Is Russia moving towards Tiblisi + US forces heading to Gergia

[General Duke]

Russian military advances into Georgia in defiance of EU peace deal

Russian military convoys have left Gori and are advancing towards a Georgian village, in defiance of the EU-brokered truce.

 

By Adrian Blomfield in Gori, Damien McElroy in Tbilisi, and Harry de Quetteville

Last Updated: 4:29PM BST 13 Aug 2008

 

A column of 70 Russian military vehicles, including military trucks with anti-aircraft guns and artillery, as well as armoured personnel carriers, pursued by a large contingent of the world's media, left Gori on the road to Tbilisi and turned left a few kilometres outside of the frontline Georgian town.

 

Russian troops claimed they were on a "humanitarian mission", however, the true purpose of the mission remained unclear as reports of burning and looting in villages near Gori by South Ossetian rebels and Russian army personnel emerged.

 

Earlier, as the EU announced plans to send peacekeeping troops to monitor the ceasefire, Russian troops patrolled Gori, destroying an empty Georgian military base in the frontline Georgian town and setting up a checkpoint on the road to Tbilisi.

 

Civilians in Gori claimed they had been shot at by Russian soldiers and South Ossetian snipers, who local residents said had been attacking the villages. Georgian troops pulled back from the town of Gori earlier this week.

 

Georgia has also lost its last stronghold in another separatist province, Abkhazia, overnight as its troops withdrew from the Kodori Gorge.

 

Russian-backed separatist forces took advantage of the Georgian military's collapse to attack Kodori. More than 100 Russian military vehicles entered the gorge on Tuesday, forcing the Georgian retreat.

 

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the six-day crisis remain mired in confusing claim and counter-claim.

 

Russia continued to press its advantage by demanding a review of the future status of separatist regions in Georgia, even though the issue was cut from a French plan for ending the Russian-Georgian conflict.

 

"It is not possible to resolve these issues outside the context of the status" of the Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, said earlier.

 

But today EU foreign ministers agreed to send monitors to supervise the ceasefire, but conceded that any wider European peacekeeping operation would require a resolution from the UN Security Council, on which Russia has veto power.

 

"We are determined to act on the ground," Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister said after chairing an emergency EU meeting to discuss the crisis. "The European Union cannot be indifferent to this war, these massacres on our doorstep."

 

Georgia's foreign minister today appealed for the EU to send a mission, claiming that Russia was violating the cease-fire agreement brokered last night by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country currently holds the EU presidency.

 

New EU members states from central and eastern Europe, which once felt Moscow's dominance behind the Iron Curtain, have been vocal in their support for Georgia in the face of Russia "aggression".

 

Viktor Yushchenko, the Ukrainian president, today signed a decree imposing new restrictions on Russia's Black Sea fleet, which is based in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol.

 

Yesterday, a delegation of leaders from Poland, Ukraine and three Baltic states arrived in Tbilisi as a gesture of solidarity.

 

In Brussels, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Petras Vaitiekunas said Russia's military response during fighting in the last week had been "unacceptable and unproportional".

 

"Of course there must be some consequences of aggression," he said.

 

Older EU nations, particularly Germany, are keen not to demonise Russia and risk vital ties, notably over energy supplies of oil and gas.

 

However, in her first statement since the casefire, Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, was firm with Moscow. She said it was "totally unacceptable" for Georgia's democratically elected government to be challenged, her spokesman said. She believes that the "sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Georgia are non-negotiable."

 

Mrs Merkel will hold talks with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on Friday in Russia's Black Sea port of Sochi, just a few miles north of its border with Georgia. Her spokesman said he will "make it clear" that problems in the Caucasus "cannot be solved militarily."

[General Duke]

The move by Russian forces deeper into Georgian territory comes a day after a peace deal brokered by Nicolas Sarkozy Photo: AP

[General Duke]

US forces to deliver Georgia aid

 

Mr Bush says the US stands by Georgia's 'democratically elected government'

President George W Bush has said the US will use military aircraft and naval forces to deliver aid to Georgia following its conflict with Russia.

 

He also urged Russia to respect a ceasefire agreement with Georgia.

 

President Bush said the US was concerned about reports of continuing Russian military action in Georgia.

 

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to fly to France for talks with Nicolas Sarkozy before travelling to Tbilisi to express US support, he said.

 

He said he would direct US Defence Secretary Robert Gates to begin a "vigorous and ongoing" humanitarian mission to Georgia, headed by the US military.

 

"We expect Russia to honour its commitment to allow in all forms of humanitarian assistance," Mr Bush added.

 

Mr Bush's address in Washington came amid reports that violence has flared in Georgia, where Russian tanks have been seen patrolling the town of Gori, near the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

 

The US president said Russia's ongoing actions had "raised serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region".

 

"Russia must keep its word and act to end this crisis," Mr Bush said.

 

Russia said its forces had dismantled and destroyed military hardware and ammunition at an undefended Georgian military base near Gori on Wednesday.

 

A Russian military statement said the action was taken in the interest of demilitarising the conflict zone.

[shirwa_24]

Putin's response to western hypocrisy.

 

youtube video

[Hassan6734]

Well done to Putin, we somalis know too well of united states hypocrisy.

 

Its great to see that Russia is defending its interest against the US.

[General Duke]

Its a grave move for the US to send troops to Tiblisi. This is another blunder.

[shirwa_24]

western WMD, the media. CNN use footage of Tskhinvali ruins to cover Georgian report.

 

[RedSea]

"It's unacceptable that a country invades another country in this 21st century"_ U.S presidential candidate John Mccain.

 

 

He was/is pro Iraq invasion and keeping the U.S forces there for as long as it takes, even if it took hundred years he said. The irony!

[Som@li]

Stup1d Mccain, And now he wants to president.

[Peace Action]

Both Bush and McSame decrying invading a sovereign nation. They started law of the jungle and Russia is very good at it. Still we must feel sorry for Georgia, a little miscalculation and Russia overreacts.