Posted on 08/18/2008 10:35:30 AM PDT by Schnucki
Russian forces were today seen strengthening their positions in the city of Gori, despite assurances that they had started to withdraw troops from Georgia under a French-brokered peace plan.
"The pull-out of peacekeeping forces started today," Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of staff of Russia's military, told a daily official briefing in Moscow.
However in Gori, 55 miles west of the capital, Tbilisi, Russian forces showed no sign of leaving and appeared to be digging in. The only movement seen by Associated Press reporters was in the opposite direction from Russia — toward the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.
In the afternoon, four Russian armoured personnel carriers, each carrying about 15 men, went from Gori to Igoeti, a crossroads town even closer to Tbilisi. Passing some Georgian soldiers sitting by the roadside, the Russians moved into Igoeti then turned off onto a side road.
The US has called an emergency meeting of Nato for tomorrow to discuss the alliance's response to Russia and the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, is flying to Europe today for the event.
Mikheil Saakashvili, the Georgian president, switched to a conciliatory tone, calling for talks after Moscow said it would withdraw troops. Saakashvili had previously denounced Russians as "21st-century barbarians" after they routed Georgian forces sent in to re-annex Georgia's breakaway province of South Ossetia.
"I appeal to you that after your armed forces leave Georgian territory, to start serious thinking and discussions about further negotiations, a further search for ways [to conduct] relations in order not to sow discord between our countries for good," Saakashvili said.
Russian forces are supposed to leave Georgian territory today under a truce brokered by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Western countries have warned the Kremlin of unspecified consequences unless it fulfils its pledge.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
it may be an occupation
until saakashvilli leaves office.
IMHO, they aren’t going to leave. They haven’t been given a reason yet. They will now begin to negotiate their withdrawal based on promise that Ukraine, Georgia, etc. must remain “non-aligned” outside of NATO, based on the Austrian and Finnish models.
NATO = worthless
EUROPE = spineless
....doesn’t look good for Georgia.
But the military forces, that's another story - they stay!
The Russians are Liars
The World needs to rally behind Georga
Cut off Russia, Embargo, and Sanction.
Crank up the pressure harder and faster.
I expected to see Captain Obvious here...
...and the UN? You forgot them.
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