Defiant Russia Rolls Into Key Georgia City

U.S. Exhorts Moscow To Honor Cease-Fire And Withdraw Troops, Plans Massive Aid Package

(CBS/AP)  Defying a cease-fire agreement, a Russian military convoy rolled through a strategically important Georgia city Wednesday and Georgian officials claimed there was looting and bombing by Russians and their allies.

President Bush said a massive U.S. aid package was on the way for tens of thousands uprooted in the conflict and demanded Russia "keep its word and act to end this crisis" in the former Soviet republic.

"The United States stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia and insists that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected," Bush said sternly in Washington.

One day after the Kremlin and its smaller neighbor agreed to a French-brokered cease-fire to end the dispute over two pro-Russian breakaway territories, the pact appeared fragile at best.

An Associated Press reporter saw dozens of Russian trucks and armored vehicles leaving the city of Gori, some 20 miles south of the separatist region of South Ossetia and home of a key highway that divides Georgia in two, and moving deeper into Georgia.

CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports things were very chaotic on the road between Tblisi and Gori Wednesday. Floods of refugees were on the move, some fleeing before what they were convinced was another Russian advance. Others told horror stories of revenge attacks and looting by irregular militias which had crossed into Georgia from South Ossetia, the breakaway province Georgia had tried to retake. One woman said the militias were systematically forcing families out of their villages and burning houses. Others told of men and boys being separated from the women and of rapes taking place.

Soldiers waved at journalists and one jokingly shouted, "Come with us, beauty, we're going to Tbilisi." The convoy roared southeast, toward the Georgian capital, but then turned north and set up camp about an hour's drive away from it.

Georgian officials said the Russians had looted and bombed Gori before they left. Moscow denied the accusation, but it appeared to be on a technicality: A BBC reporter in Gori said Russian tanks were in the streets while their South Ossetian allies seized cars, looted homes and set houses on fire.

While it was impossible to verify these stories, Phillips reports, smoke said to be coming from burning houses drifted through valleys. What is clear is that the complete Russian victory in this small but nasty war has created a new reality on the ground. Not just in Georgia but in relations between Russia and the west.

As confusion reigned on the first day of the cease-fire agreement, Bush called a Rose Garden speech to express concern about reports the Russians were already breaking it.

He said he was sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice first to France and then to Tbilisi to reinforce U.S. efforts to "rally the world in defense of a free Georgia."

For her part, Rice said: "This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia where Russia can threaten a neighbor, occupy a capital, overthrow a government and get away with it. Things have changed."

In an interview Wednesday with CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric, Georgia president Mikhail Saakashvili sounded a defiant note.

"Russians have been telling us that we should give up fight for freedom, that we should succumb to this pressure. No matter how they bomb us, no matter how many of us they kill, no matter how they want to terrorize us, we will never give up our freedom. Georgia will never, ever surrender,'' he told Couric.

Saakashvilli refuted the Russian view of the conflict, that in essence Georgia started the problem by trying to reassert control over South Ossetia.

"Saying this is a classical tactic of aggressors. Soviet Union saying this, Hungary provoked in 1996, that Czechoslovakia provoked and that Afghanistan attacked the Soviet Union in 1979. The reality is that my country was attacked by hundreds of Russian tanks and the only thing we tried to do is to defend ourselves, to push them back, of course."

[patriot12436]

Maybe the Georgian president will think twice before poking the bear next time.

[runningralph]

The Georgian leader berates the West at large for "appeasing Russia". Does he expect Western powers to interfere? Has he made any effort to suppress jihad? Why should the West help him? Has he helped us? He should call on the Islamics for help. He had better decide on which side he wants to be.

[nextgenman]

What I want to know is why Shrub and all his loving supporters didn''t go all "shock and awe" on Russia?

RINOs. All mouth, and lilly livers.

[nextgenman]

The Georgian leader berates the West at large for "appeasing Russia". Does he expect Western powers to interfere? Has he made any effort to suppress jihad? Why should the West help him? Has he helped us? He should call on the Islamics for help. He had better decide on which side he wants to be.

Posted by runningralph at 05:49 AM : Aug 13, 2008
-------

How come you little Bush Lovers didn''t come to their aid? You guys encouraged Georgia. You guys are all mouth when you come up against a real enemy like Russia.

Scared little Republican Girls....

