Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 251287 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AEMR ASEC AMGT AE AS AMED AVIAN AU AF AORC AGENDA AO AR AM APER AFIN ATRN AJ ABUD ARABL AL AG AODE ALOW ADANA AADP AND APECO ACABQ ASEAN AA AFFAIRS AID AGR AY AGS AFSI AGOA AMB ARF ANET ASCH ACOA AFLU AFSN AMEX AFDB ABLD AESC AFGHANISTAN AINF AVIATION ARR ARSO ANDREW ASSEMBLY AIDS APRC ASSK ADCO ASIG AC AZ APEC AFINM ADB AP ACOTA ASEX ACKM ASUP ANTITERRORISM ADPM AINR ARABLEAGUE AGAO AORG AMTC AIN ACCOUNT ASECAFINGMGRIZOREPTU AIDAC AINT ARCH AMGTKSUP ALAMI AMCHAMS ALJAZEERA AVIANFLU AORD AOREC ALIREZA AOMS AMGMT ABDALLAH AORCAE AHMED ACCELERATED AUC ALZUGUREN ANGEL AORL ASECIR AMG AMBASSADOR AEMRASECCASCKFLOMARRPRELPINRAMGTJMXL ADM ASES ABMC AER AMER ASE AMGTHA ARNOLDFREDERICK AOPC ACS AFL AEGR ASED AFPREL AGRI AMCHAM ARNOLD AN ANATO AME APERTH ASECSI AT ACDA ASEDC AIT AMERICA AMLB AMGE ACTION AGMT AFINIZ ASECVE ADRC ABER AGIT APCS AEMED ARABBL ARC ASO AIAG ACEC ASR ASECM ARG AEC ABT ADIP ADCP ANARCHISTS AORCUN AOWC ASJA AALC AX AROC ARM AGENCIES ALBE AK AZE AOPR AREP AMIA ASCE ALANAZI ABDULRAHMEN ABDULHADI AINFCY ARMS ASECEFINKCRMKPAOPTERKHLSAEMRNS AGRICULTURE AFPK AOCR ALEXANDER ATRD ATFN ABLG AORCD AFGHAN ARAS AORCYM AVERY ALVAREZ ACBAQ ALOWAR ANTOINE ABLDG ALAB AMERICAS AFAF ASECAFIN ASEK ASCC AMCT AMGTATK AMT APDC AEMRS ASECE AFSA ATRA ARTICLE ARENA AISG AEMRBC AFR AEIR ASECAF AFARI AMPR ASPA ASOC ANTONIO AORCL ASECARP APRM AUSTRALIAGROUP ASEG AFOR AEAID AMEDI ASECTH ASIC AFDIN AGUIRRE AUNR ASFC AOIC ANTXON ASA ASECCASC ALI AORCEUNPREFPRELSMIGBN ASECKHLS ASSSEMBLY ASECVZ AI ASECPGOV ASIR ASCEC ASAC ARAB AIEA ADMIRAL AUSGR AQ AMTG ARRMZY ANC APR AMAT AIHRC AFU ADEL AECL ACAO AMEMR ADEP AV AW AOR ALL ALOUNI AORCUNGA ALNEA ASC AORCO ARMITAGE AGENGA AGRIC AEM ACOAAMGT AGUILAR AFPHUM AMEDCASCKFLO AFZAL AAA ATPDEA ASECPHUM ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
