Former UNM Gov't official tells parliamentary inquiry troop deployment worsened situation in Tskhinvali region in 2008

Georgian Parliament's Temporary Investigative Commission examining alleged crimes committed by the former United National Movement Government between 2003 and 2012 on Wednesday reviewed the situation in Georgia's Russian occupied territories between 2004 and 2008 and the 2008 August War with Russia.

During the session, Mikheil Kareli, who served as the State Representative in the Shida Kartli region between 2004 and 2007 under the former UNM Government, spoke about the deployment of the armed forces in the Tskhinvali region in 2008, stressing that that the development had exacerbated the situation and led to an escalation of the conflict.

The former official recalled the events in the Adjara region, where Aslan Abashidze, the former leader of the region, relinquished control, bringing the entire region under the jurisdiction of the central Government. Kareli noted that the imprisoned former President Saakashvili frequently mentioned Tskhinvali as the next step.

He further elaborated on discussions regarding problematic issues in the conflict zone, stating that the President Saakashvili would often say, “We will enter Tskhinvali very soon”, without specifying the manner in which this would occur.

“Later, as it turned out, he and a small political elite made the decision to deploy defence armed forces in the region, given the provocations from the Ossetian side. These provocations always existed and were not something unusual”, he said.

“Of course, this was not desirable, and I don't want it to sound like it was a positive process; on the contrary, it was a very negative one. However, the deployment of armed forces based on these provocations actually worsened the situation in the region”, the former official continued.

He likened the situation to a “zugzwang” in chess, where any move only worsens one's position.

“Such a situation was created, and in fact, the deployment of these troops led to an escalation of the conflict”, Kareli concluded.