Russian troops withdraw from Georgian port

Reuters via Irish Times ^ | September 13, 2008

[Schnucki]

Russian troops withdrew from Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti today, in adherence to a deadline set for the first phase of a withdrawal brokered by France.

Troops in armoured personnel carriers and trucks were observed withdrawing from positions on the outskirts of Poti. Russian forces hold other positions on the way to the nearby town of Senaki but were seen as they prepared to leave yesterday.

Russia sent forces deep into Georgia last month after repelling an attempt by Tbilisi to retake the breakaway, pro-Russian South Ossetia region.

On Monday, Moscow agreed to withdraw its troops from Georgia's heartland within a month but there was no commitment to scale back its military presence in South Ossetia and another separatist region, Abkhazia.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, mediating on behalf of the European Union, secured the pullback from undisputed Georgian territory during talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Moscow's intervention in Georgia, home to pipelines carrying oil and gas from the Caspian Sea to world markets that are favoured by the West because they bypass Russia, drew widespread international condemnation.

Russia has said it would station about 7,600 troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, both of which the Kremlin recognised last month as independent states.

[Jmouse007]

It is all window dressing until they unblock the main road from Poti to the capital. Russias multiple "check points"/illegal road blocks pose a direct threat to getting anything from the port of Poti inland with out it being prevented or more likely STOLLEN. Until they are completely gone, and ALL of Russias troops are removed from Georgia I do not trust a word that is coming out of Moscow because Putin and his sock puppet Medved are liars.

The only reason Putty pute is doing this is because Russia's stock market is in free fall and the West and anyone with half a brain is pulling their investment capital out of Russia as soon as possible before the wonderful "State" decides it wants to confiscate their assets.

[Carley]

This withdrawal was no doubt Bush’s fault.