ETRD ETTC EU ECON EFIN EAGR EAID ELAB EINV ENIV ENRG EPET EZ ELTN ELECTIONS ECPS ET ER EG EUN EIND ECONOMICS EMIN ECIN EINT EWWT EAIR EN ENGR ES EI ETMIN EL EPA EARG EFIS ECONOMY EC EK ELAM ECONOMIC EAR ESDP ECCP ELN EUM EUMEM ECA EAP ELEC ECOWAS EFTA EXIM ETTD EDRC ECOSOC ECPSN ENVIRONMENT ECO EMAIL ECTRD EREL EDU ENERG ENERGY ENVR ETRAD EAC EXTERNAL EFIC ECIP ERTD EUC ENRGMO EINZ ESTH ECCT EAGER ECPN ELNT ERD EGEN ETRN EIVN ETDR EXEC EIAD EIAR EVN EPRT ETTF ENGY EAIDCIN EXPORT ETRC ESA EIB EAPC EPIT ESOCI ETRB EINDQTRD ENRC EGOV ECLAC EUR ELF ETEL ENRGUA EVIN EARI ESCAP EID ERIN ELAN ENVT EDEV EWWY EXBS ECOM EV ELNTECON ECE ETRDGK EPETEIND ESCI ETRDAORC EAIDETRD ETTR EMS EAGRECONEINVPGOVBN EBRD EUREM ERGR EAGRBN EAUD EFI ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ETRO ENRGY EGAR ESSO EGAD ENV ENER EAIDXMXAXBXFFR ELA EET EINVETRD EETC EIDN ERGY ETRDPGOV EING EMINCG EINVECON EURM EEC EICN EINO EPSC ELAP ELABPGOVBN EE ESPS ETRA ECONETRDBESPAR ERICKSON EEOC EVENTS EPIN EB ECUN EPWR ENG EX EH EAIDAR EAIS ELBA EPETUN ETRDEIQ EENV ECPC ETRP ECONENRG EUEAID EWT EEB EAIDNI ESENV EADM ECN ENRGKNNP ETAD ETR ECONETRDEAGRJA ETRG ETER EDUC EITC EBUD EAIF EBEXP EAIDS EITI EGOVSY EFQ ECOQKPKO ETRGY ESF EUE EAIC EPGOV ENFR EAGRE ENRD EINTECPS EAVI ETC ETCC EIAID EAIDAF EAGREAIDPGOVPRELBN EAOD ETRDA EURN EASS EINVA EAIDRW EON ECOR EPREL EGPHUM ELTM ECOS EINN ENNP EUPGOV EAGRTR ECONCS ETIO ETRDGR EAIDB EISNAR EIFN ESPINOSA EAIDASEC ELIN EWTR EMED ETFN ETT EADI EPTER ELDIN EINVEFIN ESS ENRGIZ EQRD ESOC ETRDECD ECINECONCS EAIT ECONEAIR ECONEFIN EUNJ ENRGKNNPMNUCPARMPRELNPTIAEAJMXL ELAD EFIM ETIC EFND EFN ETLN ENGRD EWRG ETA EIN EAIRECONRP EXIMOPIC ERA ENRGJM ECONEGE ENVI ECHEVARRIA EMINETRD EAD ECONIZ EENG ELBR EWWC ELTD EAIDMG ETRK EIPR EISNLN ETEX EPTED EFINECONCS EPCS EAG ETRDKIPR ED EAIO ETRDEC ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ERNG EFINU EURFOR EWWI ELTNSNAR ETD EAIRASECCASCID EOXC ESTN EAIDAORC EAGRRP ETRDEMIN ELABPHUMSMIGKCRMBN ETRDEINVTINTCS EGHG EAIDPHUMPRELUG EAGRBTIOBEXPETRDBN EDA EPETPGOV ELAINE EUCOM EMW EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM ELB EINDETRD EMI ETRDECONWTOCS EINR ESTRADA EHUM EFNI ELABV ENR EMN EXO EWWTPRELPGOVMASSMARRBN EATO END EP EINVETC ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID ELTRN EIQ ETTW EAI ENGRG ETRED ENDURING ETTRD EAIDEGZ EOCN EINF EUPREL ENRL ECPO ENLT EEFIN EPPD ECOIN EUEAGR EISL EIDE ENRGSD EINVECONSENVCSJA EAIG ENTG