“Our commission is not investigating the actions of the military; our commission is investigating various aspects and issues related to the activities of political officials during the United National Movement regime,” stated Tea Tsulukiani, head of the “Commission of Inquiry into the Activities of the 2003-2012 Regime and its Political Officials,” during today’s commission meeting.
According to Tsulukiani, those politicians who were in power then are now worried and trying to cloud as many people’s minds as possible and make them think that this commission supposedly exists to evaluate the army’s actions.
“I want to address the uproar that our activities last week caused among certain saboteurs and people who have fallen victim to their propaganda. Our commission does not investigate the actions of the military, it scrutinises various aspects and issues related to the activities of political officials during the United Nations Movement regime.
First and foremost, we are investigating the decisions and activities of the then Commander-in-Chief, the highest political official, President Mikheil Saakashvili. Based on previous sessions, it can be confirmed that Mikheil Saakashvili and his associates – Davit Kezerashvili, Vano Merabishvili, and other political officials – conducted military operations in August 2008 without having a military plan. The plan that was prepared by our honourable, knowledgeable military professionals was rejected and set aside.
Consequently, during the August war, they acted not based on the military’s advice but managed military operations according to political expediency and political considerations. They abandoned and sacrificed civilians.
Moreover, General Kurashvili, in response to my question, said there is a basis for your opinion. Specifically, the opinion that General Kurashvili, as a representative of peacekeeping operations, along with Vano Merabishvili’s deputy who was responsible for military operations, was brought into the area because the presence of General Kurashvili would keep the population calm. We need to thoroughly investigate this. They abandoned and either failed to warn the population in time, or Mikheil Saakashvili deliberately left peaceful citizens in the area of military operations.
We are asking them why they turned reservists into cannon fodder, why there was no plan whatsoever, and why they turned the army, soldiers, and officers into cannon fodder – these are the questions we’re asking the politicians of that time. We are also asking why Giorgi Antsukhelidze did not return to his children and family. Why was he captured? Was it inevitable, or could it have been avoided? Once the hero was captured and found himself face-to-face with separatists and Russians, he showed heroism. Not only did he show heroism, but why don’t those who got nervous yesterday and the day before because of our sessions mention Ushangi Sopromadze? Giorgi Antsukhelidze wasn’t alone there; Ushangi Sopromadze was there too, as was Kakhaber Khubuluri. Why didn’t Ushangi Sopromadze return to his wife and children? These are the questions – could this have been prevented by politicians or not,” noted Tsulukiani.
Furthermore, according to her, Mikheil Saakashvili turned the army and the civilian population into his own playthings.
“Our goal is for everyone to understand, especially you, young people who might enter politics in the future, that the army is not a toy. Saakashvili turned both the army and the civilian population, and by the way, the two generals who came here, into his own playthings.
Therefore, we will continue our investigation in this direction. It’s natural that those politicians who were in power then – some of whom are now in prison, some on the streets, and some who have fled – are, of course, worried and trying to cloud as many people’s minds as possible and make them think that this commission supposedly exists to evaluate the army’s actions,” Tsulukiani stated.
As the commission head declared, the Georgian Dream government saved the dignity of the Georgian army both in Strasbourg and at the Hague Court.
“The Georgian Dream government was and is the government that created a special group – I led this group as Minister of Justice – and we saved the dignity of the Georgian army both in Strasbourg and at the Hague Court. Therefore, we will not accept any criticism on this subject, but you cannot stop us. We will reveal new facts about many more of Saakashvili’s crimes. We will expose numerous criminal facts about Kezerashvili, Merabishvili, and other political figures regarding wartime conditions, imprisonment, or property rights, no matter how much Elene Khoshtaria screams in the streets.
Moreover, in 2004, it turns out that it was precisely Elene Khoshtaria, fully dressed for the part, who led the beginning of the destruction of the Georgian army when thousands of professionals were dismissed from the Georgian military. That’s how they left citizens and soldiers, reservists face to face with Russia and separatists. We continue our work in this direction,” declared Tea Tsulukiani.
