UN probe of Georgia attack does not assign blame

A UN-led probe of an apparent ground and air attack on a disputed gorge controlled by the former Soviet republic of Georgia reached no conclusion on who was to blame, in a report published on Friday.

But some diplomats said the findings could support Georgian charges Russian helicopters were involved in the March 11 attack in the Kodori gorge in the breakaway republic of Abkhazia. Russia has denied the allegation.

The area has been a long-standing flashpoint between Tbilisi and Moscow, which lends moral support to Abkhazia. A spying controversy and trade disputes have been other symptoms of tensions over Georgia's pro-Western leanings. [More]

Image courtesy of The Economist, "Georgia Gets a Rocket"