The Independent
By Shaun Walker and Kim Sengupta in Tbilisi and Anne Penketh
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Russian troops invaded Georgia proper yesterday after building uptheir military presence in two breakaway regions of the pro-Westernstate, prompting the Georgian President to accuse Russia of attemptingthe "cold-blooded, pre-meditated murder" of his country.
Russian military columns were said to have gone forward from Abkhazia,where they have intervened in favour of separatist forces, to capturethe towns of Zugdidi and Senaki, which are inside Georgia itself.
The developments contradicted statements by the Russian President, andmilitary leadership, that Russian forces would confine their war aimsto South Ossetia.As the conflict escalated, Georgia's President, Mikheil Saakashvili,appealed for international intervention to prevent what he claimed wasin effect the annexation of Georgia by Russia. He appeared at thepresidential palace in the capital, Tbilisi, to tell reporters:
"It isso clear what is happening. We are in the process of invasion,occupation and annihilation of an independent democratic country. Weare in the process of the destruction of world order as it wasestablished after the end of the Cold War.
"But in defiance of a chorus of international condemnation, Russianforces thrust deeper inside the former Soviet republic, seizingstrategic positions in a signal that Moscow intended to hold its gainsin the five-day-old war in defiance of international appeals for aceasefire, and was also prepared for escalating confrontation with theUnited States.In a statement last night President George Bush said: "I am deeplyconcerned by reports that Russian troops have moved beyond the zone ofconflict, attacked the Georgian town of Gori, and are threatening theGeorgian capital Tblisi.
"He cited evidence suggesting that Russian forces may soon beginbombing the civilian airport in the capital city."If these reports are accurate, these Russian actions would representa dramatic and brutal escalation of the conflict in Georgia," Mr Bushadded. He said the actions "would be inconsistent with assurances thatwe have received from Russia that its objectives were limited" torestoring peace in separatist pro-Russian areas. Witnesses confirmedclaims that the Georgian Interior Ministry in Zugdidi was in Russianhands. The Russian Defence Ministry, meanwhile, justified theoperation in Senaki saying it was aimed at preventing Georgian forcesfrom regrouping to carry out new attacks on South Ossetia, whereGeorgian forces launched their assault on Thursday night.
A Russian fleet is already positioned off Poti, a key trading port forGeorgia, and the deployment put the port within range of Russian gunson the landside. At the same time, Georgian forces to the west of Abkhazia were given an ultimatum by Russian commanders to disarm orface military action. The deputy foreign minister of the separatistAbkhaz government told The Independent:
"All the Russian troops whoarrived by ship have crossed over to Zugdidi."Last night, the Georgian government claimed that Russian forces hadalso captured Gori, a city on the route from South Ossetia, the sceneof fierce fighting, to Tbilisi. Alexander Lomaia, the secretarygeneral of the Georgian security council, announced: "They havecaptured Gori." However, soon afterwards an adviser to the governmentsaid that was not the case and a resident, Shota Khodzhashvili,confirmed: "The city is deserted but there are no Russians here.
"Mr Saakashvili had earlier described Gori, 45 miles from Tbilisi, asthe gateway to the capital as he repeated claims that the aim of theRussian military operation was to topple his government. Asked whetherhe feared the Kremlin intended to annex permanently the restive regionof South Ossetia, Mr Saakashvili said: "It's not South Ossetia only,but the whole of Georgia."
As Russia continued to pour armour into Abkhazia and South Ossetia, MrSaakashvili said that the invasion must have been planned in advance.A US official levelled a similar accusation against the Russians. USdeputy assistant secretary of state Matt Bryza said after he arrivedin Tbilisi to join officials attempting to broker a ceasefire: "Weheard statements saying that the Russian railroad troops that enteredAbkhazia a couple of months ago were there for a humanitarian mission.Now we know the truth ... these forces were there ... to aid a Russianinvasion.
"The conflict intensified as Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary ofState, and colleagues from the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations held emergency talks on their call for a negotiated end to theconflict.Mr Saakashvili has accepted the conditions of an EU-designed peaceplan calling for an immediate ceasefire, medical and humanitarian aidfor victims of the violence and the controlled withdrawal of forcesfrom both sides. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, who has framedthe plan, is due in Tbilisi and Moscow today.
According to diplomats, however, Russia has rejected pulling back itsforces insisting that would put the minorities in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in danger from Georgian retribution. Moscow backed this up bysending more troops and armour into Abkhazia. The West appearsunwilling to sacrifice its relations with Russia in favour of Georgia.A statement last night from the Georgian Embassy in London said:
Russian actions in Georgia "have nothing to do with the enforcement ofpeace" and are a "pre-planned strategy aimed at conquering Georgia".
