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I Stand By Peace By My Songs – Says Bryan Adams

The legendary Canadian singer-Bryan Adams arrived in Tbilisi on charitable purpose . “ Georgia-the Country of Freedom” –with this motto, Bryan Adams with his band consisting 7 people will appear before the Georgian listeners with his new and old LPs.

“ I ma glad I have visited Georgia , I have opportunity to sing for the Georgian listeners. I have arrived for peace and I think that music supports peace best of all. I have already been in Georgia for several hours and I am already enchanted with this country, I have met the president of Georgia and we spoke about the present condition in Georgia. As for the concert, it will be very friendly and warm. I will sing the famous hits and a new song. I stand by peace by my songs, God bless all peacemakers, “- commented Bryan Adams. 

Georgia Offers Fresh Evidence on War’s Start

By C.J. CHIVERS
Published: September 15, 2008
This article was reported by Dan Bilefsky, C. J. Chivers, Thom Shanker and Michael Schwirtz and written by Mr. Chivers.

TBILISI, Georgia — A new front has opened between Georgia and Russia, now over which side was the aggressor whose military activities early last month ignited the lopsided five-day war. At issue is new intelligence, inconclusive on its own, that nonetheless paints a more complicated picture of the critical last hours before war broke out.

Transcript of Intercepted Conversations (pdf)

NATO assists Georgia in defense planning

NATO is helping Georgia with the development of its defense capabilities, but is not going to supply weapons to the country, said NATO spokesman James Appathurai on Wednesday.

A team from NATO’s Defense Planning Division has been to Georgia to assess Georgia’s requirements in defense planning, said the spokesman, adding that the trip was long planned in the context of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program with Georgia.

`NATO will not be, as an organization, supplying weapons or arms to Georgia. What NATO can do and what NATO is doing is assisting the Georgians in defining their own defense capabilities,` said Appathurai.

Individual nations might provide weapons to Georgia, he said.

He said NATO will also help Georgia build up capabilities to see what is going on in its air space.

HRW reports human rights violation in Georgia

of the Human Rights Watch and organization Memorial held a news briefing in Moscow where they reported the results of their monitoring to South Ossetia. Human Rights defenders said the reports by Russia did not coincide with what they registered in the conflict region. They said the data provided by Russia about casualties exceeded the real number and it was made deliberately in Moscow.

The international NGOs have also stated that in difference from those villages, which are populated by ethnic Ossetians, the villages populated by ethnic Georgians were intentionally destructed. They said they had witnessed the facts of pillage in Georgian villages.

The representatives of the two international organizations said that Georgian population was still facing serious danger.

EU monitors visit Samegrelo

The mission of the European Union, which consists of four international observers, arrived in Samegrelo Region today to inspect the damage inflicted to the region by Russian aggressors during a month invasion.

The delegation was hosted by the regional governor Zaza Gorozia. The monitors were interested in the details of the negotiations with Russian side. The mission plans to inspect the areas where the occupants and separatists had arranged illegal checkpoints.
The EU monitors are still refused to travel to Abkhazia, as the Kremlin has given the separatists a green light in this regard. Observer Gabriel Son Horny said he wanted to view the area where the 100-men mission of the European Union will have to conduct monitoring.

Regional governor handed over the video and photo material to the mission, which depicts the Russian aggression and the result of the Russian invasion.

CoE official visited Gori

Chairman of Congress of the Council of Europe Yavuz Mildon visited the city of Gori today where the guest was hosted by the regional governor Lado Vardelashvili. Mr. Mildon viewed the districts of the city ruined during the Russian invasion and wanted to travel to the surrounding villages, however, Russian soldiers stationed illegally in the village of Karaleti prevented him from traveling further.

Mr. Mildon says Russian policy towards Georgia was unacceptable. Hi confirmed the facts of ethnic cleansing and said he would introduce them to the CoE bureau.

US Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues arrived in Gori

US Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues Clint Williamson arrived in the city of Gory today to view the houses and whole districts ruined during the Russia air attacks and military invasion in August. The ambassador viewed the ruins of the houses, damaged streets and then went to the ‘town of tents’ where the homeless residents of the city have been staying since the invasion.

Mr. Williamson said his visit was a demonstration of great attitude of the United States to study in details what happened in Gori. He promised to report the information obtained in Georgia to the American and European partners.

Russians take away construction materials as they leave Samegrelo

Russian occupants are taking away construction materials from Senaki Mechanical Factory to Gali district, which is under the separatists’ control. A week ago they even unroofed the factory and brought serious damage to the building.

The owner of the factory Soso Gadelia plans to file complaint in the international courts in this regards.

EU High Representative comments

EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana has clearly stated `By the 10th of October, that means a month today there will be no Russia troops on Georgian territory outside Abkhazia and South Ossetia`.

`While Russian troops will stay in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the commitment by Medvedev are the following: the OSCE observers will be able to return in South Ossetia and the UN observers will stay inside Abkhazia. The Russian forces and this is very important will withdraw to their position prior to the conflict,` he said.

