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."

[patriot12436]

malhalaprin
And you think the Russians do not have equal capabilities to match or surpass ours ? This is an internal matter for them to settle. it would be the same if Japan invaded Guam, a U.S. territory, we would then have to take action to defend Guam, do you think then that China or Russia should involve themselgves in something like this?

[patriot12436]

insurgeon
I agree
Russia knows we are in no position financially to do anything and besides, Georgia started this war, not Russia. I think it is an internal matter to be settled without the intervention of the U.S.

[patriot12436]

toldyouso
I had a classmate in high school who was voted most likeley to end up in prison. Two months after graduation he was offered army or jail. He took army, went to vietnam, served 4 tours was highly decorated and ended up being an FBI agent, so sometimes it does turn peoples lives around.

[patriot12436]

toldyouso
I agree with your comment overall, but Sadaam''s sons were killed in a firefight with U.S. forces. At least they died like men, not crying when captured like their father.

[kenammons]

now the games begin. russia may very well sell iran more and more advanced weapons and veto further un sanctions over there nuclear program. the russians may very well sell chavez more and more advanced weapons in south america. both have plenty of oil money to buy with. russia may sell north korea spare parts and even newer aircraft and other items even at cheaper rates and help nk at the un. russia can sell indonesia and sudan and several others advanced weapons systems and cause all kinds of trouble because we got stupid and messed in there backyard. we cannot afford another cold war after littles george has spent trillions on his poorly ran wars

[eugale]

Censorship erases my message ... sorry

[toldyouso12]

LEWESTON14-ARE YOU NOT AWARE THAT THE US CAN OBLITERATE THE RUSSIAN SOLDIERS AND ARMAMENTS ON GEORGIAN SOIL WITH PINPOINT ACCURACY FIRING IT FROM THE US MAINLAND....
Posted by mahalapril at 05:10 PM : Aug 21, 2008


You show your gullibility and ignorance.Are you aware that for whatever high tech toy you THINK America has that the Russians have a counter measure? Are you aware that when anything is launched against them, it will instigate an instant retaliation. Do you know why it is called MAD? Mutually assured destruction? It''s not because America will be left standing unharmed.

Stop believing all the hype about our military hardware--it is so good, that a homemade bomb launched by a cell phone can take out our humvees and trucks--it is so effective that it took over 200 million pounds of bombs just to kill Saddam''s 2 sons. Talk about inefficient and wasteful. Billions just to kill 2 people? No wonder the war costs 300 million+ per day.

As for what we say our missiles can do or cannot do--reminds me of the Star wars program and the lies that went with it.

[toldyouso12]

Only a Fool would launch a Sneak Attack on a City full of Civilians and not expect a response. Only another FOOL would support a country guilty of Murdering Civilians in a Sneak Attack.


Posted by t_barr at 05:07 PM : Aug 21, 2008

[toldyouso12]

You people sure are eager for a major war, isn''''t Iraq big enough for you? Afghanistan is still going and growing, can''''t get your blood lust filled there? Morons.........

Posted by PVperson at 04:28 PM : Aug 21, 2008


It''s like a better video game or a movie or wanting a tougher sports contest--that is what spectators do--since they do none of the work and just watch--they constantly demand more and more while they sit and get fat. Here''s the deal--we''ll stop making wars when we, like Europe and the rest of the world, has war and devastation on our own soil. When what we do to others is finally done to us--the bombing, the occupation, the devastation--war will cease to be this abstract thing that arm chair warriors seek out.

[toldyouso12]

roy214 , WHAT your spelling SUCKS.....Posted by gobluesstl at 01:32 PM : Aug 21, 2008

CORRECTIONS:

It was''''''''nt the American intel. services that were saying Iraq had WMD''''''''s it was the BriTish . Yes (COMMA) we made the most of it . I personally believe we should have waited to attack Iraq. AT LEAST until we took Afghanistan . If you believe that the U.S. is the great LIAR then you are lost . You are the foolish ????? (INCONCLUSIVE). I''''''''m not saying that the U.S. is "all clear in this" (IMPROPER GRAMMAR) , but the RUSSIANS are much dirtier than we ever were .

IF YOU WANT TO CALL OTHERS RETARDED, OR CRITICIZE THEIR SPELLING, GET YOURSELF TOGETHER FIRST, OR BE REVEALED FOR THE FOOL THAT YOU EMBODY. (SNARK)

Posted by gobluesstl at 01:26 PM : Aug 21, 2008



[SIGH] WHY DO YOU CONS DO THIS TO YOURSELF? GLUTTONS FOR HUMILIATION VIA THE BOARDS? LMAO