Fright over US plans to train Georgia army

MOSCOW, Sunday

Jeff Morrell, an official with the United States Department of Defence, has said that training would be resumed to prepare the Georgian army to meet Nato standards in order to be sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The first American instructors arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia, early this month.

Pentagon officials say that they had notified Russia of the intentions.

Mr Morrell tried to make Russia understand that the training was not a measure to have the Georgian army prepared for another large-scale military operation as it happened in August, 2008.

Mr Morrell added that the USA was prepared for the extremely negative reaction of Russia regarding the plans to train the Georgian army.

It goes without saying that the reaction from the Russian Federation cannot be different.

The first training

The world remembers the first training of the Georgian army which began in 2001. Three years later this army tried to occupy South Ossetia for the first time, though there were no large-scale military operations like the one in 2008. August 12 was the anniversary of the end of the war in South Ossetia.

But, a year after the war, the present condition of the Georgian army slightly differs from that before the war.

As estimated by independent experts, Georgia has a 28,500-strong army. The National Gendarmerie has 6,500 people, and the Border Surveillance Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - 5,500 and 100,000 reservists.

It seems obvious at first sight, that the US helps Georgia, for its helicopters are US made. In addition, the Pentagon has declared an intention to provide military assistance to Georgia to the tune of $16 million.

However, one may not say that it is the USA that ships military hardware to Georgia directly. There are other states - Ukraine and several countries of Eastern Europe - which coordinate their military activities with Washington.

The Georgian army visibly changed from September 11, 2001 to August 8, 2008. American military men undertook the training of the Georgian contingent and reconstructed the infrastructure in compliance with Nato standards.

By 2008 the military budget of Georgia accounted for one billion dollars, and the numerical force of its army reached 33,000 people.

Ms Elizabeth Hitner, a Pentagon spokeswoman, claimed after the end of the war in South Ossetia that the USA was not supplying weapons to Georgia.

The USA has decided to resume the training of the Georgian army suspended last year due to the war in the Caucasus.

According to The New York Times, the campaign will begin in September. (Agencies)