Israel Says Stopped Arms Supplies to Georgia Prior to Conflict

South Ossetia was attacked by Georgian forces on August 8. The majority
of residents of South Ossetia hold Russian citizenship, and Moscow
launched a massive operation to expel Georgian troops from the region
and to reinforce its peacekeepers. MOSCOW, September 4 (RIA Novosti) – Israel imposed an embargo on
arms supplies to Tbilisi a week before Georgia attacked its breakaway
region of South Ossetia, the Israeli ambassador to Russia said on
Thursday. <a target=”_blank” href=”http://en.rian.ru/photolents/20080821/116184643.html”>(Abandoned Georgian armor and artillery – Image gallery) </a>

Russia’s Defense Ministry earlier said Israel had sold unmanned
reconnaissance aircraft, and electronic artillery systems to Georgia
and planned to supply armored vehicles and small arms. Some reports
claimed that Israeli military experts had been training Georgian
reconnaissance units since the fall of 2007. 

"A week before the conflict we decided to halt all arms supplies to Georgia," Anna Azari said.


She also stressed that Israel previously supplied Georgia only with
non-offensive weaponry and refused to sell heavy armor to Tbilisi
despite Georgia’s request. 

"As an example, I can tell you that several months before the start of
the conflict [in South Ossetia the Georgian leadership insisted that
we sell 300 Merkava tanks to Tbilisi, but we refused to do so," the
Israeli diplomat said. 

South Ossetia was attacked by Georgian forces on August 8. The majority
of residents of South Ossetia hold Russian citizenship, and Moscow
launched a massive operation to expel Georgian troops from the region
and to reinforce its peacekeepers. 

According to information provided last month by the Russian General
Staff, since 2005, prior to August 8 Georgian tank numbers increased
from 98 to 183, armored vehicles from 83 to 134, artillery weapons from
96 to 238, combat helicopters from three to nine, and warplanes from
seven to nine. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow would
like to see an embargo on arms supplies to Georgia introduced until a
change of leadership takes place in the Caucasus state. <a href=”http://en.rian.ru/world/20080904/116547799.html”>Source</a>

2008-09-04