President inspected reconstruction works in Gori

President Saakashvili arrived in the city of Gori today and viewed the reconstruction works, which are underway on the buildings damaged during the Russian air attacks.

Mikheil Saakashvili met with those residents who were left without shelter due to the Russian aggression and pledged to provide them with furniture and every other things that the Russian plunderers had taken away or that was damaged during the bombing.

President assigned the regional governor to install heaters and water heaters in every house after the rehabilitation works for the coming winter.

EU Georgia mission should be able to move everywhere: Solana

The EU’s Georgia mission is being deployed on the basis that it can move everywhere, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Wednesday, even as Russia opposes its presence in rebel regions.

The observer mission `will be deployed with the spirit that it can deploy everywhere` including rebel Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which have been recognised as independent by Moscow, he said.

Russian pullout to be over in a week

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Russian pullout from Senaki and Poti line will be over in seven days.

Lavrov held a news conference today, where he downplayed the expectations of Georgian politicians that international observers might be stationed in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He said they would be in charge of controlling situation only around these regions.

As for the presence of Russian troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Lavrov said it was a legal act and they would remain there to protect the two nations.

U.S. vetos Russian draft on Georgia

The United States of America has refused Russia’s proposal made in a corresponding UN Security Council draft resolution to impose an international ban on arms supplies to Georgia. The US Department of Defense has announced that it was sending a special mission to Georgia to assess the country’s needs for restoring its military strength.

On Tuesday, a Russian draft resolution was introduced to the UN Security Council calling for a complete arms embargo against Georgia. The document indicated, in particular, that all countries should take measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of arms to Georgia, as well as the provision of any assistance, consultations, or training related to military activities.

 

Russian soldiers to be deployed in Abkhazia, South Ossetia

Russia will deploy 3,800 soldiers each across territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia’s two conflict zones, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Anatoly Serdiukov, Russian Defense Minister agreed this afternoon.

During the meeting the two Russian top officials discussed scales of Russian military presence in the Caucasus. The exact places of troops’ dislocation in Abkhazia are not yet defined. However, it is already known that Russian militants will be present in Java village and Tskhinvali, capital of the self-proclaimed South Ossetian republic.

Medvedev said negotiations regarding the issue had been already complete with the Abkhazian and South Ossetian sides.

Nicolas Sarkozy: No Russian militant should remain in Georgia by October 15

“No Russian militant should remain on the Georgian territory by October 15,” Nicolas Sarkozy, French President told his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili during a special briefing held at Avlabari Residence Hall late last night.

Sarkozy hopes that the commitment of agreement will be met, otherwise, in his words, ‘the matter will look else wise.’ Sarkozy said this also refers to Georgia’s conflict zones of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Separatists, aggressors leave Ganmukhuri village

Separatist gangs have left the village of Ganmukhuri, which border the breakaway Abkhazia and Georgian police has resumed control on the territory, which has been razed to ground during the Russian aggression and the separatists’ attack.

The separatists have inflicted serious damage to the village. They burnt the pupils’ camp, the beach and the Georgian police stations.

Since August 13, the separatists and the aggressors were forcing local Georgian population to take Russian citizenship.

The IDPs have already returned to their homes in Ganmukhuri. They have been staying since the Russian aggression with their relatives in Darcheli and Kakhati villages.

UN Court Hears Georgian Claims Of Russian Rights Violations

September 08, 2008
By RFE/RL http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Court_Hears_Georgian_Claims_Of_Russian_Rights_Violations/1197354.html

The UN’s highest court has heard claims lodged by Tbilisi that ethnic Georgians have long been subjected to ethnic discrimination at the hands of Russia.

Georgia is arguing before the court that Russia has engaged in a “systematic policy” of discrimination against ethnic Georgians in breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia dating back to 1991.

And in the wake of Russia’s occupation of undisputed Georgian territory, The Hague-based court is being asked to uphold Tbilisi’s right to protect its citizens from racial discrimination that has resulted in what Georgian officials are calling “numerous civilian deaths and the terrorization and mass exodus of the civilian population.” 

Bush cancels civilian nuclear deal with Russia

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – In a pointed but mostly symbolic expression of displeasure with Moscow, President Bush on Monday canceled a once-celebrated civilian nuclear cooperation deal with Russia.

Bush had sent the agreement to Congress for approval in May, after a much-heralded signing by the two nations that capped two years of tough negotiations. On Monday, he officially pulled it back, a move announced by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

“We make this decision with regret,” said Rice, in a statement read by spokesman Sean McCormack. “Unfortunately, given the current environment, the time is not right for this agreement.”

Russians ‘agree Georgia deadline’

Russia has conditionally agreed to remove its forces from Georgian land – excluding Abkhazia and South Ossetia – by the second week of October.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the pull-out would happen once 200 EU monitors deployed to South Ossetia.
Speaking after meeting French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Mr Medvedev said the withdrawal was dependent on guarantees that Georgia would not use force again.

But he made no mention of withdrawing troops from South Ossetia or Abkhazia.

And he defended Russia’s controversial decision to recognise the independence of both breakaway regions, saying the move was “irrevocable”.