Georgian President says 'Russia fighting war'

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on Friday that Russia was fighting a war with his country and that Georgians were "looking with hope" to America, but he did not specifically appeal for U.S. help.

"We have Russian tanks moving in. We have continuous Russian bombardment since yesterday ... specifically targeting the civilian population," Saakashvili said in an interview with CNN.

"Russia is fighting a war with us in our own territory."

Russian forces rolled into Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region and were approaching its capital, Tskhinvali, on Friday, Russia's RIA news agency quoted a Russian military commander as saying.

"This was a very blunt Russian aggression. ... We are right now suffering because we want to be free and we want to be a multiethnic democracy," Saakashvili said in the interview.

Saakashvili, whose country is pushing to join NATO, said the conflict "is not about Georgia anymore. It's about America, its values."

"I ... thought that America stands up for those freedom-loving nations and supports them. That's what America is all about. That's why we look with hope at every American," the U.S.-educated president said.

Neither the White House or the Pentagon had any immediate reaction to the situation. The U.S. Defense Department has less than 120 personnel in Georgia. They are involved in training Georgian forces.

Saakashvili said Russia had been preparing for the war for years, amassing troops on Georgia's border for months.

"They made no secret. The are unhappy with our closeness with the United States, with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, with the West in general," he said.

The president said Russian artillery had been shelling Georgian positions for weeks, but he ordered a response only after Russian tanks moved in.

Saakashvili rejected Russian assertions that the fighting was sparked by events in South Ossetia, where Moscow accuses Georgian forces of aggressive action against Russian peacekeepers and others.

He compared the situation to the Soviet invasions of Afghanistan in 1979 and Czechoslovakia in 1968. Georgia and Russia were both part of the Soviet Union until its breakup in 1991.

"We are in this situation of self-defense against a big and mighty neighbor. We are a country of less than 5 million people and certainly our forces are not comparable," the president said.

"It would be suicidal for us to provoke Russia."

Saakashvili said Georgian forces had shot down two Russian aircraft. "One of the aircraft was specifically attacking a civilian hospital wounding doctors and patients with no real purpose," he said.

Saakashvili said he witnessed a Russian air attack -- two jets flying low, looking for "a marketplace in a very busy afternoon, and hitting it, hitting the crowd of people."
Georgian President says 'Russia fighting war' | Reuters

Both McCain and Obama asked that Russia back off!:cursing:

Have a good one!:s4:

The Cold War may be over...but there's still a bear there...do you see a bear?

Never even heard of a country called Georgia

I like President Saakashvili, and he's done well since succeeding Shevardnadze, but one has to fear for him and the stability of his country. I am also left to wonder where Interior Minister, Vano Merabishvili, fits into all of this.

Russians are ready to defend South Ossetia against Georgia and there is no holding them back, Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says.


Georgia-South Ossetia conflict escalates
Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:31:07 GMT
Georgian tanks in South Ossetia
Georgian forces enter the breakaway South Ossetia capital of Tskhivali as heavy fighting continues in its southern parts, reports say.

Georgia intensified its ground and aerial attacks on the South Ossetian capital early Friday and killed many civilians, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, citing South Ossetia's Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili has denied Interfax broadcast that its troops have entered South Ossetia's capital.

Utiashvili said Georgian forces have not yet entered Tskhinvali, but were engaged in a battle with two convoys of trucks that had entered South Ossetia from Russia.

Following a short lived truce, Georgia began shelling Tskhinvali early Friday from all directions, setting many houses ablaze and increasing civilian casualties, it said.

Georgian troops, backed by warplanes, are also pounding separatist forces on the outskirts of the South Ossetian capital including truck-launched salvos of Grad missiles.

South Ossetia responded by sending two Suchoi SU-25 fighter jets to bomb Georgian positions for the first time. Georgia had sent five of the same jets to carry out its attacks.

Initial reports suggest that 15 civilians have been killed in Tskhinvali alone. There are no further reports on casualties from both sides.

Many fear that if these clashes escalate into an all-out war, Russia could be drawn into the conflict as it has close ties with the South Ossetia leadership.

Maria Zakharova, press secretary of the Russian mission to the United Nations, strongly condemned Georgia's "aggressive actions against South Ossetia" and urged the UN Security Council to call an emergency meeting.

The UN has scheduled a meeting to be held this morning in New York. It is not yet clear whether the meeting will be held behind closed doors or open to the press, reported Russian news service Itar-Tass.

Abkhazia, another separatist region of Georgia, has offered military aid to South Ossetia. Russia has called on both sides to act rationally.

The Georgian government has accused South Ossetia fighters of breaking the ceasefire overnight, according to Russia's Itar-Tass news agency.

Tiblisi radio, quoting Georgia's Reintegration Minister Temuri Yakobashvili, announced Friday morning that Georgian forces had 'nearly surrounded' Tskhinvali.

"We don't desire demolitions or victims, so we again offer the separatist leaders to begin direct talks over a ceasefire and de-escalation of the situation in the conflict zone," he said.

Yakobashvili added that five villages that had been under South Ossetia control are now controlled by Georgian forces.

FTP/AA/DT

It looks like Russia is trying to get some land back and with America tied down in Iraq/Afghanistan nothing can stop them.Where is the condemnation from other countries or the U.N for that matter?

God bless Georgia, but they really fucked when they invaded.

Saakashvili is an idiot though, Russia and Georgia have been neighbors and brothers for so long, and they will continue to be neighbors forever, yet he spits in their faces constantly to side with America. He's simply a puppet of the west.

Where the fuck is the U.N.?!

Georgia is a Democratic nation and it has took the brunt of Russia for far too long. It seems Russia is flexing it's arms and everyone just stands back shrugging.

Russia can NOT be trusted. If they thought they could take the U.S. they would. And Putin hasn't gone anywhere after the "election". And they are close allies with Iran and THAT could spell trouble. Especially with the strait and all.

This is a scary situation. We must make sure our Euro allies are safe.

with respect it is my own opinion this is setting up for WW3, predetermined outcome & all. I heard america blocked up Irans' main trading port since & china & russia wont take it sitting down since their trade partners & thats considered an act of war. Dont fight! Global gov cant be accomplished like a super power like america around(especially not one based on "freedoms", "liberties" and "rights" etc.

I don't entirely know if China would choose Russia if ww3 broke out. Sure they are allies however I believe China would likely be it's own entity and tell both Russia and the U.S. to stay away.

But who the heck knows I suppose.

Georgia ATTACKS south ossetia.
Russia responds and invades a few cities.

IRAQ posed zero threat.
America invades whole country.

HYPOCRISY anyone?