Georgia Calls For Cease Fire, But Putin Expands The War To Yet Another Province
Georgia’s leader is calling for an immediate cease-fire in the breakaway region of South Ossetia, as reports come in that fighting has spread to another disputed region.
President Mikhail Saakashvili called for an end to the fighting Saturday, shortly before getting approval from the Georgian parliament to declare martial law.
At the same time, officials reported Russian warplanes hit targets in the breakaway region of Abkhazia.
Like South Ossetia, Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia in the early 1990s. Georgia has vowed to bring both territories back under central government control.
Georgian soldiers evacuate their base after a Russian bombardment in Gori, 80 km (50 miles) from Tbilisi, August 9, 2008.
Much of Saturday’s fighting has been concentrated around the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali, which both Russian and Georgian forces claim to control. Witnesses say all that is left in the city are smoldering ruins, with bodies lying in the streets.
Russian warplanes have tried to stem the flow of Georgian forces into South Ossetia, bombing military and civilian targets in the Georgian town of Gori, not far from the border.
Reports from the area say some bombs have hit homes and apartment buildings, and that civilians have been killed.
Russia confirms two of its planes have been shot down since fighting erupted.
Fighting intensified early Saturday after Russian President Dmitri Medvedev sent more troops to the breakaway region, saying the move was needed to protect civilians and force a cease-fire.
Russian officials say at least 1,500 people have died in the fighting and that more than 30,000 have fled.
Both sides have accused each other of “ethnic cleansing.”
A Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman, Shota Utiashvili, has accused Russia of carrying out airstrikes on Georgian military bases not far from the capital of Tblisi. He also said Russian airplanes bombed the Black Sea port city of Poti, which is home to key oil shipping facilities.
The Georgian national flag is seen amidst smoke rising from buildings after bombardment in Gori, 80 km (50 miles) from Tbilisi, August 9, 2008. Russia said it had driven Georgian forces from the capital of South Ossetia on Saturday as part of an operation to force Georgia to accept peace in its breakaway region.
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Georgia needs to step it up… :beer::twisted::gun:
August 9th, 2008 at 7:49 amreminds me of hungry in 1957..
August 9th, 2008 at 7:52 amHere is a link to a site inside Georgia that is reporting news of the war.
August 9th, 2008 at 8:00 amhttp://www.aboutgeorgia.net/
They just reported that Russia has lost 40 tanks and that Georgian forces have downed 10 Soviet aircraft.
there will be no cease fire. this is just the beginning
August 9th, 2008 at 8:29 amResponse to Mike W.
Great site, but it sounds a bit like the al Qeada in Iraq guys claiming “We have killed scores of infidels today and destroyed 10 US tanks…….”
All the video I’ve seen so far looks like Russia is pounding the crap out of Georgia troops and civilians.
This is very bad.
August 9th, 2008 at 9:35 amFuck it! Lets get this shit over with already.
CRUSADES!
August 9th, 2008 at 9:44 amI read the report about the 40-30 tanks the other day. If true that would be nearly a 1/3rd of the Russian invasion tank force which I saw estimates at 150 early on.
August 9th, 2008 at 9:48 amI think we should back up Georgia, at least with air power. Properly utilized air support could turn the tide of this thing.
August 9th, 2008 at 9:54 amI know Georgia has American weapons, but does anyone know what they have in their arsenal? TOWs Hellfires AT4s aircraft?
August 9th, 2008 at 10:01 amI know Georgia has American weapons, but does anyone know what they have in their arsenal? TOWs Hellfires AT4s aircraft?
