Russia Says Pullout From Georgia Underway

U.S. General Arriving In Tbilisi To Assess Humanitarian Aid, NATO Talks Scheduled For Tuesday

(CBS/ AP)  The deputy chief of staff of Russia's military said Monday the withdrawal of forces from the conflict zone with Georgia has begun.

The statement by Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn came amid uncertainty about whether Russia was fulfilling President Dmitry Medvedev's promise to begin the pullout Monday. Earlier in the day, Russian forces around the strategic Georgian city of Gori had shown no sign of moving away and even appeared to be solidifying their positions.

But Nogovitsyn told a briefing that "today, according to the peace plan, the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers and reinforcements has begun." He added that forces were leaving Gori, a strategic Georgian city 55 miles west of the capital Tbilisi.

Gori sits on Georgia's only significant east-west road, meaning Russian occupation could effectively cut the country in half.

The RIA-Novosti news agency reported that some Russian military vehicles were heading Monday out of the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali toward Russia.

According to the European Union-brokered peace plan signed by both Medvedev and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, both sides are to pull forces back to the positions they held before last week's outbreak of war in the Russian-backed Georgian separatist region of South Ossetia, but also provides for unspecified extra security measures such as patrol rights for the soldiers Russia calls peacekeepers.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has promised the withdrawal, but how quickly the troops will leave is unclear, as is exactly where they will redeploy.

Nogovitsyn said the Russian troops are pulling back to South Ossetia and security zone defined by a 1999 agreement of the "joint control commission" that had been nominally in charge of South Ossetia's status since it split from Georgia in the early 1990s.

Georgian and Russian officials could not immediately clarify the dimensions of the security zone.

"I think the Russians will pull out, but will damage Georgia strongly," Tbilisi resident Givi Sikharulidze told an AP television crew. "Georgia will survive, but Russia has lost its credibility in the eyes of the world."

Russia is certain to keep some troops in South Ossetia - which wants to separate from Georgia - and the region's president Eduard Kokoity on Monday asked Russia to establish a permanent base there, the agency said.

CBS News in Moscow reports that Kokoity also dismissed his Cabinet and declared a month-long emergency to cope with the aftermath of the armed conflict. He announced that he would not accept international observers in his region again: "We have no confidence in these international observers, in these people who corrupt the truth," he said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Medvedev of "serious consequences" in Moscow's relations with the European Union if Russia does not comply with the cease-fire accord.

Medvedev had told Sarkozy that Russian troops would begin pulling back on Monday, headed toward South Ossetia. He stopped short of promising they would return to Russia.

Top American officials said Washington would rethink its relationship with Moscow after its military drive deep into its much smaller neighbor and called for a swift Russian withdrawal.

"I think there needs to be a strong, unified response to Russia to send the message that this kind of behavior, characteristic of the Soviet period, has no place in the 21st century," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday.

But neither Gates nor Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would be specific about what punitive actions the United States or the international community might take.

Rice, who was flying to Europe for talks Tuesday with NATO allies about what message the West should send to Russia, said Russia can't use "disproportionate force" against its neighbor and still be welcomed into international institutions.

"It's not going to happen that way," she said. "Russia will pay a price."

CBS News in Moscow reports that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin has met with U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle, where diplomats discussed a wide range of issues, from troop withdrawal to humanitarian aid, during a two-hour meeting

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a report issued Monday, "It was pointed out to the U.S. that U.S. officials' public statements on the events in South Ossetia need to be brought into compliance with the reality of the difficult situation in the region."

Gorbachev: "Talk Of 'Liberating Our Land' Must be Dropped"

In an article published in the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev suggested that Georgia's president had assurances of assistance from foreign governments prior to the outbreak of hostilities last week, and warned that any non-political resolution to the situation would be disastrous.

He wrote, "Russia was dragged into the [military] crisis as a result of the adventure by Saakashvili who would not dare to start it without outside support."

Gorbachev wrote, before judging affairs in the Caucasus and especially before trying to influence them, one has to have an idea about this complex region: Ossetians live both in Georgia and in Russia and "the same applies to the entire region - there is such ethnic overlapping in literally all countries … And all this talk of 'This is our land, we are liberating our land' must be dropped.

"One should not try to resolve the problems of the Caucasus by force. Such attempts have been numerous and every time the result has been the same. A legally-binding agreement on the non-use of force is needed. If the West helped to reach such an agreement, it would do a good job. If it takes a different road of condemning Russia and rearming Georgia - and U.S. officials are already speaking of that - a new aggravation is inevitable and the outcome will be even worse," Gorbachev said.

