Georgia President Defends Ossetia War

by Ese Omofoma
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

TBILISI, Georgia - Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili on Friday defended the decisions made in the lead-up to the August war with Russia.  He told a parliamentary commission that Georgia had responded to Russian "intervention."

"Many wonder if Georgia conducted the military operation against the Tskhinvali region to establish control over territory which was not controlled by Tbilisi. My response is 'Yes,' we opted for military action to protect our population, and this decision was inevitable," Saakashvili told a parliamentary commission investigating the August events.

Saakashvili made the comments justifying the decision to launch a major offensive on the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, on August 7, which left hundreds of civilians dead.  The comments come after recent criticism at home over the five-day war with Russia.

On Thursday, Defense Minister David Kezerashvili told the commission that Georgia had attacked the rebel capital Tskhinvali on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8 because Russian forces were crossing the border.  He added, "it was a matter of time before they started attacking villages inhabited by Georgians." 

Russia has consistently denied Georgia's claims that its forces entered South Ossetia via the Roki tunnel the night before the Georgian assault. Russia has said that it sent troops into South Ossetia and Abkhazia protect civilians and Russian peacekeepers from the Georgian onslaught.  "This is another attempt to escape responsibility for his decision to start a military operation against South Ossetia," Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the Russian army's deputy chief of staff, told the Interfax news agency.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states on August 26.

For more information, please see:

AP - Georgian president defends war decisions - 28 November 2008

BBC - Saakashvili defends S Ossetia war - 28 November 2008

IHT - New defense of attack offered by Georgia - 28 November 2008

RIA - Saakashvili says August attack aimed at protecting Georgians - 28 November 2008