EU asked to pinpoint aggressor in Russia-Georgia war

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/18/russia-georgia-war

Georgia today called for an independent investigation into who started the war between Russia and Georgia in August, amid claims by the Kremlin that the western media now accepts Georgia was the aggressor.

Georgia's ambassador to the UN, Irakli Alasania, has asked the EU to carry out a "very thorough" international investigation into the five-day conflict. Georgia was willing to provide "all" information including classified material to show it was not to blame, he said.

The move comes after the New York Times and BBC's Newsnight programme raised serious doubts about Georgia's claim that its attack on the breakaway Georgian enclave of South Ossetia on August 7/8 was in response to Russian aggression.

The New York Times quoted military observers in South Ossetia, who said they were unable to verify claims that Georgian villages had come under heavy attack before August 7.

It reported that monitors from the Organisation for the Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said Georgian troops had bombarded the city of Tskhinvali using indiscriminate rocket and artillery fire.

Today, however, Russia's oldest human rights organisation, Memorial, said there was overwhelming evidence that shelling had taken place in the days leading up to August 7 and that both sides were involved.