Chief Of Russian's Spy Agency Warns of New Georgian War

In a very rare public interview commemorating the 91st anniversary of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), Aleksandr Shlyakhturov, the head of the GRU, said that Georgia will likely attempt another attack at the breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Although Russia recognized the independence of the two republics after Russia repelled Georgian forces last year, only two other countries have also done so; most of the world recognizes South Ossetia and Abkhazia as part of Georgia.

Mr. Shlyakhturov said that tensions are high because Georgia refuses to recognize the independence of the two republics, and also sighted unpredictable Georgian leadership and small arms shipments going into Georgia from "new NATO members" in Eastern Europe.

Read more at RFE/RL.

Two seperate wars, Russia and Georgia both violated laws of war

Why did the EU report on the war last August in Georgia fail to bring resolution to the conflict? Both Russia and Georgia used the same set of facts to point the finger at each other. Russia blames Georgia for starting the war, and Georgia blames Russia for setting the stage for unrest in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The Report found that Georgia escalated a low-level conflict between its army and militias in the two break-away republics into a civil war, and Georgia violated the laws of war in its attack against Tskhinvali.

When it entered the fight, the report says, Russia violated the laws of war by escalating the situation into an international armed conflict without a UN resolution and not in self defense.

Read more at Radio Free Europe.