Radar Reportedly Damaged, Preventing Escape Flights

Make a note for future reference... if you become party to a military dispute, even civilian airports may become military targets.

Several international media outlets are now reporting that as Russian aircraft bombed military airports in the former Soviet territory of Georgia Sunday, bombs also fell in two separate attacks near Tbilisi International, a major commercial airport. The two nations have been through four days of military confrontations over the province of South Ossetia, an autonomous territory within Georgia where many citizens are pursuing Russian citizenship.

Shota Utiashvili, a spokeman for the Georgian Interior Ministry, told Reuters it appears the single bomb which fell near the civilian airport's runway around 7am local time was intended for either a nearby military airport or an aircraft construction plant. A later attack was reported to have struck an uninhabited area near the airport.

The first bombing at Tbilisi International took place shortly before the scheduled arrival there of French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who's attempting to mediate an end to the conflict. After an expected Sunday meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Kouchner was scheduled to fly to Moscow on Monday.

The damage has reportedly prevented approximately 100 Israeli nationals from leaving the embattled region. According to the Ha'aretz news agency, Arkia Israel Airlines is unable to fly into the airport to retrieve the citizens due to the airport's radar system being damaged.

Georgia appears to be trying to move the dispute from military confrontation to a diplomatic venue. After fighting which has left much of Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, in ruins, Georgian officials claim to have withdrawn all forces from the province.

Officials in the region have called for a cease-fire... but Russia appears determined to quell dissention once and for all. Stay tuned.

FMI: www.government.gov.ge/eng/