[DEBATE] : Georgia a base for Iran attack: Russia

[Riaz K Tayob]

  Date:19/09/2008 URL: 
http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/19/stories/2008091956781700.htm Back

Georgia a base for Iran attack: Russia

Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW: Russia’s envoy to NATO has said the U.S. plans to use airfields 
in Georgia for a war on Iran.

Ambassador Dmitry Rogozin said Russian intelligence had obtained 
information indicating that Washington had launched “active military 
preparations on Georgia’s territory” for an air strike on Iran.

Mr. Rogozin said Georgia would be an ideal bridgehead for such an 
invasion. “The reason why Washington values [Georgian President Mikheil] 
Saakashvili’s regime so highly” is that he has given permission to the 
Pentagon to use its airfields, he said.

“Georgia’s President is ready to make his nation a virtual hostage of a 
risky military gamble,” he said.

The U.S. had provided massive military aid to Georgia in the run-up to 
its foray into South Ossetia. The Russian military voiced suspicions 
that U.S. warships sent to the Black Sea to deliver humanitarian aid to 
Georgia had brought military supplies to replenish Georgian losses in 
the war with Russia.
Derailed plans

A Moscow-based daily reported earlier that the Russian military response 
derailed U.S. plans to attack Iran using Georgian airfields.

Other reports suggested that the Georgian airfields could also be used 
by Israel for an attack on Iran.

Israel had supplied Georgia with sophisticated Hermes 450 UAV spy 
drones, multiple rocket launchers and other military equipment that 
Georgia, as well as modernised Georgia’s Soviet-made tanks that were 
used in the attack against South Ossetia.

Israeli instructors had also helped train Georgia troops.

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