We have lost the war again, says Targamadze

On November 18 the leader of the Christian Democratic Party, Giorgi Targamadze, declared that Georgia has lost the information war with Russia. He accused the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of passivity, conducted despite the serious consequences this would have for the country internationally.

Targamadze said that for the first month after the Russian-Georgian war, Georgia was victorious in information exchanges, leading to much positive publicity for the country. But lately, in particular for about two weeks, there has been a strong tendency for the international press to change its position. “Today the change of international opinion is already apparent. We should do our best to avoid such drastic changes,” Targamadze added.

Targamadze is sure that the information war is one area where the country should sustain its efforts and recommends that the President's administration, the Foreign Ministry and the Security Council do something to solve this problem.

Christian Democratic Party member Magda Anikashvili has said that a strong information machine is working against Georgia and the country should take heed of this. “We should respond to all the accusations made against us. Our Government should give its arguments to everyone interested. The only weapon we now have is the truth, and we should use it properly,” Anikashvili added.

On November 17, The New York Times published an article which said that, according to recent media reports, OSCE observers doubted Georgia’s claim that it only defended itself against Russian aggression. The New York Times quoted Georgia’s UN Ambassador Irakli Alasania, who said that the Georgian side wants an international investigation of this issue.