Georgia’s military lies in ruins, and a little over a week after Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili vowed to rebuild the military and reclaim control of the breakaway enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, NATO has announced that it is going ahead with long-standing plans that would enhance Georgia’s defensive capabilities.

Georgia is eager to rebuild its military as quickly as possible, making it bigger and stronger than ever. And while State Department officials stressed that the $1 billion aid package announced today was not military in nature, General John Craddock has said that the United States does expect to help Georgia rebuild its military in the future.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has accused the United States of using the Pentagon-run humanitarian aid operation as a front for smuggling weapons into Georgia. The accusation came when US warships altered a planned docking in the port city of Poti, around which Russia retains a military presence, and opted instead to land at the southern port of Batumi. With Vice President Dick Cheney scheduled to arrive in Georgia soon for talks, Russia has warned that attempts to rebuild Georgia’s military may harm the region’s stability.

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