TBILISI, Georgia -- A parliamentary hearing on the origins of the war between Georgia and Russia in August ended in a furor on Tuesday after a former Georgian diplomat testified that Georgian authorities were responsible for starting the conflict. Skip to next paragraph Related U.S. Presses NATO on Georgia and Ukraine (November 26, 2008) Erosi Kitsmarishvili, Tbilisi's former ambassador to Moscow, testified for three hours before he was shouted down by members of Parliament. A former confidant of President Mikheil Saakashvili, Mr. Kitsmarishvili said Georgian officials told him in April that they planned to start a war in Abkhazia, one of two breakaway regions at issue in the war, and had received a green light from the United States government to do so. He said the Georgian government later decided to start the war in South Ossetia, the other region, and continue into Abkhazia.He would not name the officials who he said had told him about planned actions in Abkhazia, saying that identifying them would endanger their lives.
TBILISI, Georgia -- A parliamentary hearing on the origins of the war between Georgia and Russia in August ended in a furor on Tuesday after a former Georgian diplomat testified that Georgian authorities were responsible for starting the conflict. Skip to next paragraph Related U.S. Presses NATO on Georgia and Ukraine (November 26, 2008)
Erosi Kitsmarishvili, Tbilisi's former ambassador to Moscow, testified for three hours before he was shouted down by members of Parliament.
A former confidant of President Mikheil Saakashvili, Mr. Kitsmarishvili said Georgian officials told him in April that they planned to start a war in Abkhazia, one of two breakaway regions at issue in the war, and had received a green light from the United States government to do so. He said the Georgian government later decided to start the war in South Ossetia, the other region, and continue into Abkhazia.
He would not name the officials who he said had told him about planned actions in Abkhazia, saying that identifying them would endanger their lives.
And I gotta refresh my href'ing skills.... A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government -- Edward Abbey
Burjanadze, 44, formally launched her political comeback on November 23 -- the fifth anniversary of the Rose Revolution -- with the opening of her new political party, Democratic Movement-United Georgia (http://www.democrats.ge). "The authorities have lost confidence both within and outside the country," she said during the party convention Sunday. "Today we need wise policies and restoring [Georgia's] image of a reliable partner and then we need a dialogue with everyone in order to secure our country's interests through this dialogue." Few details are known so far about the party's platform, although it is widely believed that Burjanadze will pull ideas from her Foundation for Democracy and Development, a think-tank she created in July.
"The authorities have lost confidence both within and outside the country," she said during the party convention Sunday. "Today we need wise policies and restoring [Georgia's] image of a reliable partner and then we need a dialogue with everyone in order to secure our country's interests through this dialogue."
Few details are known so far about the party's platform, although it is widely believed that Burjanadze will pull ideas from her Foundation for Democracy and Development, a think-tank she created in July.
It's a longish article, but I hope it provides you with the info you're looking for. A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government -- Edward Abbey
Civil.Ge | Ex-Envoy's Hearing at War Commission Ends in Brawl
In the second half of April, 2008, I have learnt from the President's inner circle that they have received a green light from the western partner to carry out a military operation; When asked to specify "the western partner" Kitsmarishvili said: after a meeting with the U.S. President George W. Bush [the meeting between Bush and Saakashvili took place in Washington on March 19], our leadership was saying that they had the U.S. support to carry out the military operation; In order to double-check this information, I have met with John Tefft, the U.S. ambassador in Tbilisi and asked him whether it was true or not; he categorically denied that; Kitsmarishvili was then pressed by commission members from the ruling party to specify what he meant under "the leadership" and how he had learnt about that information. Kitsmarishvili responded: I can not reveal names of those people, who have told me about it because of their security; After meeting with the U.S. ambassador, Kitsmarishvili continued, I went to meet with President Saakashvili; that meeting was attended by Davit Bakradze [who is now the parliamentary chairman] and Defense Minister, Davit Kezerashvili; Kitsmarishvili was asked whether he raised at that meeting the issue of that alleged information about "the U.S. green light on military operation." Kitsmarishvili initially said that Bakradze rejected having any "green light;" but later, when pressed on the matter, the ex-ambassador said Bakradze "neither conformed, nor denied it." Saakashvili, he continued, "agreed that such information existed, but he was interested who the source was and who told me about it;" At that meeting I warned against any military operation and I asked the Defense Minister whether we had enough military capability ready for the operation, Kezerashvili responded to me: we will not have such a strong army, which we have now, in next four years; The military operation should have been undertaken in direction of Abkhazia; military instructors from Israel were brought here in order to prepare that military operation; Kezerashvili also said at that meeting that the operation should have started in early May, or at least before the snow melted on the mountain passes; This decision was not materialized;
