[dschapin]

I believe the 1,500 civilian dead are the numbers of S. Ossation civilians that the Seperatists and Russians are claiming have been killed by the Georgian military. I expect that the numbers of civilian dead are probably being vastly exagerated. However, to blaim these civilian deaths on the Russian troops is to completely misread the article.

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=246096

Russia plans to move naval ships toward Abkhazia: US

Published: 8/9/2008

WASHINGTON - Russia is planning to move parts of its Black Sea fleet towards Georgia's rebel Abkhazia region, a US State Department official said Saturday.

"We have been notified that Russia has plans to move elements of its Black Sea fleet to Abkhazia, to Ochamchira, ostensibly to protect their civilians ... a couple of cruisers, or large scale naval vessels," said the official, asking to remaining anonymous.

[ex-Texan]

You ought to have hit the link I provided. I'm not apologizing to dschapin or RusIvan for their pro-Putin attitudes . . . The facts are clear: Russia invaded Georgia . . . Not vice versa.

Reuters: Georgia's National Security Council accused Russian troops on Saturday of conducting"ethnic cleansing" in separatist South Ossetia, saying pulling out Georgian forces from the region would lead to more violence.

Asked whether Georgia had information that Russian forces were involved in ethnic cleansing, Kakha Lomaia, the National Security Council secretary, told a conference call:

"No doubt about that. Villages that fell under Russian invasion, those villages are being cleaned out. ... Pulling out our troops would lead to more ethnic cleansing by Russian troops."

After that Reuters report came out: Both sides are accusing the other Ergo they both are probably killing innocents to gain tactical advantage.

But Russia invaded Georgia !