[nwihoosier]

Peace and Love
To tuckerdmbfk
There you go again, you silly person.
Peace and Love

[neoconrcrazy]

"Last Friday, after the world%u2019s leaders had arrived at the Beijing Olympics, Georgian troops launched an all-out assault on the region of South Ossetia, which has enjoyed de facto independence for more than 16 years. The majority of the region%u2019s population are Russian citizens. Under the terms of the 1992 agreement to which Georgia is a party, they are afforded protection by a small number of Russian peacekeeping soldiers. The ground and air attack resulted in the killing of peacekeepers and the death of an estimated 1,600 civilians, creating a humanitarian disaster and leading to an exodus of 30,000 refugees. The Georgian regime refused to allow a humanitarian corridor to be established and bombarded a humanitarian convoy. There is also clear evidence of atrocities having been committed %u2013 so serious and systematic that they constitute acts of genocide " Sec. Lavrov, Russian Federation

[jgunther7]

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 demeanour: a 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.

It is no wonder the Russians know how to deal with this man. They have seen it all before.

[petro49l]

Bin Laden insists that the Russian Army should fire medium and short range missiles into Georgia. Osama said that Georgia is filled with peasants. He would prefer to extend the poppy growing region to the Black Sea. Bin Laden rejected the Caspian Sea oil industry and its connections to Russian ports.

[condumbism]

Georgia started this war, while the USA, lead down the forever wrong path by GW Bush and his sidekick John McPOS lie to US otherwise. John McPOS is the "SCUM" of the US armed forces!

[metsobitso]

Its nice to see McCain backs a country that breaks all agreements and treaties as per respecting autonomist regions and agreeing not to use force, and then attacks committing ethnic cleansing and genocide. Of course nothing to do with his economic interest and those of his staff. His values mimic those of his role model George Bush, and prove that he intends four more years of corruption, with lots of rape and pillage.

[condumbism]

Is Vietnam war vet John McMercenary on the wrong side of history again? John McPOS: as low as America has gone since his fellow Neocon GW Bush lied to US about Iraq!

[intheshade-2009]

Surprised to see Georgians out celebrating their slaughter of innocent civilians in Ossetia and the stupidity of their attack against Russian peacekeepers and civilians. They must be as dumb as their leader. There were also people in the crowd that remarked to reporters that Saakashvili should be impeached for what he has done to the country. Just like our Bush/McCcain.

[tapsettle]

Saakashvili is such a cry baby - he starts a big fight but then cries when he runs out of room to run away. The only people more humiliated than him are the US government, who seem to be crying like even bigger babies.

[tapsettle]

Hope you guys are practising your Russian. The way Bush and his cronies are going you will all be speaking it soon ... or Chinese depending who gets the spoils.

[babooph]

Add one more Bush disaster to the endless pile-his idiocy pool has no bottom-2 good guys running,but no one can ever fix this mess-all we can do is protect ourselves as best as possible

[obamanation6]

Georgia launched a crackdown Thursday against separatist fighters in South Ossetia. Russia, which supports the separatists and has peacekeepers in the region, sent its military into South Ossetia on Friday 8/08/2008(CNN)...In Washington on Monday, President Bush said Russia''s attacks against Georgia have "substantially damaged Russia''s standing in the world." hmm? did I missed something? keep poking the Bear! now you''re crying like little punks in drag!!

[prudentvoter]

Bush and Cheney should leave office. These people are war criminals and an insult to the United States. If they don''t leave on their own, congress should impeach them.

[condumbism]

jamesm12341

Which Southern Fascist Redneck State are you from? YOU Confederate White Trash are not welcome here in the USA, so GET OUT, POS!

[jmurrieta1]

So Ronald Reagan didn''t make Russia disappear after all?

Maybe the American Sheeple will learn the difference between reality and Hollywood fluff one of these days.

Reagan was to a real president as John Wayne was to a real soldier--a Hollywood illusion.

Now it''s all going to "trickle down" on US citizens, as any influence they might once have had in the world has been thrown away by the Bush-Cheney regime.

I don''t think the US will be going toe to toe with the Russkis over Gruziya.

[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?

[babooph]

The next time a nation is told to act with a promise of US "support" this will be remembered.

[closethippy1]

It''s true, Bush should be blamed for trying to get countries surrounding Russia to have missiles and to join NATO.
But please let''s not forget that Bill Clinton tried to do the same.
And then Hillary wonders why people look at her as more of the same and went for Obama.
I just hope Obama is not going to turn out to be another sell out to the Military-Industrial Complex President Eisenhower warned us about.

[neoconrcrazy]

A member of John McCain%u2019s staff is also a lobbyist for Saakashvila,

Posted by prudentvoter

he name is scheuneman or some such semetic sounding variant. this guy was also the director of PNAC, an avid pre-emptive iraqi war type, with deep ties to the trouble-making jewish "state" of israel.

the neocon show just keeps going on and on and on...

vote for McBush, and more needless American deaths.

