"U.S. forces to deliver aid to Georgia"

U.S. President George Bush says his country will use military aircraft and naval forces to deliver aid to Georgia. Speaking in Washington, he expressed concern about reports of continuing Russian action in Georgia, and urged Russia to respect a ceasefire accord, the BBC reported. "U.S. forces to deliver aid to Georgia" Bush hinted that Russia could be jeopardizing its international ties. Bush said he had ordered a series of steps to demonstrate "solidarity with the Georgian people". They included sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Tbilisi, and launching a "vigorous and ongoing" humanitarian mission. He said a C-17 aircraft with humanitarian supplies was already on its way to Georgia, and in the following days military aircraft and naval forces would deliver humanitarian and medical supplies. Later, Rice said the U.S. had reacted so strongly because Russia had "seriously overreached" by bombing targets outside the zone of conflict. She said Russia had taken action against that which clearly had nothing to do with South Ossetia - the Moscow-backed breakaway region of Georgia that Russia claimed to be protecting. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is reported to have "responded robustly to U.S. criticism of Russia's continuing military action", admitting that his troops were still inside Georgia near both Gori and the town of Senaki, near the other secessionist region of Abkhazia. He said Russian peacekeepers were dismantling a "huge amount of armaments, ammunition and explosives" that had been left unattended. More details from Lavrov's comments made today can be found in this separate article. Earlier today, reports said that it was mostly peaceful in South Ossetia last night after the warring sides agreed to a ceasefire. With the exception of the isolated sound of gunshots, there was hardly any exchange of fire in the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali, Russian news agency RIA Novosti said. CNN reported that a convoy of several dozen Russian APCs had been seen south of Gori heading towards the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. CNN correspondent Matthew Chance quoted the Georgian national security adviser who said that Russian forces would “most probably divert“ from the road to take and neutralize one of the abandoned Georgian military bases. South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity said that the gunshots heard last night “were provocation aimed at causing a response from Russian troops“. There are still no reports of whether anyone was injured last night, says RIA. Georgian National Security Council Secretary, Aleksadr Lomaia says that despite the ceasefire "around 50 Russian tanks entered the strategically important Georgian town of Gori". Lomaia said that the tanks entered Gori at 07:45 CET, only eight hours after Georgia accepted the ceasefire, called for by Russia. However, Russian officials denied those accusations. “There are neither peacekeepers nor any other kind of Russian armed forces there,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said. The Associated Press reported that it was not possible to verify any of this information in the field. Gori is 25 kilometers away from the border with South Ossetia, and the town is known as Soviet dictator Stalin’s birthplace After the ceasefire was signed, Tbilisi woke up to a quiet morning. Citizens of the Georgia’s capital were mourning their the dead, and despite the ceasefire, their hopes are not high. The uncertainty is additionally heated up by the mistrust towards the government. The number of the dead cannot be established because the reporters do not have access to areas considered to be dangerous. Russian army lost 74 soldiers, 171 were injured, while 19 are listed as MIA. In Moscow, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has declared August 13 a day of mourning after the conflict in the Caucasus that he described as Georgian authorities' genocide over the South Ossetian people. Meantime in Belgrade, it was announced that Serbians who wish to sign the book of condolences will be able to do so tomorrow at the Russian embassy. Yesterday, Russian and Georgian officials ccepted a modified version of the French peace plan for the South Ossetian conflict. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, acting on behalf of the EU, and his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili last night agreed a modified version of the peace plan with Russia, that was earlier approved by President Medvedev. “This is a political document. This is a fundamental agreement… and I think we have a full match when it comes to principles,” Saakashvili told reporters at a joint press conference with Sarkozy. The changes to the peace plan received Medvedev’s blessing, and include talks on South Ossetia’s future status, said the two presidents. In Moscow yesterday, the Russian and French presidents agreed on a six-point plan for settling the conflict in Georgia. They include non-application of force, final cessation of military activities, a return of Georgian forces to their permanent position of deployment, a return of Russian troops to their pre-conflict positions, as part of which, until the establishment of international mechanisms, Russian forces would undertake additional security measures. The remaining principles are free humanitarian aid access, reconsideration of the issues of South Ossetia and Abkhazia’s future status, and a means of establishing security in those two breakaway Georgian republics. The original Sarkozy plan contained three points: joint withdrawal of forces to their August 6 positions, a cessation of armed conflict, and the presence of peacekeeping forces in conflict zones. The South Ossetian town of Ruisi (FoNet)

"U.S. forces to deliver aid to Georgia"

Bush hinted that Russia could be jeopardizing its international ties.

