From Reuters: The head of Russia’s powerful military intelligence agency said on Thursday that Georgia might again attack South Ossetia, the pro-Moscow region over which the two countries fought a war last year. Alexander Shlyakhturov, who in April took over command of the GRU — the Russian acronym for Russia’s Chief Intelligence Agency — said the situation was strained and accused NATO of continuing to supply arms to Georgia.

“The situation with Georgia remains tense because the current Georgian authorities do not just refuse to recognize the sovereignty of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but are trying in every way to return these countries…to their jurisdiction,” he said in a rare interview with state news agency ITAR-TASS.

“You have to add to this the unpredictability of attempts by the Georgian leadership, headed by (President Mikheil) Saakashvili, which may give in to temptation to use force to tame these obstinate republics as they did last year,” he said.

“We do not rule out such a development.” (photo: RIA Novosti)