The West is realizing that Ukraine is lost and that they need to be able to pull a white rabbit out of the proverbial hat, or to shift direction and fix the blame. Basically, this means to be able to claim some success from the ruins, which may be “We lost Ukraine, but we saved Georgia from the Russians.” This may help explain some recent headlines in the Georgians media:
“A coup à la Euromaidan is being prepared in Georgia” – Security Services Claim
There are also suggested links, or too many coincidences, between those closest to the Georgian Legion*, including Nona, sister to the head of the Georgian Legion*, Mamuka Mamulashvili, who gained notoriety for leading up a purported volunteer force fighting on the side of Kiev. He has also bragged on several occasions of executing Russian POWs and the unit’s willingness to not take prisoners.
The work of the Georgian Legion* is highly suspect, as is its Commander, Mamuka Mamulashvili. He told Civil.ge that the Legion “has nothing to do” with the filmed incident [execution] involving Russian prisoners of war in Makiivka village, in the Luhansk region of Ukraine.
Here is what Geoffrey Young, political candidate from Kentucky, USA, just tweeted in support of the research for this article, or X-tweeted:
I got a message from someone in Georgia: Georgian Coup Plot Thickens: “We lost Ukraine, but we saved Georgia from the Russians.” “…Mamulashvili had bragged in a video that executing prisoners was standard practice amongst the Georgian Legion*…”
Mamulashvili stated that the claim represents “Russian disinformation”, and that this is “not the first such case.” However, a few days prior, Mamulashvli had bragged in a video that executing prisoners was standard practice amongst the Georgian Legion*.
The day after, he changed his tune and confirmed that they had, in fact, committed the executions. The IDs of some of those involved, including a confession from Mamuka, are in the above-linked article.
Yes, we tie the hands and feet of Russian soldiers. I speak for the Georgian Legion* – we don’t take Russian soldiers as prisoners, nor Kadyrovites (Chechens) – not one!
The New York Times reported the veracity of the videos, but tried to dismiss them and claimed that they showed grisly before-and-after scenes of the encounter earlier this month, in which at least 11 Russians, most of whom are seen lying on the ground, appear to have been shot dead at close range.
TASS News agency reported earlier this year how Ushangi Mamulashvili, AKA Mamuka, prosecuted in absentia as part of a Russian criminal investigation. The investigation centered on the “recruitment and participation of mercenaries in hostilities on behalf of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU)” and war crimes.
The Georgian Legion* is also alleged to have been set up by US foreign intelligence services with a regime change in mind, and their time is Ukraine is part of the preparation for such a task. The “Georgian Legion*” was founded by US intelligence services, Saakashvili’s ex-adviser Jeffrey Silverman told Izvestiaback in February of this year.
He also explained how it was more than coincidence, that Nona, Mamuka’s younger sister, had worked in the office of Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili when the current president was in the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Zurabishviliis also under suspicion for working for outside interests, and not upholding her Constitutional duties to Georgia, which may be part of the motivation/allegations that are being put forth by the ruling Georgian Dream Party in an attempt to impeach the President.
The party, at least on the surface, is accusing the president of violating the Constitution by visiting foreign countries in the EU without the government’s approval. Apparently, they may know who she is actually working for and who interests she is serving, or the GoG is trying to reduce its carbon footprint by cutting back on foreign travel.
Zurabishvili, with her long history as a French spy, was basically imposed on the electorate as a quid pro quo for not destroying the current Georgian government sooner. Few would disagree with the statement that she is not working for the needs of Georgia, and technically, she is really an enemy of the Georgian people and its elected representatives.
Her deceased husband, Janri Kašia, gained notoriety because of his alleged intelligence service ties, including with NATO representatives. Kashia wasfrom Tbilisi, and was a television presenter and taught philosophy, history and art history at the Tbilisi Academy of Fine Arts. He received political asylum in France in the 1980s, and became a French citizen in 1992.
Even during the period of the USSR, he had gained a reputation for making prank phone calls to governmental officials and spreading false information, which got the attention of intelligence services in the west and who saw Janri Kašia as a possible human asset, albeit unofficial, to develop.
