Russia And Georgia In Drone Row

From The BBC:

Georgia and Russia have been trading accusations over a reconnaissance plane which allegedly crashed in Georgia, killing two Georgian policemen.

"Georgia's sovereign airspace was violated by a Russian unpiloted reconnaissance drone," Georgia's interior ministry said.

"These claims have nothing to do with the reality," Russia retorted.

Rows about drones were a feature of rising tensions between Russia and Georgia that ended in war in August.

During the conflict, Georgia's attempts to regain control of its breakaway region of South Ossetia were repelled by Russian forces.

Read more ....

US Troops Train Georgians Amid Tension

From The Seattle PI:

TBILISI, Georgia -- President Mikhail Saakashvili praised a joint military training program involving more than 1,000 U.S. Marines and soldiers at a former Soviet base Monday, amid heightened tensions with Moscow.

The effort, involving 600 Georgian troops, shows that Georgia has "the best trained and equipped army" in the strategic Caucasus mountain region, Saakashvili said in comments broadcast on Georgian television.

While the exercise was planned months ago, it followed sporadic clashes between Georgians and separatists in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, breakaway regions closely tied to Russia. And it comes amid friction over Georgia's bid for NATO membership, viewed by Moscow as hostile

Read more ....

More News On Georgia And The USSR

US troops train Georgians amid tension -- AP
Georgians, Russians Exchange Angry Words At Security Council Debate -- Tirkish Weekly
Russia, Georgia spar in Security Council over rising tension -- Khaleej Times
Saakashvili calls on world to protect Georgia from creeping annexation -- Interfax

My Comment: The U.S. is being used as a tool by both sides in a conflict that has been going on for a long time.

Georgia Seeks Urgent UN Meeting On Tension With Russia

Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili (R) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice after their meeting in Tbilisi July 10, 2008.

From The AFP:

TBILISI (AFP) — A senior Georgian official called Friday for an urgent UN Security Council meeting amid rocketing tension with Russia over the fate of separatist provinces within Georgian borders.

Russia separately demanded that Georgia pull its troops out of a gorge within one of the provinces, Abkhazia, and that Tbilisi sign an agreement renouncing any use of force in resolving the region's status.

Russia and Georgia each blame the other for fomenting unrest in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and each has recently appealed to the United Nations to help lower the temperature in the region.

Read more ....

More News On Georgia And Russia

Georgia, Washington and Moscow: a Nuclear Geopolitical Poker Game -- Global Research
Georgia urges west to step up pressure on Russia over dispute -- Financial Times
Russia rebuffs U.S. over Georgia mediation -- National Post
Russia rebuffs U.S. over Georgia mediation -- Yahoo News
Georgia's Aggressive Policy Brings Abkhazia, S. Ossetia Ever Closer to a Crisis - Russian Foreign Ministry -- iStockAnalyst
Abkhazia, Karabakh and South Ossetia are Russia’s allies -- Pan Armenian

My Comment: We in the West must be very careful if we want to play in Russia's backyard.