By Shaun Walker and Kim Sengupta in Tbilisi and Anne Penketh
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Russian troops invaded Georgia proper yesterday after building uptheir military presence in two breakaway regions of the pro-Westernstate, prompting the Georgian President to accuse Russia of attemptingthe "cold-blooded, pre-meditated murder" of his country.
Russian military columns were said to have gone forward from Abkhazia,where they have intervened in favour of separatist forces, to capturethe towns of Zugdidi and Senaki, which are inside Georgia itself.
The developments contradicted statements by the Russian President, andmilitary leadership, that Russian forces would confine their war aimsto South Ossetia.As the conflict escalated, Georgia's President, Mikheil Saakashvili,appealed for international intervention to prevent what he claimed wasin effect the annexation of Georgia by Russia. He appeared at thepresidential palace in the capital, Tbilisi, to tell reporters:
"It isso clear what is happening. We are in the process of invasion,occupation and annihilation of an independent democratic country. Weare in the process of the destruction of world order as it wasestablished after the end of the Cold War.
"But in defiance of a chorus of international condemnation, Russianforces thrust deeper inside the former Soviet republic, seizingstrategic positions in a signal that Moscow intended to hold its gainsin the five-day-old war in defiance of international appeals for aceasefire, and was also prepared for escalating confrontation with theUnited States.In a statement last night President George Bush said: "I am deeplyconcerned by reports that Russian troops have moved beyond the zone ofconflict, attacked the Georgian town of Gori, and are threatening theGeorgian capital Tblisi.
"He cited evidence suggesting that Russian forces may soon beginbombing the civilian airport in the capital city."If these reports are accurate, these Russian actions would representa dramatic and brutal escalation of the conflict in Georgia," Mr Bushadded. He said the actions "would be inconsistent with assurances thatwe have received from Russia that its objectives were limited" torestoring peace in separatist pro-Russian areas. Witnesses confirmedclaims that the Georgian Interior Ministry in Zugdidi was in Russianhands. The Russian Defence Ministry, meanwhile, justified theoperation in Senaki saying it was aimed at preventing Georgian forcesfrom regrouping to carry out new attacks on South Ossetia, whereGeorgian forces launched their assault on Thursday night.
A Russian fleet is already positioned off Poti, a key trading port forGeorgia, and the deployment put the port within range of Russian gunson the landside. At the same time, Georgian forces to the west of Abkhazia were given an ultimatum by Russian commanders to disarm orface military action. The deputy foreign minister of the separatistAbkhaz government told The Independent:
"All the Russian troops whoarrived by ship have crossed over to Zugdidi."Last night, the Georgian government claimed that Russian forces hadalso captured Gori, a city on the route from South Ossetia, the sceneof fierce fighting, to Tbilisi. Alexander Lomaia, the secretarygeneral of the Georgian security council, announced: "They havecaptured Gori." However, soon afterwards an adviser to the governmentsaid that was not the case and a resident, Shota Khodzhashvili,confirmed: "The city is deserted but there are no Russians here.
"Mr Saakashvili had earlier described Gori, 45 miles from Tbilisi, asthe gateway to the capital as he repeated claims that the aim of theRussian military operation was to topple his government. Asked whetherhe feared the Kremlin intended to annex permanently the restive regionof South Ossetia, Mr Saakashvili said: "It's not South Ossetia only,but the whole of Georgia."
As Russia continued to pour armour into Abkhazia and South Ossetia, MrSaakashvili said that the invasion must have been planned in advance.A US official levelled a similar accusation against the Russians. USdeputy assistant secretary of state Matt Bryza said after he arrivedin Tbilisi to join officials attempting to broker a ceasefire: "Weheard statements saying that the Russian railroad troops that enteredAbkhazia a couple of months ago were there for a humanitarian mission.Now we know the truth ... these forces were there ... to aid a Russianinvasion.
"The conflict intensified as Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary ofState, and colleagues from the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations held emergency talks on their call for a negotiated end to theconflict.Mr Saakashvili has accepted the conditions of an EU-designed peaceplan calling for an immediate ceasefire, medical and humanitarian aidfor victims of the violence and the controlled withdrawal of forcesfrom both sides. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, who has framedthe plan, is due in Tbilisi and Moscow today.
According to diplomats, however, Russia has rejected pulling back itsforces insisting that would put the minorities in South Ossetia and Abkhazia in danger from Georgian retribution. Moscow backed this up bysending more troops and armour into Abkhazia. The West appearsunwilling to sacrifice its relations with Russia in favour of Georgia.A statement last night from the Georgian Embassy in London said:
Russian actions in Georgia "have nothing to do with the enforcement ofpeace" and are a "pre-planned strategy aimed at conquering Georgia".
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