Russia Pulls Back But Flexes Muscle

NATO Demands Immediate Withdrawal From Georgia; U.N. Security Council Meets

(CBS/AP)  Russia took the first steps toward a troop pullback from Georgia on Tuesday but at the same time paraded blindfolded and bound Georgian prisoners on armored vehicles and seized four U.S. Humvees.

The mixed signals came as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her 25 NATO counterparts met in emergency session in Belgium and demanded Russia fulfill its promise to withdraw its forces from the small former Soviet republic.

"The Russian president hasn’t kept his promise to abide by the terms of the ceasefire," Rice told CBS News chief foreign affairs correspondent Lara Logan in an exclusive interview in Brussels.

"What is clearly happening now is that Russia’s reputation as a responsible actor in international politics - a Russia, by the way, that is a member of the Security Council, is behaving in wholly irresponsible ways," Rice said.

Within hours, the U.N. Security Council held emergency consultations, demanding an immediate Russian withdrawal, Logan reports.

"Russia is very clearly isolating itself, it's becoming more and more the outlaw in this conflict," Rice said.

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Read the transcript of Lara Logan's exclusive interview with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

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A small Russian column including three tanks, three trucks, five armored personnel carriers and a rocket-launcher left Gori, the central city that straddles a vital east-west highway. A Russian officer said they were headed for South Ossetia, the disputed province at the heart of the conflict, then home to Russia.

The move toward withdrawal came on the same day as a powerful image of Russia's grip over Georgia: Russian trucks and armored vehicles carrying about 20 Georgian men, blindfolded, handcuffed and held at gunpoint.

They were taken from the western city of Poti to the nearby, Russian-controlled military base in Senaki, according to Poti's mayor, who said he had been told they would be released on Wednesday.

Mayor Vano Taginadze said the men, Georgian military and police troops, had been taken captive because the Georgians refused to let Russian armored vehicles into the port of Poti, along Georgia's Black Sea coast.

A Georgian defense spokeswoman said eight servicemen detained while trying to guard the port were among those held.

Also in Poti, Russian soldiers commandeered four Humvees that had been used in U.S.-Georgian military exercises and were destined to be shipped back to the United States.

The Pentagon said it was looking into the theft. Georgian Deputy Defense Minister Batu Kutelia said Russian forces seized the vehicles.

Russian forces in Poti also blocked access to the city's naval and commercial ports on Tuesday morning and towed the missile boat Dioskuria, one of the navy's most sophisticated vessels, out of sight of observers. A loud explosion was heard minutes later, and a Georgian interior spokesman said the Russians had blown up the boat.

The acts of force demonstrated anew that Russia, days after agreeing to a cease-fire with Georgia, remained in control in much of the country, and that the state of the Georgian military was far from stable.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Russia was not only flouting its withdrawal commitment but that its forces were "not losing time" in damaging Georgia by destroying infrastructure.

"Right now there are Russian soldiers and tanks at Poti," Georgian Finance Minister Nika Gilavri said. "They want to open every single container" and inspect them.

Georgian television showed footage of a tense standoff at a military training base in northwestern Georgia, where Russian troops tried to enter but were turned away by Georgia police. There was no violence, but the report said the Russians threatened to return and destroy the base if they were not allowed in.

The two nations did exchange 20 prisoners of war - 15 Georgians and five Russians, according to the head of Georgia's Security Council - in an effort to reduce tensions.

On the diplomatic front, NATO foreign ministers suspended their formal contacts with Russia as punishment. Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said "there can be no business as usual with Russia under present circumstances."

But the NATO allies, bowing to pressure from European nations that depend heavily on Russia for energy, stopped short of more severe penalties being pushed by the United States.

The Russian Ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, dismissed the impact of the emergency meeting in Brussels, Belgium: "The mountain gave birth to a mouse."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said NATO was trying to make a victim of Georgia's "criminal regime." Georgia's desire for NATO membership is strongly opposed by Russia.

Lavrov also said it was Georgian troops who needed to pull back to their permanent bases first.

The White House made clear it expected Russia to move faster. "It didn't take them really three or four days to get into Georgia, and it really shouldn't take them three or four days to get out," spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

The hostilities began earlier this month. Georgia cracked down on South Ossetia, which is internationally recognized as within Georgian borders but tilts toward Moscow and has expressed its independence, and Russia answered by sending its troops and tanks across the Georgian border.

