Bringing The War Home - Afghanistan, Georgia, the US and Russia's Reaction

The Russia-Georgia rift shows no sign of healing.  This piece provides an interesting twist to the arms transfer debate.  How much is a state's overall capability enhanced by bringing back the TOE equipment from a 940 person contingent back to Georgia?  Will those M4s and armored HMMWV (HUMVEES) really change the balance of power in the region?  Russia is worried enough about this possibility that they have actually filed a note at the US embassy.

The study of arms transfers will never be boring.  States attach too much significance to weapons to ever make them a purely economic commodity.

“We view it as a very significant issue that weapons used by Georgian troops in Afghanistan should not be supplied to Georgia,” Lukashevich said, adding that Saakashvili’s regime could use them against Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Russian nationals residing there as well.

The spokesman also warned against any military cooperation with Tbilisi, citing “the grave consequences for global and Caucasus security” that can be caused by “Saakashvili’s unstable and irresponsible regime.”

Afghan Weapons Should be Kept Away from Georgia – Russian Foreign Ministry | World | RIA Novosti:

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