Missile Launchers Reported Within Range of Tbilisi

The war broke out after Georgia launched a barrage to try to retake control of South Ossetia, a Russian-backed separatist region that split off in the early 1990s. Russia had peacekeeping forces in South Ossetia and sent in thousands of reinforcements immediately, driving out Georgian forces. Georgian troops also were driven out of the small portion they had held in another separatist region, the Black Sea province of Abkhazia.

Russian troops also took positions deep into Georgia, including Gori, about 50 miles west of the capital, and in the Black Sea port of Poti. They also began a campaign to disable the Georgian military, destroying or carting away large caches of military equipment. An AP photographer saw Russian troops guarding rows of captured Georgian military vehicles Sunday in Tskhinvali.

Bolstered by Western support, Georgia's leader vowed never to abandon its claim to territory now firmly in the hands of Russia and its separatist allies, even though he has few means of asserting control. His pledge, echoed by Western insistence that Georgia must not be broken apart, portends further tensions over South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The New York Times, citing anonymous U.S. officials who were familiar with intelligence reports, reported Sunday that the Russian military moved missile launchers into South Ossetia on Friday.

The U.S. officials told the Times that Russia deployed several SS-21 missile launchers to positions north of Tskhinvali. That would put the missiles within range of Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, the Times reported on its Web site.

Russian peacekeepers were also in control of a Georgian power plant Sunday near Abkhazia.

Humanitarian Efforts Continue

In Gori, there were signs of a looser Russian grip - but also scenes of desperation as Georgians crowded around aid vehicles Sunday, grasping for loaves of bread. Virtually all shops were closed and the streets were almost empty, save for those seeking aid.

"I wouldn't say there's a humanitarian catastrophe, but there's an urgent need for primary products," Georgian national security council head Alexander Lomaia told journalists Monday on the outskirts of Gori.

Nearby, Russian troops inspected a Georgian humanitarian aid vehicle Monday before allowing it to enter Gori.

Georgia's government minister for refugees, Koba Subeliani, said there were 140,000 displaced people in Tbilisi and the surrounding area.

The U.S. European Command said Monday that Brig. Gen. Jon Miller had arrived in Georgia to assess the need for further humanitarian aid. So far, at least six U.S. military flights carrying aid have arrived in Tbilisi, ferrying everything from cots, sleeping bags and medicine to emergency shelters and syringes.

In Vienna, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe was meeting Monday and may decide whether to increase its mission in Georgia with another 100 unarmed military monitors. The OSCE already has a 200-member monitoring mission in Georgia.

[underdogus34]

AP REPORT: RUSSIA MOVED MISSILES INTO GEORGIA

Report: Russia moved missiles into Georgia
Moscow claims it will pull back Monday, but may not remove all forces

[underdogus34]

The Associated Press
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26248480/

GORI, Georgia - The Russian military moved missile launchers into a breakaway Georgian province ahead of a pledged pullout, The New York Times reported, citing U.S. officials.
Russia''s president promised to start withdrawing forces from positions in Georgia on Monday, but suggested they could stay in South Ossetia, the region at the heart of the fighting that has reignited Cold War tensions.

[intheshade-2009]

Fair enough. Now the US should pull out of Iraq by next Monday.

[hasher477]

Fair enough. Now the US should pull out of Iraq by next Monday.

Posted by InTheShade at 09:32 AM : Aug 18, 2008

Yes, but before we do, we should install another Iraqi dictator and help Al Qaeda reestablish itself there as well.

[intheshade-2009]

Fair enough. Now the US should pull out of Iraq by next Monday.

No the last time we tried that we installed our former CIA operative Saddam Hussein. This time we should just let them chose their own leader.

[tothestars2]

The real story of today, instead of this distraction created by the russians, is that iran has the ability now, after launching a low orbit satellite, to track its nuclear tipped ibms.

