Officials say U.S. surprised by Georgia

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Mixed messages to Georgia may have led to the United States' being caught by surprise at the war between Georgia and Russia, U.S. officials said.

Since the conflict between Russia and Georgia erupted into war last week, officials within U.S. President George Bush's administration insist they warned Georgian leaders about a military engagement with Russia -- even up until Georgia attacked South Ossetia's capital -- and expressed surprise their advice was disregarded, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

However, observers said the United States may have taken steps that allowed Georgia to think its actions would be backed by U.S. troops, the Times said. However, interviews with officials at the State Department, Pentagon and the White House indicate Washington wasn't going to back Georgia militarily in a fight with Russia.

U.S. government officials told the Times that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili never officially told the Bush administration about the offensive nor did he ask for support. Military officials said they should have realized something was amiss when members of the Georgia army unit assigned to a U.S. training program failed to show.

"This caught us totally by surprise," one military officer who monitors the region told the Times. "It really knocked us off our chairs."

"The Georgians figured it was better to ask forgiveness later, but not ask for permission first," another administration official said to the newspaper. "It was a decision on their part. They knew we would say, 'No.'"