A cease-fire signed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili calls for Russian forces to pull back to the positions they held before Aug. 7.

The Kremlin said Medvedev told French President Nicolas Sarkozy by phone Tuesday that Russian troops would withdraw from most of Georgia by Friday - some to Russia, others to South Ossetia and a surrounding "security zone" set in 1999.

More American C-130 transport planes brought in tons of relief supplies for the tens of thousands displaced by the conflict, and the U.S. said it would help for as long as needed.

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jon Miller said he was told food is the major issue for people west of the capital, Tbilisi, because only sporadic convoys carrying rations had been able to get through.

Georgian government officials said Russian checkpoints had made it difficult to get supplies into some areas, including Poti.

Tensions also flared between Russia and another former Soviet republic seeking NATO membership, Ukraine. The two countries sparred over Russia's use of a naval base in the port of Sevastopol, which it is renting from Ukraine. The Kremlin wants the Russian ships to remain in Sevastopol even when the current lease expires in 2017.

Ukraine's pro-Western President, Viktor Yushchenko, sided with Georgia in its conflict with Russia and moved to restrict the movement of Russian ships in the port. Ukraine's foreign minister later said Ukraine would not physically prevent Russian ships from entering and leaving the base.

[cew23]

This war was started by President Saakashvilli who sent Georgia troops to Ossetia and Abkhazia in a surprise invasion attack on innocent civillans and Russian Peacekeepers. I am aware that Georgia is a U.S. ally, but he should not be defended because of this. He stated the Russians only invaded Georgia, and using the reason that they just don''t want democracy in a interview with Katie Couric. These people have lived with a democratic government for 16 years in these provinces. Pres. Saakashvili is the sole person responsible for this war by senting Georgia troops in a surprise invasion on 8/8/08, killing more than 2000 civillans and Russian troop Peacekeepers. The Georgia repubic, and provinces of Ossetia,and Abkhazia, are ALL DEMOCRATIC. The provinces are mostly a Russian population. In fact, they have enjoyed democracy since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. These two provinces received a de facto independence in 1992, after fighting with Georgia to be free of them. Russia troops were stationed as Peacekeepers in 4 Russian military bases in Ossetia. Two, to be closed in 2001, and two left open. They have been there for 16 years. They did not have to come from Russia, they were already there. These Russian Peacekeepers troops were placed there as part of their independence declaration, and are there to defend Ossetia. Georgia violated the territory agreement, so I believe Russia has full right to stay there.

[Thomas1016]

Kind of funny to find all these Russians on an American news website. Could it be that after Putin took back control of the Russian Media that the average Russian has to go to foreign news sources to find the truth?

Of course I guess they could simply be here to troll as well.

[liberty4ever]

Russia has won this war and they are not going to be willing to go back to the status quo ante (the victor in any war usually isn''t). However, Georgia and NATO keep blathering on about "Georgian territorial integrity" (keeping S.O. and Abkhazia). Ain''t gonna happen.

It is elementary military strategy to maintain your superior position until the enemy agrees to your terms. The Russian troops aren''t going anywhere until Georgia (and NATO) agree to give up the two provinces and there''s nothing they can do about it. If they want peace they will give up the idea of regaining the areas (by war, of course, nothing else Georgia will do can regain them because they don''t want to be ruled by Georgia).

[liberty4ever]

"The White House, meanwhile, pressed Russia to remove its troops from Georgia more quickly. "It didn''t take them really three or four days to get into Georgia, and it really shouldn''t take them three or four days to get out," Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council, told reporters in Crawford, Texas, where President Bush is spending time at his ranch."

HOW LONG is it supposed to take us to "withdraw" (not completely) from Iraq if we start today? 24 months? It didn''t take us 24 months to get into Iraq, and it really shouldn''t take us 24 months to get out. The hypocrisy of these people is stunning. Obviously they don''t listen to themselves.

[dimhumb]

The Humvees could have easily been rendered unuseable without seriously damaging them, but Russia chose to comandeer them instead.

We are not used to render everything unuseable. Georgia have been trying to extinct a whole people of ossetians. Will America still arm Saakashvili? Oh I''m perfectly sure you know the answer!!! Are they America''s humvees? Whose blood is on them hah?