EEPET EUNCH EPECO ETZ EPAT EPTE EAIRGM ETRDPREL EUNGRSISAFPKSYLESO ETTN EINVKSCA ESLCO EBMGT ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EFLU ELND EFINOECD EAIDHO EDUARDO ENEG ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EFINTS ECONQH ENRGPREL EUNPHUM EINDIR EPE EMINECINECONSENVTBIONS EFINM ECRM EQ EWWTSP ECONPGOVBN
KFLO KPKO KDEM KFLU KTEX KMDR KPAO KCRM KIDE KN KNNP KG KMCA KZ KJUS KWBG KU KDMR KAWC KCOR KPAL KOMC KTDB KTIA KISL KHIV KHUM KTER KCFE KTFN KS KIRF KTIP KIRC KSCA KICA KIPR KPWR KWMN KE KGIC KGIT KSTC KACT KSEP KFRD KUNR KHLS KCRS KRVC KUWAIT KVPR KSRE KMPI KMRS KNRV KNEI KCIP KSEO KITA KDRG KV KSUM KCUL KPET KBCT KO KSEC KOLY KNAR KGHG KSAF KWNM KNUC KMNP KVIR KPOL KOCI KPIR KLIG KSAC KSTH KNPT KINL KPRP KRIM KICC KIFR KPRV KAWK KFIN KT KVRC KR KHDP KGOV KPOW KTBT KPMI KPOA KRIF KEDEM KFSC KY KGCC KATRINA KWAC KSPR KTBD KBIO KSCI KRCM KNNB KBNC KIMT KCSY KINR KRAD KMFO KCORR KW KDEMSOCI KNEP KFPC KEMPI KBTR KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNPP KTTB KTFIN KBTS KCOM KFTN KMOC KOR KDP KPOP KGHA KSLG KMCR KJUST KUM KMSG KHPD KREC KIPRTRD KPREL KEN KCSA KCRIM KGLB KAKA KWWT KUNP KCRN KISLPINR KLFU KUNC KEDU KCMA KREF KPAS KRKO KNNC KLHS KWAK KOC KAPO KTDD KOGL KLAP KECF KCRCM KNDP KSEAO KCIS KISM KREL KISR KISC KKPO KWCR KPFO KUS KX KWCI KRFD KWPG KTRD KH KLSO KEVIN KEANE KACW KWRF KNAO KETTC KTAO KWIR KVCORR KDEMGT KPLS KICT KWGB KIDS KSCS KIRP KSTCPL KDEN KLAB KFLOA KIND KMIG KPPAO KPRO KLEG KGKG KCUM KTTP KWPA KIIP KPEO KICR KNNA KMGT KCROM KMCC KLPM KNNPGM KSIA KSI KWWW KOMS KESS KMCAJO KWN KTDM KDCM KCM KVPRKHLS KENV KCCP KGCN KCEM KEMR KWMNKDEM KNNPPARM KDRM KWIM KJRE KAID KWMM KPAONZ KUAE KTFR KIF KNAP KPSC KSOCI KCWI KAUST KPIN KCHG KLBO KIRCOEXC KI KIRCHOFF KSTT KNPR KDRL KCFC KLTN KPAOKMDRKE KPALAOIS KESO KKOR KSMT KFTFN KTFM KDEMK KPKP KOCM KNN KISLSCUL KFRDSOCIRO KINT KRG KWMNSMIG KSTCC KPAOY KFOR KWPR KSEPCVIS KGIV KSEI KIL KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KQ KEMS KHSL KTNF KPDD KANSOU KKIV KFCE KTTC KGH KNNNP KK KSCT KWNN KAWX KOMCSG KEIM KTSD KFIU KDTB KFGM KACP KWWMN KWAWC KSPA KGICKS KNUP KNNO KISLAO KTPN KSTS KPRM KPALPREL KPO KTLA KCRP KNMP KAWCK KCERS