[closethippy1]

The Israeli media is reporting about how Georgia got some assistance from Israel.
The Defense Minister of Georgia is a former Israeli and speaks Hebrew fluently.
So I wonder, is this another defeat for the Israeli army almost in the same way they didn''t achieve victory with Hezbollah 2 years ago?
It seems the image of an all powerful Israel is falling apart.

[nextgenman]

Hope you guys are practising your Russian. The way Bush and his cronies are going you will all be speaking it soon ... or Chinese depending who gets the spoils.

Posted by tapsettle at 07:36 AM : Aug 13, 200

LOl!! i bet your defeatist grandparents speak fluent german to dont they? you libs kill me with your defeatist attitudes


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Posted by jamesm12341 at 07:52 AM : Aug 13, 2008
------------

Why, again, haven''t you sissy Republigirls taken any action against Russia?

HAHAHAHAHA!!

[thegoodtexan]

Don''t believe the media, this is not over yet.

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

[whitemale08]

Bush/McCain want US to believe that the USA can drill its way to cheaper gas prices. If you want cheaper gas, demand BIG US oil sells US drilled oil products within the USA at half the world market rate. Afterall, reason that oil per barell is $140 per on international markets is because of the Bush/McCain devalued dollar.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by neoconism at 07:57 AM : Aug 13, 2008--

Lol....hahahaa

Exactly, beautifully written post. Most Republicans like John McCain himself don''t understand ecoonomics and fiat currency.

It all goes back to Neo-Con-Dumbism...hahaa

[jediservant]

Bush/McCain want US to believe that the USA can drill its way to cheaper gas prices. If you want cheaper gas, demand BIG US oil sells US drilled oil products within the USA at half the world market rate. Afterall, reason that oil per barell is $140 per on international markets is because of the Bush/McCain devalued dollar.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by neoconism

This guy needs to find another message board (China would be good) where people will listen to his hate and name calling.

And but the way this story is about a Russian invasion, not Bush/McCain or oil. Get a life bud!

[nextgenman]

nextGenMan - Thats exactly what Obama would do.. NOTHING..


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Posted by guyfrompa49 at 08:19 AM : Aug 13, 2008
--------------

Obama isn''t the one that supported Georgia and wanted to put missle shields there. That was you boy shrub.

How come Shrub ain''t going all shock and awe on Russia Again? Would that be because he''s a big sissy when faced with a real enemy?

HAHAHAHAHA!

RepubliGirlies!

[nextgenman]

And here I thought the NeoSissies said we won the Cold War? I remember them bragging about it...

[getcenttered]

Posted by nextGenMan at 08:22 AM : Aug 13, 2008

Can anyone imagine this guy in the US military??

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!







BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[obamanation6]

six-seis-six callate buey he,he underdogus is here

[nolalou]

President Bush has baked us into a corner on this situation! We have been supporting Georgia''s attempt to join NATO and place a missile defense system there.

Bush went to Georgia in 2005, giving a speech to 10,000 Georgians and saying "Georgia is proving to the world that determined people can rise up and claim their freedom from oppressive rulers." Then he told the Georgian President he was ready to help Saakashvili, if requested, in the peaceful settlement of disputes Georgia has with two separatist regions -- Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

[nextgenman]

Posted by nextGenMan at 08:22 AM : Aug 13, 2008

Can anyone imagine this guy in the US military??

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

HAHAHAHA
HAHA!!!!!!!







BWAHAHAHAHAHA
!!!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by getcenttered at 08:26 AM : Aug 13, 2008
-----------

How''s Bush doing on wagging his finger at Russia?

BWA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

RepubliSissies.....all "shock and awe!" until it means pulling them away from the Belgianweisers and NASCAR into real American Casualties - where they can''t send other people kids to die like they did in Iraq.

again, BWA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[getcenttered]

I''m voting Democrat in 2008 because I hate any kind of government system that allows the PEOPLE to actually choose a leader.

All leadership roles should be appointed by the government itself, so that citizens don''t have to add the nuisance of voting to their already busy lives. The US should model its government more like Russia, because we all already know that Russia are the GOOD guys and the US is always EVIL. Plus, I think the Democrats will do a better job at slaying more innocents US civilians than we do currently under the slobbering, idiot Republicans.

Vote Barack Obama 2008!!!

[nextgenman]

I''''m voting Democrat in 2008 because I hate any kind of government system that allows the PEOPLE to actually choose a leader.

All leadership roles should be appointed by the government itself, so that citizens don''''t have to add the nuisance of voting to their already busy lives. The US should model its government more like Russia, because we all already know that Russia are the GOOD guys and the US is always EVIL. Plus, I think the Democrats will do a better job at slaying more innocents US civilians than we do currently under the slobbering, idiot Republicans.

Vote Barack Obama 2008!!!

Posted by getcenttered at 08:34 AM : Aug 13, 2008
------------

Yawn. You gone all shock and awe on Russia yet? I thought you guys said you won the Cold War?