Bush said he had ordered a series of steps to demonstrate "solidarity with the Georgian people".

They included sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Tbilisi, and launching a "vigorous and ongoing" humanitarian mission.

He said a C-17 aircraft with humanitarian supplies was already on its way to Georgia, and in the following days military aircraft and naval forces would deliver humanitarian and medical supplies.

Later, Rice said the U.S. had reacted so strongly because Russia had "seriously overreached" by bombing targets outside the zone of conflict.

She said Russia had taken action against that which clearly had nothing to do with South Ossetia - the Moscow-backed breakaway region of Georgia that Russia claimed to be protecting.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is reported to have "responded robustly to U.S. criticism of Russia's continuing military action", admitting that his troops were still inside Georgia near both Gori and the town of Senaki, near the other secessionist region of Abkhazia.

He said Russian peacekeepers were dismantling a "huge amount of armaments, ammunition and explosives" that had been left unattended.

More details from Lavrov's comments made today can be found in this separate article.

Earlier today, reports said that it was mostly peaceful in South Ossetia last night after the warring sides agreed to a ceasefire.

With the exception of the isolated sound of gunshots, there was hardly any exchange of fire in the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali, Russian news agency RIA Novosti said.

CNN reported that a convoy of several dozen Russian APCs had been seen south of Gori heading towards the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

CNN correspondent Matthew Chance quoted the Georgian national security adviser who said that Russian forces would “most probably divert“ from the road to take and neutralize one of the abandoned Georgian military bases.

South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity said that the gunshots heard last night “were provocation aimed at causing a response from Russian troops“.

There are still no reports of whether anyone was injured last night, says RIA.

Georgian National Security Council Secretary, Aleksadr Lomaia says that despite the ceasefire "around 50 Russian tanks entered the strategically important Georgian town of Gori".

Lomaia said that the tanks entered Gori at 07:45 CET, only eight hours after Georgia accepted the ceasefire, called for by Russia.

However, Russian officials denied those accusations.

“There are neither peacekeepers nor any other kind of Russian armed forces there,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

The Associated Press reported that it was not possible to verify any of this information in the field. Gori is 25 kilometers away from the border with South Ossetia, and the town is known as Soviet dictator Stalin’s birthplace

After the ceasefire was signed, Tbilisi woke up to a quiet morning. Citizens of the Georgia’s capital were mourning their the dead, and despite the ceasefire, their hopes are not high.

The uncertainty is additionally heated up by the mistrust towards the government. The number of the dead cannot be established because the reporters do not have access to areas considered to be dangerous.

Russian army lost 74 soldiers, 171 were injured, while 19 are listed as MIA.

In Moscow, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has declared August 13 a day of mourning after the conflict in the Caucasus that he described as Georgian authorities' genocide over the South Ossetian people.

Meantime in Belgrade, it was announced that Serbians who wish to sign the book of condolences will be able to do so tomorrow at the Russian embassy.

Yesterday, Russian and Georgian officials ccepted a modified version of the French peace plan for the South Ossetian conflict.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, acting on behalf of the EU, and his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili last night agreed a modified version of the peace plan with Russia, that was earlier approved by President Medvedev.

“This is a political document. This is a fundamental agreement… and I think we have a full match when it comes to principles,” Saakashvili told reporters at a joint press conference with Sarkozy.

The changes to the peace plan received Medvedev’s blessing, and include talks on South Ossetia’s future status, said the two presidents.

In Moscow yesterday, the Russian and French presidents agreed on a six-point plan for settling the conflict in Georgia.

They include non-application of force, final cessation of military activities, a return of Georgian forces to their permanent position of deployment, a return of Russian troops to their pre-conflict positions, as part of which, until the establishment of international mechanisms, Russian forces would undertake additional security measures.

The remaining principles are free humanitarian aid access, reconsideration of the issues of South Ossetia and Abkhazia’s future status, and a means of establishing security in those two breakaway Georgian republics.

The original Sarkozy plan contained three points: joint withdrawal of forces to their August 6 positions, a cessation of armed conflict, and the presence of peacekeeping forces in conflict zones.