Обращение лидеров ингушской оппозиции

Sorry to non-Russian speakers. It's only available in Russian. 

  

Ингушетия.Ru, 01.09.2008 00:10 

Генеральному Секретарю ООН

г-ну Пан Ги Муну

Копия

Верховному Комиссару Совета Европы

по правам человека

г-ну Томасу Хамембергу

Копия

Парламентской Ассамблее Совета Европы

Копия

ОБСЕ

Копия

Верховному Комиссару ООН по правам человека

г-же Луизе Арбур

Копия

Президенту Международной Хельсинкской

Федерации

г-ну Ульриху Фишеру

Копия

Президенту Российской Федерации

Дмитрию Анатольевичу Медведеву

Копия

Председателю Правительства Российской Федерации

Владимиру Владимировичу Путину

Копия

Председателю Госдумы Российской Федерации

Борису Грызлову

Копия

Министру обороны Российской Федерации

Анатолию Сердюкову

Копия

Председателю Московской Хельсинкской

группы по правам человека

Людмиле Михайловне Алексеевой

Копия

Директору ФСБ Российской Федерации

Александру Васильевичу Бортникову

Копия

Уполномоченному по правам человека

при Президенте Российской Федерации

Владимиру Петровичу Лукину

Копия

Генеральному Прокурору Российской Федерации

Юрию Яковлевичу Чайке

Копия

Председателю Комитета «Гражданское содействие»

Светлане Алексеевне Ганнушкиной

Копия

Эксперту Московской Хельсинкской группы

по Северному Кавказу

Асламбеку Масудовичу Апаеву

Копия

Председателю Российского Общества «Мемориал»

С.А. Ковалеву

Мировому сообществу

Председателя координационного Совета

Аушева Макшарипа Магомедовича

Председателя Мехк-Кхел

Котиева А.М.

Руководителя Оргкомитета по проведению

общенационального митинга

Хазбиева М.Х.


Обращение

Уважаемые дамы и господа!

31 августа в 13.30 при личном участии марионеточного президента Ингушетии Мурата Зязикова и министра МВД Республики Ингушетия Мусы Медова, убит владелец ингушского независимого сайта ingushetiya.ru Магомед Евлоев, жизнь которого была посвящена своему народу и который сумел прорвать информационную блокаду Ингушетии, и тем самым спасти жизни многих своих соотечественников. Это преступление было совершено на глазах десятков свидетелей и нет никакого сомнения в том, что внесудебная расправа над Магомедом — была заранее спланированной и продуманной акцией, с целью запугать представителей средств массовой информации и правозащитного движения Ингушетии. Убийство известного общественного деятеля, на наш взгляд, это продолжение политики террора и насилия на территории нашей республики, которая осуществляется при молчаливом согласии, и непосредственном участии нынешнего руководства Ингушетии. За последние несколько лет на территории Республики Ингушетия были убиты, похищены и пропали при невыясненных обстоятельствах сотни человек. Фактически речь сегодня идет о целенаправленных убийствах молодых людей и лиц, представляющих потенциальную опасность действующей власти, то есть геноциде.

Мы, представители ингушского народа, которым небезразлично прошлое и будущее нашего

маленького, свободолюбивого общества, с удивлением и негодованием встретили недавние высказывания руководства России о необходимости учреждения международного трибунала для привлечения к ответственности тех, «кто ответственен за массовые разрушения городов и сел «Южной Осетии», «кто дал соответствующее указание и кто их выполнял», в результате чего, «погибли сотни, а может быть и больше мирных, ни в чем неповинных людей, детей и женщин». По версии президента России Дмитрия Медведева, председателя Правительства Российской Федерации Владимира Путина, Государственной Думы и Совета Федерации, в Грузии, на территории «Южной Осетии», в отношении лиц осетинской национальности был осуществлен акт геноцида…

Кому, как не нам, ингушам знать – что такое геноцид… На протяжении последних семидесяти лет, в отношении ингушей и чеченцев, бывшее советское руководство, а теперь руководство «новой» и «демократической» России последовательно проводит целенаправленную акцию направленную на полное уничтожение наших народов, одновременно с этим пытаясь разобщить наше общество, используя для этого своих этнических ставленников - марионеток. Так, в октябре-ноябре 1992 года Российское руководство используя осетинское население, срежиссировала осетино-ингушский конфликт, когда авиация, танки, бронетехника, артиллерия, спецназ Российской Армии, за которыми шли созданные и обученные Москвой осетинские вооруженные формирования, провели этническую чистку в городе Владикавказ и Пригородном районе республики Северная Осетия – Алания. ( Территория, которая до депортации ингушей и чеченцев в 1944 года принадлежала Ингушской республике).Сотни ингушей –женщин, стариков, детей – были подвергнуты мучительной смерти (чему есть документальные подтверждения, хранящиеся в архивах), а десятки тысяч представителей ингушского народа насильно изгнаны из своих домов. С момента трагедии по сегодняшний день, никто в российском руководстве не говорил и не говорит ни о гуманитарной катастрофе, в которой все это время пребывают ингушские беженцы, ни о необходимости наказания тех, кто совершал, приказывал совершать и планировал данные преступления, оказывал пособничество престуникам и подстрекал к их совершению, а также отказывался принять меры к их пресечению и наказанию. Российское правосудие оказалось неспособным призвать к ответу преступников, а руководство страны – вернуть людей в места их постоянного проживания. Документы страшной осени 92 года свидетельствуют, что наиболее жестокие убийства, истязания и пытки в отношении ингушей совершались спецподразделениями ФСК (ныне ФСБ) и ГРУ Минобороны России вместе с представителями незаконных вооруженных формирований Южной Осетии. Убийства совершались с особой жестокостью и циничностью, для устрашения ингушского населения. Такие же немыслимые для человеческого восприятия зверства российские спецподразделения совершали и в ходе двух военных кампаний в Чечне. События, имевшие место в октябре-ноябре 1992 года, наглядно показали отношение российского руководства к нормам международного права и соблюдению собственных Законов и Конституции страны.

Необходимо напомнить, что в1924-м году столица Ингушетии город Владикавказ был разделен руководством СССР на две части, одну - оставили ингушам, другую-передали осетинской стороне. Затем зимой 1944 -го года ингушей и чеченцев депортировали в Сибирь и в северные районы республики Казахстан, в результате чего вайнахский народ (ингуши и

чеченцы) потерял половину своей численности . Столица Ингушетии город Владикавказ вместе с Пригородным районом были отняты у ингушского народа и переданы в состав Северной Осетии. В результате периодически осуществляемого геноцида ингушский народ, считавшийся одним из самых

образованных на Северном Кавказе отброшен в своем развитии на несколько

десятилетий назад И в настоящее время российское руководство продолжает заниматься уничтожением ингушского этноса.

В марте 2006 года Кремль перекрыл доступ ингушей в Джейрахско-Ассинский государственный историко-архитектурный и природный музей-заповедник официально ставший частью приграничной зоны России. Сегодня в Ингушетии без предъявления, каких бы то ни было обвинений, российские силовые структуры среди бела дня убивают молодых людей, похищают их и подвергают нечеловеческим пыткам. Очень многие их похищенных пропадают без вести. Спецслужбы России регулярно проводят в населенных пунктах республики незаконные «спецоперации», не неся при этом никакой ответственности за убийства и похищения людей

Попытки гражданского общества привлечь внимание к ингушской трагедии – митинги, пикеты, массовые мероприятия, проводимые на территории республики, жестоко подавляются, а инициаторы преследуются, подвергаются шантажу, покушениям и убийствам, как в случае с Магомедом Евлоевым. Политика двойных стандартов, осуществляемая российским руководством и откровенный геноцид ингушского народа толкают нас на принятие кардинальных решений и увеличивает число людей желающих выхода Ингушетии из состава Российской Федерации Российский Северный Кавказ находится под огромным прессингом силовых структур , а большинство из те, кто старался беспристрастно освещать проблемы Северного Кавказа были убиты или похищены «силовиками».. В связи со сложившийся ситуацией и тем что все карательные методы и все виды глумления над ингушским и чеченским народами российская власть испробовала и продолжает делать все, чтобы уничтожить и стереть нас с карты Кавказа, просим международное сообщество немедленно вмещаться в происходящее и остановить геноцид развернутый российским

государством против народов Северного Кавказа.

С уважением,

Председателькоординационного Совета

Аушев М. М.

Председатель Мехк-Кхел

Котиев А.М.

Руководитель Оргкомитета по проведению

общенационального митинга

Хазбиев М.Х.

საქართველო ჩვენია!Georgia is ours!

Ingushetia website owner killed

The owner of an internet site critical of the Russian authorities in the volatile region of Ingushetia has been shot dead after police detained him. 

Magomed Yevloyev, owner of the Ingushetiya.ru site, was a vocal critic of the region's Kremlin-backed administration. 

The Russian prosecutor's office said an investigation into the death had been launched, Interfax reported. 

A post on Yevloyev's site said he was detained at Ingushetia's airport. 

The website owner was taken to hospital but died from his injuries. 

Reports quoting local police said Yevloyev tried to seize a policeman's gun when he was being led to a vehicle. A shot was fired and Yevloyev was injured in the head. 

Human rights concerns 

The predominantly Muslim province borders Chechnya and has suffered from overflowing unrest. 

There is a low-level insurgency, with regular small-scale ambushes against police and soldiers. 

In June 2008, the Human Rights Watch group accused Russian security forces there of carrying out widespread human rights abuses. 

HRW said it had documented dozens of arbitrary detentions, disappearances, acts of torture and extra-judicial executions. 

BBC News

What Russia will do next

A secret e-mail to Mr Putin reaches our columnist



From:oleg.shutnik@svr.ru

To:vvp@gov.ru

Cc:dam@kremlin.ru


ESTEEMED Vladimir Vladimirovich!

As director of the operational task-force of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, I present my compliments to you personally at the conclusion of the initial military-political phase of Operation "Return".

The penetration by this service and its sister organisations of decision-making structures in the enemy camp has long given us advance warning of European Union and NATO plans, and a substantial ability to influence them. Even we, however, did not expect such torpor and weakness from the enemy. We see empty words but no readiness for serious resistance. Indeed, some western commentators and politicians have praised our actions as justified, including in some cases those who have received no payment or other inducements. We can proceed confidently.


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MOSCOW ORCHESTRATES WAR SCARE IN SOUTH OSSETIA

By Vladimir Socor 

Monday, August 4, 2008

Since July 31, Russian state television channels have been airing inflammatory stories about Georgian forces firing on South Ossetia’s administrative center Tskhinvali, inflicting civilian casualties and causing a refugee exodus to North Ossetia (Russian TV Channel One, Rossiya TV, NTV, Itar-Tass, July 31-August 3). The allegations are not verified by any independent source nor can they be, given Russia’s exclusion of any meaningful international monitoring in South Ossetia, disabling the OSCE and precluding Georgian air surveillance.

Moscow’s propaganda wave closely resembles previous ones in the continuing political warfare against Georgia. For their part, leaders in Tskhinvali threaten to escalate the hostilities deeper inside Georgian territory, using “their own forces,” that is, a proxy war. “We will force [the Georgians] out from the conflict zone ourselves. I state once again that we have the necessary troops and equipment [sil i sredstv] to do this,” the South Ossetian “president” Eduard Kokoity warned (South Ossetian Press and Information Committee, August 3).

The Russian-delegated “prime minister” and “security council secretary” of South Ossetia, Yuriy Morozov and Anatoly Barankevich, appeared on Russian television channels with lurid stories that Georgians had killed six South Ossetian civilians and wounded twice as many and that South Ossetian troops had in turn killed 29 Georgian soldiers. They also alleged that Georgians were forcing a mass exodus of children and women from South Ossetia to North Ossetia. These officials also threatened to take the hostilities deeper inside Georgia, with ostensibly South Ossetian forces (South Ossetian Press and Information Committee, Itar-Tass, August 1, 2).

North Ossetian leaders, meanwhile, seem unwilling to be dragged into a confrontation and are downplaying the anti-Georgian accusations. North Ossetian President Teymuraz Mansurov and other officials in Vladivkavkaz have not backed up those atrocity stories and have explicitly denied that any refugee exodus was under way (Interfax, July 31, August 1, 2).

Moscow has every interest in fostering a brink-of-war atmosphere. Having pressured Georgia heavily in Abkhazia in recent months while allowing a temporary lull in South Ossetia, Russia is now shifting the pressure onto this front. As in previous years, Moscow deems the month of August propitious for staging military incidents in Georgia, while European officials take their vacations. This year, however, may differ from previous ones in that Russian and proxy forces could stage the seasonal clashes both in Abkhazia and in South Ossetia, and possibly with a higher intensity.

Russia’s recent moves in Abkhazia had suggested that an incursion into the upper Kodori valley could be expected in mid-August. This remains a distinct possibility and may be accompanied by an incident in South Ossetia, ostensibly “in response” to Georgian “provocations” there, on the “evidence” of Russian state media. Moscow is now forcing Tbilisi to guess which option it is considering using: escalation in both areas, or a main action in one of them and a side show in the other.

Apart from the usual goal of military intimidation, Moscow has some novel motives this year to escalate tension to an unprecedented level. First and foremost, it wants to demonstrate that NATO would court danger and risk a breakdown in relations with Russia, if the Alliance approves a membership action plan for Georgia at one of the upcoming NATO meetings (December 2008, April 2009). Germany’s insistence at the April 2008 NATO summit, that the unresolved secessionist conflicts disqualify Georgia from a membership action plan, has emboldened Moscow to demonstrate ever more aggressively that the conflicts are indeed unresolved.

Second, by stoking tensions in South Ossetia and anxiety in European institutions, Moscow seeks to force Georgia to return to negotiations in the Joint Control Commission (JCC), which Georgia quit in March of this year. With its grotesquely unbalanced composition (Georgia, Russia, South Ossetia, and Russia’s North Ossetia, plus the OSCE as a passive observer), the JCC had only helped perpetuate the “frozen” conflict, i.e., Moscow-controlled instability.

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War is never the Answer

Dear Friends, Georgians have a request to all, who loves Georgia, loves Georgian people and herewith your own motherland With our patriarch's consecraste, who has a wish, on Monday, 1th of september, at 15:00 (*georgian time*) and *13:00 (London Time*) all must come out in street and make a live chain to make the world and at first Russia to see, that Georgia is united and we are together, georgians and all who loves georgia. 

Please make this request extend to everybody, with your friends, in place where you live and express your support to Georgia and to georgian people.

source: http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-70554

Psychopath Occupies Georgia, Blames America

GEORGIAN SECURITY ANALYSIS CENTER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2008
#2008-006
CONTACT: Salome Salukvadze, +995 95 567 513

Psychopath Occupies Georgia, Blames America

"I think it is important that the legislative branch of the country
comment on the latest Russian outrage, and Georgia has done it with the
Parliamentary resolution. I think it is all together appropriate," said
David J. Smith, Director, Georgian Security Analysis Center.

The Parliament of Georgia Thursday unanimously passed the resolution on
occupation of Georgia. According to the resolution, Russian armed forces,
including so called peacekeepers, dislocated on the territory of Georgia,
are announced to be occupying forces; South Ossetia and Abkhazia announced
occupied territories; all armed units on the territory of Georgia except
of Georgian units are declared illegal. The resolution directs the
executive government to abolish all legal acts implying dislocation of
Russian armed forces on the territory of Georgia, delegitimized by the
actions of Russia itself. Georgia remains true to the cease-fire
agreement of August 12. The resolution charges the executive government
to cut diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation, while consular
relations will stay unchanged. According to the last point of the
resolution, the Public Prosecutor’s office is charged to investigate the
facts of ethnic cleansing executed in Georgia by the Russian Federation.

Smith went on to say, "I would point out that what we have here are two
breakaway regions seeking assistance from a hostile foreign power and
inviting a hostile foreign power onto Georgian territory. I am not a
lawyer so I will not comment on the precise legal aspects of that, but
when you look at it, it is a very, very bad situation and it is a
situation that the rest of the world needs to take into account.
Georgia's relations with its own citizens is its own internal affair, but
the notion of a foreign country marching around a sovereign country is a
business of the entire world. Moreover, not only Abkhazia and South
Ossetia are occupied by the Russian army, but today the large portions of
Georgia remain occupied by Russians."

"As for Putin, the problem that occurs right now is that talking sense to
people in Moscow does not make sense," said Smith. "Putin's interview
yesterday evening on CNN—Prime Minister Putin is in charge of Russia—It's
just bizarre."

Thursday Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States
of orchestrating the conflict. Putin said: “The suspicion arises that
someone in the US especially created this conflict with the aim of making
the situation more tense and creating a competitive advantage for one of
the candidates fighting for the post of US president."

David J. Smith continued: "What we have here is someone who has become a
television psychopath. The world will have to recognize that we are
dealing with a psychopath and international juvenile delinquent. Once
again I would say that it is a problem for Georgia, but it is a problem of
the rest of the world too."

Smith went on to say: "As for the United Nations so far being failing to
pass a resolution on Georgia, I thought Irakli Alasania made a very good
presentation at the UN yesterday. Of course you can use UN for public
diplomacy, spreading out the word, telling other countries what is going
on. But expecting any action from the UN is silly so long as the Soviet
Union maintains a veto on the UNSC."

The UN Security Council was incapable to pass a resolution over the
conflict in Georgia on Thursday afternoon after concluding its sixth
emergency session on the subject.

Georgia: Satellite Images Show Destruction, Ethnic Attacks

Russia Should Investigate, Prosecute Crimes

(New York, August 29, 2008) – Recent satellite images released by the UN program UNOSAT confirm the widespread torching of ethnic Georgian villages inside South Ossetia, Human Rights Watch said today. Detailed analysis of the damage depicted in five ethnic Georgian villages shows the destruction of these villages around the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, was caused by intentional burning and not armed combat. All of this adds up to compelling evidence of war crimes and grave human rights abuses. This should persuade the Russian government it needs to prosecute those responsible for these crimes. 
Rachel Denber, deputy director of the Europe and Central Asia division of Human Rights Watch
   
“Human Rights Watch researchers personally witnessed Ossetian militias looting and burning down ethnic Georgian villages during their research in the area,” said Rachel Denber, deputy director of the Europe and Central Asia division of Human Rights Watch. “These satellite images indicate just how widespread the torching of these villages has been in the last two weeks.”  
 
The new satellite images, taken by a commercial satellite on August 19, were analyzed by experts of the Geneva-based UNOSAT program, which is part of the UN Institute for Training and Research and produces satellite-derived mapping in support of UN agencies and the international humanitarian community. UNOSAT experts identified visible structures on the images that were likely to have been either destroyed or severely damaged. The expert analysis indicates clear patterns of destruction that are consistent with the evidence gathered by Human Rights Watch researchers working in the region.  
 

Among the images publicly available from the UNOSAT website (http://unosat.web.cern.ch/unosat/) is a map marking satellite-detected active fire locations in the ethnic Georgian villages around Tskhinvali. The map shows active fires in the ethnic Georgian villages on August 10, 12, 13, 17, 19 and 22, well after active hostilities ended in the area on August 10. On these dates the lack of cloud cover allowed the satellites to view those locations.

Fires by date (high resolution, 3.3MB)
 
Fires by date (low resolution, 1.6MB)
 
UNOSAT has also released a set of six high-resolution satellite images of the enclave of ethnic Georgian villages stretching nine kilometers north from Tskhinvali, showing that the majority of them have been destroyed.  
 
Destroyed ethnic Georgian villages (high resolution, 26.7MB)
 

Destroyed ethnic Georgian villages (low resolution, 8.5MB)

The images strongly indicate that the majority of the destruction in five of the villages – Tamarasheni, Kekhvi, Kvemo Achabeti (Nizhnie Achaveti in Russian), Zemo Achabeti (Verkhnie Achaveti in Russian), and Kurta – was caused by intentional burning. The high-resolution images of these villages show no impact craters from incoming shelling or rocket fire, or aerial bombardment. The exterior and interior masonry walls of most of the destroyed homes are still standing, but the wood-framed roofs are collapsed, indicating that the buildings were burned. Only along the main road through Tamarasheni are a number of homes visible with collapsed exterior walls, which may have been caused by tank fire. Ethnic Georgian witnesses from Tamarasheni told Human Rights Watch that they had witnessed Russian tanks systematically firing into the homes on August 10.

