In These New Times

Oct. 29, 2008 Kommersant

BBC Has Proof of Georgian War Crimes
The British Broadcasting System has obtained evidence that Georgia used military force against civilians. BBC employees say witnesses saw Georgian forces firing on a residential building and on civilians fleeing to save themselves. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili denies those accusations. “War crime s were committed, but not by us,” he replied. He also noted Tbilisi is open to “comments of any kind and any investigations.”
Two days ago, the Russian delegation at the consultative session of the UN Security Council expressed concern over the growing Georgian police presence near the South Ossetian and Abkhazian borders, the establishment of field camps there, the presence of Georgian Interior Ministry special forces and heavy weaponry and a quantity of monitor posts that exceed the agreed upon number.

Moscow has called on the European Union not to close its eyes to what is happening and to fulfill its obligations according to its mandate to guarantee the nonuse of force by Georgia against Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It was noted that Georgia is continuing its provocations in the zones bordering on Abkhazia and South Ossetia, contrary to the agreements between the presidents of Russia and France, and is causing tensions in the region.

The Russian evaluation of the situation was shared as a whole by member of the UN Secretariat, which noted that conditions in the Gali and Zugdidi sectors were a cause of concern for the provocations that had occurred there recently, including explosions on two bridges over the Inguri River. Most of the acts occurred in direct proximity to the ceasefire line.