VZCZCXRO0879
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #2407/01 2271324
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141324Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9486
INFO RUEHSI/AMEMBASSY TBILISI PRIORITY 3881
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 002407 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PBTS PINR PINS PNAT PREL GG RS
SUBJECT: TFGG01: Russian Media on Humanitarian Situation, Regional 
Politics 
 
REF: A)MOSCOW 2343, B)MOSCOW 2366, C)MOSCOW 2383 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: The conflict in South Ossetia remained a 
front-page, top-of the news hour topic for Russian media, but the 
focus shifted from breaking events to refugees and humanitarian 
needs, and the long-term regional and geopolitical implications.  In 
contrast to CNN's images of tanks and Russian troops in Gori, for 
the Russian press, the war was over and state-controlled broadcast 
media supported the Kremlin's line that their goals had been 
achieved.  The print media's wider range of views reflected the 
editorial stances of its individual ownership - pro-Kremlin 
Izvestiya highlighted Medvedev's 100 days in office and the victims 
in Tzkhinvali, while business-oriented Vedemosti introduced topics 
other than Georgia.  Much ink was spilt over the American "role" in 
the conflict and the future of U.S.-Russian relations.  Pundits 
complimented President Medvedev on his performance during the 
fighting and on his working relationship with Prime Minister 
Vladimir Putin. End Summary. 
 
It's not about Georgia, it's about America 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) After having spent the past several days highlighting the 
alleged American role in the conflict, Russian media squarely placed 
the issue in the context of the U.S.-Russian (instead of the 
Russian-Georgian) relationship.  Surprisingly, little play was given 
to the August 13 statements by President Bush or Secretary Rice, but 
we expect to see a measured reaction on the August 14 evening news. 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Kommersant, a business-oriented daily, declared warm 
relations between Moscow and Washington over.  It accused President 
Bush of threatening Russia with isolation in retaliation for its 
military success in South Ossetia.  Nezavisimaya Gazeta, a centrist 
newspaper, accused the United States of trying to "punish" Russia. 
State-controlled Channel One aired a statement by Foreign Minister 
Lavrov which gave the U.S. a choice between a real partnership with 
Russia or a "virtual" one with Georgia. 
 
Medvedev and Putin working well together 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) By coincidence, the 100 day mark of the Medvedev 
administration was reached August 14, allowing the Russia press to 
turn attention to the performance of the president and the 
omnipresent prime minister.  All media unanimously praised how well 
the two were working together.  Izvestiya noted that this challenge 
by a "broad front of Russia's enemies" showed that Putin and 
Medvedev complimented each other.  Komsomolskaya Pravda, a 
pro-Kremlin tabloid, smugly said that while Medvedev's election was 
hailed in the West, he has demonstrated himself to be a tough 
defender of Russian interests.  However, Nezavisimaya Gazeta 
complimented the president on his show of independence from the 
prime minister and his order to halt the military advance into 
Georgia. 
 
South Ossetia: the forgotten victim 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Russian television continued its barrage of images and 
reports from South Ossetia highlighting the destruction and "crimes" 
committed by Georgia.  Highlighting the government-declared "Day of 
Mourning," broadcasts included footage of destroyed cities, reports 
from refugee camps, and ordinary Russians giving blood.  Moskovskiy 
Komsomolets, a well-read tabloid newspaper, dedicated a full page to 
color photos of the ruins from the conflict zone.  Komsomolskaya 
Pravda, Russia's highest circulated daily, carried reports of 
funerals for Tskhinvali residents accompanied by a large photo of a 
woman weeping atop a coffin.  Both newspapers also ran extensive 
stories on Russian soldiers killed in the conflict with pictures of 
their widows and orphaned children. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) While much of the Russian press was reveling in the 
righteousness of Russia's cause, Interfax, an independent wire 
service, ran a story about how Russian troops were leaving the city 
of Gori intact, with water and electricity service for the civilian 
population.  The article noted that both Georgian officials and 
foreign ambassadors had visited the city (presumably to confirm the 
reports of its intact condition.)  In addition, Moskovskiy 
Komsomolets queried Embassy Moscow as to why it did not lower its 
flag to half staff in honor of the victims of the conflict. 
 
Lessons for the region? 
----------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) On a more ominous note, while the Hitler-Saakashvili 
comparisons abounded in the media, Saakashvili was also compared to 
other troublesome regional leaders.  Izvestiya ran a box article 
entitled "Little Allies" which included photos of Polish President 
 
MOSCOW 00002407  002 OF 002 
 
 
Kaczinski, Lithuanian President Adamkus, Ukrainian President 
Yuschenko, and a rather unflattering portrait of Saakashvili.  Few 
papers and no broadcast covered the August 13 appearance of the 
Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian and Ukrainian presidents in solidarity 
with  Saakashvili in Tbilisi. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Nezavisimaya Gazeta ran a front page story predicting that 
the conflict in the Caucasus would transfer to the Russian-Ukrainian 
border.  Channel One cited an Interfax report accusing Ukraine of 
being involved in the fighting on the side of the Georgians. 
 
Paging Dr. Freud 
----------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) Komsomolskaya Pravda continued the media's 
psychoanalysis/character assassination of Saakashvili under the 
headline:  "Saakashvili has been offended since childhood - and now 
he is dying to prove that he is not weak."  The tabloid resurrected 
claims that the Georgian president's stepfather beat him, and that 
he has been unfaithful to his wife with a Georgian pop singer and 
his secretary.