Putin blames U.S. for Georgia role

Russian PM Vladimir Putin has accused the U.S. of provoking the conflict in Georgia, possibly for domestic election purposes. Putin told CNN U.S. citizens were "in the area" during the conflict over South Ossetia and were "taking direct orders from their leaders". Putin blames U.S. for Georgia role He said his defense officials had told him the provocation was to benefit one of the US presidential candidates. Georgia tried to retake the Russian-backed separatist region of South Ossetia this month by force after a series of clashes. Russian forces subsequently launched a counter-attack and the conflict ended with the ejection of Georgian troops from both South Ossetia and another rebel region, Abkhazia, and an EU-brokered ceasefire. Putin said in the interview: "The fact is that U.S. citizens were indeed in the area in conflict during the hostilities. "It should be admitted that they would do so only following direct orders from their leaders." Putin added: "The American side in effect armed and trained the Georgian army." "Why... seek a difficult compromise solution in the peacekeeping process? It is easier to arm one of the sides and provoke it into killing another side. And the job is done." "The suspicion arises that someone in the United States especially created this conflict with the aim of making the situation more tense and creating a competitive advantage for one of the candidates fighting for the post of U.S. president." White House spokeswoman Dana Perino rejected the allegation. "To suggest that the United States orchestrated this on behalf of a political candidate - it sounds not rational," she said. "Those claims first and foremost are patently false, but it also sounds like his defense officials who said they believed this to be true are giving him really bad advice." Putin seen during the interview today (Beta)

Putin blames U.S. for Georgia role

He said his defense officials had told him the provocation was to benefit one of the US presidential candidates.

Georgia tried to retake the Russian-backed separatist region of South Ossetia this month by force after a series of clashes.

Russian forces subsequently launched a counter-attack and the conflict ended with the ejection of Georgian troops from both South Ossetia and another rebel region, Abkhazia, and an EU-brokered ceasefire.

Putin said in the interview: "The fact is that U.S. citizens were indeed in the area in conflict during the hostilities.

"It should be admitted that they would do so only following direct orders from their leaders."

Putin added: "The American side in effect armed and trained the Georgian army."

"Why... seek a difficult compromise solution in the peacekeeping process? It is easier to arm one of the sides and provoke it into killing another side. And the job is done."

"The suspicion arises that someone in the United States especially created this conflict with the aim of making the situation more tense and creating a competitive advantage for one of the candidates fighting for the post of U.S. president."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino rejected the allegation.

"To suggest that the United States orchestrated this on behalf of a political candidate - it sounds not rational," she said.

"Those claims first and foremost are patently false, but it also sounds like his defense officials who said they believed this to be true are giving him really bad advice."