Detailed satellite images of destroyed ethnic Georgian villages (10.2MB)

On August 12, Human Rights Watch researchers witnessed massive looting by Ossetian militias in Tamarasheni, as well as in the neighboring ethnic Georgian villages. Human Rights Watch researchers saw and photographed the still-smoldering and the recently torched houses in Tamarasheni. Witnesses from local villagers in Tamarasheni, Kvemo Achabeti, and Kekhvi told Human Rights Watch that Ossetian militias were systematically looting and burning ethnic Georgian homes. In the village of Kekhvi, many homes had been set alight by Ossetian militias just before the arrival of Human Rights Watch researchers, who photographed the burning homes.
Human Rights Watch photo essay, "Burning and Looting of Ethnic Georgian Villages in South Ossetia"
Human Rights Watch researchers spoke with several members of the Ossetian militias who openly admitted that the houses were being burned by their associates, explaining that the objective was to ensure that ethnic Georgians would not have the houses to return to.  
 
“All of this adds up to compelling evidence of war crimes and grave human rights abuses,” said Denber. “This should persuade the Russian government it needs to prosecute those responsible for these crimes.”  
 
The damage shown in the ethnic Georgian villages is massive and concentrated. In Tamarasheni, UNOSAT’s experts counted a total of 177 buildings destroyed or severely damaged, accounting for almost all of the buildings in the town. In Kvemo Achabeti, there are 87 destroyed and 28 severely damaged buildings (115 total); in Zemo Achabeti, 56 destroyed and 21 severely damaged buildings (77 total); in Kurta, 123 destroyed and 21 severely damaged buildings (144 total); in Kekhvi, 109 destroyed and 44 severely damaged buildings (153 total); in Kemerti, 58 destroyed and 20 severely damaged buildings (78 total); and in Dzartsemi, 29 destroyed and 10 severely damaged buildings (39 total).  
 
Selected Accounts from Ethnic Georgian Residents  
 
“[The Ossetians] had cars outside and first looted everything they liked. Then they brought hay, put it in the house and ignited it. The house was burned in front of my eyes.”  
– Zhuzhuna Chulukhidze, 76, resident of Zemo Achabeti  
 
“I was beaten and my house was looted by Ossetian militias three times during a single day. After they took everything and there was nothing more to loot, they brought petrol, poured it everywhere in the rooms and outside the house, and then put it on fire. They made me watch as my house was fully burned.”  
– Ila Chulukhadze, 84, resident of Kvemo Achabeti  
 
“They [Ossetians] came several times to my house and took everything they liked. Once there was nothing else to take, they poured petrol and put it on fire. I watched how they burned my house as well as my neighbors’ houses.”  
– Rezo Babutsidze, 80, resident of Kvemo Achabeti  
 
“Ossetians first took out everything they could from my house. Then they brought hay, put it in the house and put it on fire. They did not allow us to take even our documents. I saw how my house was completely burnt.”  
– Tamar Khutsinashvili, 69, resident of Tamarasheni  

Georgia conflict: South Ossetia seeks to merge with Russia

Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia has signalled that it will formally seek to merge with Russia. 
 By David Blair, Diplomatic Editor

Mr Kokoity, holder of a Russian passport, is leader of the region's separatists, who use roubles, hold Russian passports and dream of rejoining Russia Photo: REUTERS

This move would amount to Russia’s annexation of an area of another state and the redrawing of the map of a corner of Europe. 

South Ossetia, with a largely Russian population of only 70,000, has no viable future as an independent state and observers believe that its only realistic option is to join its giant neighbour. 

President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia discussed this option with his South Ossetian counterpart, Eduard Kokoity, earlier this week during a meeting in Moscow. 

Znaur Gassiyev, the Speaker of South Ossetia’s parliament, said the enclave would formally join Russia "in several years" or possible earlier. This had been "firmly stated by both leaders” during their meeting in Moscow. 

Tarzan Kokoiti, the deputy Speaker, predicted: “We will live in one united Russian state.” 

While the Kremlin has recognised South Ossetia as an “independent” country, Russia effectively controls the tiny enclave, which has no viable economy and depends largely on smuggling. 

If the area merges with Russia, this would be a formal acknowledgement of reality. 

At the close of this month’s war with Georgia, Russian troops were in full control of South Ossetia and the other breakaway region, Abkhazia.

source

Fog of war obscures state of cultural heritage sites in Georgia

Tom Flynn*

The recent hostilities in Georgia have again focused attention on the impact of armed conflict on the region's ancient sites and monuments.

One of the oldest countries of the South Caucasus region, Georgia is particularly rich in cultural heritage, containing countless archaeological sites and medieval and later buildings of great historical significance. The country has three sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List and a further fifteen on the Tentative List for possible inclusion.

In 1991, following the fall of communism, Georgia became an independent nation. However, like many of its neighbours it has struggled with the transition from a relatively impoverished Soviet satellite state to a full-blown market economy.

The conflict of the early 1990s in the Russian-backed separatist republic of Abkhazia in north western Georgia brought widespread looting and damage to the region's cultural heritage. As a result, the website of ICOMOS, (the International Council on Monuments and Sites), has stated that "the entire cultural heritage of Georgia is endangered."

Maka Dvalishvili, director of the Georgian Arts and Cultural Centre (GACC) in Tbilisi, and Fulbright Scholar at the Harriman Institute at Columbia University, told me it is too early to make an accurate assessment of the impact of the recent war on the region's cultural sites. "At the moment, there is no way to get to the key areas to assess the damage. It is not even safe for local residents. There is a real risk of unexploded mines and the armed forces say it will be two weeks before the territory is safe enough to enter."

A monitoring group from the Georgian Ministry of Culture in Tbilisi is standing by, ready to go in.

Nato Tsintsabadze, an architect and advisor on cultural heritage matters to ICOMOS and the Georgian Ministry of Culture, told me, "A plan is being prepared for monitoring and emergency response to war-damaged cultural heritage in the country which will take place after (and if) the European peace-keepers enter in the occupied territories. There are some efforts to gather information through interviewing displaced people from central Georgia."

Meanwhile, the draft of a preliminary report prepared by ICOMOS Georgia for Mr. Dinu Bumbaru, Secretary General of ICOMOS, states that, "On 7 August, ICOMOS Georgia professionals were at the village Ateni (near the town Gori) working on the 6th-century Ateni Sioni Church when shelling of the village had started. Fortunately, all the team had managed to leave the village together with other civilians without losses. Regretfully, there are casualties among our colleagues and their families working in the field of heritage preservation of Georgia."he monastery was also bombed. The Bishop had to take his congregation out of there. We passed several villages on foot. The Bishop contacted the priest Andria, who came for us with a minibus from Gori. Only the bishop Isaia and the priest Antoni [were] left behind, saying 'We cannot leave now' and they went back under fire and this disaster. They are there even today. We left. I could imagine anything, but shelling the Orthodox Church." (source: www.ireport.com)

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Beginning of the end for Putinism

Roger Boyes

Published 28 August 2008

Many Russians persist in viewing Putin as a superman. If truth be told he is a failure

Many people are afraid of Russia, and with good reason. Bloodthirsty Cossacks left scars across eastern Europe. So, too, did the Red Army. But British Russophobia has different roots, stretching back to the age of imperial competition. Now that we have waved goodbye to the colonies and Russia has grudgingly shed most of the Soviet imperium, there is no reason why we should fall back on some atavistic fear of the Kremlin when shaping policy. Caricaturing Russia as an angry, hungry bear does not help; nor does demonising Putin.

Instead, Russia's intervention in Georgia must make us focus on two questions. First, how strong is Russia and what are its intentions? Second, what are western aims in the Caucasus and eastern Europe? Once these matters are clarified, it will be possible to judge whether we are on a collision course with Moscow.

Georgia was plainly a Russian trap. A tank army was in position, and the Black Sea fleet mobilised, long before the fickle Mikhail Saakash vili started to bombard South Ossetia. Dig a hole in front of the Georgian leader and he can be relied upon to walk into it. So why did Russia crave military action? Because it believes that the mountainous borderlands of the Caucasus define Russian identity. Westernise or Nato-ise these countries and you trigger the Russian fear of encirclement. Also, the Black Sea has rich gas deposits, lucrative enough to turn Russia's southern borderlands into prosperous, independent-minded rivals. Georgia is also a transit land for an oil pipeline that poses an alternative to Russian networks. Destabilising Georgia and instal ling a Moscow-friendly government is therefore a Russian strategic aim.

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Current civilian, military and journalist casualty figures, including numbers of internally displaced persons

August 25, 2008

Explanatory Note
The information below is accurate to the best of our knowledge, but is subject to verification. They do not include data on South Ossetian and Russian casualties, which they government of Georgia has no way of assessing.
The numbers of dead and wounded are based exclusively on bodies received by Georgian morgues, and does not include those kept, buried, burned or otherwise disposed of within the area of Russian control.
About 160 military personnel remain unaccounted for.
The number of registered IDPs only includes those IDPs who fled to areas of Georgian control, and does not include those who fled to Russia or who are displaced within areas of Russian occupation.

Georgians wounded:
Total: 2231
Military: 1964
Civilian: 267
Discharged: 1069

Georgians killed:
Total: 216
Military: 143
Civilian: 73

Journalists:
Killed: 3 (1 international, 2 Georgians).
Injured: 6 (3 internationals, 3 Georgians).
Detained by Russians/Ossetes: 10 (8 internationals, 2 Georgians).
Attacked by Russians/Ossetes: 3 (2 internationals, 1 Georgian).
Robbed by Russians/Ossetes: 12 (all internationals).

Number of registered IDPs:
119, 000

Do not allow another Katyn take place! Ethnic cleansing evidence

also see (Katyn on youtube)



The following photographs were sent by the journalist (who I will not name due to his safety) who took the photo materials of the Concentration Camps (which they call detention camps) in Russian occupied Tskhinvali were so far hundreds of Georgian civilians are kept. He took these images with his cell phone camera and forwarded them to Human Rights Watch. There are striking similarities with Srebrenica tragedy. According to refugees and HR, men are taken away to forests after which point nobody knows of their whereabouts. Similar camps are set up in other towns in occupied "South Ossetia." Note, the musical concert is held by the Russian military near this camp. We are getting more images and evidences, which are submited to the War Crimes Trubunal in Hague which just recently accepted the case of ethnic-cleansing of Georgians and will start the hearing on September 3rd. Asked about his own earlier comments warning of a risk of ethnic cleansing by Russian forces in the territories, French Foreign Miniser Kouchner responded: "I hope that didn't happen overnight. But there has already been evidence that the armies are pushing away the Ossetians who favored Georgia, and in a certain way, yes, an ethnic cleansing is taking place."

The Truth About Russia in Georgia - Michael Totten

TBILISI, GEORGIA – Virtually everyone believes Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili foolishly provoked a Russian invasion on August 7, 2008, when he sent troops into the breakaway district of South Ossetia. “The warfare began Aug. 7 when Georgia launched a barrage targeting South Ossetia,” the Associated Press reported over the weekend in typical fashion.

Virtually everyone is wrong. Georgia didn't start it on August 7, nor on any other date. The South Ossetian militia started it on August 6 when its fighters fired on Georgian peacekeepers and Georgian villages with weapons banned by the agreement hammered out between the two sides in 1994. At the same time, the Russian military sent its invasion force bearing down on Georgia from the north side of the Caucasus Mountains on the Russian side of the border through the Roki tunnel and into Georgia. This happened before Saakashvili sent additional troops to South Ossetia and allegedly started the war. 

Regional expert, German native, and former European Commission official Patrick Worms was recently hired by the Georgian government as a media advisor, and he explained to me exactly what happened when I met him in downtown Tbilisi. You should always be careful with the version of events told by someone on government payroll even when the government is as friendly and democratic as Georgia's. I was lucky, though, that another regional expert, author and academic Thomas Goltz, was present during Worms' briefing to me and signed off on it as completely accurate aside from one tiny quibble.

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RUSSIAN INVASION OF GEORGIA - GOVERNMENT OF GEORGIA PRESS RELEASE

August 26, 2008

The documents below summarize the immediate results of Russian Invasion of Georgia. They are are represented in chapters as follows:

Read more:

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA - MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI

August 26, 2008

The Russian Federation’s actions are an attempt to militarily annex a sovereign nation—the nation of Georgia. This is in direct violation of international law and imperils the international security framework that has ensured peace, stability, and order for the past 60 years.

Russia's decision today confirms that its invasion of Georgia was part of a broader, premeditated plan to redraw the map of Europe. Russia today has violated all treaties and agreements that it has previously signed.

Russia’s actions have been condemned in the strongest possible terms by the entire international community, which has reaffirmed its support for Georgia’s territorial integrity. The Government of Georgia is grateful for the world’s support.

The regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are recognized by international law as being within the borders of Georgia.

Today, by its actions, the Russian Federation is seeking to validate the use of violence, direct military aggression, and ethnic cleansing to forcibly change the borders of a neighboring state.

Russia’s refusal to withdraw its military forces from Georgia—and its attempt to annex two regions of Georgia—is in direct violation of the EU-brokered cease fire to end Russia's invasion and occupation of Georgia.

The two regions in question have been de-populated by conflict and continue to be subject to widespread ethnic cleansing by Russia and its proxies—as confirmed by the United Nations and other international bodies.

These are areas where the local populations– simply because of their nationality - have been chased out, with the direct intervention of the Russian Federation.

The few civilians who remain in these regions have been given Russian passports en masse, in violation of international law and norms, making a mockery of the principle of “right to protect”.

One such expulsion took place in 1993 in Abkhazia. Others took place last week in South Ossetia and in Upper Abkhazia/the Kodori Gorge.

I remind you that before the first conflict, more than 525,000 people lived in Abkhazia. Today less than 150,000 do.

I remind you that ethnic Georgians in South Ossetia have been systematically forced to flee that territory due to Russia’s invasion.

The attacks on ethnic Georgians, both inside and outside the conflict zones, are continuing.

The ethnic cleansing is something that the local rebel separatists are proud to announce—and which Russia, through its actions, is attempting to legalize.

Is it legal to remove ethnic groups from their homes using violence and terror?

Is it moral or legal for an ethnically cleansed area to be rewarded with independence by a neighbor?

If intervention in Kosovo was about stopping ethnic cleansing, today’s decision by the Russian Federation is about rewarding and legalizing ethnic cleansing.

Russia has turned logic and morality on its head.

Russia’s decision is therefore a direct and grave challenge to the international order.This a challenge for the entire world. Not just Georgia.

It means that today, annexation and ethnic cleansing have once again become tools of international relations.

If accepted by the international community, it means that foreign-sponsored groups around the world can use violence and ethnic cleansing to achieve their ends.

It means that third parties can arm, sustain and direct those groups in order to change the borders on the world’s map.

Today, it is clear around the world that Russia is acting as an aggressor state.

My appeal to the free world is to condemn and reject Russia’s dangerous and irrational decision – NOT only for Georgia’s sake – but for the sake of preserving the fundamental basis of international law and order.

On behalf of my Government and people, I condemn this reckless act and want to state clearly that the Russian action does not hold any legal value.

As before – and according to international law, Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty is inviolable.

Russia’s aims, method and goals are now clear.

The Russian Federation has used military force to try to dismember my country.

In the days and weeks ahead we will work with the international community to prevent this decision from having any effect on the sovereignty of my country and from further undermining the international order.

Together we must stand united against this aggression and call on you for your assistance and immediate reaction.

This is a test for the entire world and a test for our collective solidarity.

This is the test that we—all free people—must not fail.

My friends, we are all concerned today. And today Georgia counts on your support.

Today a challenge has been posed to all of us.

Today the fate of Europe and the free world is unfortunately being played out in my small country.

But together, we can and we must unite to meet this challenge.

Abkhazians and OSetians Celebrate "independence" with Russian Flags

NO COMMENTS:

Oseti:














Abkhazeti:

Letter of a Georgian Citizen to Russian Citizens

Today your motherland has stolen a large part of mine - declaring the "independence" of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. My congratulations to you on the successful enlargement of your "tiny" country once more and again in the way of its great historical tradition. Most of all I thank you for having remained so nobly silent. For my part I wish to inform you that my house, which you apparently considered as a shashlichnaia, will remain at your disposal. I do not particularly want to amend the great tradition of Russian-Georgian friendship, hoping that this friendship will allow me and my family to keep our small shashlichnaia-home, and that the Duma will not use the excuse of "independence" to annex it (in fact, my hundred per cent French wife speaks Russian as good or even better than the Ossetians, she can be offered a Russian passport and then see her interests defended even in the 18th Paris Montmartre arrondissement) and to install a new Museum of the Friendship among Peoples (Drujba Narodov).

Still your Paata KOURDADZE
 


A tous mes amis russes !

Aujourd'hui votre mère Patrie m'a volé une grande partie de la mienne - déclarant l'"indépendance" de l'Abkhazie et de l'Ossétie du Sud, je vous félicite donc d'avoir ainsi pu faire agrandir votre "minuscule" pays encore une fois et toujours à la manière de sa grande tradition historique. Et plus que tout je vous remercie de votre noble silence. Je vous informe pour ma part que ma maison, qui n'était apparemment pour vous qu'une shashlichnaia*, va rester à votre disposition. Je ne veux surtout pas modifier la grande tradition d'amitié russo-géorgienne, tout en espérant que cette amitié me permettra à moi et à ma famille de conserver notre petit appart-shashlichnaia, et que la Duma ne nous annexera pas sous couvert d'indépendance (c'est vrai ça, ma femme pourtant française de souche, à 100% même, parle russe aussi bien voire mieux que les Ossètes, on peut lui offrir un passeport russe puis vouloir venir défendre ses intérêts jusque dans notre 18e, (Paris Montmartre) et n'y installera pas un nouveau Musée de l'amitié entre les peuples (Drujba Narodov) 

Toujours votre Paata KOURDADZE 

*shashlichnaia = Bistrot de Grillades

Personal Stories of Georgian IDP-s on the Google Maps

 

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Съезд крыши - Валерия Новодворская

То, что нами правят преступники (чекисты – это вам не какая-нибудь каморра, это гораздо хуже, потому что они зомби, выбравшиеся из могилы СССР), – это не так страшно, как то, что нами правят лузеры и непрофессионалы. Война с Грузией – это не только преступление, это ошибка. Поведение Путина, Медведева и Ко я не могу себе объяснить ничем кроме фразы "Крыша едет не спеша, тихо шифером шурша". На вопрос "За что воюем?" на этот раз можно ответить: "Я хату покинул, пошел воевать, чтоб в Грузии землю чекистам отдать. Прощайте, родные, прощайте друзья! Лубянка, Лубянка, Лубянка моя!"

Михаила Саакашвили умело спровоцировали, втянули в конфликт, довели до удара по Цхинвали. А не сделай он этого, его зубастая оппозиция смела бы его, как когда-то Звиада Гамсахурдиа, мешавшего "Мхедриони" и другим отрядам разбойничать в Самачабло, то есть в Южной Осетии, и давшего Абхазии статус субъекта конфедерации. Парламент не согласился, а за поддержку Абхазии, после того как "умник" Шеварднадзе ввел туда войска, и Звиад, и его парламент, уже изгнанные грузинскими "патриотами", то есть милитаристами, в Чечню, были исключены Союзом граждан Грузии из состава грузинского народа (sic!). А среди нынешней оппозиции есть и такие, кто прямо предлагал объявить войну России, так что отдавать им власть значило бы только приблизить катастрофу и, возможно, ядерный Армагеддон.

Слишком долго российские "миротворцы" разжигали войну в Южной Осетии, чтобы она не началась, и слишком усердно российская авиация бомбила села Грузии уже вне Самачабло, чтобы несчастный грузинский президент не подставился. Публичная, ничем не прикрытая аннексия Самачабло Россией была бы уже достаточным безумием. Но Путину этого показалось мало. И тут же был отдан приказ абхазам, давно уже утратившим гордость и честь и ставшим российскими наймитами, занять Кодорское ущелье и заодно Панкиси.

Когда беженцы с экрана плачут: "Помогите Южной Осетии!" – им можно посочувствовать. Но когда из толпы несчастных осетин звучит крик: "Помогите Абхазии!" (а еще кому? Приднестровью?) – начинаешь думать о массовке. Значит, загребущие чекистские лапы хотели и Абхазию прихватить. И не только. Российские войска вошли в Грузию. Гори, Сенаки, бомбежки Поти и Тбилисского аэропорта (локатор уничтожен, и только старые грузинские пилоты рискуют взлетать и садиться). В порту Поти, арендованном на 95 лет арабским шейхом (нам еще судиться с ним на международном уровне), не было военных судов. Бомбили трубопровод, по которому нефть идет в обход России. Бандитские войска, бандитская страна. "Пацаны" в России всех построили и решили, что так будет везде.

