‘Don’t do it’, U.S. told Georgia on eve of assault

Wojciech MoskwaWojciech Moskwa
Reuters North American News Service

Aug 21, 2008 10:39 EST

OSLO, Aug 21 (Reuters) – The United States warned Georgia against
trying to retake rebel South Ossetia by force, including on the very
eve of the Aug. 7 attack that drew a crushing response from Russia,
the U.S. envoy to NATO said on Thursday.

Ambassador Kurt Volker said Russia was looking for an excuse to flex
its military might and send troops into Georgia, as it duly did when
Georgian soldiers ventured into pro-Russian South Ossetia.

Asked if Washington was notified of Georgia’s intention to strike its
rebel province, Volker said: "The United States has consistently
counselled Georgia, over a long period of time, that there is no
military solution (in South Ossetia).

"Including the day before Georgian troops went into South Ossetia, we
said ‘don’t do it, don’t be drawn into a military conflict, it’s not
in your interest’," Volker told Norway’s Institute of International
Affairs.

"But the pressure on (Georgia) was too great and they felt they had to
act…and that gave Russia the excuse they were looking for to launch
a massive military operation with over 20,000 troops," he added.

Relations between Russia and the West have sunk to a new low over the
Georgia conflict, with NATO accusing Moscow of dragging its feet on a
promised withdrawal from Georgian territory. Russia said it had to
intervene to protect its citizens in South Ossetia.

Volker said Moscow had long exerted pressure on Georgia by placing
restrictions on trade and visas and through smaller-scale military
incidents, while it built up Russian forces stationed in South Ossetia
as peacekeepers.

"It’s easy to see the careful preparation and the deliberate pressure
put on Georgia, to which they responded unwisely," Volker said.

He said that international peacekeepers were needed in Georgia because
Russia was no longer credible in the role of sole keeper of peace in
the Black Sea state.

He said a force could be provided by the United Nations, the European
Union or the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE), a forum of which Russia, the United States and Georgia are
members.

"We need some kind of internationalisation of peacekeeping to have
credibility when it comes to maintaining Georgia’s territory,
integrity and sovereignty," Volker said.

(Editing by Mark Trevelyan)