Georgia, Russia Agree To EU Cease-Fire

France Brokers Deal Between Warring Nations

(CBS/AP)  The first relief flight from the U.N. refugee agency arrived in Georgia as the number of people uprooted by the conflict neared 100,000. Thousands streamed into the capital.

Those left behind in devastated regions of Georgia cowered in rat-infested cellars or wandered nearly deserted cities.

In Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian provincial capital now under Russian control, the body of a Georgian soldier lay in the street along with debris as separatist fighters launched rockets at a Georgian plane soaring overhead.

A tour by AP journalists found the heaviest damage around the government center. Near the city center, pieces of tanks lay near a bomb crater. The turret of one tank was blown into the front of the printing school across the street. A severed foot lay on the sidewalk nearby. Several residential areas seemed to have little damage beyond shattered windows.

A poster hanging nearby showed Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the words "Say yes to peace and stability." Broken glass and other debris littered the ground.

Besides the dead, tens of thousands of terrified people have fled the fighting - South Ossetians north to Russia, and Georgians east toward the capital of Tbilisi and west to the country's Black Sea coast.

Among those left behind was 70-year-old Vahktang Chkekvadze, a Georgian villager living in Ruisi who was picking away what was left of a window frame torn by an explosion.

"I always hide in the basement," he said, used to living in a conflict zone. "But this time the explosion came so abruptly, I don't remember what happened afterward."

Two men and a woman in the village, in undisputed Georgian territory just outside South Ossetia, were killed just half an hour before Medvedev went on television to announce the pause in fighting.

Russian officers accompanying journalists visiting Tskhinvali argued that the battle damage showed Georgian troops specifically targeted by Georgian troops. While the most widespread destruction was confined to the area around the government center, several residential areas seemed to have little damage, except for shattered windows, perhaps from bomb concussions.

Separatists in South Ossetia declared an overnight curfew Tuesday. Georgia said its people still in Tskhinvali were being shot at Tuesday night despite the truce, but the claim could not immediately be confirmed.

Amid the suggestions the military action was cooling down, the Russia-Georgia dispute reached the international courts, with the Georgian security council saying it had sued for ethnic cleansing. Earlier the Russians accused the Georgians of genocide.

The conflict - and its Cold War echoes - continued to play out on the international stage. The leaders of five former Soviet bloc states spoke out against Russian domination at a rally in Tbilisi.

"Our neighbor thinks it can fight us. We are telling it no," said Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who was joined by the leaders of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine at the rally. Kaczynski says Russia wanted a return to "old times.

The Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin told CNN his country is seeking details on what started the fighting.

"We do not want to believe that the United States has given a green light to this adventurous act," he said. "But our American colleagues are telling us that they're investigating now what may have happened in the channels of communication for Mr. Saakashvili to have behaved in such a reckless manner."

President Bush, one day earlier, had called the Russian invasion unacceptable, and on Tuesday the Russian president assailed the West for supporting Georgia. "International law doesn't envision double standards," Medvedev said.

U.S. officials were focused on confirming a cease-fire and attending to Georgia's urgent humanitarian needs.

"The Russians need to stop their military operations as they have apparently said that they will, but those military operations really do now need to stop because calm needs to be restored," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

A U.S. senior defense official in Washington said the U.S. has decided to dump a major NATO naval exercise with Russia that was scheduled to begin Friday.

Georgia, which is pushing for NATO membership, borders the Black Sea between Turkey and Russia and was ruled by Moscow for most of the two centuries preceding the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.

South Ossetia and Abkhazia have run their own affairs without international recognition since fighting to split from Georgia in the early 1990s. Both separatist provinces are backed by Russia, which appears open to absorbing them.

Medvedev said Georgia must allow the provinces to decide whether they want to remain part of Georgia.

"Ossetians and Abkhaz must respond to that question taking their history into account, including what happened in the past few days," Medvedev said grimly.

Medvedev said Russian peacekeepers would stay in both provinces, even as Saakashvili said his government will officially designate them as occupying forces.

In Tbilisi, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza declined to say whether the U.S. would provide military support if Russia expands its assault.

Georgia sits on a strategic oil pipeline carrying Caspian crude to Western markets and bypassing Russia. The British oil company BP shut down one of three Georgian pipelines, saying it was a precaution.

[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

[trrrorislamx]

FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM IS THE PROBLEM,,,

DEMONIC-RAT HUSSEIN IS NOT THE SOLUTION,,,

EXPOSE HUSSEIN
http://www.exposeobama.com/obamaislam.html

www.obamatruth.org

www.stop-obama.org

A Video Portrait Of Barack Hussein Obama
http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/video.aspx?RsrcID=2036

The Barack Obama Test
http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/02/the_barack_obama_test.html

Obama-Odinga-Rezko-Ayers-Auchi-Saddam Hussein
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIe4d9Nmg9k

Raila Odinga was also financially backed by Muammar al-Gaddafi. Raila Odinga is Obama''s cousin:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/717...

Why does Raila Odinga use Obama''s exact same campaign slogan: CHANGE....Vote for CHANGE: Look at his website:
http://www.raila07.com/


IMPEACH HUSSEIN NOW,,,

SIGN THE PETITION

Impeach, expel Barack Obama
http://obamaimpeachment.org

HUSSEIN IS NO COMMANDER IN CHIEF,,, lol

McCain Tops Obama in Commander-in-Chief Test; Stays Competitive on Iraq

Poll Finds 72 Percent of Americans Say McCain Would be Good Commander-in-Chief
http://abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/Politics/Story?id=5370538&page=1

Obama: Commander-in-(mis)chief?
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/imperium/2008/07/200872011345855233.html

[neoconrcrazy]

the bush administration is responsible for this needless death and destruction - as we have been training and supplying georgian troops (did anyone here even know this??) we certainly had fore knowledge and the possibility to stop this mad act by georgia.

