ANDREW HIGGINS
The Wall Street Journal
September 3, 2008
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TBILISI, Georgia — When Russia sent troops into Georgia last month, the West balked at joining the fight. But now that the shooting has ended, Western nations are mobilizing to thwart a key Russian war aim: regime change in Tbilisi. Their weapon is cash.
The International Monetary Fund is set to reach a preliminary deal this week that will throw the former Soviet republic a $750 million credit line, according to officials close to the negotiations. Both the U.S. and Europe are also working on big assistance packages that Georgia hopes will provide $2 billion or more.
The money aims to calm the nerves of foreign investors — crucial to Georgia’s economic stability — and help Georgia finance the repair of war damage. More important, Western cash will help shore up the pro-Western government of President Mikheil Saakashvili.
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March 14th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
This is the way things should be, get off what we are on now