[formrusmcsgt]

Also in Poti, Russian soldiers commandeered four Humvees that had been used in U.S.-Georgian military exercises and were destined to be shipped back to the United States.
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This is an obvious "in your face" move by the Russians.

The Humvees could have easily been rendered unuseable without seriously damaging them, but Russia chose to comandeer them instead.

[leftyintexas]

"Russia Pulls Back But Flexes Muscle"

Which muscle?

Posted by anon00 at 06:38 AM : Aug 20, 2008

Pick one.

[leftyintexas]

Russia is nothing more than a bunch of thugs. Always has been. Look at their behaviour since joining the rest of the "civilized" world.
Its a wonder they have fire and light.
Go Ukrane, Go Georgia!

Posted by timrek10567 at 07:24 AM : Aug 20, 2008

Mighty brave talk from someone sitting back in an easy chair safely away from it all. What would YOU do to help them ....the same as what bush is doing?

[dimhumb]

"Russia is nothing more than a bunch of thugs. Always has been. Look at their behaviour since joining the rest of the "civilized" world.
Its a wonder they have fire and light.
Go Ukrane, Go Georgia!"
timrek

We have fire and light and electric bulbs yeah... But the article here depicts us in a such horrible way that I am sick myself at the image. No wonder there is no name under the article. No one wants to be a liar. In our (Russian) internet media all the articles have their author.

[timrek10567]

Russia is nothing more than a bunch of thugs. Always has been. Look at their behaviour since joining the rest of the "civilized" world.
Its a wonder they have fire and light.
Go Ukrane, Go Georgia!

[lewiston14]

"commandeered four Humvees" The hummers were not taken for the russian war machine. Some generals thought they would look cool parked in the driveway. I bet by now they look like brand new pennies all cleaned and shined up like a new OCC chopper. Spoils of war I guess.

[dimhumb]

""Russia Pulls Back But Flexes Muscle"

Which muscle? "
anon00

Russia goes home and flexes the muscle needed in peaceful life. Is it possible that you didn''t undestand?

[dimhumb]

A senior Chinese military officer suggested this week that the exercises were intended to bring Russia in to deter the United States from supporting Taiwan
underdogus87

Russia is Russia, not Russia-China, or Russia-India or any. Russia is Russia, China is China. China may say what it pleases. What is Russia''s opinion is another question. No one said Russia is against Taiwan, so there is no need to link Chinese military officer and Russia here.

[dimhumb]

"A senior Chinese military officer suggested this week that the exercises were intended to bring Russia in to deter the United States from supporting Taiwan if it moved toward independence and China responded with force. "
underdogus87

It casts shadow on Russia, but I don''t believe it is likely that Russia are seen as a supporter in such objectives as preventing any one from freedom (if it will be a people''s choice). Russia''s not a scarecrow. Stop suspecting the worst, please.

[underdogus87]

It''''s like their trying to write a script to a movie and using it in real life. whatever.... Posted by arrestbush1 ..go get your milk and cookies and go to bed, Everything will be alright......

[underdogus87]

''''For China, the real threat to national sovereignty, territorial integrity and the mission of national reunification is a large and powerful potential foe with high-tech weapons,'''' said Col. Lai Bin, of the People''s Liberation Army''s Academy of Military Sciences Beijing, apparently referring to the United States. ''''Carrying out training and exercises for this makes perfect sense.'''' His comments appeared in Asia Weekly, a mainland-controlled Chinese-language magazine published in Hong Kong.

[underdogus87]

A senior Chinese military officer suggested this week that the exercises were intended to bring Russia in to deter the United States from supporting Taiwan if it moved toward independence and China responded with force.

[underdogus87]

China and Russia Are Set to Begin Joint Military Exercises Today Wednesday, August 20, 2008

[metsobitso]

Bush saw the love light in Putin%u2019s eyes, and Putin saw the utter stupidity in Bush%u2019s says Humanavance.
This Bush %u2013 Putin relationship is going to end like the one with Pres Fox of Mexico. After it was all over, Fox said that George Bush was one of the dumbest people he ever met.

[boandco]

tbweb says expect more Russian mischief - Not only from Russia but from China and India as well. The US is like a shool yard bully that has gone around kicking everybody and they don''t kick back. Now the US has stayed the same and the other kids have grown up bigger. Expect a lot of adjustments in the coming years.