United for Peace of Pierce County, WA - We nonviolently oppose the reliance on unilateral military actions rather than cooperative diplomacy.

The Financial Times said Wednesday afternoon that journalists had confirmed that Russian armored vehicles and tanks "moved into the Georgian town of Gori and the surrounding area on Wednesday," even as Moscow denied the reports.[1] -- "Czech TV journalists in Gori . . . saw smoke rise up from a Georgian army base in the town, which suggested that it had been destroyed by Russian troops although it was not clear whether the force would stay or leave." -- Recriminations continued on all sides. -- Abkhazia's leader, Sergei Bagapsh, declared Wednesday that the operation to retake the Kodori Gorge from Georgian troops was "completed and the military has restored the Abkhazian boundary in the area. This is a great victory for the Abkhazian people." -- The Washington Post reported Wednesday morning that in response to "apparent violation of the cease-fire agreement" U.S. President George W. Bush, "[f]lanked by [Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates," warned Russia to respect Georgia's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" but "again offered little indication of a concrete threat to Russia if it does not stand down and remove troops from Georgia."[2] -- Bush's statement, which said the U.S. is "concerned" not only about reports from Gori but also about reports that "Russian forces have entered and taken positions in the port city of Poti, that Russian armored vehicles are blocking access to that port, and that Russia is blowing up Georgian vessels," is reproduced below from the White House web site.[3] -- Bush said he was sending Rice to visit France to confer with French President Sarkozy and then travel on to Tbilisi "where she will personally convey America's unwavering support for Georgia's democratic government," and that he had "also directed Secretary of Defense Bob Gates to begin a humanitarian mission to the people of Georgia," a mission he characterized as "vigorous and ongoing" that would involve a U.S. C-17 aircraft already en route as well as other U.S. military aircraft and naval forces....

RUSSIAN TANKS SEEN MOVING INTO GEORGIA
By Catherine Belton and Isabel Gorst (Moscow), Charles Clover and Roman Olearchyk (Tbilisi), and Harvey Morris (United Nations)

Financial Times (London)
August 12, 2008 -- last updated 15:02 BST [14:02 GMT, 7:02 a.m. PDT, 6:02 p.m. Moscow and Tbilisi time]

Russian armored vehicles moved into the Georgian town of Gori and the surrounding area on Wednesday, destroying Georgian military bases as reports emerged of South Ossetian militia looting the town. Russian peacekeepers said they were removing military hardware and ammunition from an arms depot outside Gori.

”In the vicinity of Gori, a big military depot was discovered containing Georgian military hardware,” a spokesman for Russia’s peacekeeping force said by telephone.

”The depot was unguarded and the military hardware there was battle-ready. In the interests of demilitarizing the conflict zone and ensuring the safety of the population, the military hardware and ammunition are now being removed.”

Georgia accused Russia of sending tanks into Gori, 20 km from the South Ossetia border, with journalists in the town confirming there had been an incursion while Moscow denied it.

”Russians have entered the town of Gori. There were about 50 tanks and armored vehicles,” Georgian National Security Council secretary Kakha Lomaia told a news briefing. Moscow’s foreign ministry rejected the Georgian claims.

Czech TV journalists in Gori however said they saw a column of 20 to 30 armored personnel carriers belonging to the regular Russian army that had been transferred from duty in Chechnya. They saw smoke rise up from a Georgian army base in the town, which suggested that it had been destroyed by Russian troops although it was not clear whether the force would stay or leave.

The reports came a day after Russia announced a “provisional cessation of hostitlities” as part of an outline peace plan brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The U.S. on Wednesday said it had requested a meeting of NATO foreign ministers over the situation in Georgia which could take place as early as next week.

The European Union on Wednesday backed sending peacekeeping monitors to South Ossetia to supervise the ceasefire. ”The E.U. is ready to engage, including on the ground, to support the efforts of the United Nations and the OSCE,” Irish Development Minister Peter Power said after an emergency E.U. meeting in Brussels.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister of Turkey, a regional power and NATO member, set off for Moscow in a separate attempt at shuttle diplomacy, to be followed by a trip to Tbilisi on Thursday.

