• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Damage in Georgia Not As Severe As Stated

Posted on: Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 09:00 CDT

The extent of damage Georgia received during the recent Russian military incursion isn't as widespread as first indicated, a tour of western Georgia showed.

In western Georgia, military bases of the Georgian army have been damaged, as have about a dozen boats at the naval base in Poti on the Black Sea. But instead of massive damage at the hands of the Russians, a tour by international journalists of the country's western area found a few signs of Russian destruction, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

"This conflict is very much about proving who is the bad guy," said a Western diplomat in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital.

Russia sent troops to Georgia after Georgian troops tried to rein in rebels in the pro-Russia breakaway province of South Ossetia nearly two weeks ago.

The naval base in Poti was looted and several military personnel were killed in an airstrike, an official said. The sunken ships clogged the berths, effectively closing the base, while leaking boat fuel polluted nearby waters.

In Zugdidi, near Abkhazia, another pro-Russian breakaway province, residents said their town sustained little damage. But they told the journalists they were nervous about the increased number of Russian troops.

"We're afraid because of the situation, because of the Russians," Irakli Gulava, a student, told the Times. "But the Russian soldiers were afraid also of meeting with the Georgians. Eventually, they were asking the people to give them food, drinks and water."

Source: United Press International

More News in this Category