Чуркин в ООН называет цель России: убрать Саакашвили. В последний раз мир слышал о таком от отцов-иезуитов в XVI веке. Уничтожение "нечестивых принцев". Религиозные фанатики убили Генриха III и Генриха IV. С тех пор убивали, но не вслух. Что же, Кремль решил написать свою Mein Kampf? Или они там все угорели? По Грузии шляются бесхозные колонны танков с казаками, "добровольцами" и прочей мародерской швалью. Что делают в Гори российские танки? Собирают оружие? А может, грибы или пустые бутылки?

Искусственно созданные российские граждане и война, развязанная якобы чтобы их защитить, – это обыкновенный фашизм. И если бы не Америка... Кажется, Джордж Буш наконец понял, какую змею Запад пригрел на груди, и решительно встал за Грузию и против России. Мощная рука США легла на чашу свободы и западных ценностей. Гуманитарка на кораблях ВМС и самолетах ВВС США – это попытка остановить войну. Пока земля еще вертится, пока не пришлось использовать ядерный потенциал. Джон Маккейн пишет статьи, как российский диссидент. Президенты Польши, Украины, Эстонии, Литвы и премьер-министр Латвии митингуют, взявшись за руки, как на Майдане в Киеве.

Нас не поддержал никто, кроме Кубы и патентованного тирана Лукашенко. Нас выкинули из G8 и из цивилизованного мира в выгребную яму изгойства. Да если бы Южная Осетия и Абхазия просто хотели отделиться, никто бы не стал защищать Саакашвили. Право народа превыше права государства. Но они же не ищут свободы, они ищут выгодного рабства; не наделали своих паспортов, а получили российские. Они просто коллаборационисты, а не инсургенты. Одна только Америка может спасти грузинский народ и российских призывников от взаимного истребления. Россию же, боюсь, уже никто не спасет. Мы будем прокляты и отвергнуты человечеством.

Валерия Новодворская

source: http://grani.ru/Politics/Russia/p.140299.html

RUSSIAN AGGRESSION IS STILL AGGRESSION – NO MATTER WHAT DUMA SAYS

GEORGIAN SECURITY ANALYSIS CENTER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25, 2008 #2008-004
CONTACT: Salome Salukvadze, +995 95 567 513

"The Kremlin uses the Duma and the Federation Council not as proper legislative bodies, but as propaganda machines. They often have been used to make a signal or a threat," said Ambassador David J. Smith, Director, Georgian Security Analysis Center. "We do not know what will happen—whether Putin will tell Medvedev to accept the resolution," Smith continued.

Today the upper house of Russian Parliament, the Federation Council, voted 130-0 to approve a resolution calling on President Dimitry Medvedev to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent. "But no matter what happens, we should take President Medvedev at his word when he said he is not interested in Georgia´s territorial integrity. This is not only blatant aggression toward Georgia, but also a total disregard of international norms—and the results of this aggression go far beyond Georgia.

“Sham recognition or no, nothing really changes as South Ossetia and Abkhazia are territories of Georgia and the entire world recognizes it. Russian forces occupy them both. And not only these territories are occupied, Russians have arrogated to themselves the right to sit on other pieces of Georgian territory that have nothing to do with South Ossetia and Abkhazia. They have seized so-called buffer zones--Georgian territory outside the conflict zones--so that they can continue to threaten and terrorize from their so-called "checkpoints." Defying the signed cease-fire agreement and the international community, Russian troops are still fortified at illegally opened checkpoints in Poti and they continue destroying and looting the Georgian Coast Guard base. Russian occupiers ask the accreditation of the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation to let the journalists work in Poti.

Smith went on to say, "The Port of Poti is not even contiguous with Abkhazia and this is just an occupation and continuing act of aggression. I hope the next American naval ship with the humanitarian aid will arrive at Poti. I hope the President of the United States of America will have the courage and wisdom to order the next ships put into Poti. The President has said that the ports should be open and thus what is now happening in Poti is not the business of Georgia only, but of the USA as well.

“Meanwhile the port of Poti has suffered unfathomable damage and the world has to step up and clear it out. The first step would be to ask the United States Coast Guard to do a port survey."

###

Georgian Civilians Tell of Miserable Conditions as War Captives

By Jonathan Finer
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, August 24, 2008; Page A17

RUSTAVI, Georgia, Aug. 23 -- Georgian civilians captured and recently freed by Russian and South Ossetian forces on Saturday described beatings, forced labor and miserable living conditions in prison.

This Story

• Georgian Civilians Tell of Miserable Conditions as War Captives
• Russia-Georgia Conflict
• Russia Withdraws From Gori But Stays in Georgia

Georgian officials said that 79 Georgian civilians have been released over the past few days but that at least 75 civilians, almost all of them young men, remain in captivity in Tskhinvali, capital of the separatist territory of South Ossetia.

The former prisoners, half a dozen of whom were interviewed at a school serving as temporary housing in this industrial city, said they were seized from their homes or as they fled advancing Russian and South Ossetian forces. Some said they were held for as many as 12 days at a jail in Tskhinvali.

The detainees, many of them elderly fruit farmers from villages along Georgia's northern border, said male inmates were forced to clean streets and bury the war dead, and occasionally endured beatings that left them with bruises and welts. More than 100 men and women were packed into a cell with a single toilet, they said.

"I thought they would kill us. I was very much afraid," said Manuna Gogidze, 48... Read more.

22 August Info Digest

The information below is accurate to the best of our knowledge, but is subject to verification.

14:30 Russian troops start withdrawal from Igoeti and Kaspi 25kms from Tbilisi towards Gori. Gori remains under Russian control.

14:00 100 armored vehicles start movement from Senaki towards Zugdidi. Russian troops still remain in Senaki and Poti.

12:00 Deputy Chief of Staff of Russian Army Anatoly Nogovitsin says on press conference that Russia will keep 18 checkpoints on South Ossetian-Georgian “border” and in buffer zone. The same amount of Check points and 2142 soldiers will remain on Georgian-Abkhazian “border”.

10:00 No evidence of Russian troops withdrawal is observed by 10:00

02:30 Unknown explosive device exploded in Marneuli, installed under the railway bridge – no damage reported

Reportedly antitank missile or explosive exploded under the Imiri railway bridge, Marneuli district, 25 kms south from Tbilisi. The bridge was not damaged

Russian troops dig entrenchments in village Chuberi near Enguri Power Plant. Military presence of Russian troops reported at the dam infrastructure of power plant.

Russia Always Wanted a War with Georgia

August 22, 2008

Dodona Kiziria, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Indiana University

Mr. Gorbachev’s article “Russia Never Wanted a War” (see New York Times, August 20, op-ed section, page 23) can be accepted at face value by those who remember him as “darling Misha” and still credit him, quite erroneously, for bringing down the “evil empire.”

However, those who are familiar with the events which took place during the final years of the Soviet Union should remember (the Georgians certainly do!) that it was Mr. Gorbachev who sent tanks to crush the peaceful demonstration in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, on April 9, 1989. Georgia was demanding independence, and Mr. Gorbachev, then the head of the Soviet government, could not tolerate such heresy. 22 innocent people, most of them eighteen to twenty years old, were hacked to death by Russian soldiers. The name of the place was fittingly called “Lenin Square.” I do not remember Mr. Gorbachev bemoaning death of those innocent victims. Moreover, in 1991 he threatened President Gamsakhurdia that Georgia will have separatist movement in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He certainly kept his promise.

In the civil war that broke out in Georgian in1991 and lasted almost three years, Russia played active role supplying arms to warring sides favoring separatists in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. After the end of the war Russia claimed the role of the peacekeeper in these regions but instead of facilitating a peaceful solution of the problem, she intentionally exacerbated ethnic tension keeping Georgia in a permanent state of instability.

In the 1990‘s, during the war in Chechnya where many innocent lives were destroyed and the city of Grozny burnt to ashes (did Mr. Gorbachev deplore the war with the same passion?), Russian government made another “friendly” gesture to its neighbor, a gesture aimed at crippling Georgia economically. Citizens of Georgia were barred from traveling to Russia without visa supposedly because Chechen fighters could penetrate to Russia from Georgia. Considering the opportunities open to the Chechens along the porous borders of the Caucasus, it was a very lame excuse indeed, especially since at that time no other member country of the CIS was burdened with visa requirements.

A few years ago the Russian government delivered another blow to Georgia’s economy; they blocked import of Georgian goods, suspended all flights and financial transactions with Georgian banks. At the same time, citizens of Georgia, living in Russia legally or illegally, were rounded up by the police and deported to Georgia in cargo planes. The operations were conducted in a manner that resulted at least in three deaths and caused great human misery.

Having strengthened its grip on Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russian government never stopped provoking Georgia or creating additional hot spots inside the country. Russian planes have repeatedly made brazen flights over Georgian territory, and just two months ago shot down a Georgian unarmed drone plane near South Ossetia’s boarder, a border that is legally part of Georgian territory. Had any of these actions been committed by the Government of Georgia, Russia would have started a war long time ago. Mr. Gorbachev have not mentioned innocent victims killed, villages razed to the ground, towns bombed, houses pillaged and bridges blown up deep inside Georgia, many kilometers away of the conflict zone.

This is not a war launched in defense of South Ossetians who, like many other ethnic minorities of the region, are derisively referred to by the Russians as “persons of Caucasian descent.” It is a war to punish Georgia for wanting to be free from the iron embrace of its “big brother.” It is a war Russia always wanted.

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EDITORS NOTE: By the author's request copyrights restriction does not apply to this article.

Russland den Russen

von Florian Willershausen

Ihre Restaurants bleiben leer, tägliche Schikanen durch Behörden und immer häufiger offener Fremdenhass: Die Lage der über eine Million Georgier in Russland ist schon lange prekär. Nun macht der neue Kaukasus-Konflikt ihr Leben endgültig unerträglich - Leidensgeschichten aus Moskau.

MOSKAU. Das Trottoir vor der Botschaft Georgiens in Moskau ist fest in russischer Hand. Über dem gusseisernen Zaun wehen die weiß-blau-roten Flaggen der Kremlpartei "Einiges Russland". Berufsdemonstranten haben am Straßenrand ein Zelt aufgeschlagen. Ein klobiges Mischpult steht darunter, verkabelt mit einem Verstärker und zwei scheppernden Boxen. Rap-Musik übertönt das Dröhnen des Benzingenerators, der die Anlage am Laufen hält. Daneben stehen junge Männer mit spärlichem Bartwuchs und schlagen rauchend die Zeit tot. Junge Mädchen mit weißen Halstüchern lehnen sich gelangweilt an die Backsteinpfosten der Botschaft und spielen mit ihren Handys... read more

RUSSIA’S DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN OVER SOUTH OSSETIA

August 20, 2008

Central Asia-Caucasus Institute Analyst
August 20, 2008

By Robert M. Cutler

With Georgian government websites shut down by cyber-attacks in the days immediately preceding hostilities, the Russian story of its army coming to the defense of South Ossetia in the face of Georgian assault gained currency. This script is still often invoked as a preface to any commentary or reportage on current developments. However, as facts begin to surface, it is increasingly revealed as a propaganda strategy planned in advance and contradicted by evidence on the ground, by the testimony of neutral observers, and by the increasingly transparent cynicism of its purveyors.

BACKGROUND: From the very beginning of military clashes on the night of 7-8 August, there has been a concerted Russian effort to vilify President Mikheil Saakashvili as a war criminal. In the first days of the conflict, Russian media repeatedly cited a figure of 2,000 civilian casualties in Tskhinvali city and up to 40,000 refugees (out of a maximum 70,000 total population in South Ossetia of all ethnicities). It was on this basis that not only Russian media but also the highest Russian leaders repeatedly condemned Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili as a war criminal guilty of ethnic cleansing, and promised prosecution in international courts. These claims have faded in recent days, because they have been shown to be false by systematic investigations by Human Rights Watch as well as by the aggregated testimony of foreign reporters who have entered the region since the Russian occupation. In a twist, Georgia has filed a brief before the International Court of Justice charging Russia with conducting and abetting ethnic cleansing of Georgians from South Ossetia and Abkhazia from 1990 to the present.

There is a general view that Georgia assaulted South Ossetia before Russian troops invaded. A detailed timeline provided by Georgia’s Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze during an international telephone press conference disputes that assertion, however. This view is corroborated in most part by several independent sources, and an independent Washington Post reconstruction of events concludes that the Georgian assault on Tskhinvali and the Russian tank column’s emergence from the Georgian end of the cross-border Roki Tunnel could only have been minutes apart at most. Roughly 150 Russian vehicles including armored personnel carriers got through before Georgian forces were able to mount an only partially successful attack on the crucial bridge at Kurta linking the Roki Tunnel with Tskhinvali.

It seems inescapable that Russian tanks must have been on the road from Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, for some time in order to cross the 100 miles of mountain roads to reach South Ossetia when they did. Novaya gazeta’s respected military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer is only one of several writers who have documented how the Russian invasion is only the culmination of a months-long series of provocations as well as strategic and tactical on-the-ground preparations, for example the construction and equipment of a base near the city of Java, northwest of Tskhinvali, as a refueling depot for Russian armor moving southwards. This should be added to the better-known “railroad repair” troops sent to Abkhazia in recent weeks, who are reliably reported to have constructed tank-launching facilities. The ceremony completing the railway repair was held as late as July 30.

IMPLICATIONS: Reports of fighting on 8 August, for which Russian media were the chief origin, asserted that Georgian forces entered Tskhinvali city early in the day, were then driven back by Russian troops who were said to retake the city, and finally returned to seize parts of the city’s southern outskirts before being repelled for good. However, according to subsequent reports by civilians in Tskhinvali, the Russians never occupied the city; rather, it was combined artillery and aerial bombing that drove the Georgians out of the city. According to Georgian sources, this bombardment was extremely intense and lasted for all the time Georgian forces were in Tskhinvali from dawn on 8 August until just before noon, and continued even afterwards, intensifying again when Georgian forces attempted to re-enter the city later in the day.

Among the weapons systems used by the Russian forces were Uragan and Grad artillery. The latter is the same system that Georgian military affirmed using against Russian military posts outlying Tskhinvali late on the night of 7 August, after Russian armor entered Georgia through the Roki Tunnel. Both sides as well as local observers agree that there was massive aerial bombardment during the day of the eighth. Moreover, American military training provided to the Georgian army over the last few years appears to have concentrated on counterinsurgency tactics, in view of Tbilisi’s contribution of troops to the Iraq conflict.

Given Russian air superiority in the region, it is difficult to suppose that the heavy aerial bombardment of Tskhinvali city came from the Georgian side. Russian sources blame the destruction exclusively on the Georgian artillery assault on the night of 7-8 August, but surviving city dwellers seem to indicate that the Georgian assault was concentrated on the administrative quarters of the Russian-backed South Ossetian separatists, as well as communications links and the like. By contrast, if observers’ reports are to be believed, the degree of devastation visited upon the city by nightfall on 8 August (after Russian bombardment had driven the Georgians from the city) is paralleled in recent history only by the leveling of Grozny in the Second Chechen War of the 1990s.

The Russian side’s signature of consecutive ceasefire agreements without any visible attempt to implement them may also be charitably described as disinformation. This pattern of behavior was first clearly revealed several days ago when, after the Russian and Georgian presidents had both signed French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s six-point ceasefire document, the Russian military began to withdraw from Gori and then, as soon as international media began to report this, literally reversed gear and moved back. As Western video journalists reported live, Russian troops then continued to attack nonmilitary establishments (the nearest military target is a base eight miles outside Gori) while appearing to coordinate with Ossetian and other North Caucasus irregulars who looted property and even abducted civilians.

CONCLUSIONS: What is remarkable about the Russian information policy on the war against Georgia is its failure to adapt to the twenty-first century information environment. Even Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitalii Churkin has lost the charisma that he radiated twenty years ago when, during the heyday of glasnost and perestroika, he became the first Soviet ambassador to Washington to testify to a Congressional committee. Russia’s political leaders hold no spontaneous interviews even with representatives of Russian media. By contrast, Saakashvili’s presence on CNN and other western stations, and his and the Georgian leadership’s command of foreign languages, have enabled them to get their message across effectively.

Late on the night of 18 August, Tbilisi time, the Georgian Ministry of Defense posted a statement (hosted on blogspot.com because of continuing infrastructure and cyberattacks against official Tbilisi websites), saying simply: “It is absolutely obvious to the international community that the Russian Federation chose destruction of economy with the use of military force and ethnic cleansing as an instrument for implementing its foreign policy.” The credibility of the Georgian message is enhanced not only by reports from foreign journalists on the ground but also by an entirely new element in the information environment: the aggregate of amateur eyewitness reports on youtube.com, ireport.com, and other vlog (video-logging) dedicated websites.

AUTHOR’S BIO: Robert M. Cutler is Senior Research Fellow, Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, Carleton University, Canada.

Ukrainian Bloggers have launched an online-shop for Looted Georgian Goods by Russian Army

To fully taste the juicy story, you need to know the Russian slang. Ukrainian bloggers have opened an online-shop for the goods from Georgia looted by Russian milita. Let me give you some information about the initiative: Here you can see Force to Purchase for Purchase. As an inspiration of the idea had served the looted Golden Fork (Vilochka in Russian) from a Georgian village, found in a pocket of a Russian Soldier (not really shamefully hidden though - they are proud of their deeds). The Fork had been the best loot together with the toilet sinks. Promo action also included: you get the famous Kiev Cake for sale!

More at: http://www.vilochka.com/

For Russian-speakers: http://obkom.net.ua/news/2008-08-21/1550.shtml

Украинские блоггеры открыли Интернет-магазин по продаже награбленного в Грузии имущества

В ответ на информацию о мародерстве российских военных в зоне вооруженного конфликта на Кавказе, украинский блоггер nemyrych и его друзья решили в шутку запустить интернет-магазин для реализации награбленного на войне имущества.

Свой проект nemyrych назвал «Вилочка – интернет-магазин освобожденных товаров». На разработанной блоггером главной странице этого пока не запущенного сайта изображены герб Российской Федерации и георгиевская ленточка. Девиз Вилочки – «Мы за ценой не постоим».

В ассортименте виртуального магазина пока что представлены следующие наименования: «Туфли грузинские» ценой в 50 рублей, «Вилочка золотая» за 200 рублей, «Камуфляж грузинский» за 800 рублей и некий джип, цена которого на сайте не указана.

Помимо отдела грузинских товаров, на сайте представлены товары из Эстонии: напиток Sprite и прокладки Always. Кроме того, баннер на главной станице интернет-магазина сообщает, что скоро ожидается поступление в продажу «Киевских тортов».

Для заказа какого-либо продукта на главной странице сайта предусмотрена кнопка «Принудить к покупке»

«Товар тщательно отбирается нашими поставщиками», – сообщают создатели сайта.

В качестве информационных партнеров интернет-магазина блоггеры указали российские телеканалы Первый и РТР, газету «Комсомольская правда» и издание Министерства обороны РФ «Военная мысль».

Адрес реализатора продукции, указанный на сайте, совпадает с адресом Центрального управления материальных ресурсов и внешнеэкономических связей Министерства обороны Российской Федерации, которому, по замыслу блоггеров, и должен принадлежать сайт.

Впрочем, во избежание недоразумений на главной странице «Вилочки» вместо традиционного знака охраны авторского права стоит фраза «Никакие права не соблюдены».

Запись в которой nemyrych выложил эскизы главной страницы интернет-магазина освобожденных товаров, в течение суток собрала более двух тысяч комментариев от пользователей сервиса LiveJournal и вошла в десятку самых популярных по версии сервиса «Яндекс:Блоги».

Going mad, Valerya Novodvorskaya

Russian source here
  

The fact that we are being ruled by criminals (security officers are not just camorra but something even worse because they are zombies crawled out from the graves of Soviet Union) is not that frightening as the fact that they are losers and unprofessional persons. War with Georgia is not only a crime, but also a big mistake. I can explain the behaviour of Putin and Medvedev with the following phrase: "The Roof is sliding slowly while slates rustling silently". "What are we fighting for?" The answer to this could be: "I have left my hut and have gone to fight with Georgia to deliver their land to security officers. Farewell my relatives, farewell my friends! Lubianka, Lubianka, my Lubianka!"

