Putin: We did not Aim at Capturing Tbilisi

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told western journalists and experts in Sochi on September 11 that Moscow had to intention of toppling President Saakashvili, although Russian troops could have easily capture Tbilisi, the Guardian reported.

Guardian columnist Jonathan Steele, who attended the meeting, quoted Putin as saying:  “Our forces were 15 kilometers from Tbilisi. It would have taken four hours to capture Tbilisi. We didn’t have that goal.”

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