———————
Not sure how accurate this is:
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/gg-georgia/mil-military
August 9th, 2008 at 10:07 amwhat georgia needs is Javelins, Stingers, and Patriots … we got plenty of RPG7s and russian made ATGMs … as far as 40 tanks go i think its about right +/- 10 pieces , after all we are fighting with them for a whole day now, somebody has to be lying, we are holding our positions and they havent advanced at all, and given their “great experience” in chechnya where they lost about 400 tanks in those years, this number of -30-40 tanks could be right, remember that the US Army/Marines trained georgian army and this is a mountainous region, tanks cant form a formation or spread out, they are concentrated in one gourge or on a single road…but yea we do need some help with air defence means
August 9th, 2008 at 10:14 am“Cette thèse (interférence US en Géorgie) était en général envisagée ces dernières semaines à Bruxelles, dans les milieux européens, d’une façon informelle et à l’abri des regards indiscrets. Après avoir longtemps craint une attaque de l’Iran comme initiative déstabilisatrice majeure de l’administration GW Bush en fin de course, notamment pour aider le candidat républicain McCain, on cultivait l’hypothèse d’un coup de pouce au président géorgien, et des “conseils” de la Maison-Blanche ou de ses relais dans le sens d’une attaque. Les mêmes hypothèses allaient jusqu’à envisager une intervention US, de type symbolique, avec le stationnement officiels de détachements US sans participation aux combats”
uh, globally this analyst says that Georgia, in starting the hostilities, wanted to give a hand for the candidate McCain’s campain, as he is the pro-military expenses one, justifying so the need of a strong army budget with the threat of a next major conflict with Russia.
August 9th, 2008 at 10:22 amSo if I understand this info correctly, it looks like they have a pretty good size infantry for a country their size, but not much in the way of weapons. A few helicoters, small number of artillery, a few airplanes, 86 tanks.
I don’t think that includes what was left over by the Soviets, but it kind of looks like they were selling that stuff off as there exports are about 3/4 as large as expenditures.
In just about every catagory they spend less than all other countries in the region.
They must have at least decent anti-aircraft systems as even the Russians admit they lost several aircraft. If the Russians haven’t knock it out. It looks to me that the quality of the armor in the pictures would be easy pickings for modern US anti-tank weapons.
August 9th, 2008 at 10:26 amI wonder if we send in air support as a test of the Russian made air defense systems. It would be nice to get a better assessment before bombing Iran.
August 9th, 2008 at 10:36 amAs long as Russia is winning they wont stop.
August 9th, 2008 at 10:57 am——————
Thinking of you & saying many prayers for you.
August 9th, 2008 at 11:39 amGiorgi,
I think its safe to say that we are all in support of your country against those damned Russians. I hope the Georgians crush them. be safe over there
August 9th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
senorlechero: The problem is who to believe?The US media has left no doubt that they prefer a socialist US. Look who they are backing for President.I trust a report from someone inside Georgia over any report from MSM.
lftbhndagn.Hell yes on the Crusades. Russia deliberately bombed the port city in Georgia just to send the message to Europe to stay out of this.Unleash Israel on Iran and send in US air support to help Georgia.
August 9th, 2008 at 12:34 pm:arrow:Giorgi I am with lftbhndagn you are in my prayers.Wish I could send you the items you request.
franchie, thats stupidest analysis ive ever heard …this conflict is brewing for 15 years now, im sure we werent waiting for McCain to become a candidate to return our territories…what if basques will demand their own country and start an armed resistance, what would the french govt do, how would they respond to that, and keep in mind the southern province of theirs is guarded by a hostile country, and that hostile nation has a nuclear arsenal as well …
August 9th, 2008 at 12:35 pmi appreciate your support, even on a moral level it means a lot!
