Did Russia Plan Its War In Georgia?

By Brian Whitmore

Before the guns of August, there were the maneuvers of July.

Less than one month before Russia’s armed forces entered Georgia on August 8, they held massive military training exercises in the North Caucasus involving 8,000 servicemen and 700 pieces of military hardware.

At center stage in those maneuvers — which took place in the second half of July, not far from Georgia’s border — was Russia’s 58th Army, the very unit that would later play a key role in the incursion.

Those exercises are just one link in a chain of incidents suggesting that Russia’s military action in Georgia was planned months in advance, awaiting only an appropriate pretext to act.

Lawmaker hints at long stay in Georgia, despite cease-fire

TBILISI, Georgia (CNN) — Though Russia says it will begin pulling back its troops from Georgia on Monday, it’s unclear how long the redeployment will take, and a Russian lawmaker has compared the situation to the U.S. presence in Iraq.

Russia President Dmitry Medvedev told French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday that Russia would start pulling back its forces from Georgia on Monday, his office said.

Sarkozy, who holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, brokered a cease-fire between Russia and Georgia.

Georgia will join NATO – Merkel

by Antoine Lambroschini

TBILISI (AFP) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday assured Georgia would join NATO as she strongly backed the ex-Soviet republic’s President Mikheil Saakashvili in his conflict with Russia.

“Georgia will become a member of NATO if it wants to — and it does want to,” she told reporters before talks with Saakashvili in Tbilisi.

It was one of the strongest statements yet of support for Georgia’s NATO membership bid, which is fiercely opposed by Russia.

Sarkozy demands that Russia comply with cease fire

PARIS – French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Russia’s president Sunday of “serious consequences” in Moscow’s relations with the European Union, if Russia does not comply with its cease-fire accord with Georgia.

In a telephone call, Sarkozy told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that there must be a “withdrawal, without delay, of all the Russian military forces that entered Georgia since Aug. 7,” Sarkozy’s office said in a statement.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Responses to Recurrent Disinformation of Russian side

The Ministry of Foreign affairs of Georgia responses to recurrent disinformation spread by Russian news agencies.
‘On 16 August the Russian information agencies spread the information that the Georgian Armed Forces have launched an attack on the Russian so called ‘Peacekeepers’ in the conflict zone of Abkhazia and that, as they claim, the full-scaled military operations still continue. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia declares with full responsibility that the abovementioned represents the recurrent disinformation of the Russian side and intends further escalation of the situation and justification of Russian aggression’, the statement released by the Ministry reads.

Mine Clearing of Bridge Located in Tchuberi Village of Mestia Region

Mine clearing of a bridge located in Tchuberi village of Mestia region cannot be managed until present.
As head of Analytical Department of the MIA Shota Utiashvili reported InterpressNews, Russian militaries have not left the territory until yet and due to this reason, launching mine clearing works is impossible.
The Tchuberi Bridge linking Svaneti region to Samegrelo was mined by Russian militaries at night on August 16.