Report says Georgia started August, 2008 war
By BBC
The war in Georgia last year was started by a Georgian attack that was not justified by international law, an EU-sponsored report has concluded.
However, the attack followed months of provocation, and both sides violated international law, the report said.
A tank burns in Georgian city during August, 2008 war. AFP photo.
Russia said the report delivered an “unequivocal answer” on the question of who started the conflict.
But Georgia said the investigation proved that Russia had been preparing for war all along.
The report said about 850 people were killed in the August 2008 war, and that more than 100,000 fled their homes, about 35,000 of whom are still displaced.
It was commissioned by the Council of the European Union, and written by Swiss diplomat Heidi Tagliavini, with the help of 30 European military, legal and history experts.
The conflict erupted on 7 August 2008, as Georgia shelled the breakaway region of South Ossetia, in an attempt to regain control over it. The previous months had seen a series of clashes.
Russian forces quickly repelled the assault, and pushed further into Georgia.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8281990.stm
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