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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50838

“Rice Expects Russian Troops to Withdraw From Georgia”

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2008

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Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50837

Military Humanitarian Mission in Georgia to Continue, Bush Says

By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2008 – The U.S. military flights that have delivered humanitarian assistance to Georgia this week will continue in the days ahead, President Bush said today.
American C-17 aircraft began delivering aid to Georgia Aug. 14 in the wake of attacks by Russian forces in two breakaway Georgian regions and other parts of the former Soviet republic.

“In recent days, U.S. cargo planes carrying humanitarian supplies have arrived in Georgia. In the days ahead, we will continue using U.S. aircraft and other assets as needed to deliver more humanitarian and medical supplies,” Bush said today in his weekly radio address.

As the humanitarian mission proceeds, Russia must honor its commitment to keep open all lines of communication and transport, including seaports, airports, roads, and airspace for civilian transit and the delivery of humanitarian assistance, the president added.

Bush, at his family ranch in Crawford, Texas, received briefings today from both Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who is overseeing the humanitarian mission, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice traveled to Crawford to discuss her recent diplomatic jaunt to the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, where she met with President Mikheil Saakashvili and his team.

During Rice’s trip, Saakashvili and Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev signed a six-point peace plan, which, in separate remarks there this morning, Bush hailed as an important development and a hopeful step.

“Now Russia needs to honor the agreement and withdraw its forces and, of course, end military operations,” he said in Crawford.

Rice soon will travel to Brussels, Belgium, where she will meet with the foreign ministers of America’s NATO allies and European Union officials to “continue to rally the free world in the defense of a free Georgia,” the president said.

Fighting that began in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia last week broadened to include Russian attacks on other parts of the country, including Abkhazia, another heavily separatist region. Russia contends that the heavily pro-Moscow breakaway regions may not belong within Georgia’s borders in the future, a stance that Bush characterized as “a major issue.”

“These regions are a part of Georgia, and the international community has repeatedly made clear that they will remain so,” Bush said. “Georgia is a member of the United Nations, and South Ossetia and Abkhazia lie within its internationally recognized borders.

“Georgia’s borders should command the same respect as every other nation’s,” he said.

The situation already was tense when Russian tanks and troops on Aug. 8 crossed the border into South Ossetia, where they were aided by regional separatists. Clashes escalated a day later in and around Tskhinvali, South Ossetia’s capital, as Russian aircraft were reported to have bombed that city and mounted attacks later in Abkhazia and other Georgian areas, fueling fears that Moscow would attempt to depose the democratically elected government in Tblisi.

“We will continue to stand behind Georgia’s democracy,” Bush said. “We will continue to insist that Georgia’s sovereignty and independence and territorial integrity be respected.”
Related Sites:
Transcript: President’s statement in Crawford, Texas
Transcript: President’s weekly radio address
Related Articles:
Cease-Fire Accord Specifies Russian Troop Withdrawal from Georgia
Humanitarian Assistance for Georgia Continues

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http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/globaldiplomacy/

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/08/20080816-3.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 16, 2008

“Remarks by Secretary Rice to the Travel Pool”
Prairie Chapel Ranch
Crawford, Texas

White House News
9:16 A.M. CDT

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Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/08/20080816-1.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 16, 2008

President Bush Discusses Situation in Georgia
Prairie Chapel Ranch
Crawford, Texas

Presidential Remarks
Audio
In Focus: Global Diplomacy
9:06 A.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I just had a briefing by my national security team on the latest updates — on the latest developments in Georgia. And there is some progress to report.

First of all, I want to thank Secretary of State Rice for her trip, and thank you for coming back here to Crawford to give me a firsthand briefing.

She went to Tbilisi, met with President Saakashvili and his team. And during that time, the President signed the six-point peace plan negotiated by President Sarkozy on behalf of the European Union. President Medvedev of Russia has now signed on to the terms of this agreement. And that’s an important development; it’s a hopeful step.

Now Russia needs to honor the agreement and withdraw its forces, and of course end military operations.

Secretary Rice will soon travel to Brussels, where she will meet with the foreign ministers of our NATO allies and EU officials to continue to rally the free world in the defense of a free Georgia.

This morning also was briefed by Secretary Gates on the U.S. military’s humanitarian mission to help the Georgian people recover from the trauma they have suffered. In recent days, military flights have landed in Georgia to provide relief supplies, and more will be arriving in the days ahead.

A major issue is Russia’s contention that the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia may not be a part of Georgia’s future. But these regions are a part of Georgia, and the international community has repeatedly made clear that they will remain so. Georgia is a member of the United Nations, and South Ossetia and Abkhazia lie within its internationally recognized borders. Georgia’s borders should command the same respect as every other nation’s.

There’s no room for debate on this matter. The United Nations Security Council has adopted numerous resolutions concerning Georgia. These resolutions are based on the premise that South Ossetia and Abkhazia remain within the borders of Georgia and that their underlying conflicts will be resolved through international negotiations. These resolutions are based on the premise that South Ossetia and Abkhazia are to be considered a part of the Georgian territory, and to the extent there’s conflicts they will be resolved peacefully.

These resolutions reaffirm Georgia’s sovereignty and independence and territorial integrity. Russia itself has endorsed these resolutions. The international community is clear that South Ossetia and Abkhazia are part of Georgia, and the United States fully recognizes this reality.

We will continue to stand behind Georgia’s democracy; we will continue to insist that Georgia’s sovereignty and independence and territorial integrity be respected.

Thank you very much.

END 9:10 A.M. CDT

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Note:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/08/20080816-1.html

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http://www.messenger.com.ge/

Note: The following news brief is a quote:

http://www.messenger.com.ge/issues/1670_august_15_2008/1670_news_in_brief.html

Friday, August 15
Parliament of Georgia ratifies decision to quit CIS

The Parliament of Georgia has passed a resolution calling for Georgia to withdraw from the Commonwealth of Independent States. The proposal received the unanimous support of all 117 Members voting.

The Members of Parliament also ratified unanimously an appeal to the Parliaments of friendly countries, in which the occupation of Georgia by Russia and large scale ethnic cleansing on the occupied territories were described chronologically. The appeal states that as a result of its actions against Georgia, Russia cannot be a mediator in the process of conflict resolution on Georgian territory. The appeal also calls for Russian Parliament delegations to be expelled from international parliamentary assemblies. (Black Sea Press)

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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3583278,00.html

“Source: Secret IDF material went unguarded in Georgia”

“Former Israeli soldier returns disillusioned from training Georgian soldiers for company owned by Brig.-Gen. Hirsch in preparation for war with Russia; says confidential army material such as charts, officers’ names was revealed to foreign troops”
Nava Tzuriel
Published: 08.16.08, 15:47 / Israel News

SNIPPET: “Tomer (alias), formerly a soldier of an elite IDF unit, returned from Georgia a short while ago. He was enlisted by Defensive Shield, a company owned and operated by Brigadier General (Res.) Gal Hirsch, to help train Georgian soldiers for battle, but returned disappointed in the manner in which the company handles secret army material.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “By keeping in touch with one of his soldiers, Tomer discovered that most of the men he had trained had indeed been killed in the war. “Some of them became good friends of mine and invited me into their homes. It’s hard to digest that these people have suddenly vanished from the face of the earth,” he lamented.”