Posted on 08/13/2008 12:03:48 PM PDT by Fred
Mideast edition, Thursday, August 14, 2008
ARLINGTON, Va. — President Bush has ordered the U.S. military to begin a humanitarian mission in Georgia.
"This mission will be vigorous and ongoing," Bush said Wednesday at the White House, adding that a U.S. C-17 aircraft with humanitarian supplies was on its way to Georgia.
Russian troops and tanks invaded the country last week in response to a Georgian offensive intended to retake the breakaway province of South Ossetia.
The Russian president later ordered Russian forces to halt their drive into Georgia, but it was unclear Wednesday whether Russian troops had moved further into the country.
On Wednesday, Bush said the U.S. military would use both aircraft and "naval forces" to deliver humanitarian assistance to Georgia.
"We expect Russia to honor its commitment to let in all forms of humanitarian assistance," Bush said. "We expect Russia to ensure that all lines of communication and transport, including seaports, airports, roads and airspace, remain open for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and civilian transit."
The Russians have been notified of the U.S. military’s intentions, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters on Wednesday.
The first C-17 with relief supplies was expected to land Wednesday in Georgia carrying medical supplies, bedding and shelter, and another flight is scheduled for Thursday, Whitman said.
He said the first flight came from Ramstein Air Base in Germany, but he did not have information on which unit the aircraft is with.
The supplies are being flown to the airport in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, which is still under the control of the Georgian government, he said.
Whitman also did not have any information on what naval forces might be involved with the mission, noting that a humanitarian assistance team was headed to Georgia to determine the scope of Georgia’s needs.
"We’re going to continue to look at a wide range of assistance options that are available to us," he said.
Asked if officials were considering a peacekeeping mission to Georgia, Whitman replied: "That’s not something I have anything for you on. That would originate somewhere else."
Also Wednesday, Bush announced that he was dispatching Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to France and Tbilisi to "continue our efforts to rally the free world in the defense of a free Georgia."
Bush said he was concerned by reports that Russian units had taken and blockaded the Georgian port city of Poti and destroyed Georgian vessels as well as taken positions that would allow them to block a main highway in that country and threaten Tbilisi.
He said Russia’s actions raise "serious questions" about its intentions in Georgia and elsewhere, saying Russia needed to help bring an end to hostilities to repair the damage it has done to its relationship with the United States and other countries.
"We expect Russia to meet its commitment to cease all military activities in Georgia, and we expect all Russian forces that entered Georgia in recent days to withdraw from that country," he said.
Bush spent the morning meeting with his national security team in the White House Situation Room, the nerve center for monitoring international developments. He talked by telephone with Georgia’s embattled president, Mikhail Saakashvili and with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who traveled to both Tbilisi and Moscow and is leading a European Union initiative to bring about peace there.
The administration and its allies are debating ways to punish Russia for its invasion of Georgia, including expelling Moscow from an exclusive club of wealthy nations — the G-7 — and canceling an upcoming joint NATO-Russia military exercise.
Bush loves the Georgians almost as much as I do.
Now who’s the judo champ?
Hope the supplies include TOW missles; javelins; ammo, etc.
Well how about that? The ol poker player had one more up his sleeve.
Excellent.
I’m proud of him today.
Somebody just pootypooted their pants.
Me too. I am so proud of him today.
I just got a phone call from Tbilisi and many large planes have come with aid. Tents for the people of Gori, medical staff, and more.
And I know more but I cannot say, or probably shouldn't post it here.
But I am happy, and thank you President Bush!!!!
Why? The Georgians aren’t going to resume the fight.
Again you are falling the the gibberish that Russia was going to take the whole of Georgia. If you think that Russia was going to take and occupy Tiblisi then think again.
I did at one point believe that. They were bombing very close on the perimeter.
Never hurts to beef up the stocks.
Excellent photo! Do you ever see Putin championing democracy? NO
I hope that we gave the Georgians some toys to play with (Javelins, Stingers, some Green Beret assistance, ect)...
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