Mikheil Saakashvili has been skilfully provoked and he got involved in the conflict and was forced to hit Tskhinvali. Not having done so, sarcastic Georgian opposition would wipe him out as once it happened to Zviad Gamsakhurdia who tried to prevent "Mkhedrioni" and other groups to rob Samachablo, that is South Ossetia. He has given to Abkhazia status of being part of confederation. Georgian parliament disagreed. And for support of Abkhazia, after Shevardnadze had let his army enter Abkhazia, both Zviad and his parliament were already expelled by militarists to Chechnya. He had been excluded from Georgian people by Georgia's Union of Citizens. And among present opposition leaders there are such people, who directly called to declare war against Russia. Giving them power would mean only to approach a disaster and probably nuclear Armageddon.

It was too long that Russian "peacekeepers" unleashed war in South Ossetia in order to launch it. Russian aviation heartily shelled Georgian villages just outside Samachablo (South Ossetia) so that Georgian President could not to be set under this war. Uncovered annexation of Samachablo (South Ossetia) by Russia would mean total madness. But it was not enough for Putin. Immediately after, a command was given to Abkhazians, who have lost their dignity and pride a long time ago and have become mercenaries for Russia to occupy Kodori Gorge together with Pankisi.  

When Refugees are crying from the screen: "Help South Ossetia!" – Some can sympathy them, but when you hear the voices from the crowd of poor Ossetians: "Help Abkhazia!" (And who else? Transnistria? ) – one starting to think about mob. 

Consequently, grabbed chekists' paws wanted to grab also Abkhazia, and not only Abkhazia. Russian troops entered Georgia, the bombings of Gori, Senaki, Poti and Tbilisi Airport (the locator is destructed and only old Georgian pilots are risking to take off and land). In the port of Poti, which is under leasing of Arab Sheikh for 95 years (and moreover, we will be sued by him on the international level) there were not Military vessels. Have been bombed the pipeline from which oil goes evading Russia. Bandits' troops, bandits' country. "Guys" have built everybody and decided that it will be the same everywhere. 

At the UN Churkin states the purpose of Russia: to get rid of Saakashvili. Lately, the world heard about that very thing from father-Jesuits in XVI century. Annihilation of "impious prince". Religious fanatics have killed Henry III and Henry IV. Since then, people were killed but secretly. Well, Kremlin has decided to write its own "Mein Kampf"? Or have they all smoldered there? Ownerless columns of tanks with Cossacks, "volunteers" and other marauding rubbish gad about Georgia. What are Russian tanks doing in Gori? Gathering weapon? Or mushrooms and empty bottles? 

Artificially created Russian citizens and war, launched as though to protect them – this is an ordinary fascism. And if not America... It seems, that George Bush at last has understood, what kind of cunning person has West supported, that is why now decisively supports Georgia and goes against Russia. The powerful hand of USA has laid down on a bowl of freedom and on the western values. Humanitarian aid on the vessels of Naval Forces and planes of Air Forces of USA is an attempt to stop the war. While the earth still turns around, it is not necessary to use nuclear potential yet. John McCain writes articles as a Russian dissident. Presidents of Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania and the Prime Minister of Latvia hold a rally, hand in hand, as on the Maidan in Kiev. 

No one supported us except Cuba and patented tyrant Lukashenko. We were thrown out from G8 and from the civilized world into a dug hole of outcast. Yes, if South Ossetia and Abkhazia simply wished the secession, no one would protect Saakashvili. The rights of people are above the rights of state. But they do not seek for freedom but for profitable slavery; have not obtained their own passports and received Russian passports. They are just collaborators, not insurgents. Only USA can rescue Georgian people and Russian recruits from mutual destruction. I'm afraid, nobody will rescue Russia. We'll be cursed and rejected by mankind.

Ossetian-Georgian family - "We all blame Russia!"

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Georgia at War: What I Saw Wednesday, 20 August 2008

HUFFINGTON POST
August 20, 2008

By Bernard-Henri Lévy

The first thing that strikes me as soon as we are out of Tbilisi is the strange absence of military force. I had read that the Georgian army, defeated in Ossetia, then routed in Gori, had withdrawn to the capital to defend it. 

I reach the outskirts of the city, moving forty kilometers on the highway that slices through the country from east to west. But I see almost no trace of the army which has supposedly regrouped in order to fiercely resist the Russian invasion. Here we see a police station. A little farther on, a handful of soldiers, their uniforms still too new. But no combat units. No anti-aircraft weaponry. Not even the trenches and zigzagging fortifications which, in all the besieged cities of the world, are set up to at least slightly impede the enemy's advance.

A dispatch received while we are driving announces that Russian tanks are now approaching the capital. The information is relayed by various radio stations and then finally denied, creating unspeakable chaos and making the few cars which had ventured outside the city turn back immediately. But the authorities, the powers that be, seem strangely to have given up.

Is the Georgian army there, but hiding? Ready to intervene but also invisible? Are we perhaps in the middle of one of those wars in which the supreme ruse is to let yourself be seen as little as possible, the way they did in the forgotten wars of Africa? Or has President Saakashvili deliberately chosen non-combat as a way to force us, the Europeans and Americans, to accept our responsibilities ("You claim to be our friends? You have said a hundred times that with our democratic institutions, our wish to become part of Europe, our government composed of -- unique in the annals of history - an Anglo-Georgian Prime Minister, American-Georgian cabinet ministers, an Israelo-Georgian Minister of Defense - is the first in its Western class? Well, now is the time to step up and prove it."). I don't know. The fact is that the first significant military presence we run into is a long Russian convoy, at least one hundred vehicles long, headed in the direction of Tbilisi, casually waiting to get gas. Then, forty kilometers outside the city, around Okami, we see a battalion, as usual Russian, attached to a unit of armored vehicles whose role is to stop journalists from going one direction and refugees from going the other.

One of them, a peasant, wounded in the forehead, still dazed and terrified, tells me the story of fleeing his village in Ossetia on foot, three days ago. The Russians arrived, and in their wake, Cossack and Ossetian gangs pillaged, raped and murdered. As they did in Chechnya, they rounded up the young men and drove them away in trucks, to unknown destinations. Fathers were killed in front of their sons. Sons were killed in front of their fathers. In the basement of a house which they blew up with propane cylinders they had collected, they came upon a family and stripped them of everything they had tried to hide and then forced the adults to kneel down and executed them with a single shot to the head. The Russian officer in charge at the check point listens to the story. But he doesn't care. In any case he looks like he has been drinking too much and he just doesn't care. For him, the war is over. No scrap of paper, a ceasefire, a five or six-point agreement- will change his victory. And this pathetic refugee can say whatever he wants.

II

As we approach Gori, the situation is different, the tension is suddenly palpable. Georgian jeeps are sprawled in the ditches on the sides of the road. Farther along is a burnt-out tank. Even farther along is a more important check point which completely blocks the group of journalists we have joined. And it is here that we are clearly told that we are no longer welcome, "You are in Russian territory now," barks an officer puffed up with importance. "Only those with Russian accreditation may go farther."

Fortunately a car with diplomatic flags comes up. It belongs to the Estonian Ambassador, and is carrying the Ambassador and Alexander Lomaia, the Secretary of Georgia's National Security Council, who is authorized to go behind the Russian lines to look for the wounded. He agrees to take me with him, as well as the European deputy Marie-Anne Isler-Béguin and Tara Bahrampour from the Washington Post. "I cannot guarantee anyone's safety, is that clear?" Lomaia asks. Yes. It is clear. And we all pile into the Audi and head toward Gori.

After crossing through six new check points, one of which consists of a tree trunk hoisted up and down by a winch commanded by a group of paramilitaries, we arrive in Gori. We are not in the center of the city. But from where Lomaia has dropped us, before taking off in the Audi to collect his wounded, from this intersection dominated by an enormous tank as big as a rolling bunker, we can see fires burning everywhere. Rockets lighting up the sky at regular intervals, followed by short detonations. The emptiness.

The slight odor of putrefaction and death. Most of all, the incessant rumbling of armored vehicles. Almost every other car is an unmarked car jammed with militia, recognizable because of their white armbands and their headbands. Gori does not belong to the Ossetia which the Russians claim they have come to "liberate." It is a Georgian town. And they have burned it down, pillaged it, reduced it to a ghost town. Emptied.

"It's logical," explains General Vyachislav Borisov, as we stand in the stench and the night waiting for Lomaia to return. "We are here because the Georgians are incompetent, because their administration collapsed and the town was being looted. Look at this," showing me on his cell phone photographs of weapons of Israeli origin, which he emphasizes heavily, "Do you think we could leave all this lying around without supervision? And let me tell you," he struts around, striking a match to light a cigarette, startling the little blond tank gunner who had fallen asleep in his turret, "We summoned the Israeli Foreign Minister to Moscow.

And he was told that if he continues to supply arms to the Georgians we would continue to supply Hezbollah and Hamas." We would continue? What an admission! Two hours go by. Two hours of bragging and threats. Sometimes a passing car would slow, but it would change its mind after noticing the tank and speed off. Finally Lomaia came back, bringing with him an old woman and the pregnant woman he had pulled from hell, and asked us to take them back to Tbilisi.

III

President Saakashvili, accompanied by his counselor Daniel Kunnin, listens to my story. We are in the Presidential residence of Avlabari. It is two AM but the noria of his counselors is working as it would during business hours. He is young. Very young. With a youthfulness which can be seen in the impatience of his movements, the intensity of his gaze, his abrupt laughter, even the way he guzzles cans of Red Bull as if it were Coca-Cola. All of these people in fact are very young. All these ministers and counselors were students sponsored by various Soros-type foundations, whose studies at Yale, Princeton and Chicago were interrupted by the Rose Revolution. He is a francophile and speaks French. Keen on philosophy. A democrat. A European. A liberal in both the American and European senses of the word. Of all the great resistance fighters I have met in my life, of all the Massouds and Izetbegovics I have had occasion to defend, he is the one who is the most unfamiliar with war, its rites, its emblems, its culture - but he is dealing with it.

"Let me make one thing clear," he interrupts me, with a sudden gravity. "We cannot let them say that we started this war ... It was early August. My ministers were on vacation, as I was too, in Italy, at a weight-loss spa, getting ready to go to Beijing. Then in the Italian press I read, "War preparations are under way in Georgia." You understand me. Here I was just hanging out in Italy and I read in the paper that my own country is preparing for a war! Realizing that something was wrong, I rushed back to Tbilisi. And what did my intelligence services tell me?" He makes the face of someone who has posed a difficult riddle and is waiting for you to find the answer, "That the Russians at the exact moment they are showering the press corps with this garbage are also emptying Shrinvali of its inhabitants, they're massing troops and troop transports, positioning fuel trucks on Georgian soil, and finally, sending columns of tanks through the Roky tunnel which separates the two Ossetias. Now, suppose you are the leader of the country and you hear this, what do you do?" He gets up to answer two cell phones which are ringing at the same time on his desk, comes back, stretching out his long legs ... "After the hundred and fiftieth tank lines itself up facing your cities, you are forced to admit that the war has begun, and despite the disproportion in the forces opposing us, you no longer have a choice."

"With the agreement of your allies?" I asked. "With the members of NATO who have more or less slammed the door in your face?" "The real problem," he says, sidestepping, "is the stakes involved in this war. Putin and Medvedev were looking for a pretext to invade. Why?" He begins counting on his fingers, "Number one, we are a democracy and incarnate an alternative to Putinism as an exit from communism. Two, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan [oil] pipeline goes through our country, such that if we fall, if Moscow replaces me with an employee of Gazprom, you, the Europeans, would be 100% dependent on the Russians for your energy supply. "And number three," as he takes a peach from the fruit basket which is brought to him by his assistant--"She's Ossentian, mind you!"--and then resumes, "Number three, look at the map. Russia is an ally of Iran. Our Armenian neighbors are also not far from Iran. Now imagine a pro-Russian government installed in Tbilisi. You would have a geostrategic continuum stretching from Moscow to Tehran which I seriously doubt would be doing business with the free world. I hope NATO understands this."

IV

Friday morning. I, along with Raphaël Gluksmann, Gilles Hertzog and Marie-Anne Isler-Béguin, the European deputy, decided to return to Gori which, according to the ceasefire agreement written by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the Russians would have begun evacuating, and where we are supposed to meet with the Orthodox Patriarch of Tbilisi who is himself on his way to an Ossetian village where hundreds of Georgian corpses have reportedly been left for the dogs and pigs. But the Patriarch is nowhere to be found. And the Russians have not evacuated Gori. And this time we are blocked twenty kilometers short of Gori when a car is held up in front of us by a squadron of irregulars, who, under the placid gaze of a Russian officer, haul the journalists out of the car and take their cameras, money, personal objects, and finally even their car. So it was a false report, part of that habitual ballet of false reports at which the artisans of Russian propaganda seem to be past masters. So off we go toward Kaspi, halfway between Gori and Tbilisi, where the interpreter for the deputy has family, and where the situation is in theory calmer - but two other surprises await us there.

First, there is the destruction. Here too. But this time it is destruction which has apparently targeted neither houses nor people. What have they destroyed instead? The bridge. The train station. The train tracks, which are already being repaired by a team of logisticians who are being supervised by the head mechanic from his room because of a severe hip wound. And the electronic command system of the Heidelberg cement factory, built with German capital, which was hit by a laser-guided missile. "There were 650 workers here," the factory director, Levan Baramatze, tells me. "Only 120 were able to come in today. Our production machine is broken." In Poti, the Russians sank the Georgian war ships. They even hit the BTC pipeline at three different points. Here in Kaspi, they deliberately took out the vital centers upon which the region and the country both depend. In other words, targeted terrorism. The will to bring this country to its knees.

Then there is the second surprise, the tanks. I repeat, we are standing at the outskirts of the capital. Condoleezza Rice is at this exact moment giving her press conference. Yet out of the blue comes one of those combats helicopters whose appearance always signals the worst, flying at low altitude just above the treetops. And suddenly the few people still in Kaspi find themselves in the street, first in their own doorways, then jammed ten at a time into old Lada cars, screaming at everyone and especially at our drivers that the Russians are coming and we must get out. At first we don't believe it. We figure it's like the false rumor we heard the day before yesterday. But no, the tanks are there. Five of them. And a field engineering unit digging trenches. The message is clear. With or without Condoleezza Rice, the Russians have moved in. They move around Georgian lands as if it were conquered terrain. This isn't exactly like Prague in 1968, it's the 21st century version of the coup, slow, bit by bit, with blows of humiliation, intimidation, panic.

V

This time the meeting is at four AM. Saakashvili has spent the end of the day with Rice, the day before with Sarkozy. He is grateful to both for their efforts, for the trouble they took and the friendship they demonstrated, which no one can doubt - didn't he call "Nicolas" "tu"? And the Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain, "close to Ms. Rice," - hasn't he been calling three times a day since the beginning of this crisis? But this time, I find he has a melancholy air unlike that first night. Maybe it's fatigue, so many sleepless nights, the continuing setbacks, the grumbling which he can feel rising in the country and which we, alas, must to confirm: "What if Misha is incapable of protecting us? And if our ebullient young President only attracts more of the same? What if in order to survive we will have to accept the wishes of Putin and his puppet?" All of that must figure in the melancholy of the President. Plus something else on top of it, something cloudier and that applies to how to say, his friends' strange attitude.

For example, the ceasefire agreement which his friend Sarkozy brought and which had been written by four hands in Moscow with Medvedev. He recalls the French President, here in this same office, impatient for him to sign it, raising his voice, almost yelling, "You have no other choice, Misha. Be realistic, you don't have a choice. When the Russians come to overthrow you, not one of your friends will lift a finger to save you." And finally what a strange reaction when he, Misha Saakashvili, got them to call Medvedev but Medvedev sent word that he was asleep - it was only nine o'clock, but apparently he was already asleep, and would be unreachable until the following morning at 9 AM - here the French President got antsy again; his French yet again didn't want to wait--in a rush to go home? too sure that signing was what mattered, regardless of what was being signed? This is not how you negotiate, thinks Misha. This is also not how you act with your friends.

I have seen the document. I have seen the written annotations by the two Presidents, the Georgian and the French. I saw the second document, again signed by Sarkozy and given to Condoleeza Rice in Brégançon, for her to give to Saakashvili. And finally I saw the memorandum of remarks, written during the evening by the Georgians, a vital piece in their eyes. They managed to cross out - and this is by no means negligible - all allusions to the future "status" of Ossetia. They also got it to be specified - again, not a small detail - that the "reasonable perimeter" in which the Russian troups would be authorized to patrol to protect the security of the Russian-speaking population of Georgia be a perimeter of a "few kilometers." The territorial integrity of Georgia, however, is mentioned nowhere in either document. As for the argument of legitimate aid for the Russian-speaking people - we tremble to think what could happen if we consider the Russian-speakers in the Ukraine, the Baltic countries or in Poland, who may one day decide that they too have been threatened by a "genocidal" will.

The last word will belong to the American Richard Holbrooke, a ranking diplomat close to Barack Obama whom I meet in the bar of our hotel at the tail end of the night: "There is floating in this affair a bad smell of appeasement." He is right. Either we are capable of raising our voice and saying STOP to Putin in Georgia. Or the man who went, in his own words, "down into the toilets" to kill the civilians in Chechnya will feel he has the right to do the same thing to any one of his neighbors.

Is this how we will build Europe, peace and the world of tomorrow?

Translated from the French by Sara Sugihara

Other languages:  French original
 
Russian 
 
Italian

ALERT: Cluster bombs that can expode any moment!!! THEY ARE LEFT EVEYWHERE BY RUSSIANS!!

Georgian and Russian authorities should take urgent measures to protect the civilian population in Georgian villages from unexploded ordnance left by Russian attacks, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch researchers documented additional Russian cluster munitions attacks during the conflict in Georgia, refuting Russia's earlier denials that it used the weapon. Human Rights Watch researchers saw and photographed unexploded submunitions from cluster munitions in and around the villages of Shindisi, in the Gori district of Georgia. Residents from Shindisi and the nearby Pkhvenisi village told Human Rights Watch researchers there are hundreds of unexploded submunitions in the area. Submunition "duds" are highly dangerous and can explode if picked up or otherwise disturbed.
 
Human Rights Watch called upon Russia to immediately stop using cluster munitions, weapons so dangerous to civilians that more than 100 nations have agreed to ban their use.
 
Zura Tatrishvili, 62, showed Human Rights Watch researchers an unexploded submunition that he had picked up without realizing that just touching it could make it explode. "We were playing with them, as were the Georgian soldiers," said Tatrishvili. "It was only when one of the bombs exploded after a soldier threw it that we understood that they were dangerous." Even now, Tatrishvili continues to keep his livestock in a pen with unexploded submunitions, demonstrating the need for clearance as well as education.
 
During the attack on August 8 in Shindisi, Vano Gogidze, 45, was killed and his relative, Dato Gogidze, 39, was injured. Also in Shindisi, Ramaz Arabashvili, 40, was killed and four people were wounded when a submunition that they had gathered from a field exploded on August 10. On August 18, in Pkhvenisi, Veliko Bedianashvili, 70, died when a submunition exploded in his hand. "There are so many of these lying around. The fields are full of them," said his son, Durmiskhan Bedianashvili.
 
Cluster munitions contain dozens or hundreds of smaller submunitions or bomblets and cause unacceptable humanitarian harm in two ways. First, their broad-area effect kills and injures civilians indiscriminately during strikes. Second, many submunitions do not explode, becoming de facto landmines that cause civilian casualties for months or years to come.
 

