Russia Stakes Out Stronghold In Georgia

Day Before Promised Withdrawal, Russians Dig Major Fortifications In Key Parts Of Country

(CBS/ AP)  Russian forces dug trenches and built long-term fortifications in some key areas of Georgia on Thursday, yet rolled columns of tanks north toward home and elsewhere, picking and choosing with military precision exactly how their nation would comply with the terms of an EU-brokered peace accord.

Although Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has promised that his forces would pull back from Georgia by Friday, Russian troops appeared to be in no hurry - even settling down in strategic spots - raising concerns about whether Moscow is aiming for a lengthy occupation of its small, pro-Western neighbor.

The war in a small country straining to escape Moscow's influence has sent tensions between Russia and the West to some of their highest levels since the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union. NATO, Moscow's Cold War foe, said Thursday it had received a note from Moscow announcing that Russia is halting military cooperation with the trans-Atlantic alliance.

Russian forces took up positions Thursday at the entrance to Georgia's main Black Sea port city of Poti, excavating trenches, setting up mortars and blocking a key bridge with armored personnel carriers and trucks. Another group of APCs and trucks were positioned in a nearby wooded area.

An AP cameraman was threatened by armed Russian troops near Poti on Thursday, who stripped his video from his camera.

Russian troops also controlled the central Georgian city of Gori and the village of Igoeti, about 30 miles west of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. Both are along Georgia's main east-west highway.

Russian soldiers were digging permanent structures, building high earthen berms and stringing barbed wire in at least three spots on the road between Gori and Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital.

Nonetheless, a top Russian general said troops were moving out in accordance with the EU-brokered peace deal.

"The pullback of Russian forces is taking place at such a tempo that by the end of August 22 they will be in the zones of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers," Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the deputy head of the general staff, said Thursday in Moscow.

Some Russian troops and military vehicles were on the move Thursday, including 21 tanks an AP reporter saw heading toward Russia from inside the separatist province of South Ossetia.

Columns of heavy weaponry - including tanks, armored personnel carriers and trucks - were also seen moving in both directions on the road from Gori to Tskhinvali.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner hailed the report of tank movements as a positive step.

"We are waiting ...for the Russians to respect their word," Kouchner told reporters in Paris. "We waited twice with dashed hopes. This time, it appears that there is at least the beginning of a fulfillment."

But in Washington, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said the moves appeared cosmetic.

"There has not been much evidence of any significant Russian withdrawals. There have been what I would call some minimal movements to date," he said.

Speaking from Crawford, Texas, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe reiterated the sentiment, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

He warned “there will be further consequences to Russia’s actions - there’s no doubt about it. But Russia has already begun to suffer some of the consequences of their actions in their continued reluctance to adhere to the withdrawal plan only further isolates them."

Outside Tskhinvali, several ethnic-Georgian villages were burning Thursday many days after fighting had ended and bore evidence of destruction from looting. Some Ossetians in the area said they were not prepared to live side-by-side with Georgians anymore.

"It's not they, it's we who will erase them from the face of earth," said Alan Didurov, 46.

An EU-sponsored cease-fire says both Russian and Georgian forces must move back to positions held before fighting broke out Aug. 7 in South Ossetia, which has close ties to Russia.

The agreement also says Russian forces can work in a so-called "security zone" that extends 4.3 miles into Georgia from South Ossetia and another security zone along the border with Abkhazia, another separatist Georgian region.

Poti, however, is far from any permitted zone for Russians 20 miles south of Abkhazia and 95 miles west of South Ossetia.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili called Russia's actions "some kind of deception game."

"(The Russians) are making fun of the world," he told the Associated Press late Wednesday.

Several thousand people rallied Thursday in the Abkhazian capital of Sukhumi to demand the region be recognized as independent, and a similar rally took place in Tskhinvali. Renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, who is Ossetian, was to lead a requiem concert for the dead in the devastated central square there Thursday night, part of an effort to win international sympathy and support for Russia's argument that its invasion of Georgia was justified.

Russian officials, including Medvedev, have suggested Moscow may recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent. Western leaders have stressed that Georgia must retain its current borders.

Despite the EU peace accord, Nogovitsyn said Georgia has ``no moral right'' to return its soldiers to South Ossetia and said Russia will build 18 checkpoints in the security cordon around the province.

In a move sure to heighten tensions, a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer loaded with humanitarian aid was heading to Georgia on Thursday through Turkey's straits.

It was the first of three U.S. Navy ships that will carry supplies such as blankets, hygiene kits and baby food to Georgia. The Turkish straits, Dardanelles and Bosporus, are the only naval passage possible between the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

The three ships include the guided destroyer USS McFaul; the coast guard cutter Dallas and the command ship USS Mount Whitney.

