Made in USA. Confession of a special instructor for the "color revolutions"
We met him in one of the countries of the former USSR. Short, gray-haired, looking much older than his 47 years, he did not make contact for a long time. But after a few days I talked, and then agreed to a video of the interview. Subject to partial anonymity and shooting only from the back.
His name is Vladimir. He went through two so-called color revolutions - in 2003 in Georgia and in 2005 in Ukraine. And not an ordinary participant, but one of the organizers who worked directly with the US special services. He calls himself "spetsnstruktor."
Tbilisi connection
Vladimir got into politics by accident. Born in 1965, in a Russian-Georgian family from Zugdidi. Absolutely ordinary biography: he served in the army, then he studied at the Tbilisi University, where his father taught. The life of Vladimir made a sharp turn on the eve of the collapse of the USSR. His father knew well the future star of Georgian politics Zurab Zhvania. That, in turn, took care of the son of a friend. And then, in 1990, he took him to work in the newly formed “green” movement. Moreover, the newly-minted ecologist was engaged in organizing confidential meetings, and solving various confidential issues.
It is hard to say how Vladimir’s fate would have been if, in 1995, his patron, after winning the Union of Citizens of Georgia party, had not become the chairman of the Georgian parliament. As before, Zhvania’s person in charge was carrying out a personal policy assignment. Only now the geography of his business trips covered the countries of Western Europe and the Balkans. But a qualitative leap in Vladimir’s career occurred only after the corresponding “advanced training courses”. They had to pass in a special camp on the territory of Serbia: “We studied the methods of conducting actions of popular anger. What is now called color revolutions. They were taught by the Americans. Trained in earnest. There I met Sam. Samuel Greenberg - so he was presented to us. He was one of the most important ... He also led me to the Serbian Otpor. Then they were in touch, called up ".
In Tbilisi, Vladimir returned to 2002 year. By that time, Zhvania had already left parliament, leading the movement "United Democrats", supported by all the same Americans.
Curators of popular anger
“I was not engaged in global organizational affairs,” Vladimir repeated several times. - I was not a leader. I was taught to work with young people, to organize protest events, if they can be called that. I did it as I thought. ”
In 2003, he was invited to Washington, along with a group of activists of the opposition Khmara youth organization. I met the Georgian delegation all the same Greenberg. The curator introduced the young freedom fighter to his colleagues Michael and Thomas, asking about the situation in Georgia, the level of preparation for future protest actions, and plans for the country after the victory of the revolution. “They gave valuable instructions. How to behave, how to work psychologically with the people .... "
In addition to the tips, a guest from Georgia received a pile of promises. Say, Vladimir "helps a lot to make democracy" and therefore can count on settling in the USA, help with work and raising money. A part, by the way, was issued immediately - five thousand dollars. Ten years ago, for a resident of Tbilisi, this amount seemed very solid.
How many got the other "revolutionaries", Vladimir does not know. Many of those who went to instruct the Americans, he later met in various state institutions of Tbilisi. The Freedom Foundation’s informal offices also worked in the country, one of whose functionaries was present at Greenberg’s talks with the soldiers of the future Rose Revolution. True, right up until the coup, the opposition preferred not to advertise, on whose money in the Transcaucasian republic "popular protest is widening." But in a close circle of leaders, the names of the American curators were openly named. Moreover, on his return to Tbilisi, Vladimir, in the presence of Saakashvili and Zhvania, spoke at the reception of the ambassador of America, telling about the training of Serbia and about the trip to the USA. “They are the masters. It was interesting to look at it. Although it was clear where the wind was blowing from ..., ”recalls Vladimir.
It was necessary to practice the Washington advance in November of the same year. Vladimir, as usual, was engaged in questions of Zhvania. This time it was about the Khmara youth opposition movement. Functionaries of lower rank with money from overseas sponsors prepared T-shirts and caps with appeals, printed and distributed leaflets with students. Vladimir was also engaged in more serious projects: he placed on the radio, in print publications and on the Web, custom campaign materials. Personally paid fees compliant reporters. Sometimes directly - in envelopes, sometimes officially, for texts "as advertising." Vladimir received money from Zhvania and his assistant named Gela. On the successes reported to Sam. It did not go without show: on the eve of Greenberg’s October 2003 visit, Zhvania gave Vladimir 20 thousands of dollars to mobilize the opposition press. As a result, on the arrival of Sam, all of Tbilisi was littered with newspapers with angry expose articles. Greenberg was satisfied, and even presented Vladimir three thousand in the presence of assistant Zhvania Miho.
Accounting protest
The money in envelopes and broad “street” powers ended with Vladimir immediately after the victory of the Georgian “color revolution”. Former comrades, as well as their American commanders, he was not needed. Zhvania, loading the tested assistant with small assignments, did not say anything about career prospects. Sam and Michael complained about the terrible employment. And in March, 2004 Vladimir was summoned to the United States.
“For some reason I flew to Mexico and only from there I moved to the States. To Washington. There he met with the curator Greenberg. We discussed the upcoming event - the elections in Ukraine. Then he took me to the Freedom Forum, where he met the head of the foundation, Jack Marsh, and a human rights journalist. I got the impression that he was from the same office as Greenberg - he was fully aware of everything that happened in Georgia and told in advance what would happen in Ukraine. And to the smallest details.
Vladimir went on a business trip to Ukraine right after Zhvania's “sign-off”. The organization of the next "color revolution" was on the rolled rail. Together with Andrei Yusov, having outlined a plan in Washington, Vladimir launched the protest movement “Pora”. As in Tbilisi, he worked with young people, was engaged in organizing the tent Maidan, collecting people and paying inevitable in such cases rewards to activists and the press.
