Paul: US in Georgia for pipeline

US Congressman Ron Paul says the United States is in Georgia not for democracy but to protect an oil pipeline bypassing Russia.

“We are not for democracy there – we are there to protect a pipeline. And that is tragic for me,” he said.

The remarks came as the US Senate Committee on Armed Services held a hearing to cast Moscow as an aggressor in the 5-day conflict in the Caucasus region but a rift among the members hampered decision making.

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Another US congressman has accused Georgia of triggering the conflict despite the Bush administration’s taking side with Tbilisi.

“The recent fighting in Georgia and its breakaway region was started by Georgia. The Georgians broke the truce, not the Russians! And no talk of provocation can change that fact,” said Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.

Senator Hillary Clinton who attended the session said: “Rather than seeking to isolate them – which I think is not a smart proposal – we should be more strategic. We have to answer for ourselves: Did we embolden the Georgians in any way? Did we send mixed signals to the Russians?”

“For many months my colleagues and Secretary Rice had been telling the Georgians clearly and unequivocally that any military action initiated by them would be a mistake and would lead to a disaster,” Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman said during the hearing.

The US is backing the operation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline which pumps crude oil from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean via Georgia and without reliance on Russia.