Georgia Def Min: US training could target Russia
TBILISI, Georgia — Georgia’s defense minister said Friday that training his troops will receive from the U.S. military before heading to Afghanistan could also be used in Georgia’s “very difficult security environment.”
Asked if he was referring to the possibility of another war with Russia, Georgian Defense Minister Vasil Sikharulidze answered: “In general, yes.”
“This experience will be important for the Georgian armed forces itself — for the level of training,” Sikharulidze said during an interview with The Associated Press in his Tbilisi office.
Later, Sikharulidze cited what he called several Russian violations contributing to the simmering feud between Tbilisi and Moscow, including Russian troops stationed on Georgia soil, after last year’s five-day war.
“So that makes our security environment really very serious and difficult and it’s quite alarming, really,” Sikharulidze said.
His comments immediately alarmed U.S. military officials who said they were not giving Georgian troops any training aimed at fighting Russia.
On Sept. 1, approximately 65 Marines will begin training a Georgian army battalion in counterinsurgency tactics before the troops head to Helmand province, the Taliban-infested region in southern Afghanistan.
Sikharulidze met Friday with Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway to discuss the training program. Earlier this week, Conway told The AP that the U.S. training program didn’t include skills that could be used against Russia.
Counterinsurgency skills “aren’t very helpful when it comes to main force-type units if there were to be engagement of nations,” Conway said. “I am very comfortable that what we’re doing is very much aboveboard and is commensurate with what the country has said they need to put troops in Afghanistan.”
Sikharulidze also said that while Georgia has committed to fighting in Afghanistan for two years, officials would pull back its troops if war broke out again with Russia.
Georgia says last year’s war started with a Russian invasion of the South Ossetia separatist region and that Russia aimed to regain control of Georgia. Russia says the fighting started with a Georgian assault.
Russia recognizes South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent.
Several Georgian government officials echoed Conway’s comments that the Marine training is not intended for use in any future face-offs with Russia.
Sikharulidze’s spokesman, David Nardaia, said the defense minister would clarify his comments later Friday but did not say how.
The U.S. training mission gives new life to a program that stalled when Marines left Georgia last year, shortly after the war broke out. Then, American troops were helping Georgians prepare to deploy to Iraq. Similarly, the United States gave Georgia military aid in 2002 and 2003 to help improve counterterror capabilities. Russia objected to the U.S. aid and claimed that Georgian forces were refusing to root out Chechen rebels who were taking shelter in Georgia.
The training program also comes at a time when U.S. and NATO commanders are looking at increasing the number of troops in Afghanistan — or at least replacing those from nations such as Canada that are planning to leave.
Marine Col. Scott Cottrell, who is leading the training, said the Georgians have been eager to learn to work alongside NATO forces.
“I told them, ‘Right now, you can do gate guard duty.’ They didn’t want that,” Cottrell said during an overview of the program on Friday. “Are they capable? Yes. They just need to be educated a little bit.”
Related News
Georgia boosting military strength: MoscowOctober 1st, 2009 MOSCOW - Russia's military Thursday warned of an increasing militarisation of its southern neighbour Georgia, in a warning coming a day after a European Union report blamed both countries for the brief but bitter war in the summer of 2008. Deputy chief of general staff Anatoly Nogovizin said that since the war, Georgia had boosted its military forces by 4,000 to a current level of 36,000.
EU steps up Georgia patrols before war report, but says region looks quietSeptember 30th, 2009 EU steps up Georgia patrols before war reportMOSCOW — On the eve of a European Union report on who started the Russia-Georgia war, EU monitors have stepped up their patrols in Georgia to try to keep tensions from boiling over into violence, an official said Tuesday. The August 2008 war ended with Russian soldiers driving Georgian forces out of the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
AP source: Georgia claims EU report blames Russia for ethnic cleansing during war last yearSeptember 30th, 2009 AP source: Georgia says Russia war crimes citedWASHINGTON — Georgia claims a report commissioned by the European Union concludes that Russian troops were responsible for ethnic cleansing during last year's war with Georgia. A Georgian official briefed by an EU investigator on the report's findings said Tuesday that the report also concludes that some Russian combat troops crossed into Georgian territory before the start of hostilities on Aug.
Russia warns of violence if Georgia stops Abkhazia-bound ships in Black SeaSeptember 3rd, 2009 Russia warns Georgia against Abkhaz 'sea blockade'MOSCOW — A Russian official has warned Georgia that attempts to block ships from reaching a Moscow-aligned separatist region of Georgia could end in military intervention. Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko did not make any specific threats in televised comments Thursday but said that "attempts to install a sea blockade" on Abkhazia "could lead to a serious armed incident."
