- Joined
- Aug 20, 2008
- Messages
- 10,101
- Reaction score
- 2,990
- Gender
- Female
- Political Leaning
- Liberal
An independent report has blamed Georgia for starting last year’s five-day war with Russia, but said Moscow’s military response went beyond reasonable limits and violated international law.
The report commissioned by the European Union said both sides had broken international humanitarian laws during Russia’s intervention in the rebel province of South Ossetia.
The findings were particularly critical of U.S. ally Georgia’s conduct under President Mikheil Saakashvili, which could deepen Western concerns about his leadership and the stability of the former Soviet republic.
‘In the Mission's view, it was Georgia which triggered off the war when it attacked Tskhinvali (in South Ossetia) with heavy artillery on the night of 7 to 8 August 2008,’ said Swiss diplomat Heidi Tagliavini, who led the investigation.
‘None of the explanations given by the Georgian authorities in order to provide some form of legal justification for the attack lend it a valid explanation.’
Nice to know the obvious was pointed out. Georgia started, Russia reacted.
Georgia started war with Russia, but Moscow over-reacted, says EU report | Mail Online