KDUM KEDM KTIALG KWUN KPTS KPEM KMEPI KAWL KHMN KCRO KCMR KPTD KCROR KMPT KTRF KSKN KMAC KUK KIRL KEM KSOC KBTC KOM KINP KDEMAF KTNBT KISK KRM KWBW KBWG KNNPMNUC KNOP KSUP KCOG KNET KWBC KESP KMRD KEBG KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KPWG KOMCCO KRGY KNNF KPROG KJAN KFRED KPOKO KM KWMNCS KMPF KJWC KJU KSMIG KALR KRAL KDGOV KPA KCRMJA KCRI KAYLA KPGOV KRD KNNPCH KFEM KPRD KFAM KALM KIPRETRDKCRM KMPP KADM KRFR KMWN KWRG KTIAPARM KTIAEUN KRDP KLIP KDDEM KTIAIC KWKN KPAD KDM KRCS KWBGSY KEAI KIVP KPAOPREL KUNH KTSC KIPT KNP KJUSTH KGOR KEPREL KHSA KGHGHIV KNNR KOMH KRCIM KWPB KWIC KINF KPER KILS KA KNRG KCSI KFRP KLFLO KFE KNPPIS KQM KQRDQ KERG KPAOPHUM KSUMPHUM KVBL KARIM KOSOVO KNSD KUIR KWHG KWBGXF KWMNU KPBT KKNP KERF KCRT KVIS KWRC KVIP KTFS KMARR KDGR KPAI KDE KTCRE KMPIO KUNRAORC KHOURY KAWS KPAK KOEM KCGC KID KVRP KCPS KIVR KBDS KWOMN KIIC KTFNJA KARZAI KMVP KHJUS KPKOUNSC KMAR KIBL KUNA KSA KIS KJUSAF KDEV KPMO KHIB KIRD KOUYATE KIPRZ KBEM KPAM KDET KPPD KOSCE KJUSKUNR KICCPUR KRMS KWMNPREL KWMJN KREISLER KWM KDHS KRV KPOV KWMNCI KMPL KFLD KWWN KCVM KIMMITT KCASC KOMO KNATO KDDG KHGH KRF KSCAECON KWMEN KRIC
PREL PINR PGOV PHUM PTER PE PREF PARM PBTS PINS PHSA PK PL PM PNAT PHAS PO PROP PGOVE PA PU POLITICAL PPTER POL PALESTINIAN PHUN PIN PAMQ PPA PSEC POLM PBIO PSOE PDEM PAK PF PKAO PGOVPRELMARRMOPS PMIL PV POLITICS PRELS POLICY PRELHA PIRN PINT PGOG PERSONS PRC PEACE PROCESS PRELPGOV PROV PFOV PKK PRE PT PIRF PSI PRL PRELAF PROG PARMP PERL PUNE PREFA PP PGOB PUM PROTECTION PARTIES PRIL PEL PAGE PS PGO PCUL PLUM PIF PGOVENRGCVISMASSEAIDOPRCEWWTBN PMUC PCOR PAS PB PKO PY PKST PTR PRM POUS PRELIZ PGIC PHUMS PAL PNUC PLO PMOPS PHM PGOVBL PBK PELOSI PTE PGOVAU PNR PINSO PRO PLAB PREM PNIR PSOCI PBS PD PHUML PERURENA PKPA PVOV PMAR PHUMCF PUHM PHUH PRELPGOVETTCIRAE PRT PROPERTY PEPFAR PREI POLUN PAR PINSF PREFL PH PREC PPD PING PQL PINSCE PGV PREO PRELUN POV PGOVPHUM PINRES PRES PGOC PINO POTUS PTERE PRELKPAO PRGOV PETR PGOVEAGRKMCAKNARBN PPKO PARLIAMENT PEPR PMIG PTBS PACE PETER PMDL PVIP PKPO POLMIL PTEL PJUS PHUMNI PRELKPAOIZ PGOVPREL POGV PEREZ POWELL PMASS PDOV PARN PG PPOL PGIV PAIGH PBOV PETROL PGPV PGOVL POSTS PSO