Separatist authorities say Georgia has halted 23 ships in Black Sea waters near Abkhazia this year.
Afghan-bound Georgia troops could use US training against RussiaAugust 21st, 2009 US training could target RussiaTBILISI, Georgia — Georgia's defense minister said Friday that training the U.S. military is giving to the country's soldiers headed to Afghanistan involve skills that could be used in any new outbreak of fighting between Georgia and Russia.
Georgia Def Min reverses field, says US training aimed at Afghan security _ not RussiaAugust 21st, 2009 Georgian official backs off troop training commentTBILISI, Georgia — Georgia's defense minister asserted Friday that U.S. training for his Afghanistan-bound troops could also be put to use in any new flare-up with Russia, then retracted the statement amid American handwringing.
US Marines to arrive in Georgia to help train its troops for mission in AfghanistanAugust 14th, 2009 US Marines to help train Georgian troopsTBILISI, Georgia — A group of U.S. Marines will arrive in Georgia to help train its troops for a mission alongside coalition forces in Afghanistan, the U.S.
Russian president offers bill expanding reasons for sending troops abroad, cites Georgian warAugust 10th, 2009 Russian bill expands reasons for deploying troopsMOSCOW —President Dmitry Medvedev has submitted a bill expanding legal reasons to deploy Russian troops abroad, the Kremlin said Monday. The bill released by the Kremlin would allow the president to send troops outside Russia to fend off attacks on the Russian military, deter aggression against another state, protect Russian citizens or combat pirates.
Russian general says US Humvees seized a year ago in Georgian war will not be returnedAugust 5th, 2009 Russia keeping US Humvees as war trophiesMOSCOW — A top Russian general says Russia has no intention of returning U.S. Humvees that Russian soldiers seized during the brief war with Georgia a year ago.
Russia: Obama, Medvedev discuss Georgia days before anniversary of warAugust 4th, 2009 Obama, Medvedev discuss Georgia, arms controlMOSCOW — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday spoke with President Barack Obama about Georgia, just days before the anniversary of last year's Russia-Georgia war, a Kremlin statement said. The two leaders shared a telephone conversation at Moscow's initiative, the statement said, adding they also discussed arms control, the Middle East and Iran.
EU extends Georgia peacekeeping missionJuly 27th, 2009 BRUSSELS - Unarmed European Union (EU) ceasefire monitors will stay in Georgia until at least September 2010 in a bid to keep the peace between the country, its breakaway regions and Russia, EU foreign ministers agreed Monday. The 27-member bloc "has decided to extend the mandate of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) for another 12 months until Sep 14, 2010," read a joint statement approved at a meeting of EU foreign ministers here Monday.
Georgia crowds greet Biden with flags, pleas for continued US supportJuly 22nd, 2009 Biden gets flag-waving welcome in GeorgiaTBILISI, Georgia — Hundreds of flag-waving Georgians lined streets in the capital to welcome U.S. Vice President Joe Biden following his arrival in the former Soviet republic a year after its war with Russia.
Russia holds largest war games since war with Georgia _ in signal to Georgia, and to USJune 29th, 2009 Russia holds major war games in CaucasusMOSCOW — Thousands of troops, backed by hundreds of tanks, artillery and other heavy weaponry, began rumbling through the North Caucasus on Monday, as Russia began its largest military exercises since last year's war with Georgia. The Caucasus 2009 war games are being seen by many experts as a direct threat to nearby Georgia, where the government says it has rearmed armed forces and where NATO recently wrapped up its own exercises.
NATO, junior partners wrap up Georgia training exercises that angered Russia in wake of warMay 31st, 2009 NATO, partners wrap up Georgia military trainingVAZIANI, Georgia — Georgian and Ukrainian troops neutralized simulated suicide bombers and a mock mob on a wind-swept hilltop military base near the Georgian capital Sunday as part of monthlong military exercises that have angered Russia. NATO is training soldiers from the two Westward-leaning former Soviet states, along with two other aspiring NATO members, at the Vaziani military base not far from the separatist South Ossetia province, where war between Russia and Georgia erupted nine months ago.
Georgia, US to sign strategic pact on Jan 4December 24th, 2008 TBILISI - The US and Georgia would sign a strategic partnership agreement in Washington Jan 4, Georgia's foreign minister said Thursday. 'I am 99 percent sure we will sign the document on January 4,' Grigol Vashadze said at a briefing, adding that the text of the agreement was being finalized.
Loading ...