[olegator1]

CNN.com did not publish my comment, lets see what happens here. He-he.
Here is the question: Who was the main street of Tbilisi (capital of Rep of Georgia, not the great State I live in) was named after? Who was the road connecting the biggest airport in that country to their capital named after? Every high level official of that country has his picture in their office. Who is he? He is the greatest U.S. President of all times - George W. Bush.
Republic of Georgia military spending increased 30 times(!) over the past 5 years and became the largest in the world per capita, over 1 billion with a "B" US Dollar of yours and my tax money went in there as weapon systems and such. Were they preparing for "restoring constitutional order in another nation of South Ossetia"? All that weaponry to be taken apart by the Russians last week. Great investment! All of the media is completely biased on it. I did not expect every single one of them to be that way, but when you remember how they "prepared" us for the Iraqi war, its all comes together. Americans were the only people on the planet thinking that war was about something other than oil :(

[olegator1]

CNN.com did not publish my comment, lets see what happens here. He-he.
Here is the question: Who was the main street of Tbilisi (capital of Rep of Georgia, not the great State I live in) was named after? Who was the road connecting the biggest airport in that country to their capital named after? Every high level official of that country has his picture in their office. Who is he? He is the greatest U.S. President of all times - George W. Bush.
Republic of Georgia military spending increased 30 times(!) over the past 5 years and became the largest in the world per capita, over 1 billion with a "B" US Dollar of yours and my tax money went in there as weapon systems and such. Were they preparing for "restoring constitutional order in another nation of South Ossetia"? All that weaponry to be taken apart by the Russians last week. Great investment! All of the media is completely biased on it. I did not expect every single one of them to be that way, but when you remember how they "prepared" us for the Iraqi war, its all comes together. Americans were the only people on the planet thinking that war was about something other than oil :(

[olegator1]

CNN.com did not publish my comment, lets see what happens here. He-he.
Here is the question: Who was the main street of Tbilisi (capital of Rep of Georgia, not the great State I live in) was named after? Who was the road connecting the biggest airport in that country to their capital named after? Every high level official of that country has his picture in their office. Who is he? He is the greatest U.S. President of all times - George W. Bush.
Republic of Georgia military spending increased 30 times(!) over the past 5 years and became the largest in the world per capita, over 1 billion with a "B" US Dollar of yours and my tax money went in there as weapon systems and such. Were they preparing for "restoring constitutional order in another nation of South Ossetia"? All that weaponry to be taken apart by the Russians last week. Great investment! All of the media is completely biased on it. I did not expect every single one of them to be that way, but when you remember how they "prepared" us for the Iraqi war, its all comes together. Americans were the only people on the planet thinking that war was about something other than oil :(

[tothestars2]

The real story of today, instead of this distraction created by the russians, is that iran has the ability now, after launching a low orbit satellite, to track its nuclear tipped icbms.

[talkingham]

If we want to swagger around and puff up our chests knowing we can''t do a thing except make the situation worse by putting missiles in Poland, Czech Republic and elsewhere then I''m certain that''s exactly what we will do under the New World Disorderer II.

While we''ve been wasting our wealth and thousands of lives in Iraq and Afghanistan (Russia learned that lesson too) the Russians have been rebuilding their nation and their economy. They''ve been under attack by Islamic terrorists far longer than us and in fact we gave Bin Laden weapons to beat them in Afghanistan and crowed about it under Bush Sr. So do we have any moral ground to stand on in this fight. No!

Seeing that Georgia was part of Russia for nearly 200 years (almost the length of time that the US has existed). I would say Russia has and should have a much larger stake in what goes on there than we can or even could.

[kenammons]

watch russia consolidate over next few weeks and finish georgia off, but thats not our problem. the russians have dominated that area for centuries we need to stay out of there backyard. we would go nuts if they did the same type stuff in ours

[eddom949]

Interesting that Russia did this move openly. This isn''t about oil, this is a cultural conflict. It''s too bad people had to die for it, the whole thing seems to be predicated on nonsense anyways based on the timing and the rhetoric.

[tscc2]

After the fall of the USSR the US promised to not move NATO past Germany. Bush reneged on our promise and now wants to move missiles into Russia''s back yard. How would we respond if Russia moved missiles into our backyard? Remember Cuba!

[thegoodtexan]

Talkingham, I am an American that does business abroad and I travel extensively, including to Russia. In this capacity I usually study the background and political situations of the country where I work, and my knowledge is rounded out by first hand experiences and the friendships I establish with the locals. I am astounded by the ignorance and lack of intelligence of those who post on the Internet. These people are expressing hate and belligerence to countries and peoples they know nothing about. However, reading your posting was very refreshing and somewhat restores my faith in my fellow Americans.

[jgunther7]

TSCC2 asks: How would you feel if Russia moved missiles into our backyard? You won''t have to wait long for your answer. Russia has already placed SS-21 missile batteries in Ossetia and Abkhazia for their allies, that could wipe out Georgia in a heartbeat should they try again. Agreements were announced last month and we should expect to see air and missile bases in Cuba and Venezuela soon. How about Iran?