THE ARTICLE SEE YOU HERE http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/ff8d2d925b55f0975913a03cb70eefd6.htm
AN HERE http://www.google.nl/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=nl&q=CLUSTER+BOMBS+GEORGIA&meta=&btnG=Google+zoeken  
CLUSTER BOMBS USED IN GEORGIA! MORE ARTICLES
 
 
SPREAD THIS INFORMATION !!!!!!!!! TODAY MUST BE DONE EVREYTHING TO PREVENT MORE CASUALTIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

CLUSTER BOMBS AND ALSO GRANADES ARE LEFT EVEYWHERE ON THE TERRITORY OF GEORGIA! THAT CAN EXPLODE ANY MOMENT IF PUCKED UP, CHILDERN IN DANGER !!!!! DO SOMETHING

Edward Lucas speech on Russia, NATO, Georgia

Read more on his personal blog: http://edwardlucas.blogspot.com/

Poti, Kaspi, Other places outside conflict zone

Destroying Poti Port in Georgia by Russian forces



Russians have exploded the railway bridge in Kaspi



Russian army is taking villages outside the conflict zone



Victims of war are forced to leave their homeland

Russia scales down Georgia toll

Russia has issued new, reduced casualty figures for the Georgian conflict, with 133 civilians now listed as dead in the disputed region of South Ossetia.

The figure is far lower than the 1,600 people Russia initially said had died.... read more

SOS Géorgie ? SOS Europe ! (Fr. "Liberation")

André Glucksmann, philosophe, et Bernard-Henri Lévy, philosophe, directeur de la Règle du jeu, membre du conseil de surveillance de Libération.

QUOTIDIEN : jeudi 14 août 2008

N’allez pas croire à une affaire simplement locale : il s’agit probablement du tournant le plus décisif de l’histoire européenne depuis la chute du mur de Berlin. Ecoutez Moscou donner de la voix : «génocide !» accuse Poutine, qui n’a pas daigné prononcer le mot lors du 50^e anniversaire d’Auschwitz ; «Munich !» évoque le tendre Medvedev, insinuant que la Géorgie, avec ses 4,5 millions d’habitants, est la réincarnation du III^e Reich. Nous nous garderons de sous-estimer les capacités mentales de ces dirigeants. Aussi devinons-nous qu’en feignant l’indignation, ils manifestent leur volonté de frapper un grand coup. Visiblement, les spin doctors du Kremlin ont révisé les classiques de la propagande totalitaire : plus mon mensonge est gros, mieux je cogne... read full text

Divide et Impera - Russia's New Old Policy in Georgia

Russia begins to re-activate old policy in Georgia and to divide people into parts with different treatment to them.

Samegrelo is a large part of West Georgia, with it's own dialectal language, and it borders Abkhazia.

Archil Rogava, inhabitant of Zugdidi (Samegrelo) told the journalists, that on the first day, when Russian troops entered Zugdidi, he, together with some other young people, was promised by Russians that they would do nothing bad to them.
After asking for a reason for such a differential treatment, Russians answered that Megrelians will be treated like that, unlike "Georgians".

This is a part of old Russian policy, which was unfortunately successfully fulfilled before and during Abkhazian conflict in '90s.

Luckily, this time the population is much more united and noone pays attention to such provocations. Today, every Russian Soldier is an enemy for every Georgian citizen, notwithstanding the part of Georgia , where they live... - says Archil Rogava.

Georgia Ecological Catastrophy

Hundreds of hectares in Borjomi Forest are burning because of the bombs dropped by Russian jets.
Usage of such bombs are internationally prohibited.

Some video links about this war

Russian soldiers steeling forks, terrorizing journalists
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX3ruvujS-4&feature=email

Dutch camera man killed by Russian cluster bomb in Gori
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lst9Hk4fwns

Kokoiti scolding his "ministers" like kids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C63GY_L7XKQ&feature=email

Russia Sinks Georgian Ships in Poti Port - August 13, 2008:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUY3LB09-CQ&feature=related

Russian soldiers in Gori
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT4l0QMAMAk

Refugees in Tbilisi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6ITJqwvO8U

Russians burnt camp for pupils in ganmukhuri, Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWkOS4DvSnc

See more

NATO’s foreign ministers reiterate their support to Georgia

The North Atlantic Council (NAC) met in a special Foreign Ministerial session on 19 August 2008 to discuss the situation in Georgia and its implications for Euro-Atlantic stability and security.

Both the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on behalf of the EU Presidency briefed the NAC on the diplomatic efforts undertaken so far.

The NAC welcomed the agreement signed by Georgia and Russia to end the hostilities and bring about a political solution to the conflict, but stressed the urgency of swift and complete implementation of the agreement.

The Allies re-affirmed their support for Georgia’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, and agreed on a package of measures to assist the civilian population affected by the conflict... read more

"Did Russia pollute Georgian soil by planting in radioactive material together with mines?"

Nika Aslanidse

www.presa.ge

On the 15th of August Russian helicopters set, in breach of international conventions, on fire the territories surrounding the cities of Borjomi and Daba Cemi by using inflammatory ammunition; huge areas of the woods in southern Georgia are burning. The Russian Federation has thereby ignored international treaties and caused irretrievable losses of parts of the local ecosystem.

By destroying the natural resources of the country, the ecological balance of Georgia and the whole region is at risk.

Borjomi's unique mineral water and air are being damaged seriously, endangering the health of the local population.

"Among other diseases, it is to be expected, that the cancer rate here is going to rise up significantly" says Prof. Vasil Tqeshelashvili in an interview with "Pressa.ge".

These acts of vandalism committed by the Russian army on the territory of Georgia have definitely to be judged adequately by the international community, in order to demand, in a next step, compensations for these deeds as for the other acts of vandalism. The Amount of compensation should be agreed on according to international values of the inflicted damage.

It should also be taken into consideration that when the Russian military burned the forests of Kaspi and mined them, it may have deliberately radioactively polluted Georgian soil by implanting radioactive material together with the mines; this is to be supposed after a relevant order within the structures of the Russian army became known to the public.

If such mines will explode, the radioactive material they contain will be spread; the consequences for man and nature in the region then will be disastrous.

Prof. Tqeshelashvili concludes: "In the light of what has been stated before, it is recommended that de-mining should be carried out by the Russian Federation itself while settlements and nature of the occupied territories should be under constant surveillance to check radioactive contamination."

Russia 'distributing passports in the Crimea'

By Adrian Blomfield
Last Updated: 7:42PM BST 17 Aug 2008

Ukraine is investigating claims that Russia has been distributing passports in the port of Sevastopol, raising fears that the Kremlin could be stoking separatist sentiment in the Crimea as a prelude to possible military intervention.

The allegation has prompted accusations that Russia is using the same tactics employed in the Georgian breakaway regions of Abhkazia and South Ossetia in order to create a pretext for a war.

read the full text here

Burning and Looting of Ethnic Georgian Villages in South Osetia

In South Ossetia, Human Rights Watch researchers traveling on the evening of August 12 on the road from the town of Java to Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, witnessed terrifying scenes of destruction in four villages that used to be populated exclusively by ethnic Georgians. According to the few remaining local residents, South Ossetian militias that were moving along the road looted the Georgian villages and set them on fire.

On August, 13, Russian military had blocked the road from Java to Tskhinvali, allowing only military vehicles and a few civilian cars to pass, in an effort to prevent further arson attacks and looting. On August 13, several houses were still burning. By August 14, Human Rights Watch researchers saw no more fires in this area. However, looting and buring of Georgian villages, presumably by Ossetian volunteer militias, has continued in ethnic Georgian villages in Georgia´s Gori district.

Human Rights Watch remains concerned about the fate of those remaining in the villages, including many elderly, and calls on all parties to immediately allow for safe and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief operations.

read more and see photos here

Investigate Violations and Protect Civilians - Human Rights Watch

Investigate Violations and Protect Civilians

(Tbilisi, August 18, 2008) – Mounting evidence that Russian and Georgian military used armed force unlawfully during the South Ossetian conflict highlights the need for international fact-finding missions in Georgia, Human Rights Watch said today. Ongoing militia attacks and a growing humanitarian crisis also indicate the urgent need for the deployment of a mission to enhance civilian protection.

At the start of the military conflict on August 7, 2008, Georgian military used indiscriminate and disproportionate force resulting in civilian deaths in South Ossetia. The Russian military has since used indiscriminate force in attacks in South Ossetia and in the Gori district, and has apparently targeted convoys of civilians attempting to flee the conflict zones. Ongoing looting, arson attacks, and abductions by militia are terrorizing the civilian population, forcing them to flee their homes and preventing displaced people from returning home...... Read more

Russian "Dance of the Puppets"

21 year old girl raped by "soldiers" (eye-witness reports)

Elene Gelashvili, 21 years old, is a refugee from the village of Nikozi:

“When the fighting started in Cxinvali, we all took shelter in the cellars of our houses…our house wasn’t hit by a bomb, but there were dead and wounded all over the place. We couldn’t stay there any longer and decided to walk by foot towards Gori. On the road a driver picked us up and took us to Gori with his minibus.

He told the young girl to cover their heads with a veil and act as if you were elderly people, the Russians and Ossetians are everywhere, they are stopping cars and if they like some girl, they take her right away. “Act, as if you were old women!” My friend Mari said, “What a nonsense, how should they take us away”; we implored her, but she was such a hard-head….

We hadn’t even passed a kilometre, when we were stopped by 30 armed Russians. A skinny guy put is head into the minibus, saw Mari and pulled her out of the car. All in all there were three men in the bus, which they started to beat with their guns. Then they told the driver to drive on, I still have Maris pale face on my mind….

Two days later we were still in Gori but planned to go to Tbilisi, when we heard of a girl, that had been tortured by soldiers; I couldn’t breathe anymore…….I said to myself “if that would really be Mari, she´d be alive at least. I asked some soldiers for her and when I finally found her I hardly recognised her….she had blood all over and was in a terrible state. They had taken her to a village near Cxinvali and about 50 men had raped her there. Then they had put her on drugs and mutilated her. She begged them to kill her…..

Aliko Guliashvili, 75 years old, refugee the village of Eredvi:

It´s hard for me to speak about those things, but I have to, cause all have to know how inhuman and sadistic these Russians are. Take them to court, I beg you…..

My wife has died when she gave birth to our twins, I raised our twins alone, after that also my grandchildren. When this horrible war started Ani was 17, Levan 15. Levan was torn into pieces in front of my eyes by a bomb, his body has been separated from the legs. Ani was taken to a house by soldiers, those murderers, I could hear hear wailing and moaning, but coudn´t do anything about it; I was lying on the ground, after they had beaten me up….

And those pigs still weren’t satisfied with raping her, they told her: “Run, if you make it away from here within 10 seconds, you´ll be free. The deafened and weeping child ran away and was shot by them when they hadn´t even count to three. My dear grandchild sank down immediately…….

Donate to RUSSIA

There is on-going passive protest action in front of Russian embassy (Tbilisi, Georgia). Please, donate everything you have to the Red Army of Russian pillager tribes. Your contribution will be much appreciated. Official web-site: www.donatetorussia.com

Personal Stories (eyewitnesses)

Mamisashvili Venera, 51, resident of Eredvi (village in S. Ossetia)

I left on 11^th of August. At first they told us there would be terrible bombardments. That's why we left…we were hiding on the valleys at first, but they did not allow us to stay there either. So I decided to go back to the village, because, you know, my heart was pushing me there, I did not want to leave my house. They were urging me to leave, saying "go auntie (Georgian way of calling an unknown woman), go, leave", but I was insisting on entering my house. Finally, they forcefully took me out of the house. Bombs were being dropped in every corner, it was getting blurry, you would not be able to see anything in a few minutes… bombs destroyed everything, people were dying. Even though military base is far from the village, civilians were involved in the fight as well. They were tackling the civilians. Village is 5-6 kilometers away from the base. However, bombs were dropped right in the heart of it. One of the bombs was dropped on a bus getting civilians out of the gorge. Houses were burnt down along with the people in them. I got out; I am sitting here and crying now. We walked all the way here; I don't even remember how we got to this place.

We have not seen the troops. We were frightened because of the bombs. All the glasses in our houses shattered. If they got into the house, they would have broken everything, they would harm our cattle. It's true that the house is still there, but it is burnt down. I am here and I don't know exactly in what conditions it is, but people say the villages have been burnt down and destroyed.

At first there were a few gun shots, I don't know if Russians or Ossetians were shooting, but I guess they were Russian, because they were holding Russia's flags. Troops were definitely from Russia. They were shooting from what we call Russian spots.

We were not afraid of the shots, because we could hide in a lot of places, but bombs scared us to death. That's why everybody left the village. Airplanes and fighters were

bombing us. Houses were destroyed, cattle were killed, and people were dead.

Our relatives are still there. I have a sister in Vanati. Can you imagine? She is walking through the village during those bombardments, when everyone is shooting. She is hiding in the bushes sometimes. We need help to get people like my sister out of the village, they need help… How can we get them out of the village?

That's the trouble we are in. See how our country has been destroyed? My heart is aching…

-------------------------

We barely managed to get out; we left by Kamaz (truck). Two days ago we took our kids to Gori. Then when the situation in Gori was escalating they went back to the villages. And when situation in Gori was getting worse they met us with Kamaz truck on the road and we took it to Gori, where we transferred to doctors' bus and left by it.

While we were in the village it was constantly bombed. Since then, as we are here we hear rumors that they are going around and robbing houses, they even set houses on fire after they're done robbing.

I don't know what the situation is; I don't know anything so far. We have no contacts with the village. My relatives are probably devastated, but weather they are dead or wounded, I don't know. Before the army came, we witnessed bombing and my neighbors' house, I don't know weather it was a bomb or what, but six people was killed. This is what we witnessed.

----------------------------

- I left when the first explosions happened, practically I fled.

I left by bus. We left during chaos and panic.

I don't know what happened to my house. My husband's parents are still in the village, the elderly, and I don't know what the situation is. We left them alone without any supervision.

-------------------

- I am from Nokozi.

We left Nikozi, the shootings were intense. We came to Gori and then we went to my sister's and then we came here. There were non-stop shootings. Planes were bombing. My house is completely destroyed. I don't know if my relatives are dead or alive so far.

-----------------------
- I am from Achabeti. When the shooting already began they told us to take children and leave the village immediately. There was no transport and we walked. Sometimes we walked through woods and sometimes we walked and walked alongside the road, and finally, we barely made it to here. They were shooting in our village too, but I don't know now if it's destroyed. We have no contact, they are saying that Ossetians came in, but I don't know. ----------------------

IDP, Lower Nikozi (Tskhinvali Region)

- We are from lower Nikozi. We left amidst cross-fire. During the shooting as we got very scared the village started to get deserted and people were leaving; every time it got a little bit quieter – we used to go back. Finally explosions became so violent that now children were in panic and we decided to leave. The next day the road was blocked. We left, reservists were taken and they were followed by bus, which we took.

I have no idea about the condition of my house. My in-laws (father-in-law and mother-in-law) stayed there and I don't even know how they are. We were able to contact them briefly only once and they said nothing is happening so far. There are lots of robberies. There are burglaries of houses. They are saying if the hose is descent (looks good from outside), they're going in and robbing it, but as for destroying, I think…well, I don't know. I was speaking on a cell phone, and the connection was bad. The only thing we ask "What is the situation, how are you?"- like that. They are saying they go out in a yard at night and staying at home during the day. When it's little bit quiet, we are coming – they said – because usually shootings used to occur at night, but I don't know now.

It's 1938 in Europe! - Russia's War of Opportunity - HUMAN EVENTS

08/14/2008
The Russian invasion of its former satellite, Georgia, is still under way despite the supposed cease-fire and Russian denials of further military aggression. Speaking early Tuesday, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili appealed to the European Union and other international groups to intervene, asking for mediation. But, he said, “Russia isn’t ready” for that.

And it clearly isn’t. Later Tuesday, according to a report in the International Herald Tribune, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saakashvili had to be forced from office before violence could end. Lavrov, “…said Russia can no longer view ‘a man who issued orders to commit war crimes’ as a negotiating partner and therefore ‘without the departure of Saakashvili it is impossible to stop the conflict in South Ossetia’.”

Saakashvili, who is apparently more knowledgeable of history than the heads of state to whom he appeals, said the Georgians would never allow their nation to be broken into pieces. Russia says its attacks have stopped, but -- as President Bush said Wednesday morning -- it’s clear that they have not.

read full text here

Did Russia Plan Its War In Georgia? (Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty)

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.

Military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer says the aim, from the start, was to overthrow Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his pro-Western government.

"This was prepared long ago," Felgenhauer, a Moscow-based military analyst tells RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service, adding that according to his information, a decision to go to war was made back in April.

see full text here

Russian Looters in Georgia in Soldier Uniforms

No Commets,
just watch how Russian Looters rob everything in Georgia while performing "PEACEKEEPING" function...

Timeline by 16th of August 16:00 (Digest)

16 August

(Provided data is operational and may be subject to verification.)

16:00 Russian military denies Turkish and Ukranian airplanes permission to enter Georgian airspace in order to take part in putting down the fires in the Borjomi district forests. The fires started as a result of dropping of fire setting engines in the area by Russian aviation14:40 Numerous fires have been noticed in the town of Kaspi and surrounding villages after Russian aviation dropped fire setting engines in the area.

14:40 Russian paramilitaries (so called Cossacks) have entered the town of Kharagauli 50 Km from Kutaisi.

14:30 Eight units of Russian armored troops have started movement from Khashuri district towards the town of Sachkhere.

13:20 Russian troops have started moving from Igoeti, Kaspi district towards Gori.

13:00 Two Russian trucks with soldiers have moved through the Rikoti tunnel to the village Khevi, Kharagauli district.

12:30 The traffic on Khashuri-Borjomi highway has been stopped by the Georgian authorities due to security concerns as a result of the Russian troops movements.

12:30 Grakali Railroad Bridge in Kaspi district has been blown up by Russian troops.

12:30 Russian troops fired from an artillery gun in Uplistsikhe. The shell exploded in the river.

10:45 Three Russian tanks are stationed in Kaspi and two in Igoeti.

10:30 Russian aviation has dropped fire setting engines near the village of Khandaki, Kaspi district. The forest near the village is burning.

10:30 Russian aviation has dropped unidentified devices to the vine factory in village Okami, Kaspi district.

10:15 Ten tanks from Igoeti headed towards Khashuri and seven to Znauri.

10:15 The Russians, who left the port of Poti yesterday, have returned with four armored personnel carrier, one crane, 10 army trucks (8 Ural, 2 Kamaz) and one army vehicle.

08:47 – The battalion has stopped in the village Karaleti. The group is composed of lots of armored personnel carriers, tanks, army trucks and engineer unit. The staff meeting is taking place. The general joined later arriving by helicopter.

08:26 – General Alarm was declared in 71st Tank Battalion of the Russian army, stationed in Tskhinvali. The Battalion is now heading towards Gori. As of now, they are in the village of Karaleti.

00:30 The cases of looting and abuse of local civilians committed by separatists in Russian occupied villages of Abisi, Koda, Ptsa – Kareli district have been reported.

Gori: Russian Allies Triumphant as City Burns

Gori

An IWPR journalist, allowed into Gori on a Russian tank, witnesses
exultant pro-Moscow fighters rampaging through the blazing city.

By Idrak Abbasov in Gori (CRS No. 454, 14-Aug-08)

"The Georgians have to understand that we're not afraid of [United
States President] Bush….threatening us with his marines and
paratroopers," insisted the Russian soldier who called himself a
commander, tank captain and a member of what he says are Russia's
peacekeeping troops.

His tank was standing outside the Georgian town of Gori.

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev announced on August 12 that what he
described as a peace enforcement mission in Georgia had ended. But
Russian troops, assisted by North Caucasian irregular militias, have
continued to rampage through Georgian territory.

On August 15, there were reports that the Russian military remained in
the Black Sea port of Poti, the western town of Senaki and the central
town of Gori.

The previous day, I was able to get into Gori and saw terrifying
scenes of exultant pro-Russian fighters rampaging through a city
apparently empty of civilians.

I got in quite by chance. A Russian tank commander I spoke to
befriended me because we both come from the same city, the Azerbaijani
capital, Baku.

That afternoon, I took my chances walking past the last Georgian
roadblock on the road to Gori. I was stopped by Russian soldiers and
brought to their commander.

The commander checked my documents and learning that I was from Baku
said he was born there himself. He returned me my documents and my
camera and told the soldiers, "Don't touch him, he's my compatriot."

The officer asked me about Baku, how life was there and how the city
had changed.

Then he escorted me into Gori on his tank and warned not to wander off.

The city was burning and the firing was continuous. There were lots of
Russian soldiers there and even more irregular fighters with white
armbands.

I was told that soldiers had been brought here from Chechnya. There
were fighters of several Caucasian nationalities. I didn't see a
single civilian. All around was smoke and the smell of gunfire.
Everyone was celebrating victory, congratulating one another and
asking each other loudly when they should advance.

