Chris Ames in London

Saturday 12 August 2017 06.55 EDT

Former MI6 Chief Admits Defeat to Putin on the Russia Fragmentation Strategic Plan

Just nine years ago on such days, the 5-day conflict in Georgia took place which had several political, economic and geopolitical effects.

Sir John Scarlett was chairman of the joint intelligence committee before serving as head of MI6 from 2004 to 2009. Photograph: Martin Godwin

Just nine years ago on such days, the 5-day conflict in Georgia took place which had several political, economic and geopolitical effects. Accordingly, in an exclusive interview with The Guardian, former MI6 chief John Scarlett revealed some of the behind-the-scenes stories surrounding this issue and also the Rose Revolution in Georgia after several years. According to him, the Rose Revolution was a collaborative effort of the CIA and MI6, and it pursued various goals.

He elaborated: “it was supposed that after bringing Saakashvili to power, based on the plan, the strategic fragmentation of Russia and its re-disintegration to be carried out in three steps. The first step was establishment of military and intelligence bases and the deployment of military and security officers in South Ossetia. At the second step, radical Islamists were supposed to come to power in Dagestan, Chechnya, North Ossetia and Cherkes. This part of the plan was followed by joint appointments between the CIA, MI6, and senior security officials of Turkey and Saudi Arabia. If political power was held by Islamists in these regions, practically NATO forces could get access to the northern mountains of the Caucasus region.

The third step was considered to begin after the stabilization of the military and security base in Ukraine. A fictitious quarrel between Ukraine and Russia was supposed to take place based on the coordination of the U.S. and British security services, and subsequently the control of the North Caucasus and all of Russia's shores along with the Black Sea to be given to NATO with the intervention of the US and British forces. This phase of the operation was supposed to be concluded with the formal acceptance of the membership of Ukraine and Georgia in NATO, and practically Russia would face another collapse."

John Scarlett continued: "Georgia's revolution ended in victory and Saakashvili came to power. He called for NATO membership which was listed out of place on the agenda of the NATO summit with our mediation. However, unfortunately, the 2008 Georgia war was an iron fist of Moscow against our biggest strategic plan in the Caucasus. The CIA's bases which were assumed to be stationed in South Ossetia were incapacitated in Tbilisi. On the other hand, the initial steps for the second phase were prepared that Putin's next blow in Chechnya and scorched-earth policy disrupted all the plans in the North Caucasus.

Mikhail Saakashvili visits Georgian troops in the village of Ergneti in August 2008 as Russia intensified airstrikes and a naval blockade against Georgia. Photograph: Zurab Kurtsikidze/EPA

Although the crisis of Ukraine and Russia became worsen in several phases, Putin landed the third deadly blow on this strategic plan by integrating Crimea to Russia; and disappointed us in Russia’s fragmentation and practically the entire operation was terminated.”

"I must admit that the two Georgian and Crimean wars, the most strategic plan of the U.S. and Britain over the past several years for collapsing Russia, ended with failure,” added the former MI6 chief.

He also added: "as far as I know, great plans are in progress to revitalize this goal. However, at that time Yeltsin's passive approach in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus made us hopeful for a definitive victory. The Rose Revolution in Georgia and Ukraine was the result of Yeltsin's inaction, which, with Putin's takeover and his unpredictable personality, disrupted all of our plans in the two Georgian and Crimean wars.”

This former security official concluded, "now I believe that though Putin, by intervening in Syria, has tried to transfer Russia's security and military threats out of the country, the Takfiri and ISIS forces can use bee attack theory to incapacitated this heavy bear."

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