[underdogus34]

zgomer what are you smoking?

[underdogus34]

The U.S. has 160,000 troops tied up in Iraq and 30,000 troops bogged down in Afghanistan and nothing in the military recruitment pipeline to take on Russia in Georgia.

[underdogus34]

The United States military couldn''t take on a Boy Scout troop let alone the massive Russian military.

[underdogus34]

NATO allies remain divided on whether to complete the integration of Georgia into the alliance, a promised move which has infuriated Moscow and has triggered allegations of U.S. and European interference in Russia''s sphere of influence.

[underdogus34]

Russia, richer than ever thanks to its massive oil and gas revenues, has made no attempt to hide its irritation at Washington%u2019s staunch support for Georgia%u2019s NATO aspirations. It views the expansion of NATO towards its borders as an encroachment on its sphere of influence.

Is it possible that when Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili decided to go into South Ossetia and try to put it back under Tbilisi%u2019s control, he gave Russian leaders a golden opportunity to severely punish Georgia%u2019s pro-Western leadership and show the world that Russia is no longer the weak, economically devastated nation it was in the 1990s?

Perhaps the message is %u2014 Russia is back, it%u2019s powerful and it won%u2019t tolerate anyone messing around in its backyard.

[underdogus34]

Saakashvikli is now a war criminal. He was ordered to start this war by the United States. George Bush, Condaleeza Rice, *** Cheney and co...

[yongamerica]

Why couldn''t Georgia offer the same autonomy as the Soviet Union did to these two autonomous regions in the first place?

[underdogus34]

Screw the commie Russians! They yhink they can doanything they want to and pick on there smaller neighbors. Why don''''t they try us on for size and see how far they can go and how long they stay,they wouldn''''r last against our troops little commie bassturds!

Posted by zgomer ..some Americans actually believe that the Russians are attacking Georgia in the US.
lol

[underdogus34]

terrorislamz what the hell are you smoking? .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world? really? the RUSSIAN AK-47 works for me,he,he

[underdogus34]

The dirty west and its hypocrisy! You invade nations, you topple elected govts, you massacre innocent people, all in the name of what GOD?? No, Oil, wealth, dominance and supremacy. When some people defend themselves they are rogues, they are thugs...

[underdogus34]

Truth is always the 1st casualty of war. Do not believe CNN,CBS nor any other %u201Cindependent news source%u201D. Look at where the refugees are running. Half of Tshinvali residents ran to Russia.
Other half is trying to survive in the basements. Nobody ran to Georgia.

[underdogus34]

Putin accused the West of double standards.

"They (the Americans) of course had to hang Saddam Hussein for destroying several Shiite villages," he said.

"But the current Georgian rulers who in one hour simply wiped 10 Ossetian villages from the face of the earth, the Georgian rulers which used tanks to run over children and the elderly, which threw civilians into cellars and burnt them
REUTERS

[oneamerican_]

Russia is rapidly proving that they have returned to a Soviet mentality, and they cannot be trusted with anything - and certainly not trusted to tell the truth.

Vladimir Putin''s Stalinist regime must be destroyed.

[antoniof123]

What can the US do now nothing because the idiot neo cons have destroyed us. Most of you idiots don''t realize this but Russia supplies Europe its oil. God neo cons are getting dumber by the minute.

[vietnam21]

BREAKING NEWS:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday assured Georgia would join NATO as she strongly backed the ex-Soviet republic''s President Mikheil Saakashvili in his conflict with Russia. "Georgia will become a member of NATO if it wants to -- and it does want to,"

[oneamerican_]

"What can the US do now nothing because the idiot neo cons have destroyed us. Most of you idiots don''t realize this but Russia supplies Europe its oil. God neo cons are getting dumber by the minute."

Posted by antoniof123 at 12:53 PM : Aug 18, 2008


In what way are "neo-cons" responsible for Europe getting its oil from Russia?

Is that somehow George Bush''s fault too?

You liberals are the blame for fascist regimes gaining power in the world - just look how you give aid and comfort to them by attacking your own president!

[vietnam21]

Let the cold war begin..
President Hugo Chavez said Sunday that Russian President Dimitri Medvedev wants to send a Russian naval fleet to visit Venezuela. "Russia has informed us they intend to visit Venezuela, that is, the intention that a Russian fleet should come to the Caribbean," Chavez said on his weekly radio program. "I told the president (Medvedev), ''If you''re coming to the Caribbean, we''ll welcome you ...