My mobile phone rang. My editor was calling from Baku. Because of the
non-stop firing and rumble of tanks, I couldn't hear anything and I
moved away from my protectors in the tank by 20 or 25 metres to talk
to him. I sheltered in some bushes and began to talk to my editor.

At that moment, some men with white armbands seized my phone. They
threw me on the ground and levelled their guns at me and shouted, "Who
are you? Whose side are you on?"

I was saved by my minder from Baku who arrived on the scene and told
them that I was "one of us". A few seconds later and it might have
been too late.

After that I was released, my attackers turned friendly, returned my
phone and even asked to borrow it to call home. They thanked me by
treating me to Pepsi and giving me cigarettes and a lighter.

One of them was a well-built tall North Caucasian in his thirties with
white armbands on both arms. He was unshaven and unwashed and spoke
with a strong accent. He told me, "The Georgians say we are raping
women in Gori – but there aren't any here! If they had been here, we'd
have done it with pleasure!"

Then my new friend from Baku took me back out of the town on his tank
to the road back to Tbilisi.

My attempts to reach the city had begun the day before. You could hear
shooting coming from there and it was hard to get access to the town.

Around midnight that night Georgia's security council said that the
road to Gori was now open. The next morning I decided to try again.

The road into the town was closed and Georgian soldiers advised
journalists not to go any further. But we took the decision to try and
see with our own eyes what was going on.

Gori is only 70 kilometres from Tbilisi in the centre of Georgia. On
the road north out of the capital, we saw Georgian police and soldiers
but armed only with automatic weapons and without any heavy weaponry.
I counted 12 Georgian checkpoints.

The last Georgian post was three km from Gori. On the morning of
August 14, the road was opened for a short time and journalists and
international officials from the OSCE and UNHCR were allowed through.

Near the entrance to the town stood Russian tanks and armoured
vehicles and artillery. Nearby were burnt Georgian armoured vehicles
and tanks.

Suddenly a burst of firing came from the direction of the town and
everyone on the road ran in panic.

A few minutes later, journalists regrouped and gathered again 10 to 15
km from the entrance of the town.

Not a sound could be heard from the town. Journalists began to talk to
the Russian soldiers.

Then three Niva vans came out of Gori, full of armed men with white
armbands. They got out of the cars and ran towards the journalists,
firing several shots in the air and even some at the journalists.

Journalists began to run again. The militiamen stole three of the
journalists' cars. Tamar Urushadze, a correspondent for Georgian
public television, had been talking live on air and was lightly
wounded in the arm.

The people in the UNHCR vehicles also ran away and hid in the wood not
far away.

All this happened in full view of the Russian soldiers who had
introduced themselves as peacekeepers.

A few minutes later, remembering their peacekeeping role, the Russian
soldiers did finally intervene and stop the irregulars with white
armbands stealing the UN vehicles.

About an hour later, the Niva belonging to Imedi television channel
was completely wrecked.

Then everything was quiet for two hours.

Around 4 pm, a group of Russian armoured vehicles suddenly moved out
of Gori in the direction of Tbilisi, unimpeded by the Georgian
military, which let them pass its checkpoints. Then, after passing
several roadblocks, the vehicles suddenly stopped and went back in the
direction of Gori.

Later, IWPR was told by the Russian military that this sortie had been
specially planned to provoke a Georgian attack.

One Russian armoured vehicle broke down 150 metres away from their
post. Journalists went up and began to ask questions. The Russian
soldiers swore at them. Several of the Georgian women journalists
answered back, saying, "What are you doing on Georgian territory, what
do you need here? Go away, leave us in peace." Then the Russian
soldiers pointed their weapons at them, swore and shouted, "If you
don't go away and shut up, we'll open fire."

Around 5 pm, five Georgian police cars came up to the Russian
roadblock and negotiated for a humanitarian corridor to be opened up
to Gori. Journalists listened in on the conversation and asked for
permission to carry on. "We cannot guarantee your safety," said one
soldier.

The Russians said that they did not control the town and there were
irregular fighters there from Abkhazia and Ossetia. One Russian
officer said that the Abkhaz and Ossetians were taking revenge on the
Georgians. "They are doing just what you did in Tskhinvali and we
cannot stop them," he said.

What I saw in Gori confirmed that.

Idrak is a journalist with the Azerbaijani newspaper Ayna and a member
of IWPR's Cross Caucasus Journalism Network.

4th Century of Resistance against Russian Aggression

Katie Melua on Georgian Tragedy

Source: here

Friday, August 15, 2008

Latest Blog - August 15th, 2008 Have the last 7 days actually happened? I'm sitting in a hotel room in Germany in middle of my summer tour with BBC World News telling me that my home country is being torn to pieces. Throughout this week I haven't been able to stop watching the news. I've never seen it like this before, it's never made me feel so naked, isolated and angry. When there's a war it's always in some distant land and then they switch to the weather and sports. I nearly hit the TV with the remote control when it went to sports. While the conflict was going on in Georgia I couldn't believe that world around me was functioning normally, or that I was functioning normally. Especially doing these last two gigs, they have felt very weird. I've been removed from them yet have never felt so grateful and happy to be anywhere but on the stage. The scariest day was last Monday when I couldn't get hold of anyone including my mother and brother who were originally out there on holiday. When I spoke to mum last Friday she said everything would be fine and all seemed pretty normal on the streets of the seaside town where they were. But then my phone stopped working and I was hearing all these things on the news which petrified me about the conflict moving further in to Georgia and towards Tbilisi where my grandparents live. I finally got hold of them all on Tuesday and they said there had not been any fighting or violence in the capitol or anywhere apart from Gori. With the Russians still being in Gori there are reports that they have stopped fighting but you don't need to be killing a country's people or its soldiers to paralyse it. You see, Gori is right in the middle of the only road that goes from west to east across Georgia. It's the road that my mum and brother need to travel on to catch their return flight out of Tbilisi. It's also the road that I travel on every year to get from the capital to the sea towns. It's always such a great car journey, 6 hours of stunning countryside, with the landscape changing from desert-like hills to dark forests, stunning rivers then a mountain that you have to get over where there is usually a bus in front of you struggling slowly around the scary turns of the steep mountain. So for me the thought that this road is currently a danger and a menacing one is unbelievable. My mum and brother have tried twice to make that journey back to the capital but every time they been turned back by Georgian police advising them that it's too risky. There are reports of people travelling the other way, getting as far as Gori and having their cars and all their goods stolen. I have also heard of a 25 year old girl who is missing. She was travelling with a group of people on that road, near Gori where they were ambushed. She was kidnapped and has not been seen since then. One of the most frustrating things in the last few days has been trying to get a clear picture of the conflict. Yesterday, according to my family, Gori was still occupied, while at the same time I saw on the news that the Russians were leaving. Maybe it will take them a few days? Maybe they're blowing up un-detonated bombs before they go? Who knows. I would just like my country to get back its stability. Georgia has always had shaky politics especially after the break up of the Soviet Union and the civil war that followed in the 90's. More recently things appeared to be getting better, the economy was growing, the major cities were starting to look cleaner, electricity black-outs like the ones when I lived there were almost unheard of. But after this last week everything seems uncertain again. Sue my publicist has told me that she has been inundated with requests for me to talk about this in the media. What am I meant to say? It just doesn't feel right to put this on the same platform as when I'm talking about my music to journalists, with lights, make-up and all the ridiculousness of show business. I don't want to be some face that makes this conflict more personal for the average Britain, because they know some singer that comes from there that sings about bicycles. That's ridiculous! Conflict is conflict. It just so happens that this conflict is on my homeland, on my memories and where pretty much all of my family is right now. 10 days ago I felt secure, happy and looking forward to visiting Georgia for the summer holidays. Now I'm not sure what to feel. All I know is that once Georgia mends itself after another conflict in its recent history then I'll never take that feeling of safety for granted and neither should the millions of people that live in countries of peace. Katie x

THE RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN WAR WAS PREPLANNED IN MOSCOW

source: http://www.novayagazeta.ru/data/2008/59/04.html

Pavel Felgenhauer

Last week military tension in Georgia's separatist region of South Ossetia escalated into all-out war. The Ossetian separatists were provoking a conflict to give the Russian military a pretext for direct intervention. Late in the evening of August 7, a heavy mortar bombardment of Georgian villages near the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali provoked Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to order a major assault. The night attack by Georgian troops outfitted with Western-made night-vision equipment flushed the Ossetian fighters out and Tskhinvali was overrun in the morning. To stop the Georgian offensive thousands of Russian troops with hundreds of pieces of armor invaded through the Roki tunnel and rushed forward. Russian jets began bombing Georgian military installations and cities (see EDM, August 7).
From August 8 to 10, the Georgian army was engaged in ferocious battles with the Russian invaders in and around Tskhinvali. On August 10, the Georgian authorities announced that they were withdrawing all their forces from South Ossetia and asked for a ceasefire and peace talks (Interfax, August 10). On August 12, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accepted a French-brokered peace plan, and a shaky truce was established. The Georgian army concentrated its forces on defending the capital of Tbilisi. Tens of thousands of Russian troops and over a thousand pieces of armor were relocated to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russian troops moved out of the breakaway regions to occupy other Georgian provinces in the West (Zugdidi, Senaki, and Poti), disarming local police forces and destroying Georgian military bases (Interfax, August 13). Marauding Ossetian paramilitaries and Russian servicemen went pillaging and terrorizing the local population in and around Gori south of Tskhinvali (AP, August 13).
Moscow declared that it was forced to go to battle by the initial Georgian attack in South Ossetia (RIA-Novosti, August 8). But there is sufficient evidence that this massive invasion was preplanned beforehand for August (see EDM, June 12). The swiftness with which large Russian contingents were moved into Georgia, the rapid deployment of a Black Sea naval task force, the fact that large contingents of troops were sent to Abkhazia where there was no Georgian attack all seem to indicate a rigidly prepared battle plan. This war was not an improvised reaction to a sudden Georgian military offensive in South Ossetia, since masses of troops cannot be held for long in 24-hour battle readiness. The invasion was inevitable, no matter what the Georgians did.
It seems the main drive of the Russian invasion was Georgia's aspiration to join NATO, while the separatist problem was only a pretext. Georgia occupies a key geopolitical position, and Moscow is afraid that if George joins NATO, Russia will be flushed out of Transcaucasia. The NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, last April, where Ukraine and Georgia did not get the so-called Membership Action Plan or MAP to join the Alliance but were promised eventual membership, seems to have prompted a decision to go to war (Interfax, April 3).
Before using arms, Moscow issued ominous threats. Russia unilaterally rebuked CIS sanctions against Abkhazia (RIA-Novosti, March 6). The Kremlin-controlled State Duma passed a resolution calling for recognition of Abkhaz and South Ossetian sovereignty (RIA-Novosti, March 21). Vladimir Putin promised Abkhazia and South Ossetia "not declarative, but material support" and announced that Georgian aspirations for "speedy Atlantic integration" endangered security (www.mid.ru, April 3). Russia's top military commander Yuri Baluyevsky threatened "military action to defend our interests near our borders," if Georgia and Ukraine joined NATO (RIA-Novosti, April 11). In apparently the last warning, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Georgia of failing to pass a law forbidding foreign military bases after Russia moved its bases out last November. Lavrov linked Georgian intransigence with "Western plans to pull it into NATO" (ITAR-TASS, May 5).
Material military preparations were made. On May 31, Railroad troops were moved to repair the tracks south of Sokhumi to prepare the infrastructure for the invasion. On July 30, they completed their work and all was set for major combat in August, since later bad weather would impede an invasion (see EDM, June 12, July 30). The West seems to have dismissed the Russian warnings and preparations as bluff until it was too late. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza stated in Tbilisi, "Now we know" the true mission of the Railroad troops in Abkhazia (Interfax, August 11). He would have done better to subscribe to EDM.
The main task of the Russian invasion--to cause a total state failure and fully destroy the reformed Georgian army, making NATO membership impossible--has not yet been achieved, despite all the havoc. More attacks and devastation may be planned. Ballistic Tochka-U missiles with a range of 110 km have been deployed in Abkhazia and South Ossetia from which they could reach Tbilisi. Two seem to have already been fired at Western Georgia, according to statements from Abkhaz separatists (Novaya Gazeta, August 14). A missile attack, officially attributed to separatists, could kill hundreds, creating a devastating panic and possible regime collapse.

Georgia: Russian Cluster Bombs Kill Civilians

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Stop Using Weapon Banned by 107 Nations

(Tbilisi, August 15, 2008) – Human Rights Watch researchers have uncovered evidence that Russian aircraft dropped cluster bombs in populated areas in Georgia, killing at least 11 civilians and injuring dozens, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called upon Russia to immediately stop using cluster bombs, weapons so dangerous to civilians that more than 100 nations have agreed to ban their use.

"Cluster bombs are indiscriminate killers that most nations have agreed to outlaw," said Marc Garlasco, senior military analyst at Human Rights Watch. "Russia's use of this weapon is not only deadly to civilians, but also an insult to international efforts to avoid a global humanitarian disaster of the kind caused by landmines."

Human Rights Watch said Russian aircraft dropped RBK-250 cluster bombs, each containing 30 PTAB 2.5M submunitions, on the town of Ruisi in the Kareli district of Georgia on August 12, 2008. Three civilians were killed and five wounded in the attack. On the same day, a cluster strike in the center of the town of Gori killed at least eight civilians and injured dozens, Human Rights Watch said. Dutch journalist Stan Storimans was among the dead. Israeli journalist Zadok Yehezkeli was seriously wounded and evacuated to Israel for treatment after surgery in Tbilisi. An armored vehicle from the Reuters news agency was perforated with shrapnel from the attack.

This is the first known use of cluster munitions since 2006, during Israel's war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Cluster munitions contain dozens or hundreds of smaller submunitions or bomblets. They cause unacceptable humanitarian harm in two ways. First, their broad-area effect kills and injures civilians indiscriminately during strikes. Second, many submunitions do not explode, becoming de facto landmines that cause civilian casualties for months or years to come. In May 2008, 107 nations agreed to a total ban on cluster munitions, but Russia did not participate in the talks.

Human Rights Watch researchers interviewed numerous victims, doctors, and military personnel in Georgia. They examined photos of craters and video footage of the August 12 attack on Gori. Human Rights Watch has also seen a photo of the submunition carrier assembly and nose cone of an RBK-250 bomb in Gori. The Gori video showed more than two dozen simultaneous explosions during the attack, which is characteristic of cluster bombs. Two persons wounded in Gori described multiple simultaneous explosions at the time of the attack. Craters in Gori were also consistent with a cluster strike.

Doctors at the two main hospitals in Tbilisi described numerous injuries to civilians hurt in the attack on Gori they believed were consistent with cluster bombs. Human Rights Watch researchers saw a submunition fragment extracted from one victim's head.

Human Rights Watch interviewed several hospitalized victims of the attack in Gori. Twenty-five-year-old Keti Javakhishvili suffered massive trauma to her liver, stomach, and intestines, as well as hemorrhagic shock. Two other victims sustained fragment wounds to their legs and abdominal regions. All the wounds were consistent with those caused by submunitions from cluster bombs.

Photographic evidence on file with Human Rights Watch shows a civilian in Ruisi holding a PTAB submunition without realizing it could explode at the slightest touch. This incident highlights the dire need to educate immediately the population of Georgia about the dangers of these submunition "duds."

Human Rights Watch called on Russia to provide precise strike data on its cluster attacks in order to facilitate clean up of the inevitable lingering contamination from cluster bomb submunitions that failed to explode on contact but remain deadly.

Human Rights Watch also called on Georgia, which is known to have RBK-500 cluster bombs in its stockpiles, to join the international move to ban the use of cluster munitions and publicly to undertake not to use such weapons in this conflict.

Russia was not part of the Oslo Process launched in February 2007 to develop a new international treaty banning cluster munitions. In May 2008, 107 nations adopted the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which comprehensively bans the use, production, trade and stockpiling of the weapon. It will be open for signature in Oslo on December 3, 2008.

"Russia should never have fired cluster munitions against a town in Georgia and now it should help in the clean-up to avoid any more deaths," Garlasco said.

Personal stories and tragedies

Ms. Manana Kobaladze, 46

I can't recall exactly the date, we left about three days ago.

We are refugees from Tskhinvali, we have been refugees for twenty years. We had lived in the village of Satskheneti, Tskhinvali region. Then we lost all of it, nothing remained. I had a house in another village, we moved there. I have a husband and 2 sons, who joined me.

Together we started to adjust to the new life, bought everything anew, small livestock, cattle. These check-points were installed here during that previous conflict. They used not to let us go in or go out, but used to cast us out. The situation was awful there, no Georgian was given a chance to have a normal living.

When the bombing started recently, we tried to escape in what we were dressed. We haven't even the most elementary, spoon to eat something, though we have nothing to eat also. As the bombing was launched from above, we were hiding in the basements for 4-5 days.

My sons managed somehow to get us out of there; we sat in someone's car and escaped like that. We reached Gori just in the moment when the industrial complex district and the army unit was being shelled and we ran to a shop and hid in its basement. We were hardly saved.

They were firing different things; they were firing from above, bombing. We could not see the soldiers, as the shells were being fired and everybody was scattered around, we could not identify anyone.

They were bombing from above and we could not get out. Now they have entered with their tanks there and burn down the houses, set fire to anything.

When we left there still was a village, but afterwards they burnt each and every house; people who left behind, are said to be shot. I don't know. The fact is that it is impossible to contact them on the phone.

Our house was being robbed first and then burnt. Of course, I haven't seen it, I know it from what others say. What they are doing elsewhere, they would do the same there.

I don't know, dear, we were being bombed, we were being harassed; they shared what they were going to do with men and with Georgian women and that finally all of us would be killed.

Ossetians were active, running around, Russians were standing still, yes, they were standing, they did not do anything to help us.

We have been coming for two days. All my relatives lived there, but we cannot contact anyone. They might have eluded.

I have been having high blood pressure these two days. What could I feel, I almost went crazy out of the stress. To become a refugee twice…

---------

#95, Tsereteli Ave. Hotel at Sport Complex "Maneji"

August 13, 2008
Naira Zanebidze, Age 49, resident of Gori Region, Village Satskheneti

We arrived to Tbilisi three days ago( August 10, 2008). our village was bombed by aeroplabes. We could not go out of our houses.

When the openning of Peace Corridor was announced we walked all they way out on our own. We covered all the way out through Erdevi on foot. The Peace Corridor was opened ethnically Osetians as well. While the corridor remained there were no shootings so we - me, my husband and young population escaped from our village. Only old people did not leave the village Satskheneti, approximately 15 people stayed there.

At the beginning of bombing our house was not destroyed only windows were broken , since the bomb fell very close to it.

This was going on in the whole village, not only near my house! We had our personal vehicle and 15 people left the place all together in one car.

I did not see soldiers, but we heard that they were in the forest. The Airplanes were circling in the air above our heads and bombing us.

In two hours after we abandoned our houses the military forces landed. Should not appear the airplanes we would not leave our place!

We were already used to shooting around since there were ethnically Ossetia's settled all around us. We remained at our place as long as we could survive. We had only two hours of luck to escape and stay alive.

We, my husband and I, did not much care for the sound of airplanes above our home. But then sound of something coming closer felt as directed exactly on us. Firstly we though that it was sound of shooting, but when it exploded very close to our house we realized that it was a real bomb. There was even not a single soldier near us to protect , we were on our own, listening to the sound of exploding bombs! That night our neighborhood gathered and passed night all together. Then by our personal vehicles we moved to Tbilisi. It took us three-four hours to arrive here. We went directly to the City Administration and there were taken care of and placed to the Hotel. If not reaching the administration we would be still without any shelter.

Now were all nervous, we hear news that our were houses were robbed and then burnt down! A boy that escaped from neighboring village told us that the "Peacekeeper's" loaded all our household stuff onto large vehicles and then through explosives to burn down our houses! We have information form eyewitnesses that several of our neighbors were killed. We are in shock and are not able to handle ourselves .

-----------------

Maya Terashvili, Age 26.

It's been three days I am in Tbilisi. Before arriving here I used to live in the village Satskhene that is in Patara Liaxvi Gorge.

The War began, airplanes flew all around and bomb all over, the cannonade was comming from different weapons.

Children and women were driven out of village by local bus. It was very hard to espace. The airplanes were all the time around us.

