Please think about this. The Russians moved in with overwhelming force and OCCUPIED the area. THERE WAS NO Georgian attack on S. Ossetia AFTER THE RUSSIAN occupation.
The houses were there when Russia occupied- note the 100 that WERE damaged BY THE GEORGIAN SHELLING ( blame assigned to Georgia). They WERE damaged or destroyed n the Aug 19 pictures- so the conclusion reached by Amnesty that "the bulk of the looting and burning of property and attacks on civilians was conducted by South Ossetian militias and ordinary criminals WHO WERE ALLOWED TO OPERATE in the areas controlled by Russian forces." is a reasonable one.