Did All Of The Georgian Forces From Iraq Return Via Tbilisi Airport? Or Were Some Redirected While In The Air?

Here's an interesting read from a Turkish columnist:

Four aircraft took off from Iraq on Sunday.

They were all "C-17" transport aircraft.

These four aircraft, belonged to the United States Air Forces’, were en route to Tbilisi Airport.

They were carrying 2,000 Georgian soldiers.

These soldiers were trained by the U.S army.

The uniforms they wore were quite different from those worn by Georgian soldiers at the Ossetia front.

They had the appearance and the equipment of a modern army.

Three of the aircraft were able to land without problem at Tbilisi Airport.

But things were different for the fourth plane.

An unexpected thing happened when this aircraft, which took off from Iraq a little late, entered Georgian airspace.

The Tbilisi Airport radar system was shot out by Russian aircrafts and was the reason why I could not learn what happened to the fourth aircraft.

I don’t know whether it landed at Tblisi Airport or returned to Iraq.

Or perhaps it landed at an airport in Turkey; I don’t know.

For some reason, Georgian officials were insisting that the airport in Tbilisi was "functioning as normal." Sure doesn't seem like it.

Head of the Georgian Interior Ministry department of analysis and information, Shota Utiashvilli issued a statement saying that a Russian plane had attacked the radar system at the international airport and that "some damage had been inflicted to the system; however the airport is functioning as normal."

All major European airlines have, however, halted their flights to the state, including Arkia Israel Airlines who have said that they are unable to fly out more than 100 Israeli nationals because of concerns over the radar systems not functioning.

Military Times reports that all 2,000 Georgian troops made it home, although the Pentagon was mum about where the troops were dropped off. Did all of them come in through Tbilisi?

The U.S. Air Force brought all 2,000 Georgian troops home from Iraq aboard C-17 Globemasters Sunday and Monday after the Georgian government recalled the troops to combat the advance of Russian troops into the country, said Lt. Gen. Gary North, commander of U.S. Air Forces Central.

Sixteen C-17 flights had shuttled Georgian troops and supplies from Iraq back to Georgia as of 9 a.m. EST on Monday, North said. The Georgian government on Friday requested the U.S. Air Force’s aid in bringing its troops home, he said.

The Turkish columnist obviously made a mistake when he alluded to four aircraft carrying 2,000 Georgian soldiers. C-17 Globemasters do not carry 500 troops each -- not according to my reading. I've read that it's anywhere from 102 to 134 troops (and their equipment). 2,000 soldiers via 16 C-17s makes more sense -- that's 125 troops per C-17.

Just a minor nitpick ... you have to read carefully in order for any of this stuff to make sense. The fog of war indeed extends to the people reporting on it.