[colonieny]

We need strong leaders in a dangerous world.

[vietnam21]

Take over Venezuela now....CIA where are thou....

[ajaxtheleast]

",,,Washington would rethink,,,"

"Rethink": The administration''s round-about

way of insinuating that in their first session

of cererbral introspection they were able

to produce brain wave activity commensurate

with the level of cogent thought processes

considered as thinking.

Their intent?....obviously to get Putin to
laugh himself to death.

[walt1944-2009]

The only time the Russians withdrew from anywhere was in 1989-1990 when the country was falling apart and the Kremlin couldn''t maintain its military spread out in Eastern Europe and especially AFGHANISTAN (hear that Great Emperor Bush II and neocon Fascist Nazis everywhere!).

Now with Russia returning to its "Soviet" roots and having all sorts of oil money, the country is getting ideas of "expanding" again, and this time, it knows the US(SA) under the Great Emperor Bush II is nothing than a "paper tiger" up to its neck in debt to China and a military spread so thin and so poorly equipped thanks to "privatization" that it has veterans crying!

Even the mercenaries of Blackwater are better equipped and eat better than our soldiers do!

Thank you very much George W. Bush and neocon Fascist Nazi Republicans everywhere for "SUPPORTING THE TROOPS"!!!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!!!!
sig heil, LONG LIVE GEORGIA, "SURRRRRRGE!" McCain!!!!

[nskduke2]

I wish Europe would get more involved in this crises.Russia has threaten Poland because they signed a missile base deal with us(US).Russia even had the guts to say they would use nuclear weapons on Poland,if they had too.I think it is about time European countries step up to Russia.

[tscc2]

After the fall of the USSR the US promised to not move NATO past Germany. Bush reneged on our promise and now wants to put missiles into Russia''s back yard. How would we respond if Russia moved missiles into our backyard? Remember the Cuban missile crisis! We are behaving like the old soviet empire, not Russia.

[mike19767]

walt1944, are you out of your mind?i served in kosovo and i know that georgia was not onnocent but they didnt dserve what Russia did.oh and for your information there is always one more option......... the draft . just for the cowards that want to think they know everything

[mike19767]

we would respond only if it was a threat. not if it was for defense

[mike19767]

no i will agree that iraq was a mistake.but as we seen in the past with iraq, it would have happened eventually.

[mike19767]

i served under Bill Clinton and i can say that was the biggest change we needed in a while.

[mike19767]

i have 7 children. one boy and i havent met any parent who wants to see their children go to war. if our boys dont go then someone elses would have to take thier place.the reason they go is the important part.

[mike19767]

i agree with NSKDuke2. when is it going to happen that all someone else be the worlds police force

[nskduke2]

Posted by TSCC2

Look the missile base that the US is building in Poland is going to be used on countries in the middle east, such as Iran.Look at a map of Europe, you will see that Poland is still far away from Moscow, Russia.At one point in time Russia wanted this missile base to be built in their own country.That would''ve created some problems.Nobody is pointing missiles Russia and nobody will.

[mike19767]

exactly.....its bill clintons fault this countrys military is as small as it is any way...heck my military mos under him had 5 different jobs combined into one

[mike19767]

look i believe that what happens in this world is predestined. its up to the rest if the world on whether they r going to sit back and watch or do something to stop it. i believe russia did things just as bad if not worse than georgia or sat back and let the ossetians do it for them. is the law still an eye for an eye? i think the US could have done more to stop the problem but i also believe that a diplomatic answer should always be tried first. but if all else fails.......war is the only answer. if russia should be allowed to have peace keepers then the US should have about 30,000 there too. that way future conflict might be avoided.

[underdogus34]

BREAKING NEWS:Witnesses said Georgian police cars had been blocking the road and the police told Russian tank commanders that were carrying out orders. The tanks proceeded to plow ahead, damaging the police cars in the process.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said that a Russian armored column had been seen moving a bit deeper into Georgian territory, traveling south from Kashuri to Borjomi. Kashuri is about 10 miles (16 km) south of South Ossetia. Another column was moving north from the Kashuri area to Sachkhere.

[noloyalisti]

This was started by the GOP neo con men so they can re-start the Cold War. Their military contractor buddies and arms manufacturers will be dancing in the streets for all the money they can make.

Time to take it all apart! Boycott and general strikes are the only way.