..and about 27,000 active military personnell, about 40-50,000 police forces on top of 100,000 reservists a third of whom have served in a army and have fought in the wars in the past … the TV is scilent on any advnances on the ground, kinda like a “mexican stand-off”, but that is a classified info, the enemy is watching, the russians are saying that they overcame our defences and thats a lie, we would have known it…one thing for sure they are continuing to bomb and inflict a lot casualties on civilians, and this is a revenge i guess, russian style, for a lack of any advances on the ground
August 9th, 2008 at 12:57 pmthere are some tough times ahead for us, they havent started to bomb our capital yet,but they gave us the promise to … we shot down russian strategic bomber today, the Tu-22 and 2 su-25, captured 3 pilots, one died ( he was dead when we found him) im sure the vids will surface soon on a western media sources…i would send some links from ours, but the russian hackers have attacked most of our online media outlets including newspapers and online tv , so most of news we get is from live TV and word-to-mouth, its a small country and the news get spread fast …by the way, prior to the fightings we had about 220 tanks (most of them T-72s modernised with israeli help), 240 APC/IFVs, about 260 artilery pieces of caliber higher than 100mm, several ex-soviet anti-aircraft batteries (old ones but they still work!) about 30 transport helis, and 20 gunships (Mi-24s) somewhere from 12 to 20 ground attack planes(also with israeli avionics), but no jet fighters
I’ll pray you get a few C-17 Globemasters containing the hardware you need, so you can send’em packing back to Moscow with their tails between their legs.
August 9th, 2008 at 1:10 pmGiorgi, can you read french ?
http://www.20minutes.fr/article/243710/Monde-Que-se-passe-t-il-en-Ossetie-du-Sud.php (switzer paper)
http://desourcesure.com/guerreterrorisme/2008/08/georgierussie_vers_une_guerre.php
listen to the last video, the expert says that the conflict is one of the end of empire’s one. (sortie d’empire)
She also doubts that this conflict will degenerate as a global war, cause no belligerent in situation has interest in it ; even Nato doesn’t want to interfer, neither the US want take part in it, even if they are more present there than in Ukrainia.
I know that the “guerillas” started 15 years ago when URSS broke down, Ossetia claimed for its independance according to its statut of independance that was given by Stalin in 1922. Things remained ambivalent until the election of the last president of Georgia, that wanted then to compose with the whole territories.
Now the Russians had the malicious “influence” there in Ossetia) in order to maintain Georgia in a weak position. But they surprinsingly are not for the independance of the dissident republic of Ossetia, but just for keeping the indefinissable statut there.
Now, im not sure why this latter bellicous action started for, I have read that the president of Georgia is a bit impulsive, and wants that the things get quicker.
No way that the frenchs Basques will claim their independance, they have already an autonomous statut as a “Region Midi-Pyrénées” ; seems also that in Spain they are quiet by now. I was only a handful of terrorists that ransomed the enterprises and institutions there.
Since Spain addhered to EU, a collaboration between our 2 country polices permitted that all the terrorists are in jail.
Anyway, courage
August 9th, 2008 at 1:36 pmFuck putin.Short dick gollum
August 9th, 2008 at 1:43 pmi really hope that no country in the world will have to find itself battling separatists, it sucks, the basques were just an example of what if ..sure our president might be impulsive, but our military isnt…these latest round of fighting has begun since late July, and most of the western ambassadors were shown the damage the Ossetians inflicted on Georgian controlled villages, the goal was to force georgians out of the region, just like in Abkhazia, so after several days of exchanging fire our president has put in a decree not to respond to enemy fire…it lasted for only 4 hours as ossetians + russian cossacs + other north caucasian fuckheads didnt care and went on with the shelling, and afer 2 of our Peacekeepers stationed there got killed the order was given to hit them hard, and our military did, the operation started at 00:30 and by the morning we had a controll of most of the province, and part of the capital of the province, and then russians stepped in …form the begining when ossetians were shelling the georgian villages the russian peacekeepers didnt do shit to stop it, but for georgians to kick those separatists asses for doing so apparently constituted for a barbaric act ..what would any govt do in this situation, given georgias dillema, let the separatist exterminate and expell georgian citizens (who made up about 40% of the total population of the province) and do nothing or take nessesary steps to ensure that this will be dealt with once and for all … you see if you gonna let someone to bully you once, they will do it always, at least now russians know that we will put up a fight if they fuck with us some more …
August 9th, 2008 at 3:49 pmMike W:
Thanks for the Georgian site. Latest news:
“Russia claims 2,000 South Ossetian civilians have been killed in last few days, which it said amounted to ‘genocide.’”
