Georgia, Russia Agree To EU Cease-Fire

France Brokers Deal Between Warring Nations

(CBS/AP)  Declaring "the aggressor has been punished," the Kremlin ordered a halt Tuesday to Russia's devastating assault on Georgia - five days of air and ground attacks that left homes in smoldering ruins and uprooted 100,000 people.

Both sides accepted the general outlines of a cease-fire plan, but Georgia complained hours after the Russian endorsement that bombs and shells were still falling.

Georgia President Mikhail Saakashvili said Russia's aim all along was not to gain control of two disputed provinces but to "destroy" the smaller nation, a former Soviet state and current U.S. ally.

Russia said its military assault was ending because its mission has been accomplished, reports CBS News correspondent Richard Roth. But Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made clear the Kremlin's army isn't pulling out, accusing the Georgian leader of starting the war, even calling him a lunatic.

Medvedev ordered his defense minister at a televised Kremlin meeting: "If there are any emerging hotbeds of resistance or any aggressive actions, you should take steps to destroy them."

Hours later, Saakashvili told reporters that he backed the cease-fire plan negotiated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, which calls for both sides to move back to their positions before fighting erupted.

“The U.S. was pleased to allow France to take the lead in brokering the peace,” said CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk, “because Russia-U.S. relations have soured because of the conflict, at least temporarily, and the U.N. Security Council was stalemated."

Saakashvili said that he accepted the "general principles" of the deal but said he saw no reason to sign it as it was only a "political document."

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, were believed to have died since Georgia launched its crackdown on South Ossetia on Thursday, drawing the punishing response from its much larger northern neighbor.

There appeared to be signs fo Russian forces attacking Georgian targets within hours of Medvedev's televised order, if not after.

There was still real danger in the battle-scarred city of Gori, Roth reports.

Five people were killed in explosions on the main square - even though the fighting was supposed to have stopped. A Dutch journalist was among the victims.

An Associated Press reporter saw 135 Russian military vehicles headed toward the Kodori Gorge in Abkhazia.

Georgian officials said Russia was attacking their troops in the gorge, but a commander in Abkhazia said only local forces, not Russian ones, were involved in push the Georgians out of the region.

The commander, Maj. Gen. Anatoly Zaitsev, said the Russian-backed separatist forces in Abkhazia had driven Georgian troops out of the gorge, their last stronghold in the region, after days of air and artillery strikes.

Hours before Medvedev's order, Russian jets bombed the crossroads city of Gori, near South Ossetia. The post office and university there were burning, but the city was all but deserted after most remaining residents and Georgian soldiers fled.

Saakashvili, speaking to thousands at a square in the capital of Tbilisi, red and white Georgian flags fluttering in the crowd, said the Russian invasion was not about the two disputed provinces.

"They just don't want freedom, and that's why they want to stamp on Georgia and destroy it," he declared.

He was joined by the leaders of the former Soviet bloc states of Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Polish President Lech Kacyznski warned the crowd that Russia wanted a return to the past.

"Everyone knows the next one could be Ukraine, and then Poland. All of Europe should be here now," he said.

Russia accused Georgia of killing more than 2,000 people, mostly civilians, in the separatist province of South Ossetia. The claim couldn't be independently confirmed, but witnesses who fled the area over the weekend said hundreds had died.

The overall death toll was expected to rise because large areas of Georgia were still too dangerous for journalists to enter and see the true scope of the damage.

[toldyouso12]

Georgia mistakenly thought that when we said we stood behind them, it meant we had their back--it meant we would use them as shields--that''''s all. Bush dares not do more than bluster--watch those sanctions--how do you sanction someone who you dare not fight (nuclear weapons, huge expense, exposed country and our over extended military) and who has a commodity desperately needed (oil)? THINK ABOUT IT.

Poland take heed--because what you see in Georgia is a prelude to what might happen if you try to accomodate those missile defense system. If a chance of retaliation is "100%" what does that mean? Prepare for an azz whuppin'''' that''''s what. And we''''ll stand behind Poland too--FAR behind. Like somewhere in Western Europe. Where Bush and Condi will bleat: "BAD Russia!! Baaaaaaaaad Russia" LOL

[toldyouso12]

Georgia better learn and learn quick, that besides , tough talk and shoulder rubs and occasional ice packs for those bruises they are getting, that America and Europe are not in a position to do much else.

Military wise--America is already over extended, besides we never fight anyone that could actually attack us back in our home country nor do we fight those with nuclear weapons.

