‘No Pure Military Solutions to Conflicts’ – Saakashvili Says

There can be “no pure military solution” to separatist conflicts in Georgia, President Saakashvili said in an interview with CNN.

“We have just sent our best brigade to Iraq. That is not done by countries that are looking forward to a military confrontation,” he said.

Georgia increased its military presence in Iraq from 850 to 2,000 troops in July.

He said the move demonstrated that Georgia was “part of wider security arrangements.”

“And we also want to solve our problems with the help of that wider international community,” Saakashvili added.

In the interview with CNN, Saakashvili also spoke about the August 6 missile incident and said Tbilisi wanted the world to respond, but not to overreact.

He also said that Russia’s assertive policy, demonstrated in the August 6 rocket attack, was part of “a pattern of behavior.”

“And if it is a pattern – which we think it is – we should be talking about it,” Saakashvili said.