Paul Farley, a spokesman for the Souda Bay U.S. naval base in Crete, said all three ships were expected to reach Georgia "within the next week." He did not give their exact destination.

The United States has also delivered aid to Tbilisi on 20 flights since Aug. 19.

About 80,000 people displaced by the fighting are in more than 600 centers in and around Tbilisi. The United Nations estimates 158,000 people in all fled their homes in the last two weeks - some south to regions around Tbilisi, some north to Russia.

In the Georgian town of Kaspi, 25 miles west of Tbilisi, volunteers for the World Food program put together packets of pasta, wheat flour, oil and bread for refugees from Gori and South Ossetia. One older women fainted after standing in line at the distribution center.

Many Georgians were too afraid to return to a Russian-occupied area.

"We always loved Russians, but the thing they are doing now is that they are ruining everything, terrorizing people, killing, looting," said refugee Zhuzhuna Gogidze. "We do not want our enemies here."

In Russia, some of the estimated 37,000 refugees there complained that government aid has been slow in coming.

"I was hoping Russia would help me," said Frosia Besayeva, 30, as she waited with her two small children for humanitarian aid in Beslan, Russia. "But so far we haven't seen anything except for promises."

[tapsettle]

The invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq have stretched perilously thin Americas military strength and international credibility, at a time when oil-rich Russia is re-emerging as a superpower. The US can do nothing and Russia knows it. It is payback time for Putin and Bush fully deserves this humiliation.

[jmurrieta1]

"South Ossetia is recognized internationally as part of Georgia, but Russia says the future of the province is up to provincial leaders. President Bush and other Western leaders have stressed that Georgia must retain its current borders."


It''s regrettable that Russia reacted so predictably to this war initiated by John McCain''s operatives in Georgia (Gruziya), but the press overlooks that Georgia took the first aggressive military action against citizens of South Ossetia.

And why shouldn''t those citizens have the same rights of self-determination as the citizens of Georgia. Georgia was for decades essentially part of Russia. The South Ossetians don''t want to be part of Georgia, which discriminates against them racially.

It''s rather like the takeover of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein when Sakashvili invaded, with Russia playing the role the US played in kicking Saddam out.

But you''ll never hear that story from the hand-licking US press!

[petro49l]

Why should Poland get the same deal that Georgia is getting from the Russians? Poland is a beautiful country. United States Congress must not allow George W. Bush to fill it with defensive and offensive missiles. The Russians will attack that base with thermo-nuclear warheads. Bush is simply forcing a nuclear exchange.

[misha128-2009]

7 years of an administration that had no use for diplomacy and when diplomacy is really needed we have no competence to execute -- Heck of a job -- George and Condi. Diplomacy failed to achieve the benchmarks in Iraq negotiating the inclusion of the dreaded "Time Line of Failure" in the already delayed SOFA that must be signed before the end of the year and the expiration UN Authorization that protects troops. Diplomacy is failing in Georgia. The Russians have agreed to leave by three or more deadlines yet they are still there.

[jmurrieta1]

This is such a nice, convenient war for John McCain.

It''s almost like he had a hand in starting it!

Could it be . . . ?

[coco0331]

In total control, any questions?

[underdogus87]

Would someone please drop a nuke on these Commie''''s A$$#$!?!Posted by rusty9j what are you smoking? they have 144,000 missiles pointing at YOUR ARSS!! blabbering imbecile!

[underdogus87]

six-seis-six callate guey! empiesa a colectar botes de comida y agua he,he

[underdogus87]

BREAKING NEWS:Russia military not quitting Georgia

AP and Reuters
Thursday, 21 August 2008

Russia''s military has no plans to leave Georgia''s breakaway region of South Ossetia or the buffer zone around it, a senior Russian military official said today.

"We are not planning to leave anywhere...," Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian military''s General Staff, told a news conference, when asked if the Russian military would remain in South Ossetia and the surrounding zone.

[underdogus87]

six seis you will glow in the dark he,he It may not be a bad time to restock your cupboards and check your water supplies

[underdogus87]

The future of America looks bleak,their currencies will become worthless, property prices will collapse businesses will fail, disease will become wide spread farmers without the money to purchase fuel and chemicals will no longer have the ability to mass produce food. Starvation and anarchy will prevail,there will be little their governments can do to save their people from death and destruction...

[micma-2009]

If Bush hadn''t bogged us down with his Iraq boondoggle perhaps he wouldn''t be so impotent in the face of a real threat.

lol!

