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EU presents findings into the South Ossetia War to US
Published: 05 May, 2010, 11:15
Edited: 13 September, 2010, 18:18
TAGS: EU, Russia, Ukraine, Ossetian War
Head of EU fact finding commission into the South Ossetia war in 2008, Heidi Tagliavini has presented last year’s report on the war to the US Helsinki Commission. Georgia started the war, the report states.
“As the commission sees it, Georgia started the military action in South Ossetia when it attacked Tskhinval with heavy artillery on the night of August 8, 2008,” Tagliavini said.
“None of the explanations, given by the Georgian authorities in order to provide some form of legal justification for the attack, gave a valid explanation. In particular, to the best of the mission’s knowledge, there was no massive Russian military invasion underway, which had to be stopped by Georgian military forces shelling Tskhinval”, the head of the EU commission added.
She also said that although blame for triggering the war lies on the Georgian side, Russia “too is to blame for a substantial number of violations of international law.”
However Tagliavini underlined, “Georgia’s attack on Tskhinval on the 7th to 8th August, 2008 was by no means an isolated event. It was the culminating point of months and years of mounting tension, of armed incidents, and a steadily deteriorating situation. All sides to the conflict bear responsibility for these evermore serious developments.”
Tagliavini also said that the international community also had its share of responsibility.
She underlined that her fact-finding mission – the first of this kind in the EU history – was not leading an investigation relevant to a judiciary proceeding of any sort.
“It was strictly a fact-finding mission,” Tagliavini said. “This report should not be seen as a tribunal and it was not preparing any legal action in favor or against any side or anyone.”
The statements from the report read to the Commission on Security and Co-operation in Europe, also known as the US Helsinki Commission, have undergone no changes and were originally presented in October last year.
The US Helsinki Commission was created almost four decades ago to monitor compliance with OSCE commitments. It contributes to the formulation of US policy on the OSCE. The agency consists of members of Congress and Departments of State, Defense and Commerce.
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1 comment
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Report is a honest one....What is here real issue is: What will(if any) international comunity do(report said it all) about those innorcent kill by Shakashvili ? Report said he started so in conection to that he is guilty of War crimes! People-womans and kids are massacred in nazi stile at 3 am before worlds eyes ...I wonder will he be brought to face court for that or duble standards will work again....Why Hague is silence on this? Russia shall put presure to see justice done in this case -if not Russia shall find the way to bring this man to court-rightfuly! In my opinion real issue(after all) is just that! Thanke you!
I think you are talking about the UN Helsinki Commission and not the US Helsinki Commission. The findings have been established when many leaders of the EU, especially from France and Germany had doubts about developments of Georgia, pushed by certain circles in the US (not UN) for action. Looks like oil - pipeline geopolitics ... as well as proposed NATO-membership. That would be totally isolated and indefensible, but might trigger more adventurous actions from Tiblissi.