Posted on 08/08/2008 12:47:46 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Night-time pictures of heavy shelling
Georgian forces and South Ossetian separatists have been exchanging heavy fire just hours after agreeing to a ceasefire and Russian-mediated talks.
Russian media reports said Georgia had launched a tank-led attack on the separatist stronghold of Tskhinvali, and airstrikes on rebel positions.
Georgia says it aims to finish "a criminal regime" and restore order.
At least 15 people are reported dead. Moscow called on the world community to work "to avert massive bloodshed".
At Russia's request, members of the UN Security Council are holding a rare emergency session to discuss a response to the escalating violence.
The BBC's Matthew Collin in Tbilisi says there has been a series of huge explosions and rocket fire in and around Tskhinvali.
Hundreds of fighters from Russia and Georgia's other breakaway region of Abkhazia are reportedly heading to aid the separatist troops.
'Perfidious step'
South Ossetian rebel leader Eduard Kokoity told Russia's Interfax news agency that Georgia had launched an all-out attack on the town of Tskhinvali, in what he called "a perfidious and base step".
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
HellzapoPPin’!
Looks like an interesting run up to the conventions lies ahead..
Georgia says to withdraw 1,000 soldiers from Iraq
"TBILISI, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Georgia will withdraw 1,000 soldiers from Iraq to help fight off Russian forces in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, the head of Georgia's Security Council, Kakha Lomaia, said on Friday.
"We have already communicated to our American friends that we are going to withdraw half our contingent of soldiers in Iraq within days because we are under Russian aggression," Lomaia told Reuters. "These are some of our best soldiers," he said. (Reporting by James Kilner; Editing by Sami Aboudi)
Wonder if some of Obama’s funds will be impacted....?
fyi
This does not look good.
Georgia did not anticipate it as they would not have taken a step like this if they have 2000 crack troops in Iraq.
This just might interrupt the Medal Count Race at the Chinese Olympics. Who knows maybe real news will dominate over the elections, and Paris Hilton.
Interesting...I wonder what, if anything, we’ll do to help the Georgians.
The powderkeg of the Caucasus...I wonder if the Dzugashvili family is involved... :)
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Russian-based news agency Irinform has released footage reportedly showing Russian tanks heading into South Ossetia, where Georgia is fighting separatists.
Exactly. The funny part is that the rah-rah-Russian boosters on other boards are blaming the Georgians on this.
Miraculously just minutes after the Georgians started their "unprovoked attack" the Russians already had heavy armor moving across the border into S. Ossetia to repel the invaders. Record time if you ask me.
Perhaps our troops are being used as human shields for some Georgian bases. :^(
Georgian jets bomb separatists
Georgian jets patrol the skies over South Ossetia and attack separatist positions.
Waiting for the MSM to get Obama’s opinion of what is going on and what should be done. They will never ask him though, not this close to the convention. Because if he makes another gaffe they would have time to cover it up.
should be - wouldn’t have time to cover it up.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Georgian troops of attacking Russian peacekeepers in South Ossieta.
Georgia 'would agree ceasefire'
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Georgia's president has said he is willing to agree an immediate ceasefire as the conflict with Russia and separatists in South Ossetia escalates.
Can someone knowledgeable about the area explain to me who are these "separatists" and what do they represent?
And are they trying to separate from Georgia? Why?
The Ossetians are believed to be descended from tribes which migrated into the area from Asia many hundreds of years ago and settled in what is now North Ossetia.
As the Russian empire expanded into the area in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Ossetians did not join other peoples of the North Caucasus in putting up fierce resistance. Some fought alongside the Russians against neighbours who had long been rivals, while others made the difficult journey south across the mountains to escape.
By tradition, the Ossetians have had good relations with Russians and were regarded as loyal citizens, first of the Russian empire and later of the Soviet Union. They sided with the Kremlin when Bolshevik forces occupied Georgia in the early 1920s and, as part of the carve-up which followed, the South Ossetian Autonomous Region was created in Georgia and North Ossetia was formed in Russia.
In the twilight of the Soviet Union, as Georgian nationalist Zviad Gamsakhurdia came to prominence in Tbilisi, South Ossetia too flexed its separatist muscles. Soviet forces were sent to keep the peace in late 1989 following violent clashes between Georgians and Ossetians in the capital, Tskhinvali. Violence flared again as South Ossetia declared its intention to secede from Georgia in 1990 and, the following year, effective independence.
The collapse of the USSR and Georgian independence in 1991 did nothing to dampen South Ossetia’s determination to consolidate the break with Tbilisi. Sporadic violence involving Georgian irregular forces and Ossetian fighters continued until the summer of 1992 when agreement on the deployment of Georgian, Ossetian and Russian peacekeepers was reached. Hundreds died in the fighting.
Political stalemate followed. Separatist voices became less strident during President Shevardnadze’s rule in Georgia. South Ossetia, its economy and infrastructure a shambles and crime rife, faded from the headlines. It returned to the foreground when Mikhail Saakashvili took the reins as president in Tbilisi.
He was quick to spell out his intention to bring breakaway regions to heel. He has offered South Ossetia dialogue and autonomy within a single Georgian state but that falls far short of what separatists demand.
It came as no surprise when South Ossetians voted overwhelmingly in favour of restating their demand for independence from Tbilisi in an unrecognised referendum in November 2006. A simultaneous referendum among the region’s ethnic Georgians voted just as emphatically to stay with Tbilisi. Compromise seems a long way off.
Tensions are never far from the surface and violence flares sporadically.
Russia still has peacekeeping troops in South Ossetia although the Georgian parliament has called for them to be replaced with an international force.
Russia maintains close contacts with the leadership in Tskhinvali where separatists welcome Moscow’s supportive stance. To Georgia’s deep annoyance, most South Ossetians have Russian passports and the Russian rouble is commonly used in trade.
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