PRELEU PRELECON PHUMPINS PGOVKCMABN PQM PRELSP PRGO PATTY PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PGVO PROTESTS PRELPLS PKFK PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PARAGRAPH PRELGOV POG PTRD PTERM PBTSAG PHUMKPAL PRELPK PTERPGOV PAO PRIVATIZATION PSCE PPAO PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PARALYMPIC PRUM PKPRP PETERS PAHO PARMS PGREL PINV POINS PHUMPREL POREL PRELNL PHUMPGOV PGOVQL PLAN PRELL PARP PROVE PSOC PDD PRELNP PRELBR PKMN PGKV PUAS PRELTBIOBA PBTSEWWT PTERIS PGOVU PRELGG PHUMPRELPGOV PFOR PEPGOV PRELUNSC PRAM PICES PTERIZ PREK PRELEAGR PRELEUN PHUME PHU PHUMKCRS PRESL PRTER PGOF PARK PGOVSOCI PTERPREL PGOVEAID PGOVPHUMKPAO PINSKISL PREZ PGOVAF PARMEUN PECON PINL POGOV PGOVLO PIERRE PRELPHUM PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PBST PKPAO PHUMHUPPS PGOVPOL PASS PPGOV PROGV PAGR PHALANAGE PARTY PRELID PGOVID PHUMR PHSAQ PINRAMGT PSA PRELM PRELMU PIA PINRPE PBTSRU PARMIR PEDRO PNUK PVPR PINOCHET PAARM PRFE PRELEIN PINF PCI PSEPC PGOVSU PRLE PDIP PHEM PRELB PORG PGGOC POLG POPDC PGOVPM PWMN PDRG PHUMK PINB PRELAL PRER PFIN PNRG PRED POLI PHUMBO PHYTRP PROLIFERATION PHARM PUOS PRHUM PUNR PENA PGOVREL PETRAEUS PGOVKDEM PGOVENRG PHUS PRESIDENT PTERKU PRELKSUMXABN PGOVSI PHUMQHA PKISL PIR PGOVZI PHUMIZNL PKNP PRELEVU PMIN PHIM PHUMBA PUBLIC PHAM PRELKPKO PMR PARTM PPREL PN PROL PDA PGOVECON PKBL PKEAID PERM PRELEZ PRELC PER PHJM PGOVPRELPINRBN PRFL PLN PWBG PNG PHUMA PGOR PHUMPTER POLINT PPEF PKPAL PNNL PMARR PAC PTIA PKDEM PAUL PREG PTERR PTERPRELPARMPGOVPBTSETTCEAIRELTNTC PRELJA POLS PI PNS PAREL PENV PTEROREP PGOVM PINER PBGT PHSAUNSC PTERDJ PRELEAID PARMIN PKIR PLEC PCRM PNET PARR PRELETRD PRELBN PINRTH PREJ PEACEKEEPINGFORCES PEMEX PRELZ PFLP PBPTS PTGOV PREVAL PRELSW PAUM PRF PHUMKDEM PATRICK PGOVKMCAPHUMBN PRELA PNUM PGGV PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PBT PIND PTEP PTERKS PGOVJM PGOT PRELMARR PGOVCU PREV PREFF PRWL PET PROB PRELPHUMP PHUMAF PVTS PRELAFDB PSNR PGOVECONPRELBU PGOVZL PREP PHUMPRELBN PHSAPREL PARCA PGREV PGOVDO PGON PCON PODC PRELOV PHSAK PSHA PGOVGM PRELP POSCE PGOVPTER PHUMRU PINRHU PARMR PGOVTI PPEL PMAT PAN PANAM PGOVBO PRELHRC