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19011
I’m no military expert, but could this be Russia’s backasswards way of stating its intention to “help” the southern Ossetians? Right.
It sure is interesting to read in the Voice of America that both Russia and Georgian forces claim to control the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali.
Looking forward to more posts from Giorgi.
August 10th, 2008 at 12:55 amGiorgi, I understand your patriotism feelings vis-à-vis Georgia, though seems that your president played poker last week, he thought he had the “joker” card that would allow him to reverse the fate and he wanted that the western world acknoledges how clever and powerful he is.
If that “coup” would had reached his objectives, we all be yet in the state to get ready for a global war, and your fellow would enter into history like that one of Serbia that determined WW1.
Kind of “hubris” syndrome there, he miscalculed his real forces and external supports. The Americans won’t give a hand more than watching the evenments there. This is only due to Saakachvili’s personnality, kinda “mafioso’s” and how silly of him to imagine that the Russians won’t immediately react ; its also misrealising the russian experience for centuries over the Caucassus territories…
I don’t want to predict how Saakachvili ‘ll finish, but I can say, that if he hadn’t yet had the effective and concrete support of the Nato countries, he will never get it, the western world will more likely be waiting until that a pondered candidate take the seat.
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/08/did-us-military.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/08/russia.georgia1
August 10th, 2008 at 2:04 amfranchie,
i understand your position..let me tell you one thing - every govt in the world is a legalized mafia, so lets not discuss that… russians would have quelled their supported ossetians if france and germany didnt puss out and gave us the NATO MAP, russia took it as a sign of weakness from the west, and thought that west has gave up on the region…
by the way can you translate what this says??? —–>>>>
http://tf1.lci.fr/infos/monde/europe/0,,3937104,00-kouchner-emissaire-de-l-europe-attendu-a-tbilissi-.html
as far as situation on the ground, russia has sent in additional 200-300 tanks/apc/IFVs plus 10,000 personnel, we have withdrawled from the center of the city due to heavy shelling by russians, but still control the surrounding strategic hight and russians have entered the city , kinda like a trap, don’t want sound “hurray patriotic” but i think a big battle is ahead thats why our guys have ordered a tactical withdrawal …to be honest we’re prolly kicking their ass otherwise they wouldn’t have deployed 300 more tanks and personnel …
August 10th, 2008 at 4:15 amGiorgi,
being one of the smallest countries that contribates the most in sending troops to Irak had that implied and desired conterpart from your government : It has received the assurance to become a member of Nato as reward, thus an open door to adherre to EU next.
Precisely, that was the worry of Mme Merkel and Mr Sarkosy ;
we have enough problems with the former eastern-block states that became EU members, and we don’t want to add more until the situation inside EU isn’t equilibrated.
Eu seems to be the “medal award” for good services to the US, see how Bush emphasised this option with Turkey.
and really, We don’t want more countries that are not of our sphere influence
Sorry we are also entitled to watch for our safeguard and interests.
Now, it would have been more pragmatic if the former URSS republics had made their own union, this is central Europe after all, not western Europe.
every govt in the world is a legalized mafia,
I can’t agree with you for the generalisation, this is more likely true for the whole former URSS block countries though.
Yeah Kouchner is the “salvator” of the EU union, he had good results as “mediator” in the name of UN and Nato alliances in former Yougoslavia, we’ll see next years or decades the results : wars again !
Apparently he also managed that Lebanon saved the appearances of a democraty lately, they finally elected a previsible president.
Don’t get confused this diplomatic projection will also save the appearences of a “peace agreement”, though groundly the problems will remain the same.
Now, I wonder why it disturbes your president that Ossetia wants to recover her autonomus statut as it was during URSS legacy, Never heard that there were problems then, or the incidents didnt pass the Eastern wall ?
anyway good luck, if it was an humanitarian help that you wanted, no problem !!! the signs are apparently different : more mighty friends, désolé, it’s not of EU influence sphere !!!
August 10th, 2008 at 5:45 am