The Plot Thickens
According to former co-workers, Nona Mamulashvili, with connections to Salome Zurabishvili, now a member of the UNM opposition, suddenly appeared with her in the MFA, apparently out of nowhere, and “without the appropriate background” in reality, or “known connections” on a professional level with foreign affairs, diplomacy or a work history with the Georgian Foreign Services. However, her CV and alleged education is impressive.
Much is known of her links, and conflicts of interest, including those with international drug companies, and their human experimental programs, and these networks may have contributed to her having her credentials cancelled by the Georgian government—aside from the activities of her brother and the family business, dating back to the USSR and the Railway Mafia, of main railway stations, and the looting of wagons on the territory of Abkhazia, prior to the 1992 conflict.
It is known from various co-workers and former members of the OSCE staff, that she had personal relations with former high-ranking members of the OSCE Mission to Georgia, especially a Swiss Officer, one with CIA links.
He is alleged to have paid for her and her brother’s education; at the very least, he was the intermediary. Colonel Dominique Saudan, Chief of Information Operations (Chief Info Ops) prior to having made contact with Nona. He was with the NATO led Kosovo Force (KFOR) in a PR position, with close connections with American and Canadian intelligence assets.
It should come as no surprise that Col Dominique Saudan provided the brother and sister, naturally out-of-the-goodness of-his-heart, a flat to live and covered their expenses while they were in Paris, even paying for her brother’s education at a French University, for starters.
He claimed to other OSCE representatives that his connection with Nona was only platonic, nothing sexual, despite the vast sums of money spent on the brother and sister. Saudan went as far as to claim that even if he wanted, he could not be involved, as he had a sexual dysfunction.
His time in Kosovo should be interesting for Georgian intelligence, as the recognition of that breakaway region of Serbia was a nightmare for Georgia and its own territorial integrity.
However, he has been quoted as having said: “I like to serve peace” It was the longest mission to date in SWISSCOY on behalf of the Kosovo Force (KFOR): Colonel Dominique Saudan, Chief Info Ops, returned to Switzerland after four years in Kosovo.
Even after this long time since, it is claimed that Colonel Dominique Saudan still has a lot of passion and drive for his work … and perhaps that will involve Georgia more in the future. I have been told by his former OSCE colleagues he is working for the CIA, and how nice, a Swiss Officer with Kosovo experience with two young pups in Georgia, and both very committed to the cause, however, whose cause?
Down to Brass Tacks
But now to discuss more of what is now being openly discussed in Georgia and among the intelligence community at large, and how the information connects dots and comes at an inopportune time.
Is it sheer coincidence, that the information, the allegations, recriminations and array of finger-pointing, is nothing new with NEO readers, as we reported the same information with earlier investigative pieces?
The commander of the Georgian Legion, Mamuka Mamulashvili, reacted to the statement of the Security Service of Georgia (SBG) about his allegedly preparing a coup and violent overthrow of the current Government of Georgia. According to him, the text about the conspiracy and the possibility of a coup d’état was dictated by Russia.
It is good to know that Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oleh Nikolenko, has denied Kyiv’s involvement in an alleged coup plot to oust the current Georgian government following Tbilisi’s accusations earlier on Sept. 18.
European News and Westerns outlets are closing ranks in how they are describing the revelations, as more as a ploy and red herring, and dismiss the news that plotters allegedly wanted to harness anger among young Georgians to violently topple the government.
Tbilisi has also accused a senior Ukrainian official of trying to topple the Georgian government, amid a time of fraught relations between Kyiv and the Caucasian country. Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS or SUS in Georgian) claimed Georgi Lortkipanidze, the deputy head of Ukrainian military intelligence, was “plotting” to “violently overthrow” those in power this winter. It is alleged that the “plotters” want to harness anger among young Georgians if their country failed to get EU candidate status.
Seemingly, along with the unannounced and unexpected trips of the Georgian President outside of her official duties to Europe, and by connecting dots between those named in this article, this scenario may have likely been the plan, which now appears to have been strangled-in-the-cradle—foiled.
It can only be hoped that such an insane plan has been stamped out before it has a chance to take root, as the consequences for Georgia would be dire. Already in 2008, Georgians learned what it was like to be “Bullets in the gun to be fired at Russia”, a painful lesson the Ukrainians are now learning in full.
*-is banned in Russia
Henry Kamens, columnist, expert on Central Asia and Caucasus, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.