Gangs of the Russian invaders from the so-called North Caucasus Military District are ready "to provide assistance to the Russian troops in case the situation gets more aggravated in the conflict zones in Abkhazia and South Ossetia", as gang leader of Russian North Caucasus Military District, Sergei Makarov, said.
Gang formations of the Russian North Caucasus Military District are the ones occupying the territory of the Caucasus Emirate. These are the formations that have been conducting large-scale military maneuvers near Georgia's borders over the past few days.
"The main objectives of the troops of the North Caucasus Military District, in case the tensions get aggravated and the conflicting sides start war operations, are to provide assistance to the Russian troops and to separate the conflicting sides, to provide humanitarian aid to the population living in the conflict zones, as well as to defend rights and freedoms of the citizens of the Russian Federation, including elaborating on the issues of evacuation of peaceful civilians from the conflict zones," the ringleader specified.
Makarov confirmed that the recently-launched military exercises are supposed to be a rehearsal of the scenario of incursion into Georgia.
"During the military training exercises on the ranges and in the training centers of the North Caucasus Military District we are practicing the scenarios that will be implemented in case of aggravation of the situation in the conflict zones," Makarov stated.
"I would like to assure you that according to the results of the exercises that have already been conducted, as well as the results of examinations and tests, the units and military bases of troops of the North Caucasus Military District are combat-efficient and ready to carry out any combat mission in the region," the military ringleader stressed.
Meanwhile joint military training exercises have started in the suburb of Georgian capital Tbilisi. Servicemen from the US, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Ukraine are taking part in the maneuvers. This announcement was made by the European Command of the US military headquartered in Stuttgart.
The military training exercise Immediate Response -2008 has been going on since July 5 at the Vaziani military base, which is less than 100 km away from the Russian border. The exercise is being conducted "in the spirit of Partnership for Peace program", run by the NATO. About 1,000 US commandos and marines are taking part in the maneuvers.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived to Georgia last Wednesday and met with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, as well as with a number of opposition leaders and ex-speaker of Parliament Nino Burjanadze.
The issues of conflict with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as Georgia's integration into NATO, have been discussed.
Last Wednesday, when Secretary Rice arrived to Georgian capital Tbilisi, Georgia accused Russia of violating Georgian airspace by Russian military fighter jets.
Russia made no comments on that statement, but earlier on Russia had made another accusation against Georgia about provocations in the conflict zones. At the same time Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the US is "sticking up for the provocateurs" by approving of Georgia's position.
In Bulgarian capital Sofia Secretary Rice said before her departure for Georgia, "The United States considers the territorial integrity of Georgia to be inviolable. There have been a number of moves recently by the Russian Federation that have, in fact, not been helpful in terms of the frozen conflict there with Georgia and Abkhazia".
The UN Security Council is now discussing a draft resolution proposed by Russia, which claims that Tbilisi's actions are posing a threat to peace in the Caucasus. Here the Georgian side is being blamed for the recent series of explosions in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict.
Last Wednesday Deputy Commander of Georgian Air Force Zurab Pochkua said that the night before four Russian fighter jets were in the skies over South Ossetia for a total of 40 minutes.
On board of Condoleezza Rice's airplane one of the members of the US delegation said something even more explicit than what Secretary Rice had said. The member wished to remain anonymous.
"Russia needs to realize that the empire is gone. Austro-Hungarian Empire is not coming back. The Ottoman Empire is not coming back and nor is the Soviet empire," Reuters quoted the US official as saying.
The U.S. official traveling with Rice to Tbilisi said a simmering confrontation between Georgia and Russia over two breakaway regions could lead to a catastrophe, and that Moscow should realize it is no longer Georgia's imperial master.
"It's our belief that a military cycle of confrontation will simply develop a momentum of its own and could lead to a catastrophe in the region," he said on board Rice's plane.
Asked what he meant he said: "A renewed cycle of fighting, which would be horrific."
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday in Tbilisi at a joint briefing with President Mikhail Saakashvili expressed support for Georgia's bid to join the NATO, saying that being a NATO member was Georgia's future.
"The US supports Georgia's aspirations into the Alliance. At a meeting in Bucharest this spring the United States worked very actively and a main message is that the future of Georgia is in NATO", Rice said.
Individual Partnership Action Plan of Georgia with NATO (IPAP) and the Membership Action Plan (MAP) does not mean automatic membership into NATO, but they are the main road, walking on which Georgia is building a more democratic country.
For his part, President Saakashvili said that Tbilisi hoped Georgia and Ukraine would be granted MAP at a NATO foreign ministerial council in December and Secretary Rice responded that the United States was working on the matter.
Kavkaz Center
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