The United States has rebuked Russia for indiscriminately bombing villages in northern Georgia, saying the attacks violated Georgian sovereignty and could escalate tensions in the Caucasus.
"The United States regrets this loss of life and deplores the violation of Georgia's sovereignty," White House spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer said. But he said Washington's rebuke did not signal any deterioration in US-Russian relations.
"The president, going back to 2000, has been consistently warning about the need to protect the human rights and sovereignty as Russia fights terrorism in Chechnya. The statement is a reflection of the president's long-standing concern," Mr Fleischer said.
He said Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell has relayed US concerns directly to the Russian foreign minister, and that a political settlement to the conflict with Chechnya was needed "urgently."
Relations between Russia and Georgia have hit new lows in the past week as Moscow accused Georgia of turning a blind eye to Chechen rebels in Pankisi Gorge and refusing to hand over rebels arrested by Georgian forces. The bombing was close to the Pankisi Gorge, an area of great interest to the United States because of suspicions that it is a refuge for militant Islamists.
US-trained Georgian troops are due to launch large-scale war games close to the gorge today in parallel with operations by police and special forces in the gorge itself. Georgia said one man was killed and seven people wounded in the Russian aerial attack, which was carried out on Friday.
The Russian military denied any such raid had taken place. But Mr Fleischer said border monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe verified that these aerial bombardments took place.
REUTERS