BWA HAHAHAHAHA!!

[jtdev1]

Ah yes, the USA is all talk once again...

We can only invade and destroy unarmed/under armed countries and thats only if there is OIL there...

Oh Yes Georgia, We''ve got your back.... Yeah right...

[nextgenman]

Oh Yes Georgia, We''''ve got your back.... Yeah right...

Posted by jtdev1 at 08:36 AM : Aug 13, 2008
----------

The least President Cheney could have done would be to send in Alabama''s National Guard to help Georgia.....

[jtdev1]

I bet if Georgia''s President shut off the oil pipeline that would bring the US/Nato troops in a heart beat!

but they would only battle Georgia, (not Russia) to turn that pipeline back on...


Our military is only focused on OIL...

[ajaxtheleast]

A SEPARATIST COMIC ???

Separatist Official Rusian Kichmaria
told reporters that Georgia would have
to accept the new borders and taunted
the departing
Georgian troops by saying,,,,,,


"THE GEORGIAN ARMY HAD RECEIVED AMERICAN

TRAINING IN RUNNING AWAY!"

[obamanation6]

BREAKING NEWS:A column of Russia tanks has been seen moving deeper into Georgia a day after a cease-fire came into force..(CNN) get that f.ukker Mikhail Saakashvili,he is in his office in Tbilisi, Georgia!! that f.ukken b.astard!!

[nextgenman]

I''''''''m voting Democrat in 2008 because I believe invading Iraq was BAD, but invading Russia would be HAWT!

Then, after 2 years of fighting in Russia, we''''ll all band together on websites like DailyKok and MoveOn.g.ay.org.y, and organize fun little get-togethers outside of military recruiting stations and spit on our "supported" troops. (That was SO MUCH FUN!!!!) Then we can all hold hands, and shout out cool things like "peace bro" and "Hey hey, ho ho" and other neat little throw backs to the 1960''''s. I love *** and abortions too!

Vote Barack Obama 2008!!!

Posted by getcenttered at 08:43 AM : Aug 13, 2008
-------
Yawn. You posted that already. It was boring the last time....

[nextgenman]

Posted by getcenttered at 08:43 AM : Aug 13, 2008
----------

You little Republi-sissies find your gnads yet to go up against Russia?

[getcenttered]

Character assassination is the last bastion of a coward and an idiot.

Posted by curse914 at 08:46 AM : Aug 13, 2008

So in your own words...the past 5 years of Democrat puke was from a bunch of "cowards and idiots?"

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!

HAHAHAAHA!!!!









BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!!!!

[thegoodtexan]

There is no cease fire - 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." %u2013 He is trying to slim ball the media and the world.

On television they showed Saakashvili signing the previous version that was not acceptable to the Russians or to any intelligent observer. He never signed the final version and the war goes on.

The media miss-speaks again. The Russians should keep going until they have this guy in custody.

[getcenttered]

I''''m voting Democrat in 2008 because I hate any kind of government system that allows the PEOPLE to actually choose a leader.

All leadership roles should be appointed by the government itself, so that citizens don''''t have to add the nuisance of voting to their already busy lives. The US should model its government more like Russia, because we all already know that Russia are the GOOD guys and the US is always EVIL. Plus, I think the Democrats will do a better job at slaying more innocents US civilians than we do currently under the slobbering, idiot Republicans.

Vote Barack Obama 2008!!!

[obamanation6]

Georgia%u2019s military action had begun with tank and heavy artillery attacks on Russian peacekeepers, which had resulted in 12 deaths. The Russian Federation wondered whether the term %u2018ethnic cleansing%u2019 could be used to describe Georgia%u2019s actions. How many civilians had to die before it was described as genocide?

And he asked when others were lamenting the death of civilians in Georgia, why weren%u2019t they worried about the attacks on villages in South Ossetia?

[nextgenman]

so you have a defeatist attitude also? sad


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Posted by jamesm12341 at 08:52 AM : Aug 13, 2008
--------

We''re not defeatists, we just wann know why you little girls haven''t ask Shrub Boy or McLiverspot to go all shock and awe! on Russia...

[zykracosmos]

Saakashvili is all over the place with his rhetoric. Meanwhile video shows Russians riding in their vehicles waving at people, with no evidence a shot has been fired since the ceasefire. I think the Russian president was correct in calling Saakashvili a lunatic. Boy we sure pick ''em, don''t we?

[marshall_nee]

we just wann know why you little girls haven''''t ask Shrub Boy or McLiverspot to go all shock and awe! on Russia...


Posted by nextGenMan at 08:55 AM : Aug 13, 2008

It seems that even they know that such a response -- apart from the trolls -- would be lunacy.