[credibility2]

The US needs to immediately re-assert itself as the dominant global power, instead of allowing Russia to be the bullies of the Western World. Russia is deliberating attempting to egg-on the rest of the world while it plays its game of take-back. Let''s drop a few to scare them into their place, where they belong.

[sepa2]

The future of America looks bleak,their currencies will become worthless, property prices will collapse businesses will fail, disease will become wide spread farmers without the money to purchase fuel and chemicals will no longer have the ability to mass produce food. Starvation and anarchy will prevail,there will be little their governments can do to save their people from death and destruction...

Posted by underdogus87 at 09:36 AM : Aug 21, 2008
Then half of the world will be hungry too.

[shazam115]

America is too chicken to do anything about russia....yankees and there lecchy slimey state of missrael are only good for bulling weak nations ......

[micma-2009]

If Bush hadn''t bogged us down with his Iraq boondoggle perhaps he wouldn''t be so impotent in the face of a real threat.



lol!

[shazam115]

Sissy congress giving free hand to this drunken chimpanzee bushy to take the country down into the gutters are totally responsible for debacle.....cream pelosi a-ss....

[shazam115]

Sissy congress giving free hand to this drunken chimpanzee bushy to take the country down into the gutters are totally responsible for this debacle.....cream pelosi a-ss....


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

Posted by shazam115 at 10:17 AM : Aug 21, 2008
+ report

[ugot2bfree]

This Administration, Bush and Cheney are money mad. Anyone with half a wit could have predicted Russia''s reaction to our fiddling at their border. You think if Russia put antiballistic missiles in Cuba we would not do more than just talk. We just last month had over a 1000 marines in Georgia. At the time of the vicious attack on South Ossetia by Georgia, Israel had more than 1000 military consultants in Georgia.
There are 3 reasons for this insanity with Russia. 1. It is great to have the Cold War back - our Industrial Military Complex is squealin like a pig. 2. The possible oil pipeline that Cheney and his people are drooling over. 3. Israel needs to destabilize Russia because they are the major power in the way of their domination of the Middle East. After all Russia is helping Iran build a nuclear power plant and has been one of the main Security Council members blocking the US attempt to justify a military strike.
Our support of the mad man of Georgia is going to go down as probably even a greater blunder than invading Iraq. Already Russia is talking to Syria about expanding their naval port in Syria and adding another one. Russia has big mountains of US dollars and they have plenty of Oil. We on the other hand, since the last 8 years of Bush, have no dollars and are close to bankruptcy. But of course Bush, Cheney and their friends are doing fine. They sure knew how to rob us. To all you who plann to vote for McCain. Think before you leap.

[cozzicon]

"The US needs to immediately re-assert itself as the dominant global power, instead of allowing Russia to be the bullies of the Western World. Russia is deliberating attempting to egg-on the rest of the world while it plays its game of take-back. Let''''s drop a few to scare them into their place, where they belong."-- Posted by Credibility2

What are we going to do? Call them bad names?

I think (And have been doing so for some time) we are essentially screwed, as are the eastern European nations.

We have no armed forces to back up anything. We over extended- because our president is incompetent, our people are lackadaisical and refuse to impeach, and we allowed a power vacuum in the world by engaging in frivolous (and quite possibly illegal) military activity.

Now, back in the day, Reagan once said "Trust but Verify". He also never committed our forces to anything that left us toothless.

The same can be said for the Democrat presidents since Kennedy.

So a reasonable person might conclude that we made this situation for ourselves. Or rather our president made this situation.

He looked into Putin''s eyes and saw into his soul. Or so he said.

For the love of God, hasn''t anyone noticed that THIS president actually ENDORSED Putin?

We should have woken up in 2004. We''re going to pay now- how much depends on what the next president does:

That is assuming that war doesn''t break out before the election and Bush refuses to leave office.

[d33pthroat1]

Posted by whatwhy001 at 09:39 AM : Aug 21, 2008

May be Russia was never a strong ally. But after the Soviet Union breakup, it was quietly minding its own business. The cold war was over.


However, the Bush and co. werent satisfied with that.
They thrive on the possibility of war because it brings power over people and profits into the bank.

The US took provocative actions against Russia under the guise of bringing economic help and democracy to the breakwaway republics. Even with the Soviet Union dissolved, the US started expanding NATO into these former Republics that surround Russia.

Such actions meant US still treated Russia as the bad guy and totally distrusted it. Surrounding Russia with American-controlled neighbors only gives the impression to Russia that American considers it still an enemy. Won''t this rile Russia?

And, you think Georgia could have dared attack Russia on its own? Georgia was fully supported by the Americans morally and militarily.

