Who are thou, Mr. White?

A Russian tabloid newspaper “Tvoi Den’” today claims Michael Lee White, whose passport the Russian military found near a Georgian town Zemo-Nikozi, is a US spy hiding in China.

They first reported a story several days ago, citing White’s US army experience as indesputable proof he is a spy and using this evidence to blame U.S. for meddling in the conflict. Russian military spokesman Anatoly Nogovitsyn, who’s been showing Georgian trophy maps for weeks, argued Georgia has started the war with the help of its Western allies. On August 28, Nogovitsyn said White’s presence among Georgia’s special forces was a “fact”.

Prime Minister Putin has also alluded to the fact that “citizens of foreign states” have fought on the ground alongside Georgian forces. Using toughest language to date, Putin lashed out and blamed the United States for using the Russian-Georgian standoff to bolster the popularity ratings of “one of the US presidential candidates”.

Earlier this week the WSJ interviewed Michael White in his dormitory in China where he is teaching English. White confirms he lost the passport in 2005, says he first heard about the conflict last weekend, and appears not to know what the Georgian flag looks like.