U.S. Rules Out Support For Military Action By Georgia

U.S. Asssistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried (file photo) (InterPressNews)

October 20, 2006 - The United States says it would not support military action by Georgia to regain control of two breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried said there is "no military solution to any of these conflicts."

The ongoing struggle for secession by the two provinces has served as a backdrop to a crisis in relations between Georgia and Russia triggered by Georgia's expulsion of four alleged Russian spies. That prompted Russia to deport a large number of Georgian citizens and to take several other punitive measures against Georgia.

(AP)