Fighting resumes in South Ossetia
Published: Monday, August 11, 2008
13:00GMT—9:00AM/EST
GEORGIA – RUSSIA – EU – US
Washington, 11 August (IranVNC)—As fighting continued today in Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia and as Russia boosted its troop presence in the western Abkhazia region, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin criticized the United States for assisting Tbilisi in bringing Georgian troops from Iraq back home to fight in the conflict.
“It is a shame that some of our partners are not helping us but, essentially, are hindering us,” Putin was quoted by Reuters as saying, adding: “The very scale of this cynicism is astonishing.”
Meanwhile, Georgia renewed shelling of Tskhinvali earlier today, and Georgia said Russian jets had bombed Georgian targets again overnight.
Russia says it has stationed more than 9,000 paratroopers and 350 pieces of armor west of South Ossetia in the breakaway Abkhazia region, where 2,000 Russian troops are serving as peacekeepers. According to the BBC, separatist leaders in the region announced a full mobilization effort to drive Georgian troops out from part of the territory.
According to Reuters, Moscow issued an ultimatum to Georgian forces stationed in the Zugdidi district near Abkhazia to disarm or face attack. Georgia has rejected the demand, the report says.
The G7 – the U.S., France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan and the UK – called on Russia to agree to an immediate cease-fire with Georgia and respect its territorial integrity, Reuters reports. The European Commission made similar calls.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner met with Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili today, where Kouchner said a “controlled withdrawal of troops” was his main priority. Kouchner told the BBC that Saakashvili signed a document outlining the European Union’s ceasefire proposals, controlled troop withdrawals for both sides, and eventual political talks.
Kouchner will travel to Moscow tomorrow, where he will try to convince President Dmitry Medvedev to support the plan. Moscow has said that Georgian forces must withdraw fully from the territory, which has had a de facto independence since 1992, before it will end operations.
President George W. Bush said in an interview with NBC yesterday that he had told Putin during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics on Friday that the violence was “unacceptable” and that the Russian response was “disproportionate”.
Vice President Dick Cheney spoke with Georgia’s Saakashvili yesterday, where he said the “Russian aggression must not go unanswered,” AP reports. A continuation of aggression “would have serious consequences for its [Russia’s] relations with the United States, as well as the broader international community,” Cheney Press Secretary Lee Ann McBride added.
Saakashvili said today that Moscow wants to replace his government and that it wants to seize control of energy routes in the region. President Medvedev said today that the operation to restore order in South Ossetia was nearing its conclusion.
Israel said today that it would not halt arms sales to Georgia, despite an Israeli Foreign Ministry recommendation yesterday, warning that continued Israeli arms sales could encourage Russia to increase its arms sales to Iran and Syria. According to AFP, Israeli public radio cited defense sources as saying sales would continue on a limited scale.
Russia said today that it has lost 18 soldiers since fighting began last Thursday and that another 14 are missing in action, while Georgia said yesterday that 130 Georgian civilians and military personnel have been killed.
Sources: Reuters, BBC, White House website, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse
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