They paid more in Ukraine, so Vladimir operated with sums in 30-40 thousand dollars. “There were two main directions,” recalls Vladimir. - The first is the distribution of dough on the Maidan to the protesters. The second is the placement of materials in the press, the Network and the TV. I had two assistants, I don’t want to name them now. They are decent guys. One of them posted the necessary materials in the Russian press. Also for the money, of course ... ".
Preparation of the revolution, as in Georgia, was funded from the States. “Great grandmothers went through Georgia. The path was as follows: Americans, Zhvania, Yushchenko and “Pora”. This was practically not concealed from us either by the Ukrainians or Zhvania. Everything was tied up through certain structures. ”
However, a small financial stream, Vladimir suspects, flowed into Russia. Boris Nemtsov visited the headquarters of the "Orange" Ukraine several times. True, Vladimir makes a reservation, hardly a prominent Russian oppositionist “Maidanil” because of the money. Rather, it was about the thirst for power. Nemtsov was not a stranger for Americans, but he did not contact Greenberg, but with a certain Boris Abramovich. Moreover, sometimes in the telephone conversations interlocutors switched to English. However, Julia herself communicated with Berezovsky. “In early December at a meeting with activists of the“ Pory ”the bell rang. Julia replied, “Yes, Boris Abramovich! Here, we communicate with "At times", with activists ".
Written off the ship of the revolution
After the victory of the "orange" Vladimir predictably was out of work. In February, 2005, under mysterious circumstances, killed his longtime patron Zurab Zhvania. The Americans, who were still responding to his calls readily, stubbornly did not pick up the phone. With the money earned in the storms of street protests, Vladimir traveled to Europe. For some time he lived in Germany, from there he moved to Sweden. And then, recalling his open annual US visa, he rushed to the United States to seek the truth.
This time, America met Vladimir inhospitable ways. For several months, he sought personal audience with his yesterday's curators. On the phone, he reminded the Americans about the residence permit, work and elevation, which they promised at the dawn of the Georgian “rose revolution”. He complained about the expiring visa and high rental payments for the apartment, which he paired up with some kind of illegal in Washington. Greenberg ordered him to wait. Vladimir failed to execute this order due to circumstances beyond his control.
After the call, the former curator of the events developed rapidly. In February, Vladimir 2006, the visa ended. A month later, the police were already breaking into his room. “Police officers did not have deportation orders, therefore, according to the official version, I was“ discovered ”by chance, - Vladimir notes. “It’s not clear where they got the address from.” Unless Greenberg was asked ....
The next two months, Vladimir spent in prison for illegal immigrants. “It was a pitch hell, I don’t even want to remember. But it finally came to me: I am a waste material. ”
According to the results of the investigation, Vladimir was extradited to Georgia, but in the country of the victorious color revolution, the former specialist was not met with bread and salt. “After Zhvania’s death, for many in Georgia I was, to put it mildly, an undesirable person. In Ukraine, I was also not happy, even tried to initiate a case. ”
As a result, Vladimir settled in one of the neighboring countries, and only a few years later he began to travel home safely. “Everything was forgotten. Now I’m not interested in anyone there, I don’t represent a threat. And in the sense of Americans, I have already come to terms. But for those who are now trying to establish contacts with them, I can say that we are just disposable garbage for them. Used and abandoned.
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The United States of America does not even hide the fact that they actively “support” politicians in other countries that benefit them. Back in 1961, by order of President Kennedy, the United States Government Agency for International Development (USAID) was created, which for half a century, under the strict guidance of the State Department (US Foreign Ministry), brings democracy in an American way to all the peoples of the Earth. The point is for the United States so important that only last year more than 23 billions of dollars were spent on it!
“Favorite” on the territory of the former USSR from USAID appeared almost immediately after the collapse of the “evil empire”. In 90-ies, Ukraine was the third country in the world in terms of total US financial assistance (after Israel and Egypt), and Georgia - the third largest in the world in per capita financing (after Israel and Egypt). However, in the beginning of the 2000-s, the governments of both countries got off the right course, according to Washington, therefore, USAID reduced the overall level of support for these countries, but sharply increased funding for electoral assistance and political party support programs. Behind the beautiful name is actually hiding activities for the preparation of color revolutions. If in the 2001 year, the Ukrainian opposition received $ 2,29 million for this purpose, while the Georgian ones received $ 0,62 million, then already in the 2003 year - $ 5,04 million and $ 2,72 million, respectively. A year later, Maidan funding increased to $ 7,68 million (data from USAID reports for 2006-2007).
Here is what the current US ambassador to Russia, and then professor of political science at Stanford Michael McFaul, wrote in The Washington Post article from 21 in December 2004: “Did the Americans interfere in the internal affairs of Ukraine? Yes. American agents of influence will prefer to call it in other words - democratic assistance, promotion of democracy, support of civil society, etc., but their goal, whatever you call it, was political changes in Ukraine. USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, and other institutions funded certain American organizations, including Freedom House, the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, the Solidarity Center, and others to provide grants and technical assistance to Ukrainian civil society. The European Union, individual European countries and the Soros-funded International Renaissance Foundation did the same ... Western organizations provided training and direct support to the Committee of Ukrainian voters ... Western organizations also provided support to independent media. Freedom House and others supported the Free Choice Coalition, which included the “Time to Go!” Student movement. With the help of conferences and publications, these American organizations provided information flow and contacts between Ukrainian democrats and their counterparts in Slovakia, Croatia, Romania and Serbia ... The International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute conducted training programs for Ukrainian political parties, some of which later joined the coalition Yushchenko.
USAID, in its report on 2006, was less florid: “The United States made a major contribution to the recent peaceful democratic transition in Georgia and Ukraine.”
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