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 07TBILISI3002, WHY PATARKATSISHVILI SCARES THE GOG

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #07TBILISI3002.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07TBILISI3002 2007-11-30 13:12 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Tbilisi
VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSI #3002/01 3341312
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 301312Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8343
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 003002 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CARC AND EUR/FO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2017 
TAGS: PGOV KCRM KBIO GG
SUBJECT: WHY PATARKATSISHVILI SCARES THE GOG 
 
REF: TBILISI 2978 
 
Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft, reason 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary.  The Georgian government accuses oligarch and 
presidential candidate Badri Patarkatsishvili of moving from 
ordinary politics to fomenting revolution over the course of 
2007.  It has taken steps against him personally and against 
his business interests in an attempt to blunt his influence 
and power, although it insists he will be allowed to campaign 
freely before the January 5 presidential election. 
Patarkatsishvili is wanted in Russia for a variety of white 
collar crimes and is suspected of much more dangerous and 
unsavory activities.  His most important tool to achieve his 
political ends is the independent television station Imedi. 
Imedi's true relationship with the American company News Corp 
is unclear, and the government wants an assurance News Corp 
is really in charge before it will trust the station to go 
back on the air.  The evidence against Patarkatsishvili 
personally, on claims of conspiracy to overthrow the 
government, is so far largely circumstantial, but some 
independent experts are uneasy about him.  Patarkatsishvili's 
popularity with Georgian voters will be tested by the 
election in January.  Even if he loses, he will likely 
continue to be a formidable opponent to Saakashvili.  End 
Summary. 
 
2. (C) The Georgian government, headed by former President 
Saakashvili, took a number of drastic and seemingly 
counter-productive steps to protect itself since the 
appearance of a major political challenge, first from former 
Minister of Defense Irakli Okruashvili and then from oligarch 
Badri Patarkatsishvili.  The arrest of Okruashvili, the 
forceful response to demonstrators on November 7, the closing 
of Patarkatsishvili's Imedi television station, and the 
harassment of some Patarkatsishvili businesses (reftel) has 
cost the GOG dearly in its standing with its friends in the 
international community.  The government is sincerely 
convinced that Patarkatsishvili constitutes a threat to its 
existence, and has been willing to sacrifice years of 
progress and accumulated international goodwill to avert that 
threat.  To the government of Georgia, the struggle is one of 
life and death.  Why is Patarkatsishvili viewed in such 
apocalyptic terms? 
 
WHO IS BADRI PATARKATSISHVILI? 
------------------------------ 
 
3. (C) Patarkatsishvili was born October 31, 1955 in Tbilisi 
to a Jewish family.  In the early 1990's, he moved to Moscow 
and became associated with Boris Berezovsky, who helped him 
to become very wealthy, attaining an estimated net worth of 
USD 12 billion, according to the Georgian Times newspaper. 
Estimates of his wealth vary widely.  Patarkatsishvili was a 
deputy director of Berezovsky's LogoVaz group, which 
distributed and sold Russian cars.  He was a director of 
Russia's ORT TV and TV6 when they were controlled by 
Berezovsky.  He was a director of the oil company Sibneft, 
which Berezovsky bought for an estimated USD 100 million but 
was later found to be worth billions.  Also associated with 
Roman Abramovich, he helped manage a $3 billion investment in 
the aluminum industry.  In 2001, he and Berezovsky were 
charged by the Russian government with stealing hundreds of 
millions of rubles from Aeroflot, and Patarkatsishvili was 
accused of embezzling millions from LogoVaz.  Faced with 
prosecution in Russia, he returned to Georgia in 2001.  In 
Georgia, he set up the independent media company, Imedi, and 
bought the country's national circus, soccer clubs, other 
sports franchises and a great deal of property.  He was the 
president of the Georgian Federation of Businessmen, and 
served on Georgia's Olympic committee.  He is known for grand 
philanthropic gestures, such as a million dollar loan to the 
City of Tbilisi to pay for gas for its citizens in 2003, and 
financing the Georgian Olympic team's participation in the 
games in Athens. 
 
