Russia begins withdrawal from Gori - Tbilisi

Thomson Financial News ^

[maquiladora]

TBILISI (Thomson Financial) - Russian forces have begun withdrawing from the flashpoint Georgian city of Gori and have promised to leave there by 5:00 pm, (1300 GMT), a senior Georgian official told AFP Friday.

"Russian General (Vyacheslav) Borisov told me that the Russians will leave Gori today by 5:00 pm and that by 8:00 pm they will be in Java (in South Ossetia)," Georgian National Security Council Secretary Alexander Lomaia said by telephone from Gori.

"I can confirm that the Russians have already abolished two checkpoints in Gori and that 13 Russian armoured vehicles have left the city," he said.

[Girlene]

"I can confirm that the Russians have already abolished two checkpoints in Gori and that 13 Russian armoured vehicles have left the city," he said.

Does anybody believe anything these Russian generals or government officials say anymore?

[justa-hairyape]

Its just after 3 pm in Moscow and just after 4 pm in Georgia I believe.

[maquiladora]

I don’t think the Russians have any interest in hanging onto Gori anyway. It’s in places like Poti that they are going to remain.

[wolficatZ]

Gori blog..

http://www.rferl.org/content/Article/1191882.html

[justa-hairyape]

Thankfully they never got into Tbilisi. That would have been a huge humanitarian disaster. That city is very large. My guess is they are redeploying into a defensive posture to align with the arrival of US and NATO Frigate Humanitarian warships. How in the world will that aid get through if Russia has control of the road out of Poti and the main east west highway ? Will the ships dock in Batumai ?

[Girlene]

Thanks. Now that makes more sense.

[maquiladora]

Russian troops leave key Georgian town - Tbilisi

22 Aug 2008 11:01:26 GMT

Source: Reuters

GORI, Georgia, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Russian troops have left the key Georgian town of Gori and are pulling out from the surrounding areas, Georgian Security Council official Kakha Lomaia said on Friday.

[justa-hairyape]

Russia to boost Georgia forces 'if needed': general

Russia has the right to deploy extra forces in Georgia "if needed," a senior general said Friday as troops began to withdraw from swathes of the country. — AFP

[Girlene]

That's an interesting blog. According to the local reporter on August 21,

Major-General Vyacheslav Borisov, the man in charge of Russian troops in the area, ........"was quite drunk -- I was standing right next to him and I could smell it on him "

Amazing.

[wolficatZ]

August 21 -- 10:15 p.m. local time (6:15 p.m. GMT)

"..I saw something very important today -- photos of military bases that used to station Georgian forces prior to this war.

 

The artillery brigade base, for instance. Someone with an excellent camera and impressive zooming capabilities managed to photograph what these places look like now.

 

There are explosives everywhere – even wrapped around the walls. The buildings are mined, and it is perfectly possible to imagine that once the Russians have left, these bases will be blown up.

Again, I'm mostly talking about the artillery brigade base now because, as you are aware, the tank brigade base has already been bombed several times.

 

First, it was bombed by air, and then the Russians planted explosives there and then detonated them. All of this is part of their efforts to destroy Georgian military infrastructure."

 

http://www.rferl.org/content/Article/1191882.html

 

[justa-hairyape]

They still had hundreds of Russian troops around Gori.

Large Column Of Russian Troops Headed North For S Ossetia

OUTSIDE GORI, Georgia (AFP)--Twenty Russian military vehicles carrying hundreds of troops headed north Friday from near the Georgian city of Gori toward the separatist region of South Ossetia, an AFP reporter said.

[Girlene]

Yes, I read that. It seems they plan on blowing up the military bases once they leave. If the Russians were using these bases as temporary shelter, what a surprise it woule be if someone would blow them up BEFORE they left.

[justa-hairyape]

Got to run, but what a crazy couple of days. Russians are pulling out. Russians are Digging In. Russians are not Pulling Out. Russian Start Pull out. Those titles were being used on articles being released simultaneously. Talk about a schizophrenic foreign policy. I know a couple of Freepers have been posting that there must be a split in the Russian leadership. Looks like there is. The following article introduces the reader to the split. Article is old but recent.

EURASIA INSIGHT: IS A MEDVEDEV-PUTIN SPLIT BREWING?