but “we have to move forward.”
To learn more, please click on the link.
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Professor Robert Legvold on Georgia-Russia Relations on VOA News
Friday, 15 August 2008, 1:56pm
Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, Robert Legvold comments that after Russia's behavior in Georgia, it will be much more difficult to engage Russia constructively in international affairs.
To learn more click on the link.
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"Confronting the aggression" OP-ED
By David L. Phillips, published in THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Thursday, 14 August 2008
David Phillips, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council of the United States and visiting scholar at Columbia
University, discusses Russia's calculated provocation of Georgia and calls for large-scale humanitarian relief to civilians victimized by the conflict.
To learn more please click on link.
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"A Message from Moscow: Russian Power and the Conflict with Georgia," by Professor Lincoln Mitchell published in INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 6:00pm
Lincoln Mitchell, Arnold A. Saltzman Assistant Professor in the Practice of International Politics with Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs urges the world to pay more attention to Georgia and South Ossetia. He warns that it is a big mistake to view this as a conflict over South Ossetia; the conflict is actually about Georgia. Russia is using the war to flex its muscle in the neighboring region, announcing Russia’s revival as a major actor on the world stage. “This conflict is one more demonstration that the post-Cold War era, where US was the world’s hyperpower, has ended.” To learn more please click on the link.
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"Mad at the U.S., but Still Tied to It" Lincoln Mitchell on Georgia in the New York Times
Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 5:59pm
Lincoln Mitchell, Arnold A. Saltzman Assistant Professor in the Practice of International Politics with Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs discusses Georgia's changing relationship towards the U.S. in light of the Russian invasion of Georgia.
To learn more please click on the link.
Link to full article
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Institute's Faculty Share Their Expertise on Russia/Georgia with Major News and Media Organizations
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
The Institute's faculty have been in high demand to help media make sense of the Russia/Georgia Conflict.
Stephen Sestanovich, Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Professor in the Practice of International Diplomacy, appeared on Charlie Rose on August 11 to discuss the conflict between Russia and Georgia. (Follow the "Link to Website" below.)
Robert Legvold, former Director of the Harriman Institute, in an article published in the Los Angeles Times (August 12th) "quoted Russians close to Putin as saying that the Russian prime minister views Saakashvili the same way the U.S. government views Fidel Castro." According to Legvold, "Putin has an extraordinarily adverse view of Saakashvili himself."
Finally, Lincoln Mitchell has made a number of appearances in print, on radio and on television. In addition to previous posts we should mention that Mitchell appeared on a Lou Dobbs roundtable on CNN, and contributed an analytical piece to the New York Daily News.
Robert Legvold in LA Times
Lincoln Mitchell, Lou Dobbs Tonight
Lincoln Mitchell, NY Daily News
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Experts on Russia and Georgia Available
for Interviews on Current Conflict
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Harriman Institute faculty experts on Russia and Georgia are available for news media interviews on the history, context and implications of the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
Link to full article
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"In Search of a Free Georgia and South Ossetia" by Professor Lincoln Mitchell, published in MOSCOW TIMES
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
"Last week, tension between Russia and Georgia, which had been growing since the Rose Revolution brought Georgia's reformist, pro-U.S. President Mikheil Saakashvili to power in 2004, finally led to open hostility between the two countries. On Thursday, the Georgian government sent troops into the disputed territory of South Ossetia to pacify that region and restore it to Georgian control. Russia waited a day before sending its tanks into South Ossetia and demonstrating its dominance of the air by bombing various places in Georgia, including two Georgian bases near Tbilisi. If the hostilities continue and the conflicts continue for more than a few days, Georgia's future and sovereignty may well be jeopardized. This is precisely what Russia has wanted since Saakashvili committed to building a strong, independent and Western oriented Georgia in 2004."
To see the full article, follow the link.
Professor Mitchell, Arnold A. Saltzman Professor of International Politics, has also given interviews to NPR and PBS NewsHour, which can be accessed at the following addresses.
NPR Interview
PBS NewsHour
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Professors Padma Desai and Nina Khrushcheva discuss the Georgia-Russia conflict on the Riz Khan Show on Al-Jazeera
Monday, 11 August 2008, 7:00pm
Gladys and Roland Harriman Professor of Comparative Economic Systems, Padma Desai, and Associate Professor of the Professional Grad Program of International Affairs at the New School, Nina Khrushcheva, concur that the blame for the South Ossetian conflict falls on all involved parties, including the United States. Desai dubs George W. Bush’s encouragement of eastward NATO expansion as a “foreign policy blunder,” and Khrushcheva adds that this “blunder” does not excuse Russia’s ruthless behavior in the region. Both professors also point the finger at Georgia’s President Sakashvili for his miscalculated attack on South Ossetia. To learn more, please click on the link.
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Professor Lincoln Mitchell re: Georgia-Russia Conflict
Monday, 11 August 2008
Lincoln Mitchell, Arnold A. Saltzman Assistant Professor in the Practice of International Politics with Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs discusses the Georgia-Russia conflict on VOA News, stating that the Russian reaction to the Georgian attack of South Ossetia was completely predictable. While acknowledging that Georgia was put in a tough situation, Mitchell does not understand Tbilisi’s actions, and why President Sakashvili did not foresee the outcome. Mitchell thinks that the US should not automatically take a pro-Georgian stance but that we also should not allow Russia to intimidate its neighbors.
Professor Mitchell was also quoted on Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, gave interviews on Wisconsin Public Radio and MarketWatch, and participated in a discussion on the Diane Rhem Show.
VOA News
Radio Free Liberty Radio Free Europe Interview
Wisconsin Public Radio
MarketWatch Interview
Diane Rhem Show
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