4. (C) Patarkatsishvili is suspected of having an even darker 
side than that reflected by his alleged white-collar crimes 
in Russia.  He is alleged to have been Berezovsky's enforcer, 
and even to have committed murder in his service.  He is 
associated with some extremely unsavory figures, including 
Andrei Lugovoi, suspected of poisoning Russian dissident 
Alexander Litvinenko.  Lugovoi was head of ORT's security in 
Russia and Patarkatshishvili has described him as a "close 
friend."  Despite his differences with the Government of 
Russia, Patarkatsishvili is believed to be closely allied 
with Russian intelligence services, probably through Lugovoi. 
 
 
INTO THE OPPOSITION 
------------------- 
 
5. (C) Patarkatsishvili enjoyed a warm relationship with 
former Georgian President Shevardnadze.  Immediately after 
the Rose Revolution in 2003, he remained on good terms with 
President Saakashvili.  However, beginning in 2006, 
Patarkatshishvili began to take issue with the new 
government's policies toward business.  He may have been 
motivated by the new government's aggressive tax enforcement, 
which greatly increased the government's revenue but upset 
many businessmen in Georgia, not only Patarkatsishvili.  MP 
Giga Bokeria has been quoted as saying the reason for the 
oligarch's discontent was his inability to gain privileges 
and suppress his rivals so that he could become the "Don 
Corleone of Georgian business."  In an interview, 
Patarkatsishvili marked the turning point as the death of his 
friend and former Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania in 2005. 
 
6. (C) By 2006, Patarkatsishvili had begun to finance the 
opposition parties more or less openly.  Although many of 
them urged him to run for an office, such as Mayor of Tbilisi 
in the 2006 local elections, he did not put himself forward 
personally until November 2007, when he announced his 
intention to run for President.  By that time, he was 
describing Saakashvili as "fascist" and "a despot".  Before 
that however, Patarkatsishvili was backing Irakli 
Okruashvili, who famously accused Saakashvili of plotting 
Patarkatsishvili's murder, and then retracted the accusation. 
 The government says Patarkatsishvili paid the demonstrators 
who battled police on November 7 and directed their efforts 
via intermediaries on the scene in Tbilisi. 
Patarkatsishvili's last public appearance in Georgia was at 
the opposition demonstrations on November 2, after which he 
departed for Israel and the UK.  From Eilat, he repeated the 
vow to "free Georgia from this dictatorial junta," echoing 
his call for Saakashvili's ouster that led to the closure of 
Imedi television on November 7.  Since that time he has 
allegedly been funding the travel of opposition figures to 
Europe, where they have been meeting government officials and 
pressing their case against Saakashvili as a faux democrat. 
Government pressure on Standard Bank and other 
Patarkatsishvili enterprises may make it more difficult for 
him to fund the parties within Georgia. 
 
7. (U) Patarkatsishvili's political program, as announced on 
October 17, would seek a balance in Georgia's policy toward 
Russia and the United States.  He says NATO and EU membership 
is fully in line with Georgia's interests, but "should not 
occur at the expense of others' interests."  He envisages 
Georgia as a federal state, without a president, or possibly 
with a constitutional monarch.  The central government would 
be responsible only for defense and economy and all other 
functions would be distributed to the regions.  To ensure 
both Georgia's independence and its economic prosperity, he 
would encourage maximum self-realization and security for the 
rights of entrepreneurs. 
 
IMEDI, THE THORN 
---------------- 
 
8. (C) Although Patarkatsishvili has many business interests 
in Georgia, the one that makes him the number one thorn in 
the government's side is Imedi television.  Founded in 2002, 
Imedi has grown to be the most popular television station in 
Georgia.  Although one would expect it to be a lucrative 
venture, the government has claimed it is reporting losses in 
the range of USD 20 million a year.  As Patarkatsishvili 
became more critical of the government, so did his television 
station.  Imedi broke the news that Ministry of Internal 
Affairs officials were involved in the beating death of 
Sandro Girgvliani in February 2006, a news story that shocked 
the nation and seriously undermined the government's 
reputation for respect for rule of law.  It is widely 
believed in Georgia that Patarkatsishvili had made a deal 
with the GOG earlier in 2007 to sell Imedi to an owner more 
amenable to the government in return for taking control of 
Georgian Railways.  That deal fell apart, however, reportedly 
angering Saakashvili.  By November 7, the government was 
convinced that Imedi was not only reporting, but encouraging 
revolution and disorder in the streets.  Imedi's news anchor, 
Giorgi Targamadze (a former chief of staff to ousted Adjaran 
strongman Aslan Abashidze), was a bitter government foe and 
was not shy about letting it show in his newscasts. 
President Saakashvili branded the station a "factory of 
lies." 
 
