Rebels tried to shoot down president, minister, US senators

[Judi Lynn]

Rebels tried to shoot down president, minister, US senators
Posted: 05 September 2006 0050 hrs

TBILISI : Georgia has accused rebels of forcing down a helicopter carrying the defence minister and firing on another helicopter transporting President Mikheil Saakashvili and a delegation of US senators.

Tensions rose Monday in the rebel province of South Ossetia, on the border of ex-Soviet Georgia and Russia, with both separatist forces and a Russian peacekeeping contingent announcing they were on heightened alert, Russian news agencies reported.

Georgia and Russia accused each other of fueling the conflict.

Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili said that his Mi-8 helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing Sunday after taking fire over the breakaway province of South Ossetia.
(snip)

Separately, the Georgian interior ministry revealed Monday that an attempt had been made on August 28 to down the helicopter carrying US ally Saakashvili and a team of US senators led by influential Republican lawmaker John McCain.
(snip/...)

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/228568/1/.html

[Endangered Specie]

1. US Senators? they musta been thinking about the other Georgia.

[0007]

6. Zell Miller perhaps!

[jaysunb]

2. Off topic, but,

that picture will be the definition of McCains failed bid for the Presidency. It'll be a " no brainer " in 08......
Bush will be reviled more than Nixon by that time, and this will be toxic.

[notadmblnd]

3. let me guess... hastert? oh no, he's Turky's Turd isn't he?

nt

[theanarch]

4. can't be...the story mentions senators...

...i was about to mention a few possible fellow travelors, a brand-new Stinger missile and a second shot...but Miss Coulter says such things so much better...

[CHIMO]

5. Georgia and Ossetia on Heightened Alert

TBILISI, Georgia -- The defense chief of separatist South Ossetia said Monday that his forces had been placed on heightened alert one day after South Ossetian forces fired at a military helicopter carrying Georgia's defense minister.

Anatoly Barankevich, the defense minister of South Ossetia's unrecognized government, said the alert was called after a Georgian military column was observed moving toward the region.

Georgian Defense Minister Irakly Okruashvili said he was aboard the helicopter that came under fire Sunday afternoon as it flew over South Ossetia. The aircraft was damaged but landed safely in Georgian-controlled territory and no one was hurt, Okruashvili said.

South Ossetian officials initially said the helicopter was shot at with heavy-caliber machine guns after it was repeatedly warned that it had violated South Ossetian airspace. RIA-Novosti, however, quoted Barankevich as saying the helicopter fired on South Ossetian forces first.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2006/09/05/011.html

One is from AP and the other from AFP.

[Bucky]

7. How easy would it be for Georgia security to stage such a thing?

I mean, no one wants to see American elected officials of any party gunned down. But my first thought--me, who loves to taunt the conspiracy hawkers--was that a failed "attempt" on the lives of bigwig Americans would earn them instant gratis points and probably boodles of foreign military aid. I know they have a little insurgency problem over there, but this kind of thing raises all sorts of yellow flags with me.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Also, it will give the senators a certain polish in advance of their

next elections, as well!

Funny, I was thinking along the lines of "a bogus drama," myself.