Earlier the U.S. announced it had cancelled planned joint military exercises with Russia as it considered a range of responses to what it sees as Russian aggression in Moscow’s conflict with Georgia, news wires reported on Wednesday.

”In the wake of this conflict, there is no way we can proceed with this joint exercise at this time,” a senior U.S. defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The U.S. has accused Russia for ”disproportionate” use of force in Georgia during six days of fighting over the separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia.

Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. secretary of state, said, ”I can assure you that Russia’s international reputation and what role Russia can play in the international community is very much at stake here.”

A senior U.S. official on Tuesday floated the possibility of expelling Russia from the Group of Eight industrialized nations and revoking an invitation for it to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. “The idea is to show the Russians that it is no longer business as usual,” one official said.

David Miliband, Britain’s foreign secretary, accused Russia of “blatant aggression” and said the European Union should decide next month whether to continue talks on closer ties with Russia.

Speaking ahead of an emergency meeting of E.U. foreign ministers in Brussels on the crisis on Wednesday Mr. Miliband said “The international community will want to ensure that the message goes out that force is not the right way to take forward these difficult issues”.

Late on Tuesday night in Tbilisi, Mr. Sarkozy secured agreement from Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia’s president, after hammering out a tentative peace plan in Moscow with Mr. Medvedev. He said significant progress had been made, including a “provisional cessation of hostilities.” But he warned: “There are still many discussions that we need to have. There are still many areas where there is a lack of understanding.”

The plan includes six conditions for peace, including the withdrawal of Georgian and Russian troops to positions held before the conflict and an end to the use of force. But the two sides remained split over the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another separatist enclave, and on the introduction of international peacekeepers.

The peace outline made no reference to the status of the enclaves and sidestepped a decision on an international force, saying only that Russian peacekeeping troops would remain until an international “mechanism” had been found.

Mr. Saakashvili insisted on international involvement in the security arrangements. He added: “The territorial integrity and belonging of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to Georgia can never be put under doubt.” Moscow has talked of the two enclaves having the right of self-determination. Mr. Medvedev said Russian “peacekeepers” would remain in South Ossetia. “Our peacekeepers are continuing to perform their duties and will continue to [do so] because they are [a] key factor for upholding security in the Caucasus,” he said.

Abkhazia said on Wednesday it would demand international recognition of its independence from Georgia. ”We will again put the question to Russia and to the international community about recognizing the independence of the republic of Abkhazia, Igor Akhba, an Abkhazian government representative told reporters in Moscow, Interfax reported. ”We will decide our status. The status of Abkhazia is not a subject for negotiations,” he said.

On Wednesday leaders of Georgia’s two breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia said they would no longer conduct negotiations with Georgia and called for the government of Mikheil Saakashvili to be punished.

Edouard Kokoity, the president of South Ossetia, said, ”There can be no talks with the organizers of genocide. Only an international tribunal can deal with them.”

Sergei Bagapsh the president of Abkhazia, said, ”There will be no more negotiations with Georgia. It is necessary to try state criminals, not negotiate with them.”

Earlier in the day Mr. Bagapsh declared victory in Abkhazia’s struggle to recapture the northern Kodori gorge occupied by Georgian troops since 2006.

”The operation is completed and the military has restored the Abkhazian boundary in the area. This is a great victory for the Abkhazian people,” he said.

Abkhazia launched an offensive in northern Kodori on Tuesday, hours before Russia ordered a ceasefire in the conflict with Georgia over the separatist region of South Ossetia.

Mr. Lavrov, said on Wednesday that a review of Abkhazia and South Ossetia’s status must form part of broader international negotiations about how to restore stability in Georgia’s breakaway regions.

”These questions cannot be decided outside the context of the status (of Abkhazia and South Ossetia),” he said.

Writing in Wednesday’s Financial Times, Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, says claims that Moscow had been trying to overthrow Mr. Saakashvili’s government were “palpable nonsense” and that Russia’s actions had been “targeted, proportionate, and legitimate.” Mr. Medvedev also lashed out at Mr. Saakashvili, calling him a “lunatic.”

In Tbilisi on Tuesday, a defiant Mr Saakashvili told 150,000 supporters that Russia could not turn the country “into another Grozny,” a reference to Russia’s crushing of a revolt in Chechnya.