9. (C) The government does not seem willing to allow Imedi to 
reopen until it is satisfied that Patarkatsishvili cannot 
influence its editorial content and an ombudsman is in place 
to call a foul if it exceeds the bounds of journalistic 
ethics.  The government' suspicions of Imedi are heightened 
by questions about the station's relationship with the 
American communications company News Corp.  In April 2007, 
News Corp, Imedi and Patarkatsishvili trumpeted the sale of 
an undisclosed portion of Imedi to News Corp.  However, the 
government says that News Corp's purchase has never been 
registered and that on the official books Patarkatsishvili's 
companies remain the station's full owners.  The government 
wants to be assured Patarkatsishvili is out of the station 
and News Corp fully in before it allows Imedi to reopen. 
News Corp has provided the Prime Minister with a document 
wherein it admits it "does not fully own" Imedi; rather, it 
has an agreement to purchase a minority interest.  It is 
unwilling to do more than promise full transparency of its 
stake, whatever it is, in Imedi.  The government is also 
seeking to impose some duties of disclosure about management 
and Imedi's finances.  News Corp seems ready to accept these, 
so long as they are applicable to all media in owners in 
Georgia.  Similarly, it appears ready to accept oversight of 
journalistic ethics on an industry-wide basis.  It rejects 
allowing the government to name "tainted" journalists whom 
Imedi must not employ. 
 
IS HE REALLY A THREAT? 
---------------------- 
 
10. (C) Patarkatsishvili is, if nothing else, a shrewd and 
powerful opponent of the Saakashvili regime.  He has more 
than enough money to fund the opposition, as he has promised 
to do.  Although he has been named a suspect in a case of 
conspiracy to overthrow the government of Georgia, he has 
apparently been careful not to commit any treasonous acts 
that can be easily traced to him personally.  The government 
can investigate for 30 days before it must drop the 
investigation.  Officials insist he is free to return to 
Georgia to campaign while their investigation is ongoing.  At 
the same time, the government believes that 
Patarkatsishvili's turning of control of Imedi over to News 
Corp was a sham, and that he was directing its employees to 
foment revolution, and will continue to do so if allowed. 
The most serious allegations, such as stockpiling of weapons 
and organizing a militia by the station's security director, 
touch on employees' actions, and the recorded statements by 
Patarkatsishvili himself are ambiguous.  Nevertheless, not 
only the government, but also a level-headed observer such as 
Alex Rondeli, head of the Georgia Foundation for Strategic 
and International Studies, believe Patarkatsishvili is 
dangerous.  Rondeli recently told the Ambassador that in his 
opinion, it was necessary for the GOG to arrange for Irakli 
Okruashvili to be taken into custody in Germany to prevent 
his being assassinated on Patarkatsishvili's orders, which 
would create a further scandal for the beleaguered 
Saakashvili. 
 
11. (C) Patarkatsishvili remains a huge wild card in the 
January 5 election.  It is unclear how many people would vote 
for him, but polls taken before this fall's political crisis 
showed him personally among the most popular figures in the 
country.  The government genuinely fears that he could employ 
his fortune and his network of associates to launch 
provocations or violent demonstrations.  These concerns may 
be overblown, and Georgia does not have the feel of a country 
on the verge of a revolution.  Nevertheless, this drama is 
likely to take more unexpected turns both before and after 
January 5.  It is not clear at this point who will win the 
election, or how Patarkatsishvili and the rest of the 
opposition would respond to a Saakashvili victory. 
TEFFT