So what was the objective?

To test russian resolve? To "secure" oil pipelines?

If there was any objective journalism in this country, the question would be put to the administration;

When did you know about it and why didn''t you stop it?

[neoconrcrazy]

" 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."


sounds very bushite (constitution: dammed piece of paper!) - it this georgian guy an ex student of Kindsleazy Rice ??

[sistatee-2009]

have you ever seen the footage of mousolini''''''''s final moments?

I hope for nothing less for george bush.

string the basturd high, dismember him and sell the bits to replenish the ecconomy

Posted by liberalameri at 10:57 PM : Aug 12, 2008

Only one problem. You left out Cheney.

[drivehard1]

My mom once said "if you kick a dog too many times it''''s just a matter of time before he turns around and bites you", that''''s pretty much what happened here. Russia provoked this war, they shot down the UAV in April which they denied, They kidnapped 4 other people charged them with crimes they did not commit, and in ossetia they keep attacking the people. Russia brought their tanks down to the border before it even happened. I believe what has happened prior to this "war" or attack was a case of colonizing Russia has sent people over to Georgia to cause an uproar, a rebellion.

we need to stop them now or we need to take Russia out now.

[drivehard1]

why is the united states just going to let them be killed.

Georgia needs help now not later and we do nothing.

there is just 70.000 georgeians left in the world if we take to long to help them soon there will be zero georgeians left we have alies georgeians that are being murdered by the Russians and we do nothing. the georgians believe in freedom and democracy they have been helping us fight in the Iraq war and they have been getting punked for years by Russia there a lot to the story but thats all im saying for now.

[kissamaarse]

And Bush did nothing, just like when he apologized to the Communist Chinese when they took our Navy P-3 and crew captive, and Bush said. "I''m sowwy."

The bellicose and emotional McCain would have started WW3, or just turned his back like his hug-buddy George Bush.

America needs leadership capable of thinking, rather than jerking their knees, and reacting for the benefit of their corporate masters.

[thegoodtexan]

The United States are in bed with the devil, like they were with Stalin.
Joseph Stalin was Georgian, and also from Tbilisi. His Georgian name was Ioseb Jughashvili, which is very much like Saakashvili. On Stalin%u2019s father side, they are very similar in ethnic and religious backgrounds. The two seem to have the same demeanours, total lack of honesty, scruples or moral conscious, and a strong presence of leadership. They govern in the same manner, surrounding themselves with cruel and heartless functionaries of their own ethnic backgrounds and acting with ruthless abandon. Saakashvili%u2019s technique of herding people into sheds or churches and then setting them on fire, reassuring them that he is coming in peace and then hours later bomb-barding them through the night with anti-personal armaments are the same characteristics as Ioseb Jugashvili. While Saakashvili has killed thousands of his own people, Joseph killed millions. Joseph Stalin%u2019s most famous quote was %u201CTreaties are like pie crust, they are made to be broken%u201D. Saakashvilli breaks treaties over autonomist regions and foreign relations at will. Both were strong American allies based on a mutual dependence, and both ashvili%u2019s knew how to play it to maximum advantage.
No wonder the Russians know how to deal with Saakashvili.

[stn_sage]

ourtomorrows:

Posted by davewrite1
-----------------------
Your post is simply ignorant and manages to ignore actual facts...
Posted by ourtomorrows at 10:06 PM : Aug 12, 2008
-----------------------
1. Moves against Iraq was BASED on WMD claims by the Bush Administration!
2. This "WMD evidence" appears to have been contrived and made up by same!
3. A rumor was concocted to suggest real evidence was shipped out of the country!
But, like the original WMD the alleged evidence too, is non-existent!
4. Bush got a coerced coalition after pressuring and paying 30 nations to go along!
5. If it were about enforcing resolutions, Bush could have done it immediately upon taking office, he didn''t! It was about grabbing oil fields & foreign technology!
6. It''s NEVER a valid reason to invade a nation, because it''s leader thumbs his nose at the USA! Grow up.
7. We can''t possibly know for sure at this time whether Georgia was taking back areas it claims,
or attacking and attempting to take others'' areas!
8. Attacking with or without support, doesn''t make you correct or not for doing so, your reasoning determines that!

davewrite1 may or may not be correct about his comparison, but you certainly have NOT convinced me that he IS NOT! You demonstrate yourself to be a revisionist historian trying to sanitize the truth that the Bush administration has murdered!

[xalen54]

have you ever seen the footage of mousolini''''''''s final moments?

I hope for nothing less for george bush.

string the basturd high, dismember him and sell the bits to replenish the ecconomy

Posted by liberalameri at 10:57 PM : Aug 12, 2008
--------------
.... FAIL!
1.) Can''t blame everything on Bush, most of our population is filled with idiots & is their fault
2.) Clear disrespect, he is our leader, might not have done a very good job, but he doesn''t deserve death
3.) He can run the county a hell of a lot better than you can
4.) Take an example from the person who was arrested for saying he would shoot Obama (also fail)
5.) The topic is Russia invading Georgia (good job Russia) lets talk about that.

I couldn''''t bother reading through the mental asylum that the CBS news comment section is. But I wanted to point out that 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).

Posted by Dronemonk at 11:27 PM : Aug 12, 2008
-------------------------------------------

This is the most intelligent thing I have ever read on the CBS news forum! Finally at least someone doesn''t prove they are a complete idiot & I couldn''t agree more. If nations could just listen to Russia at times then we can avoid dramatic events such as these.