When city of Gory was reached we were bombed. We jumped out of our bus and concealed ourselves from bombs in the basements of houses. It was very hard to survive. We saw airplanes above us, throwing down bombs. There was no sign of soldiers or something like that.

At that time the houses were not destroyed very much. The window panes at houses were broken, because of bombarding at residential construstions.

At the moment I have no idea in what condition is my house. I was told that it's been torn down! But only after seeing that with my own eyes I'll believe in it ! There was a Post of Osetians near us. It was something like a "border"! In case of any little misunderstanding Ossetinas used to start shooting towards Georgians! They were always the first ones, of course!

There were many women and children with me escaping to Tbilisi. The way till Gory took three hours. In total it took approximately six hours to reach Tbilisi. We left so many relatives there, old people, grandparents. From my family only me and my child , only women and children left the village to survive. How we are? How could be our condition described? - Terribly bad. We do not know what shall happen next. Will we ever return back to our houses?
-------------------

Simon from the village of Nikozi, Gori region:

I left yesterday. They fired shells from helicopters and pursuit planes. What firing it was by Russians! They led an air attack. The Georgian villages were shelled: Upper Nikozi and Lower Nikozi. I reached my home crawling all the way. My mother was staying there. I could not get her out. She walks via two crutches. She is 82 years old and she is still there. The only thing I could do was that I gave her my cell phone and instructed how to use it. Until now I managed to contact her. Supposedly the battery is dead now; there is no electricity to charge it. I cannot contact her anymore. I have no idea what is going on there. The houses are burnt and demolished. No one is there. Almost 95% has left. People died. People died before my leaving and after it. People that could not be taken out are buried by their relatives in their own yards. Now the village is empty, neither Ossetians, nor Georgians remained there. Maybe ten or fifteen elderly people are present. No army is standing there.

There is Nikozi diocesan Church in our village. Yesterday, when I came there, found the bishop Isaia and his congregation praying. The shelling started just at that moment. The monastery was also bombed. The Bishop had to take his congregation out of there. We were going along the gates on foot. I asked my mother to follow us slowly, on foot. She decided she could not go. Then I kissed her and left, saying, "Mother, come what may."

We passed several villages on foot. The Bishop contacted the priest Andria, who came for us with a minibus from Gori. Only the bishop Isaia and the priest Antoni left behind, saying "We cannot leave now" and they went back under fire and this disaster. They are there even today. We left. I could imagine anything, but shelling the Orthodox Church.

We left Gori on a minibus. The people were coming on foot. The army was still there. When we were passing by, we saw how they were being bombed. However, our minibus escaped without damage. There was nothing sacred for them, neither church, nor anything – everything was shelled.

We were hiding under the threes. It is hard to hide away from a shell. Even previously they used to shell us. Everybody is helping. The faster we are back, the better, though going back… well, we can go back, but how will we manage to live there? Ossetians are all around. From the edge of my house, their village starts. There is even no boundary between our villages. There is even no 100 meters distance between them. We will be subjected to permanent suppression there; they will do with us whatever they wish. These last years the people managed to reconcile. So we were living peacefully.

Russian People against Russian aggression

8 August 2008 Russia claiming "the protection of its citizens", started aggression against Georgia in S. Ocetia.

According to "СМИ" Russian military aviation bombed Gori. According to Georgian officials Russian Airplanes bombed Poti, Senaki and Tskhinvali. Russian "СМИ" stated that paratroopers "РФ" were deployed in Tskhinvali.

August 8, in the evening on UN Security Council session Russian ambassador Vitali Churkin admitted the fact that Russians were bombing Georgian Teritory. At the beginning of the Russian Agression in Georgia Russia strengthened anti-Georgian propaganda. Russian media was talking only about Georgian military activities in s. Osetia, however they were silent about shooting and bombing Georgian villages by the regime of Eduard Kokoiti. On august 8 Georgian governmental web-pages and the web-page of Rustavi 2 (Georgian broadcasting company) were hacked.

On August 8 International Society Мемориал discussed the advance of Georgian military forces in Tskhinvali which has been characterized by Georgian officials as "constitutional way for establishing peace" (http://www.memo.ru/2008/08/08/0808081.htm) but whatever is happening in Georgia, Russia doesn't have a right of using military force in foreign territory. The status of Russian peace-keepers in Georgia is defined by intergovernmental agreements. Russia has lost the moral right for conducting the peace keeping mission in Abkhazia and S. Ossetia when Russian government has provoked the conflicts and was supporting the separatists. And as Russian troops have bombed and invaded Georgian territory way beyond than S. Ossetia, Russia became a part of the conflict.

President Medvedev stated that he has an obligation to protect the lives of Russian citizens despite of their location. However as it is reaffirmed in
United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 14 December 1974 Definition of Aggression article 5.1 "No consideration of whatever nature, whether political, economic, military or otherwise, may serve as a justification for aggression." As in 1938 Nazi Germany justified the invasion of Czecho-slovakian territory by protecting the interests of German population there.

The historical experience has showed that the intervention of our country in foreign business is unavoidable. Contrary to statements for "help" — leads to incalculable troubles. In 1979 Soviet government sent the troops to Sovereign Afganistan under a pretext of «rendering of the brotherly help » Hundred thousand residents of the country became victims of the Soviet Army. Today a "chekist-official" group which governs Russia – predecessor of Soviet government has commited the aggression against independent Georgia.

Incursion into Afghanistan has led to that in this country many years do not stop large-scale violence and infringement of the rights of citizens, wars continually flash. Historical development of Afghanistan has turned From the secular state it has turned in theocratic. Actions of the Soviet management have led to sharp growth of popularity of Islamic fundamentalism not only in Afghanistan, but also in Pakistan and the Arabian countries. (let us recall an alliance of "Taliban" and Alqaida.)

If the international community will not stop the Russian aggression and if Georgia, carrying out the legitimate right for self-defense, cannot reflect it, Russia can grasp not only former ¯S. Ossetian autonomous region, but also other parts of Georgia. And in fact many irresponsible Russian politicians declare claims on kremlin.

We demand the immediate termination of aggression against Georgia.

We consider, that a management of Russia, having put one more bloody spot on reputation of the country, has made finally unacceptable from the moral point of view its stay in « big 8"

We call General Assembly of the United Nations, the Organization on safety and cooperation in the Europe, Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe and other international institutes to consider the problem on actions of the Russian management against Georgia.

Sergey Kovalev, chairman of the Russian society "Memorial", chairman of Fund of a name A.D.Saharova

Dmitry Belomestnov, the journalist, Moscow

Stanislav Dmitrievsky (Nizhni Novgorod), chairman of the Society of the Russian-Chechen friendship

Tatyana Monahova, human rights defender, Moscow

Elena Maglevannaja, the proof-reader, Volgograd

Michael Kriger, chairman of Committee of anti-war actions, Moscow

Ivan Simochkin, youth movement "Defense", Moscow

Alexey Manannikov, the president Siberian inter-regional правозащитного fund " Vena-89 ", Novosibirsk

Edward Glezin, the coordinator of the Russian youth movement «abarona" Moscow

Anton Chezhidov, active worker НДСМ

Dmitry Shusharin, the historian and the journalist

Igor Drandin, РНДС

Vladimir Shaklein, the Inter-regional center of human rights — Ural branch OOD « For human rights »

Vladimir Sirotin, the left socialist

Larissa Volodimerova, the legal expert (and also the writer and the publicist), Holland, and its human rights defender the organization "Fund " Марекса ""

Lev Ponomarev, executive director of the All-Russian social movement « For human rights »

Vladimir Panteleev, the political prisoner in 1970–76, the invalid of 2 groups after political represion, chairman of board of the Nizhniy Novgorod society of victims of communistic terror, Nizhni Novgorod

Sergey Sorokin, chairman of Movement against violence, Moscow

Anna Mikhailina

Felix Balonov, the candidate of historical sciences, St.-Petersburg

Dmitry Vorobevsky, the editor of the newspaper "Sedition", member of the Democratic Union, Voronezh

Valentine Schulman, the doctor, Moscow

Raisa Grishechkina, Rostov-ON-Don

Alexey Skripkin, the programmer, Kostroma

Alexey yarema, the head of Group the ЭРА, St.-Petersburg

Olga Mamay, the teacher, Moscow

Ekaterina Vorobeva, the historian-archivist, Moscow

Leonid Litinsky, the mathematician, Troitsk.

Elena Ryabinin, the employee of Committee « Civil assistance », Moscow

Suren Edigavov, Moscow

Andrey Zhelonkin, the journalist, Saransk

Natalia Gorbanevskaja, human rights defender, the participant taken place on August, 25th, 1968 on the Red area in Moscow manifestations of protest against intrusion of the Soviet armies into Czechoslovakia

Victor Fajnberg, the legal expert, the participant taken place on August, 25th, 1968 on the Red area in Moscow manifestations of protest against intrusion of the Soviet armies into Czechoslovakia

Galia Koinash, Kharkov human rights group

Oksana Chelysheva, Nizhni Novgorod

Elena Mikhaylovskaya, the housewife, Kharkov, Ukraine

Evgenie Rile, Moscow

Rpzalia Iskandarova, the journalist, "г. Свет"

source: http://grani.ru/War/m.139825.html

Damn those who did that!!! (18+)

http://a-ingwar.blogspot.com/2008/08/blog-post_1617.html

Bombed places on the Map of Georgia (8-13 August)

Russian Soldiers in Georgian MIlitary Base in Gori

Russian Soldiers in Georgian Military base, they are talking how good conditions Georgian soldiers were living in and this is not like Military base in Russia..
Video was filmed by cell phone of one of the Russian soldier.

Interview with the eyewitness (victim) recorded on August 13 (After "cease-fire")

Respondent: Pepela Nemsadze, Village of Zemo (upper) Khviti, Nikozi local council

Date of the interview: August 13, 2008; Venue: M. Nodia Institute of Geophysics

I arrived on the 9^th. I arrived because my son is a military officer, he was guarding the country, all lights were out, and I could not receive any information, I left the village in order to hear my son's voice and learn what situation he was in, how he was. On a second day, when I was returning, I could not make my way to the village. My husband stayed in the village and he is still there. What situation he is in right now I don't know- We called him, but they are so resistant, even if they were really suffering, he would still tell me he is fine more or less. My daughter in law called me, told me the house was destroyed, not completely demolished but destroyed. Neighbor has got a bunker and there are 12 people hiding in it…They tell me situation in a village is more or less safe now. They tell me that as we were leaving, the village was being attacked by air bombing, the jets were already flying over the village. The situation was bad, I was sick too, and I was almost pushed into the local bus, and I left the site just with my cloths on. I left because I wanted to learn what was going on, (because there was no electricity I could not get any information) but I was unable to go back…we left under fire, women and children escaped, they came here. I am so stubborn I would not leave, I would not leave my husband, he would not leave anyway, but the reason was…the night before, it hit the neighbors house…it is a destitute family ..her husband was killed earlier, during Zviad's times, and now her son also died as I know. Her house was hit, on the other side, and my house is near it, and the pieces fell on our house as well. Window glasses shattered, my husband was standing close and he surprisingly survived, the wall saved him. The window frames fell off, big stones as well..this happened at night, my husband survived by a miracle. I was also close, standing near a door, he was outside, looking at what was happening. And he went back in, he was scared…it happened like this. They were probably located at the gardens in our village, and they were targeting us directly, a couple of them exploded at this place.. then I heard it exploding near and the house got demolished.. I was there…there were casualties.. two women died at this very incident. They were outside on a balcony, were hit by the shrapnel and both of them died.

I know that during these two nights Nuri and Avlevi –these two villages were bombed, loud explosions could be heard from there, and then our side responded as well, and may be because shooting was also coming from our side, when Georgians took their positions then they were targeting because of that. They were ready to kill us all and they (Georgians) had to do something ..they demolished two villages that night. Then they attacked us, nearby villages.

I was not going to leave for good. My motherland village is Akhaldaba, and I thought I would stay there, but people had also left this place. I though I would then go to Gori, but almost everyone has left Gori as well. And I was not able to leave the transport. It was a private bus, If I wanted to leave everyone had to step out to let me out. That's how I happened to come to Tbilisi. I am able to reach them by phone once in a while and know that he is hiding in a bunker. Are they telling me the truth or something bad has happened upon me I don't know. .. I have not talked to my husband directly, I only talk to the other person. I call during the day and may be they are not together during the day, or are they lying? I don't know…

We have 7 members in our family. I have two sons who are married, and me and my husband….My son is an artillery officer. He was on a front line…we could not get any information about him, he is such a person himself that won't tell me anything even if he is in trouble. He did not come home even for a minute because he wanted to be next to them (the solders) who are to him as his children….

It was an air bombing…They were shooting from some kind of equipment…When I was still there tanks were not coming and after that….Just yesterday were received information from Akhaldaba that Russian army is moving forward spending dawn the ammunition on the people…the forest was burning and fire was in the neighborhoods as well. This was according yesterday's information and today I know nothing. We are very depressed, I can hardly think. especially when I think about the children, boys who grew up in my hands…I taught them in the school.. A lot of boys from us went on contracted military service. And there are many who are missing now, two, no, three I know for sure are dead. I don't know about others, they are missing.. this is the situation…

Russian Nation Against Russian Aggression in Georgia

8 August 2008 Russia claiming "the protection of its citizens", started aggression against Georgia in S. Ocetia.

According to "СМИ" Russian military aviation bombed Gori. According to Georgian officials Russian Airplanes bombed Poti, Senaki and Tskhinvali. Russian "СМИ" stated that paratroopers "РФ" were deployed in Tskhinvali.

August 8, in the evening on UN Security Council session Russian ambassador Vitali Churkin admitted the fact that Russians were bombing Georgian Teritory. At the beginning of the Russian Agression in Georgia Russia strengthened anti-Georgian propaganda. Russian media was talking only about Georgian military activities in s. Osetia, however they were silent about shooting and bombing Georgian villages by the regime of Eduard Kokoiti. On august 8 Georgian governmental web-pages and the web-page of Rustavi 2 (Georgian broadcasting company) were hacked.

On August 8 International Society Мемориал discussed the advance of Georgian military forces in Tskhinvali which has been characterized by Georgian officials as "constitutional way for establishing peace" (http://www.memo.ru/2008/08/08/0808081.htm) but whatever is happening in Georgia, Russia doesn't have a right of using military force in foreign territory. The status of Russian peace-keepers in Georgia is defined by intergovernmental agreements. Russia has lost the moral right for conducting the peace keeping mission in Abkhazia and S. Ossetia when Russian government has provoked the conflicts and was supporting the separatists. And as Russian troops have bombed and invaded Georgian territory way beyond than S. Ossetia, Russia became a part of the conflict.

President Medvedev stated that he has an obligation to protect the lives of Russian citizens despite of their location. However as it is reaffirmed in
United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 14 December 1974 Definition of Aggression article 5.1 "No consideration of whatever nature, whether political, economic, military or otherwise, may serve as a justification for aggression." As in 1938 Nazi Germany justified the invasion of Czecho-slovakian territory by protecting the interests of German population there.

The historical experience has showed that the intervention of our country in foreign business is unavoidable. Contrary to statements for "help" — leads to incalculable troubles. In 1979 Soviet government sent the troops to Sovereign Afganistan under a pretext of «rendering of the brotherly help » Hundred thousand residents of the country became victims of the Soviet Army. Today a "chekist-official" group which governs Russia – predecessor of Soviet government has commited the aggression against independent Georgia.

Incursion into Afghanistan has led to that in this country many years do not stop large-scale violence and infringement of the rights of citizens, wars continually flash. Historical development of Afghanistan has turned From the secular state it has turned in theocratic. Actions of the Soviet management have led to sharp growth of popularity of Islamic fundamentalism not only in Afghanistan, but also in Pakistan and the Arabian countries. (let us recall an alliance of "Taliban" and Alqaida.)

If the international community will not stop the Russian aggression and if Georgia, carrying out the legitimate right for self-defense, cannot reflect it, Russia can grasp not only former ¯S. Ossetian autonomous region, but also other parts of Georgia. And in fact many irresponsible Russian politicians declare claims on kremlin.

We demand the immediate termination of aggression against Georgia.

We consider, that a management of Russia, having put one more bloody spot on reputation of the country, has made finally unacceptable from the moral point of view its stay in « big 8"

We call General Assembly of the United Nations, the Organization on safety and cooperation in the Europe, Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe and other international institutes to consider the problem on actions of the Russian management against Georgia.

Sergey Kovalev, chairman of the Russian society "Memorial", chairman of Fund of a name A.D.Saharova

Dmitry Belomestnov, the journalist, Moscow

Stanislav Dmitrievsky (Nizhni Novgorod), chairman of the Society of the Russian-Chechen friendship

Tatyana Monahova, human rights defender, Moscow

Elena Maglevannaja, the proof-reader, Volgograd

Michael Kriger, chairman of Committee of anti-war actions, Moscow

Ivan Simochkin, youth movement "Defense", Moscow

Alexey Manannikov, the president Siberian inter-regional правозащитного fund " Vena-89 ", Novosibirsk

Edward Glezin, the coordinator of the Russian youth movement «abarona" Moscow

Anton Chezhidov, active worker НДСМ

Dmitry Shusharin, the historian and the journalist

Igor Drandin, РНДС

Vladimir Shaklein, the Inter-regional center of human rights — Ural branch OOD « For human rights »

Vladimir Sirotin, the left socialist

Larissa Volodimerova, the legal expert (and also the writer and the publicist), Holland, and its human rights defender the organization "Fund " Марекса ""

Lev Ponomarev, executive director of the All-Russian social movement « For human rights »

Vladimir Panteleev, the political prisoner in 1970–76, the invalid of 2 groups after political represion, chairman of board of the Nizhniy Novgorod society of victims of communistic terror, Nizhni Novgorod

Sergey Sorokin, chairman of Movement against violence, Moscow

Anna Mikhailina

Felix Balonov, the candidate of historical sciences, St.-Petersburg

Dmitry Vorobevsky, the editor of the newspaper "Sedition", member of the Democratic Union, Voronezh

Valentine Schulman, the doctor, Moscow

Raisa Grishechkina, Rostov-ON-Don

Alexey Skripkin, the programmer, Kostroma

Alexey yarema, the head of Group the ЭРА, St.-Petersburg

Olga Mamay, the teacher, Moscow

Ekaterina Vorobeva, the historian-archivist, Moscow

Leonid Litinsky, the mathematician, Troitsk.

Elena Ryabinin, the employee of Committee « Civil assistance », Moscow

Suren Edigavov, Moscow

Andrey Zhelonkin, the journalist, Saransk

Natalia Gorbanevskaja, human rights defender, the participant taken place on August, 25th, 1968 on the Red area in Moscow manifestations of protest against intrusion of the Soviet armies into Czechoslovakia

Victor Fajnberg, the legal expert, the participant taken place on August, 25th, 1968 on the Red area in Moscow manifestations of protest against intrusion of the Soviet armies into Czechoslovakia

Galia Koinash, Kharkov human rights group

Oksana Chelysheva, Nizhni Novgorod

Elena Mikhaylovskaya, the housewife, Kharkov, Ukraine

Evgenie Rile, Moscow

Rpzalia Iskandarova, the journalist, "г. Свет"

Personal stories, eyewitnesses (translated)

Simon from the village of Nikozi, Gori region:

I left yesterday. They fired shells from helicopters and pursuit planes. What firing it was by Russians! They led an air attack. The Georgian villages were shelled: Upper Nikozi and Lower Nikozi. I reached my home crawling all the way. My mother was staying there. I could not get her out. She walks via two crutches. She is 82 years old and she is still there. The only thing I could do was that I gave her my cell phone and instructed how to use it. Until now I managed to contact her. Supposedly the battery is dead now; there is no electricity to charge it. I cannot contact her anymore. I have no idea what is going on there. The houses are burnt and demolished. No one is there. Almost 95% has left. People died. People died before my leaving and after it. People that could not be taken out are buried by their relatives in their own yards. Now the village is empty, neither Ossetians, nor Georgians remained there. Maybe ten or fifteen elderly people are present. No army is standing there.

There is Nikozi diocesan Church in our village. Yesterday, when I came there, found the bishop Isaia and his congregation praying. The shelling started just at that moment. The monastery was also bombed. The Bishop had to take his congregation out of there. We were going along the gates on foot. I asked my mother to follow us slowly, on foot. She decided she could not go. Then I kissed her and left, saying, "Mother, come what may."