Washington Post
August 13, 2008 -- 11:49 EDT [15:49 GMT; 8:49 a.m. PDT; 7:49 p.m. Moscow and Tbilisi time]

President Bush today warned Russia to honor a cease-fire agreement in the conflict with Georgia, saying that Moscow's actions "raise serious questions about its intentions."

In a brief statement in the Rose Garden at the White House, Bush said he is sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Paris for ongoing negotiations and then to Tbilisi to show support for the Georgian people.

Bush said the administration is concerned about reports that Russian troops continue to move within Georgia, blocking major highways and ports.

"The United States stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia and insists that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected," Bush said, adding later: "Russia must keep its word and act to end this crisis."

Flanked by Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Bush also said the United States has launched a humanitarian relief effort for Georgia using U.S. military aircraft and ships, saying he expected Russia to allow shipments in.

But Bush again offered little indication of a concrete threat to Russia if it does not stand down and remove troops from Georgia, a staunch U.S. ally that contributed troops to the war in Iraq and has sought membership in NATO.

The remarks came amid reports from local officials and eyewitnesses that Russian troops and armor moved deeper into Georgian territory in apparent violation of the cease-fire agreement reached yesterday.

But Russian officials said the movement of troops was only aimed at "demilitarizing" areas near the border with South Ossetia, the separatist Georgian province at the heart of the conflict.

PRESIDENT BUSH DISCUSSES SITUATION IN GEORGIA, URGES RUSSIA TO CEASE MILITARY OPERATIONS

White House
August 13, 2008 -- 11:10 a.m. EDT [15:10 GMT; 8:10 a.m. PDT; 7:10 p.m. Moscow and Tbilisi time]

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I've just met with my national security team to discuss the crisis in Georgia. I've spoken with President Saakashvili of Georgia, and President Sarkozy of France this morning. The United States strongly supports France's efforts, as President of the European Union, to broker an agreement that will end this conflict.

The United States of America stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia. We insist that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia be respected.

Russia has stated that changing the government of Georgia is not its goal. The United States and the world expect Russia to honor that commitment. Russia has also stated that it has halted military operations and agreed to a provisional cease-fire. Unfortunately, we're receiving reports of Russian actions that are inconsistent with these statements. We're concerned about reports that Russian units have taken up positions on the east side of the city of Gori, which allows them to block the East-West Highway, divide the country, and threaten the capital of Tbilisi.

We're concerned about reports that Russian forces have entered and taken positions in the port city of Poti, that Russian armored vehicles are blocking access to that port, and that Russia is blowing up Georgian vessels. We're concerned about reports that Georgian citizens of all ethnic origins are not being protected. All forces, including Russian forces, have an obligation to protect innocent civilians from attack.

With these concerns in mind, I have directed a series of steps to demonstrate our solidarity with the Georgian people and bring about a peaceful resolution to this conflict. I'm sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to France, where she will confer with President Sarkozy. She will then travel to Tbilisi, where she will personally convey America's unwavering support for Georgia's democratic government. On this trip she will continue our efforts to rally the free world in the defense of a free Georgia.

I've also directed Secretary of Defense Bob Gates to begin a humanitarian mission to the people of Georgia, headed by the United States military. This mission will be vigorous and ongoing. A U.S. C-17 aircraft with humanitarian supplies is on its way. And in the days ahead we will use U.S. aircraft, as well as naval forces, to deliver humanitarian and medical supplies.

We expect Russia to honor its commitment to let in all forms of humanitarian assistance. We expect Russia to ensure that all lines of communication and transport, including seaports, airports, roads, and airspace, remain open for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and for civilian transit. We expect Russia to meet its commitment to cease all military activities in Georgia. And we expect all Russian forces that entered Georgia in recent days to withdraw from that country.

As I have made clear, Russia's ongoing action raise serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region. In recent years, Russia has sought to integrate into the diplomatic, political, economic, and security structures of the 21st century. The United States has supported those efforts. Now Russia is putting its aspirations at risk by taking actions in Georgia that are inconsistent with the principles of those institutions. To begin to repair the damage to its relations with the United States, Europe, and other nations, and to begin restoring its place in the world, Russia must keep its word and act to end this crisis.