**General Faces Questions on 2008 War**
A parliamentary commission investigating the August War in Georgia questioned General Mamuka Kurashvili yesterday. The main topic was the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones.
Commission chair Tea Tsulukiani asked if earlier evacuations would have saved lives. General Kurashvili said that would have been true, but didn’t comment further.
**General’s Testimony**
Kurashvili testified about his role as a peacekeeper during the war. He said he informed the Chief of Staff, General Zaza Gogava, about the escalating situation on August 1. However, he couldn’t recall Gogava’s response.
When asked if he briefed Mikheil Saakashvili, the Commander-in-Chief, Kurashvili replied that he met him briefly but didn’t get a chance to speak with him. He said Saakashvili was pacing around and didn’t take the initiative to talk.
**Disagreements on Timeline**
Commission members pointed out discrepancies in Kurashvili’s testimony regarding the start of military operations. Sozar Subari noted that General Gogava had previously stated they had no idea about a war threat until August 7, not August 1 as Kurashvili claimed.
Kurashvili maintained that he was reporting on the other side’s actions and couldn’t discuss further details.
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