Bush and Co. have constantly belittled and antagonized Russia in other issues. A good example is going forward with Poland missiles totally disregarding Rusia''s concerns. It is the Americans who have treated Russia as an enemy and a non-entity while pretending to be allies.

It was only a matter of time before Russia said enough is enough.

[shazam115]

Exactly misrael misrael must be wiped of the face of the earth and all those Aipc thugs must be arrested in america and placed in oven camps for sucking the blood of american people for the sake of misrael.....

[nolalou]

The US needs to immediately re-assert itself as the dominant global power, instead of allowing Russia to be the bullies of the Western World. Russia is deliberating attempting to egg-on the rest of the world while it plays its game of take-back. Let''''s drop a few to scare them into their place, where they belong.
Posted by Credibility2

Oh that''s a great idea, drop a few bombs on a country with nuclear weapons! What are you crazy? We have to face the fact that these is no easy answer to this mess, and there is blame to go around. We encouraged the Georgian president, and he moved his troops into a disputed area. Yes, Russia took undo advantage of the situation, but ''dropping a few'' could start a major war with Russia! We can barely handle Afghanistan and Iraq!

[underdogus87]

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Polish counterpart signed a deal to build an American missile defense base in Poland. Last week, a top Russian general warned Poland was risking an attack, possibly a nuclear one, by developing the base.


"It''s 2008, and the United States has a ... firm treaty guarantee to defend Poland''s territory as if it was the territory of the United States," Rice said. "So it''s probably not wise to throw these threats around."

[underdogus87]

Let''''''''s drop a few to scare them into their place, where they belong.
Posted by Credibility2...what the hell are you inhaling?

[eddom949]

It''s the Gulag in South Ossetia!

[shazam115]

Posted by shazam115 at 10:17 AM : Aug 21, 2008

That chimpanzee, he takey one more drinkey and turn into Gorilla and give you big nightmare''''y right up the behind''''y. Shazam: Arab word for likey up the backy sidey.


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

Posted by whatwhy001

NAH donkey a-ss ...that delusional chimpanzee taken a one more drinkey and turn into to gorilly....and taking it up the sh-it holy .....and giving me such a wonderful dreamy....while me reamy an creamy your buttt hole to steamy missy climaxcy.....lol

[shazam115]

F off sub human terror salami....punk

[underdogus87]

BREAKING NEWS:Oil prices jumped above $119 Thursday as rising antagonism with Russia underscored the possibility it could affect energy shipments from the world''s second-largest oil producer.

[jgg000]

The future of America looks bleak,their currencies will become worthless, property prices will collapse businesses will fail, disease will become wide spread farmers without the money to purchase fuel and chemicals will no longer have the ability to mass produce food. Starvation and anarchy will prevail,there will be little their governments can do to save their people from death and destruction...

Posted by underdogus87 at 09:36 AM : Aug 21, 2008

my hunch is that your anti-depressants haven''t kicked-in yet. You must be a lot of fun at parties!

[bigwhtpony]

You are so filled with hate, you can''''t think straight. Posted by whatwhy001 at 11:06 AM : Aug 21, 2008

That''s all these bedwetting libs have. Ba-ba-ba-Bush lied and pa-pa-pa-people died. A subhuman, pathetic lot.

[underdogus87]

The weakening U.S. dollar, a fall in U.S. gasoline inventories and a possible output tightening by OPEC at its next meeting in September all helped push prices higher. (CNN)

[lochlan-2009]

What if you liquidate (plunder) the richest country in the world, and transfer all its cash to corporate and government elite through government contracts, investments, and kickbacks. Then these people flee the country (with huge wealth), and Bush and friends puts us in the middle of a major war with somebody like Iran or Russia, so to occupy us with defending ourselves rather than having the time to focus our attention on catching his organised crime ring.

What is the penalty for a treasonous president?

[underdogus87]

jgg000 go get your milk and cookies and go to bed, everything will be alright.....

[lochlan-2009]

That''s all these bedwetting libs have. Ba-ba-ba-Bush lied and pa-pa-pa-people died. A subhuman, pathetic lot.

Posted by bigwhtpony

Sure would be nice if you could take the place of one of those people murdered by Bush and Co.. Then you could be proud, and so would we, that you died for the Bush Regime profiteers.

[screan_name]

Oil prices drop...Bush picks a fight with Iran and they go back up.

Oil prices drop...Bush picks a fight with Russia and they go back up again.

[vietnam21]

Go Navy....

The guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul departed from Crete Wednesday loaded with humanitarian relief supplies for war-torn Georgia, a US defense official said.
"It''s going into the Black Sea and the intent is for it to be able to deliver those (supplies) in the next week," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

[condumbism]

Georgia started this mess, while the belligerent Republicon Fascists are getting involved in yet another countries personal affairs. The Republicon Fascists, Americas party of phony Christians and devil worshippers.

[missingamerica]

That''s all these bedwetting libs have. Ba-ba-ba-Bush lied and pa-pa-pa-people died. A subhuman, pathetic lot.

Posted by bigwhtpony at 11:09 AM : Aug 21, 2008

SUBHUMAN: adjective

1) below the human race in development; less than human

lolll..sense being human is defined by our ability to form societies and thus civilizations, it would seem to me that individuals who prefer to make war in order to steal oil - or worse, those who manipulate other nations into sacrificing their young for them - are in fact the "subhumans".

I.e., neocons and Republicans are much less "human" than the rest of us...

[middleman8]

When are the people going to get some balls and tell the dry drunk and his nanny to get to hell out of world affairs before they start a nuklar warh.

[jmurrieta1]

The question about the extent to which McCain and his operatives provoked the Russia-Georgia conflict really needs to be probed. We had a brief flurry of coverage in the press about a "conflict of interest" due to one of McCain''s campaign big-wigs having received over $800,000 to lobby for Saakashvili''s government, but that misses the point.

The point is: did John McCain deliberately encourage Saakashvili to initiate the military action against the civilians of South Ossetia, with his attack on Tskhinvali, in order to (1) make John McCain look good, and (2) set the stage to benefit the oil companies who want control of a Baku pipeline.

It seems like more than coincidence that Saakashvili''s aggression took place while both Bush and Obama were on vacation, allowing maximum scope for "Cold War John" to rush into the limelight as the hero of the day.

It also set the stage for an escalation of tensions in that region that benefits John McCain politically, as well as putting the US Navy in direct conflict with Russian Black Sea forces.

Is there a real reporter out there who could possibly look into this issue?

It would be a pretty significant indication of how John McCain warmongers to benefit his patrons (oil companies and neocons) and to increase his chances of being the next US president (benefitting oil companies and neocons).

We want to hear what really happened.

[condumbism]

Posted by middleman8
When are the people going to get some balls and tell the dry drunk and his nanny to get to hell out of world affairs before they start a nuklar warh.

Americans have been passive, sef-centered fools for several decades. John McCain is also a dry drunk, and now he leads in most polls against the better candidate Barack. America today is no different than Nazi Germany was in 1938.

[missingamerica]

The bottom line is we need to break the back of our addiction to oil.

Remove oil from the equation, and how many current conflicts would be on-going?

[talkingham]

Jmurr, investigative journalists are only allowed to investigate liberal media stars and sexual predators. This feeds the corporate media''s ratings obsession because America loves to hear about *** and *** people.

McCain operatives, what kind of language is that to use in an election year? You''re probably right, McCain, Bush and Rice have given the Georgian Republic just enough rope to hang itself and set the stage for a new Cold War. Hopefully it stays cold because we''d have to go nuke since all of our forces have been depleted in useless contrived neocon oil-based conflicts in the name of terrorism.

[lochlan-2009]

You mean one of those people that would willingly slit the throat of American Airlines flight attendant? Or one who wants to have every American woman wearing a headscarf?

Posted by whatwhy001

No, no. I''m not talking about the Saudi terrorists, of course we''re not really after them, are we. They were the excuse we needed to lie us into war for big oil and the war profiteers. I''m talking about the American Soldier or the Iraqi citizen who had nothing to do with your cowardice and f-f-fear.

As for, "Or one who wants to have every American woman wearing a headscarf?"
I think your tinfoil hat is slipping.

[gopack443]

Not to fear, W is sending troops to Atlanta!

[condumbism]

whatwhy001

Barack falling in the polls because you Rrepubicon Fascists are running on nothing except unsubstantiated lies! YOu lower thatn life jinGOPigs are clearly the same as the Nazis of 1938.

[condumbism]

Vietnam Civil War Terrorist John McCain dropped bombs on innocent civilians. Look up the definition of "terrorist" and you will see that John McCain once was, and likely always will be a terrorist, same as the neocon cult members in the White House today.

[lochlan-2009]

Bet you''''d even like to elect a crack smoker as President.

Posted by whatwhy001

You must be confusing me with your Lord Bush, the guy who we all know, and has admitted to, having used cocaine.

[lochlan-2009]

Haven''t heard yet that he was dealing? You will soon.

Posted by whatwhy001

Back to my previous comment, your tinfoil hat is slipping.