Russia: US has shipped arms to Georgia

Russia: US has shipped arms to Georgia
Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:41:52 GMT
A cache of Georgia's D-30 howitzers and 2,000 shells were found in South Ossetia.
Russia says there are 'suppositions' that US ships which delivered humanitarian aid to Georgia have also brought weapons to the country.

In a Monday press conference, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko suggested that the US military ships delivered more than just humanitarian aid to Georgia, adding that their cargo included 'military components'.

Nesterenko said such suspicions have prompted a decision by Russia to call for an arms embargo against Georgia. He also urged further presence of an international police and more Western military observers in South Ossetia.

Earlier on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for an arms embargo on Georgia until a change of leadership takes place in the Caucasus state.

A US military ship, carrying humanitarian aid docked in Georgia.
Georgia's military offensive into South Ossetia in August 7 to reclaim the de-facto region, prompted Russia to send its troops into the area. Each side has announced contradictory figures on how many people died in the conflict.

Diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington, already tense over US plans for a missile shield in Europe, strained further over the Georgia crisis.

Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin blamed the United States for provoking the Georgia conflict in order to give an advantage to 'one of' the US presidential candidates. Washington, however, has denied the allegation.

The United States is Georgia's principal military supporter, and has provided the country with significant quantities of military aid in recent years.

According to The Associated Press, Human Rights Watch has announced that it had received an official letter from Georgia's Defense Ministry that admitted the use of M85 cluster munitions in its military offensive in South Ossetia.