Georgian ambassador admits that they started it.

[tricky]

A former Georgian ambassador has caused uproar in Georgia by saying his country, not Russia, started August's war over South Ossetia.
Erosi Kitsmarishvili, a former envoy to Russia, was testifying at a parliamentary commission hearing into the war the breakaway Georgian region.

One lawmaker threw his pen at Mr Kitsmarishvili and then had to be restrained as he charged towards him.
Georgia maintains its assault on South Ossetia followed a Russian invasion.

'Saakashvili plans'
"Russia was ready for this war, but the Georgian leadership started the military action first," Mr Kitsmarishvili told the commission on Tuesday.

He said he had this information "from high-ranking Georgian officials". However, he said he believed Georgia had been provoked into war by Russia.

Mr Kitsmarishvili has been an outspoken critic of the Georgian president since being replaced as ambassador to Moscow, the BBC's Tom Esslemont in Tbilisi says.
On Tuesday, the former envoy also claimed that Mr Saakashvili told him in March of plans to use force to retake Abkhazia - another Georgia's rebel region.
He said the president had also told him he would move the Georgian capital to Abkhazia's capital, Sukhumi, in August.
Several members of the bi-partisan commission and Georgian government officials described Mr Kitsmarishvili's comments as "shameless" and "irresponsible".
Georgia accuses Russia of sending troops and tanks into South Ossetia in the hours before Tbilisi launched its assault on the regional capital Tskhinvali on 7 August.
Moscow says it intervened only after Tbilisi began shelling the rebel region.
Russian forces ousted Georgian troops from South Ossetia during the five-day war.
Moscow still keeps thousands of its troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...pe/7750194.stm

LOL

It makes sense now. Why wouldn't we want to join sides with a country that started a war for no reason....

[PETA]

I don't think there was any confusion.... Georgia sent their army into the semi-autonomous zones to reassert control of their territory. Then Russia invaded Georgia.

[Deff Gordon]

i thought that was already established.

[tricky]

Originally Posted by Deff Gordon

i thought that was already established.

It was, i'm just picking on poor old McCain.

[johnny861]

There's no question they started it.

However, isn't the gray area whether they were justified in acting to maintain the sovereignty of a region of their nation?

[PETA]

Originally Posted by johnny861

There's no question they started it.

However, isn't the gray area whether they were justified in acting to maintain the sovereignty of a region of their nation?

That is at the center of the controversy.

One fact commonly over looked is the degree to which the Russian mob has colonized Ossetia as a base for smuggling, money laundering and other nasty business and further how cozy the mob is w/the Russian government.

[J. Fees]

i thought the russian mob was the russian gov't. those guys got some major money and power.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by J. Fees

i thought the russian mob was the russian gov't. those guys got some major money and power.

as I understand it, it's difficult to clearly define where one starts and the other ends

[J. Fees]

can you imagine how the next world war is going to go down. The U.S. army, the Russian gangsters, Paki & Afghani Terrorists, Israeli Military, Somali Pirates. Hopefully, i won't be around for that.

[johnny861]

Originally Posted by J. Fees

can you imagine how the next world war is going to go down. The U.S. army, the Russian gangsters, Paki & Afghani Terrorists, Israeli Military, Somali Pirates. Hopefully, i won't be around for that.

Sounds entertaining to say the least.


However, with all the Russian mobsters living in the US? nah, I doubt they would want an incursion between the us and russia, unless it benefits them in some way.