The head of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly "urge[d] Russia to leave the occupied territories of Georgia [Abkhazia, South Ossetia]." [8]
Emboldened by this and NATO's uncritical and unconditional backing in general, Georgian Defence Minister David Sikharulidze said "The exercises contribute to the Euro-Atlantic integration of Georgia and enhance the compatibility of the Georgian armed forces with NATO standards" and Chairman of the Georgian Parliament David Bakradze asserted that "Despite all Russia's attempts NATO has not changed its decision [to conduct the exercises]. NATO has sent a clear signal to Russia that whatever the Russian position is NATO and Georgia will continue their cooperation." [9]
Earlier in the month the Georgian ambassador to the US, Batou Koutelia, said in reference to any future conflict with Russia on the order of that of last August: "If it happens, we are determined to make responses together with our partners and allies, NATO member countries, the United States. And we will have a joint response to this." [10]
Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze announced that on May 2 he had received a letter from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton which "highlights the US position of unconditional support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and Georgia's integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions." [11]
"US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has announced that the United States government would fulfill all promises given by the previous administration of the US. Clinton spoke before congressmen at...hearings.
"Arguably, the Secretary meant one billion dollar assistance, which the Bush administration allocated to Georgia before handing over power to Obama. In the budget 2010 of the US, $242 million will be earmarked for Georgia." [12]
What as much as anything else lends credence to the concerns of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Russia about the ongoing NATO exercises, especially the field component that will begin on May 17, is the parallel to developments that preceded and contributed to the five day war of last year.
Om May 15, 2008 a US warship arrived at Batumi on Georgia's northern Black Sea coast near Abkhazia where "Georgian and U.S forces conducted military exercises together on the frigate USS John L. Hall." [13]
From July 15-31 the US led a NATO Partnership for Peace exercise called Immediate Response 2008 in Georgia. The Pentagon deployed 1,000 troops from the Vicenza base in Italy, the largest amount ever deployed to Georgia.
"Called Immediate Response-2008, the manoeuvres are reportedly sponsored by the US Pentagon to the tune of USD 8 million." [14]
"About 2,000 troops, including some from Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Ukraine are conducting exercises at the Vaziani military base near Tbilisi." [15]
On the Georgian side "1,625 Georgian military servicemen are taking part in a large-scale international military training, alongside US forces, known as Immediate Response at the site of the fourth infantry brigade of Vaziani base. This training is the first of its kind to be held in Georgia and is part of the joint Georgian-American project.
"William Bigaret, head of the US south European forces, said that the main goal of the training program would be to provide compliance between Georgian and American soldiers and develop cooperation between Georgia-US armed forces." [16]
The exercises were timed to coincide with a major Russian one at the same time, Kavkaz [Caucasus] - 2008 which involved "some 8,000 military personnel, about 700 combat vehicles and more than 30 aircraft.
"The main goal of the exercise...is to work on...defense of Russia's state borders, and to practice support of Russian peacekeepers in Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia." [17]
Troops from the world's two major nuclear powers were within firing distance of each other. The Russian forces were in their own country; the American ones were several thousand miles away from theirs.
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