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| PDF: Aug 6,2007 (yes 2007) Bombing incident in Georgia |
| 2008-08-16 |
| This complete paper is worth reading. If you have a blood pressure problem take the pills before reading. On August 6, 2007, an unidentified aircraft dropped a large air-to-surface missile near a newly upgraded Georgian military radar station, in the vicinity of the South Ossetian conflict zone. The bomb failed to detonate. ... individual European states reacted swiftly to the incident, sending out teams of experts to the site, which provided much of the information and analysis that enabled a clear-cut understanding of the event and identification of the aggressor. This was achieved in spite of the incident occurring, probably not coincidentally, during European vacation season. While the states taking this decision deserve praise, the same cannot be said for Western multilateral institutions. Both the European Union and the OSCE — under Portuguese and Spanish leadership, respectively — did their utmost to avoid handling the matter in a forthright and authoritative way. Indeed, they contented themselves with expressing their concern and appealing to all parties involved to reduce tension and to exercise restraint. They did not identify the perpetrator, and failed — at least publicly — to raise this issue with Russian authorities in a manner that would be likely to constitute a deterrent to future acts of the same kind. This weak reaction on the part of European officialdom is all the more notable since intelligence information available to all Western governments,elements of which have been made available to the authors of this paper as well as been presented in a wide variety of media outlets, provide overwhelming evidence beyond reasonable doubt that a Russian military aircraft was responsible for the attack. Clearly, OSCE and EU representatives had access to superior information that enabled them to acquire a solid picture of the incident. Their course of action was therefore not constrained by questions as to what actually transpired, but by political decisions not to offend or challenge Moscow. ...March 11, 2007 2110-2110-2300: The Upper Abkhazia villages of Adjara, Chkhalta and Zima came under ground-to-ground rocket fire, likely from territory controlled by the Russian-backed de facto authorities that control most of Abkhazia. In a coordinated attack, Russian military helicopters, described by eyewitnesses as Mi-24s (HIND-E) snaked through the Caucasus Mountain passes that lead from Russia to Georgia. More than one probable Mi-24 helicopter was in the area throughout the attack. The assault culminated at 2247 when one of thehelicopters launched an AT-6 Shturm or AT-9 Ataka ATGM into a building in Chkhalta.2 ...Monday, August 6, 2007 1831-1842: A probable Russian Su-24M fighter aircraft penetrated Georgian airspace above the town of Khazbegi. It traveled southwest, tracked by three radars — military and civilian — to Tsitelubani, where it turned, released a Kh-58U anti-radar missile and headed northeast, crossing back into Russia. The missile fell, undetonated into a vegetable field meters away from houses in the village. The missile had burn marks on the nozzle, indicating that it had been fired, not jettisoned. ...08309/085510 (reports differ): The Joint Peacekeeping Force (JPKF) patrol arrived at the missile impact site near Tsitelubani. [The JPKF that morning consisted of representatives of Russia, Georgia and North Ossetia-Alania. Together, the JPKF plus the OSCE CMO, comprise the Joint Monitoring Group (JMG).] The JMG observed, "In the hole was seen only unexploded part of ammo at 3-3.5 depth. The diameter of the hole was about 110-120 cm. Based on parts extracted from the ground, such as the missile engine, stabilizer wings, electro-schemes and internal equipment, it was established that this [was] an air-to-surface guided missile which did not explode after launch. The diameter of the engine's nozzle was about 37.5 cm. At 13:00 Georgian experts extracted with the help of an evacuator the combat part of the AS guided missile with [its] unexploded charge. The three remaining stabilizers were on the section of the rocked body" [sic.]. At the site, Georgian officials showed the JMG a radar print-out that traced the flight path of the intruding aircraft.11 ...Before 1300: Russian General Marat Kulakhmetov, JPKF Commander gave a press interview. "The aircraft came into the [South Ossetia] Conflict Zone from the east," the General explained. "Then it turned in a southwest direction. Over the village of Gromi, it came under fire from the South Ossetian side. This, it seems, scared the pilot and caused him to fire a rocket, and then it went to the northeast."12 The notion that for the second time this year Georgia had bombed itself with weapons and aircraft it does not possess was to be the Moscow line over the next 48 hours. Then it gets oh so much worse... read the report and then look at what happened this week and now Russia threatening Poland with Nuclear War |
| Posted by:3dc |
| #1 This was one of the sets of conclusions made 1 yr ago. 1. Russia is prepared to use armed force to discipline neighboring and regional states whose conduct Moscow finds objectionable. 2. The responses of the European Union and of leading European governments to this incident reflects poorly on their readiness to enter into credible long-term commitment to purchase gas and oil directly from Caspian states. Stated differently, Europe would appear to be seeking a closer relationship in the sphere of energy but without any corresponding relationship or reciprocal obligations in the security sphere. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-08-16 02:17 |