As for sanctions--lets see... the world needs oil, Russia has a lot...Europe needs Russian oil, if they have to rely on the ME like America and China that will stretch the reserves even more--we can''t even play tittt for tattt--because one wrong move and it will be us that are hamstrung not the Russians. And for all of you neo cons who want us to strike first--think about Iraq--if you don''t want your life and neighborhood to quickly resemble that country--you might want to rethink your "We be bad strategy"

There is a reason Bush is just running his mouth but not doing much else--we can''t afford to--and Russia knows this.

[toldyouso12]

so.... on those American/ Polish missile sites... think Russia will bomb the proposed areas with limited nuclear weapons (before we build) then wish us luck in building our missles there when the radioactivity dies down in about 13000 years? LOL

[samsel3]

The Russian invasion of South Ossetia is only for control of the BTC pipelines which sends oil & gas to Ceyran, Turkey. Shareholders in the BTC pipeline are: British Petroleum, AzBTC, Chevron, Statoil, TPAO, ENI, Total, Itochu, INPEX, ConocoPhillips & Amerada Hess.
The Russians are the second largest supplier of gas & oil on the planet.
This pipeline was constructed to circumvent Russian pipelines supplying Europe giving the US Brits et al the lions share of the market.
Taking out Iraq also took a major source of oil away from Russia.
The Russians are now evening the score.

[terrorislamx]

WHY RUSSIA ATTACKED GEORGIA,,,

Tensions between Georgia and Russia were strained over the Pankisi Gorge, a lawless region of Georgia that Russia said had become a haven for Islamic militants and Chechen rebels.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107564.html

GET SOME RUSKIES,,, GET SOME,,,

NEVER FORGET THE RAPES OF BESLAN GIRLS!

Terror at Beslan
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1316935651894423094

RAPES IN BESLAN: IN MUHAMMAD%u2019S FOOTSTEPS
http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/News/Trifkovic04/NewsST091304.html

Forget Not the Children of Beslan
http://kenlydell.typepad.com/islamic_evil/forget_not_the_children_of_beslan/index.html

Religion of Peace??? More like a cult of death.
http://www.terrorists-suck.org/why_suck/beslan.html

Radical Islamists must be stopped:

comments on the Beslan child slaughter.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/list.htm

Rapes in Beslan: in Muhammed''s Footsteps
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1214617/posts

[thegoodtexan]

" Saakashvili said that he accepted the "general principles" of the deal but said he saw no reason to sign it as it was only a "political document."

The Russians should keep going until they have this guy in custody.

[prudentvoter]

A member of John McCain%u2019s staff is also a lobbyist for Saakashvila, McCain continues to support Saakashvila in spite of the horrible atrocities that he has inflicted on the people of Ossetia. Does that mean that McCain is a war criminal as well, and can a war criminal be elected president?

[intheshade-2009]

Postings are exposing what is really going on. It is nice to see that not everybody is fallowing for the mindless propaganda coming out of Washington. Saakashvila has committed terrible crimes against humanity and must be made to pay for what he has done. The thousands of innocent lives he has taken can only be compensated for by his trial as a war criminal, and his vicious destruction of property should be paid for by Georgia%u2019s oil revenue. His capture and conviction will send a strong signal to George Bush, you are next.

[metsobitso]

This deal is the exact same deal that Russia floated at the United Nations last Friday morning, only to have the US and UK block it because it called for both sides (Ossetia and Georgia) to renounce force. So the Ruskies invaded, and now the deal looks good to everyone). After thousands of deaths and whole cities wipped out, Saakashvili and Bush had to settle for what they were offered in the first place.

[trrrorislamx]

WHY RUSSIA WENT INTO GEROGIA,,,

Tensions between Georgia and Russia were strained over the Pankisi Gorge, a lawless region of Georgia that Russia said had become a haven for Islamic militants and Chechen rebels.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107564.html

GET SOME RUSKIES,,, GET SOME,,,

NEVER FORGET THE RAPES OF BESLAN GIRLS!

Terror at Beslan
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1316935651894423094

RAPES IN BESLAN: IN MUHAMMAD%u2019S FOOTSTEPS
http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/News/Trifkovic04/NewsST091304.html

Forget Not the Children of Beslan
http://kenlydell.typepad.com/islamic_evil/forget_not_the_children_of_beslan/index.html

Religion of Peace??? More like a cult of death.
http://www.terrorists-suck.org/why_suck/beslan.html

Radical Islamists must be stopped:

comments on the Beslan child slaughter.
http://www.sullivan-county.com/immigration/list.htm

Rapes in Beslan: in Muhammed''s Footsteps
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1214617/posts