Georgian Government is preparing another concept for the deployment of reserve armed forces. We use the word “another” because after the Rose Revolution this is the fourth try to create the effective reserve system.

Sergeant Valerian Khujadze from the 31st infantry battalion died following an improvised explosive device attack in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand, the Georgian Ministry of Defense said on April 25. The recent incident puts total death toll of Georgian soldiers in Afghanistan to sixteen – all of them were serving in the Helmand province; this is the fifth fatality among the Georgian soldiers in Afghanistan this year.

M4 automatic shotguns are not something new for the Georgian army. They first appeared in Georgia at the end of 2007. Even so, these shotguns were not used in the 2008 August war on a massive scale. Still, Russian invading forces seized no less than a few thousand M4 shotguns in Gori and Senaki military bases of Georgia. Later they burnt a portion of the booty.

Georgian Authorities fear that Russian military drills Kavkaz-2012 may grow into another aggression because they coincide with the period of Parliamentary elections. Part of the public believes that the Authorities are trying to divert attention of the population to the alleged Russian threat and collect political dividends. In any case, dangers coming from Kavkaz-2012, cannot be disregarded.

The United States and a number of European Countries realize threats stemming from nuclear arms ambition of Iran but go to all lengths to avoid the option of using force to solve the problem. The West knows that it would not be able to stay aside if Israel launches a war against Iran. This is especially true with the United States which has recently ended the eight year war in Iraq but continues eleven- year battle with insurgency in Afghanistan.

Molly  Corso

He was not the first person you might expect to see as an official guest at a US military exercise. But, nonetheless, there he was. Tucked among the ambassadors, diplomats and North American Treaty Organization (NATO) liaison officers watching US Marines and Georgian troops prepare for Afghanistan on March 20, was one of Iran's Tbilisi defense attaches. 

President Saakashvili was at the Vaziani military base outside Tbilisi on Sunday where Georgian servicemen are undergoing joint military exercises with the U.S. Marines.

Dubious handling of the facts of Georgian soldier deaths by the State

Ruslan Meladze, Paata Kacharava and Valiko Beraia – What do these names mean to you? They died for Georgia in Afghanistan few days ago. The boys fulfilled their duties to the homeland sacrificing their lives. The Authorities though muffled these tragic facts and buried bodies of the killed heroes furtively, just like the other 12 soldiers who died before. 

Georgian-manufactured multiple rocket launcher, presented at the Vaziani military base outside Tbilisi on March 3. An official photo from President’s Facebook page.