We passed several villages on foot. The Bishop contacted the priest Andria, who came for us with a minibus from Gori. Only the bishop Isaia and the priest Antoni left behind, saying "We cannot leave now" and they went back under fire and this disaster. They are there even today. We left. I could imagine anything, but shelling the Orthodox Church.

We left Gori on a minibus. The people were coming on foot. The army was still there. When we were passing by, we saw how they were being bombed. However, our minibus escaped without damage. There was nothing sacred for them, neither church, nor anything – everything was shelled.

We were hiding under the threes. It is hard to hide away from a shell. Even previously they used to shell us. Everybody is helping. The faster we are back, the better, though going back… well, we can go back, but how will we manage to live there? Ossetians are all around. From the edge of my house, their village starts. There is even no boundary between our villages. There is even no 100 meters distance between them. We will be subjected to permanent suppression there; they will do with us whatever they wish. These last years the people managed to reconcile. So we were living peacefully.
-----------

Lali Jaoshvili, Kekhvi

I left three days ago. There was terrible shooting. We arrived to village Eredvi and it was also attacked. We were trying to get out of there with a car and save ourselves. Some were leaving by foot. We did not care about bringing anything with us from home. My husband remained in the forest. We all sobbed for him because thought that he died but apparently he hid and then fell into a ditch and survived.

Afterwards my mother-in-law died and my son received psychological shock from watching these horrible things. He hid in the forest and refused to come with us. That's how he is now.

First there was shellfire and afterwards the tanks came in.

All the villages and the houses are destroyed.

One Russian told us to leave immediately because they would build a new town there.
------------------

Manana from Nikozi

Before the latest events started a bomb hit village Nikozi. There was destruction but we survived. The following two days were peaceful.

Afterwards when the shooting started we left everything behind, left our cattle tied up and ran away. There was shellfire.

I don't know the condition of my house at present, my mother stayed there and I can't get in touch with her, she does not have a telephone. We are five in the family and all of us left with the exception of her. My sister was hiding in the basement for two days.

We arrived to Gori which was also bombed and had to run away from there, Russian were bombing us. The bomb hit a house next to us and everyone left.

We were told that the invaders are robbing the houses and taking everything with them, and that they are Osetians. Our villages are adjacent to each other. I was working in Tskhinvali and we did not have a conflict, no one warned us that there would be a war.

---------
Woman from Tskhinvali:

Five of our families left. Once I was an internally displaced. Don't know where to go and what to do. I lived in the middle of Tskhinvali. Afterwards I moved to the village. When the villages got bombed we left. I buried two people and arrived here yesterday. I was carrying the corpse for three days trying to get it to the village to burry it. At the end I buried it on the road. He was my uncle. The shell cut off his leg and he died in the hospital from bleeding. Our neighbor's 18 year old son was killed. They buried him but almost got killed there.
-----------------

Woman from Tskhinvali region

The Kazakhs torture everyone. My father did not leave together with us and who knows what's happening to him now. We left by foot and slept overnight on the highway at the entrance of Tbilisi. We got a message that the whole village was burnt after we left. They are burning everything now, all Georgian villages.
-----------

A man from village Zubaani :

I was walking in Zubaani where I got a car and moved towards Eredvi. On the way we were bombed twice. I jumped out of the car and went village by village. I came to Korda on foot at 12 p.m. Many people died in Eredvi. I hadn't taken anything just a pocket torch to have a light at night. Valley is fully destroyed, houses are burnt. It makes no difference whether it is my own house or not. All my family is here. I have not any information if anybody is still left there..
-----------


Tamar Apstiauri, age 28:
I live in the village of Megvrikisi, Gori region. I left on Sunday, my husband – on Monday. When our Army started to leave and we were about being bombed, we had no other choice. Surely it was better to join my children, then to die. So we left without taking anything from the house. My children had left before. I have three children and when we were coming, it seemed I would not be able to see them again. I was looking up, fearing that something would fall on me. Only things that I managed to take were the clothes of the kids, nothing else.
We left on the car of my neighbour. He rushed in our house and told we needed to leave. He said, "Don't you see what is happening with us?". When we saw the smoke above Eredvi, we decided that if we did not leave, we would die. That is why we escaped. Our village is situated right at the location of peacekeepers near Ergneti. So to say, we are caught in teeth of Ossetians.
We travelled safely. Obviously they had not started to move in this direction. My husband also managed to escape yesterday.
When I left, my house was not damaged, though I don't know about its condition now. At that moment, the village was also not burnt down so far.
--------------------

Eka Metreveli, age 35:
I fled from village Kemerti of Liakhvi gorge in the evening of August 9. Me and my spouse sent kids beforehand. And we left in the evening of 9th with our own car.
The village was bombed from jets and probably by tanks as well.

From the beginning, it all started when they shelled a car of the head of administration, guys blew up, my cousin was in that explosion. Then there were explosions every night and situation was tense.

Before we left, two shells hit our house. It destroyed a sleeping room and a bathroom. I do not know in what condition is the house now, but as I have heard, it is burned. We were not able to bring anything with us. Me and my spouse stayed in the basement of a relative and when we decided to leave, we did not even enter the house, we just ran away immediately.

We drove through the side road and exactly when we passed village Eredvi, they dropped a bomb and the explosion lifted a car nearby in the air. The houses were also destroyed then.

What we need now is support of people and peace!

United position of Geo.Population, Tbilisi, 12 Aug.2008

Russian Article (translation)

Tuesday, 12 August 2008
War in Georgia

So it's a reality now. Military conflict has been unleashed. It's been bombing, heavy artillery shelling, fierce fighting for the capital of South Ossetia. It is not a clinch between Georgia and South or North Ossetia or Abkhazia. It is war with Russia. It is a combat operations with the Rissia's 58th Army, dislocated near Tskhinvali but incapable to prevent a Georgian breakthrough to the city.

Would it be resolved by all means of diplomacy or would it spark with renewed vigor? Time will show... Of course, there is every possibility to prevent escalation of the military actions. But this is unlikely what the Kremlin needs. Russophobe Empire of Russia with its recently appointed president needs one more “short victorious war”. Indeed, we all remember such a “short victorious war” of gigantic Soviet Union against Afghanistan. We are all living witnesses of the Chechens which were “cornered in the toilet and wiped out”. Now it is a turn for small, but proud Georgian people..

From the Olympics in Beijing, Putin has given a “carte blanche" to Russian volunteers who wanted to fight for the interests of Ossetian people. Well, if somebody wanted to sacrifice his life for a bright international future of mankind, then let the dummy go for it. But something else is interesting.

What about Ossetians themselves, that another "small but proud" tribe? Did they all stand as one to protect their native land? Are they dying in the unequal battle saving the comrades? Someone died defending loved ones. But most of them (including evacuated from the region), after receiving the Russian citizenship, stay quietly on Russian land and in the capital of Russia, though it seems to be their Ossetian independence war!

The population of South Ossetia consists of Ossetians, Georgians and some other ethnic groups, with the Ossetian and Georgian villages mixed with each other. Many Ossetian families fled the region as a result of armed conflict at the beginning of 1990s, finding the refuge shelter on Russian territory, mainly in North Ossetia-Alania.
Now the majority of population of the region is Ossetians, but there are still villages populated with the ethnic Georgians.
According to the Soviet Union census of 1989, the population of South Ossetia was 98527, including 65 thousand ethnic Ossetians and two thousand ethnic Russians.

According to estimates by international observers from the OSCE and the UN, it is about 30 thousand ethnic Ossetians left in South Ossetia. The other 35 thousand, namely labor and combat ready, are part of the Caucasus people migrated to the Russian cities.

But now it’s namely the ethnic Russians who must protect the integrity and independence of South Ossetia. How come? What about a full shape war mobilization of Ossetians? How about a death penalty for desertion committed in wartime?

However, this is not the main point. Actually, who is right in this conflict?

Here is what academician Nikolai Dubrovin (1837-1894) wrote about people of the region: "Lack of land was a reason that part of the Ossetians moved to the southern slope of the Main [Caucasian] Ridge and voluntarily gave themselves in peonage to the Georgian landlords. Those Ossetians occupied gorges of Greater and Lesser Liakhvi, Rehula, Ksani and became serfs of princes Eristavovs and Machabelovs. These immigrants represented the population of so-called southern Ossetians and, in turn, they were also subdivided into many societies, called by name of gorges, which they inhabited. Thus, they consist of ksani, liahvi, gudushauri, magrandvaleti, dzhamuri and other Ossetians. Many Ossetians settled in Mtiulet and Hev gorges "(N. Dubrovin; history of war and domination of Russians in the Caucasus, Vol 1, pp. 187, St. Petersburg., 1871).

In other words, the population of South Ossetia is mostly represented by descendants of immigrants invited to work on the Georgian soil, since they were dying from starvation in Ossetia-Alania. So they worked, gave birth to others, generation by generation, and… like the Albanians in Kosovo finally claimed an independence for seemingly their Ossetian land now.

So called patriots of Russia oppose the Kosovo separation from Serbia, but they stand for separation of the Georgian land from Georgia. This position is illogical and hinted only by the aspiration to read the Kremlin’s lips and repeat after it. And the Kremlin, as usual, is breaking into somebody else’s business and interfering in the internal affairs of other states.

Now let’s see how this Georgian conflict affects the interests of ethnic Russian people. The situation with the Russian people in Russia is deplorable. The people gets catastrophically poorer and poorer, dying out by two million a year and being replaced by migrants from the North Caucasus and immigrants from all over the world. The retired have no money to buy food, the Pension Fund is going to the sky, the disabled can’t buy enough of prescribed drugs and trivially dying from the shortages, the healthcare is visibly collapsed, the army is not being equipped with modern weapons, the infrastructure of Russian cities is deteriorated by 60-80%, the inflation exceeds all reasonable limits, reaching 25% on basic food for the poor.

And in such circumstances, instead of supporting Russians in Russia, Kremlin once again is up to crazy sponsorship to the North Caucasus inter-clan tensions.

Patriotism of "Russian" idiots is the last hope of Kremlin to stay in power to carry on the robbery and genocide of Russian people, accompanied by a perfectly planned relocation of the North Caucasus residents to the heartland of Russia. And the population of migrants from Caucasus is rapidly growing, as it’s generously sponsored by the earnings taken from Russians.

The ground for Russia’s participation in the conflict is the desire to control a smuggling process through the Roksky tunnel, where the Russia’s peacekeepers are simply babysitting a free-trade flow of Chechen oil in exchange to non-certified alcohol produced by our Ossetian friends in millions of deciliters. The Kremlin’s authorities do not care what poisoned Ossetian vodka killed or made the disabled already hundreds of thousands of Russian men and women.

It is time once and for all for everybody, calling themselves Russians, to remember: what is good for Kremlin that is bad for Russians.

Who stands for Kremlin that stands for wogs. Who stands for Kremlin that is against Russians.

We can only conclude that by escalating the conflict in South Ossetia, the imperialistic Russophobe monster continues to carry on its anti-Russian policy. And we could only wait, when it will break its back over Georgia as the anti-Russian Soviet Union once broke its back over Afghanistan.


Northern Brotherhood
August 8, 2008

(found on http://vdesyatku.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=25
translated from Russian source http://www.nordrus.info/news/detail.php?ID=2345)

Appeal of Georgia National Science Foundation and Georgian Scientists to International Community of Scientists

Dear colleagues,

We appeal to you in the time of our severe testing when Russian Federation exercises of large-scale aggression against the sovereign Georgia in attempt of its complete occupation. Today is a matter of life and death of Georgia as a country. Russia aims at abolishment of Georgia’s sovereignty, disorganization of its State system and annihilation of the country. Mass violation of human rights and liberties has occurred, peaceful citizens has been assaulted. Russian active forces have been bombing whole territory of Georgia and our capaital city Tbilisi, the hospitals and University in Gori. All that has caused heavy casualties among civilian population, hundreds are wounded, their private property is crushed. Russian invaders killed local, foreign and even Russian journalists; shoot wounded Georgian soldiers.

At the same time Russia conducts dirty information warfare against Georgia, spreads out misinformation to give the world wry and preconceived notion about the just war of Georgia for democracy, peace and the country integrity.

Soviet Empire laid delayed-action mine by creating Abkhazian and South Ossetian autonomies and, after collapse of the Union, Russia has actively supported separative movement in these regions. Under the aegis of peace-makers it has made any effort to keep and increase the tension during last 15 years. Russia has hampered the restoration of confidence between Georgians and Abkhazians, Georgians and South Ossetians, impeded peaceful settlement of the conflict and respectively created security and stability threat for the whole region.

Military aggression from Russian side can not be justified by so called mission of its citizens’ protection in the separative regions and this argument is absolutely inadmissible. It recalls the reason used by Nazi regime for occupation of sovereign Czechoslovakia in 30^th of last century. In fact Russia has been annexing not only South Ossetia and Abkhazia but the whole Georgia.

By means of military intervention Russia tries to overthrow democratically elected government of its small neighbor country of infant western-oriented democracy, to change the geo-political status of the whole Caucasus region and turn back the world to the times of the cold war.

Georgia is a country of ancient civilization, historically always peace-loving and nowadays most of all seeking after peace.

At the time of evolvement of these dramatic and cruel developments we apply to all scientists of the world and our Russian colleagues among them to lay to their hearts the tragedy of our small country and raise their voices to avoid ethnic-cleaning of Georgians in their native country (this intention is still going starting from 90-ies of last century). Please render us your countenance in stopping the intervention of Russian Army into Georgia, resolving the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, withdrawal of Russian occupation troops from Georgia and peaceful settlement of the conflict with participation of international neutral mediators.

Please believe us, from today's developments in our country Russia is starting the process of democratic values’ violation and word-wide domination by means of harsh military force.

Facts Sheet of Georgian Ethnic Cleansing by Russian Troops after the Agreement of Both Sides Have Been Reached on Cease-fire

(as of August, 13, 4 p.m.)

August 13, 2008

14:45
Journalists reported that they witnessed Russian militaries stopping a bus going from Gori to Chiatura. The passangers were robbed and a 25 years old woman was kidnapped. (source: 893232375)

13:05
Russian military forces intruded in Tzalenjikha district village Fakhulidan.

13:00
Village Atoci of Kareli district is occupied by Russians and Kazaks. They are raping women and killing men. They are also shooting civilians towards Gori district.

12:42
Ts. Lomjaria from the President’s office reported that civilians are escaping from Gori to village Ateni who are followed by Russian troops. Civilians are asking for help.

12:40
A Georgian citizen Koba Kebadze called 022, reporting that 25 Georgian civilians were taken as hostages from village Tkviavi. Four of them could escape from them as the bus crashed on their way to destination. (source: koba qebaZe 898 40 16 89).

12:30
Iinga gelaSvils (899 988355) was contacted from the number: 79280748570. She was informed that her husband and father in law along with other Georgians are taken as hostages in Tskhinvali and are demanding to exchange them.

11:20
The military bases and residential apartments near it are set on fire in Gori.

11:50
Georgian civilians from Gori are constantly calling reporting that they are being attacked and assaulted and are asking for immediate help.

10:23
About 50 heavy artillery units have intruded into Gori. The local policy has been evacuated and the Georgian civilians are being assaulted. They are asking for help.

09:12
Four civilian cars with murdered passengers are reported to have been seen in the village of Tedotsminda, Gori district.

08:40
In village Udotzminda, on the Variani road, four destroyed cars were found, in which people are slaughtered. (source: 890333437)

08:40
Village Ruisi back surrounding area was bombed. (source: 893273334)

08:00
The village of Karaleti, Gori district has been attacked by Ossetian separatists again. The cases of physical assaults and abuses of the local residents are being reported.

06:50
Village Sakasheti of Gori district was shelled.

01.05
According to the information from the local civilian sources, Ossetian separatists are taking hostage Georgian residents of villages Nikozi, Dzveri, Tkviavi, Karaleti (north of Gori).
Population of village Berbuki, Gori District is gathered on the road, asking to be evacuated.

00:56
In Gori district villages: Niqozi, Dzevera, Tkhviavi and Karaleti Ossetians take Georgian hostages, according to source: leila pataSvili 899 964504


August 12, 2008

21:50
Along with Russian peacekeepers about one hundred Abkhazs have intruded in Ganmukhuri, where they continuously rob civilians.

21:45
City hall operator # 16 Inga Tziklauri called and reported that she received a phone call from a refugee Lomauri from the conflict region, who is staying at the relative’s house (63 59 82). Lomauri reported her that Gori district villages: Kordo, Arbo, Mereti, and Ditsi are being threatened by Ossetian armed forces. According to Inga Tziklauri (22:20), civilians from the above stated villages call her and desperately ask for help.

21:35
Alarming reports come from the villages of Argo and Ditsi north of Gori. According to the information from the local sources, Ossetian separatists are brutally massacring Georgian population of these villages.

According to the local sources, Georgian population of villages Kordi and Mereti, Gori district, is being brutally assaulted and abused by Ossetian separatists.

In Tchilisubani, Gori district, the local residents are hiding in the basements of their houses, asking to be evacuated.

21:35
Ossetian forming bands attack and assault Georgian civilians in village Tkviavi of Gori district. One murder has already been reported.

Ossetian forming bands attack, physically assault, and kill Georgian civilians in villages Ditsi and Argo of Gori district.

21:30
Military Police Department Assistant to the person on duty Sergeant Chkhikvishvili received a phone call from citizen Neli Balamtzarashvili (address: # 3 Mirtskhulava street, Tbilisi. Tel: 34 38 95). She notified the department that armed Ossetians threaten and terror civilians in village Ditsi.

21:20
Ossetians massacre all local Georgian inhabitants in village Arbo of Gori district. (source: 858343591)

21:04
Ethnically Georgian Gela Chixladze was murdered in village Tyviavi of Gori district.

21:00
A citizen of Georgia, Natia Pavliashvili (899 50 86 49) called the military headquarters. According to her, Vazha Gugutishvili’s family who are trapped in village Disevi reported her that Russian – Ossetian troops intruded in Disevi and started setting houses on fire one by one.

18:30
Ossetians intruded into village Disevi of Gori district, where they attack civilians and set houses on fire.

16:36
Ossetians attacked civilians and set houses on fire in village Karaleti of Gori district. Houses are burning down.

16:07
Russians rob the houses of Senaki military base officers. They mainly take away electronic devices.

15:28
A shell was dropped near village Agara. It exploded a minibus. Civilians were wounded and killed.

14:50
Village Sakoritno in Kaspi district and village Ruisi in Kareli district are bombed by Russian aviation forces.

14:20
A bomb was dropped on the house of Mamikashvili, inhabitant of village Tortiza, Gori district.

14:00
An ambulance vehicle was bombarded Russian military jets village Agara of Khashuri district.

13:25
Three Russian airplanes dropped bombs on the village of Orchosani near Gori.

11:03
Three Russian airplanes were identified in the airspace of Gori. They shelled the city hall and the central market of Gori. As a result houses were set on fire.

11:00
Village Tkviavi of Gori district was bombed. Buildings and houses were destroyed.


August 11, 2008

18:25
Ossetian separatists took Georgian hostages form village Beloti (near Eredvi) of Gori district. Hostages are shut up in a monastery yard.

18:10
Russian army intruded into village Shindisi, Gori district. Georgian civilians and militaries are escaping from the village.
17:50
Russian military airplane SU-24 bombed village Tkviavi of Gori district. Three houses were burned down and civilians were killed.

17:35
Russian military airplane SU-24 bombed village Kere of Gori district. One civilian is killed and one is heavily wounded.

10:00
Village of Eredvi came under the fire of Russian artillery.

05:00
Shiraki airfield in Dedoplistskaro District on the east of the country is bombed by Russian jets. Runways were destroyed.

03:05 Villages of Sharabidzeebi, Kapandichi, Makho near Batumi are bombed by Russian planes. Graveyard and villagers’ backyard have been hit. No casualties reported.

August 8 – 11
Chkhalta, administrative center of Upper Abkhazia was bombarded numerous time as result of this nearly all buildings in Ckhalta is destroyed.

August 8-11, 2008 Gori was bombarded numerous time as result 8 apartment blocks were destroyed living about 500 families without house. 15 civilians died, tens more are wounded. About 8 000 IDPs left Gori. About 4000 houses are totally destroyed in the villages of Gori district. Besides, this the hospital of Gori was destroyed.

Weblinks showing Russian Aggression to Georgia