Russia signs up to Georgia truce

[pampango]

Source: BBC

"Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a ceasefire agreement with Georgia after receiving it in Moscow.

The deal calls for all military activity to stop and for troops from both sides to pull back into pre-conflict positions.

Several tanks and armoured personnel carriers were seen in Kaspi, west of Gori and some 35km north-east of the capital Tbilisi - an advance of some 15km on their previous position. Lorries of soldiers were seen heading towards the town.

Georgian officials also said Russian forces remained in the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti, the site of a major oil shipment facility, and a major Russian military contingent is further inland, at Senaki. "

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7564776.stm

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Russia hadn't signed the ceasefire until now. It will be interesting to see if they actually withdraw back into South Ossetia and Abkhazia. It sounds like they were still advancing further into Georgia overnight, but that was before their government signed up to the ceasefire.

If they do withdraw the post-conflict politics and repercussions can begin. We will see if NATO backs off from offerring Georgia membership and if the US rearms Georgia.

If they don't withdraw, the test of wills between the US/NATO and Russia will continue. The US obviously can't do much but talk, since we have few, if any, military options there. Bush is no good at negotiating international issues. Maybe he should turn this over to Obama, since he is going to inherit the aftermath of this anyway in January, and let Barack conduct a foreign policy of discussion and negotiation, not military force. (Wishful thinking, I know, since Obama can't conduct foreign policy until he takes office.)

[dipsydoodle]

1. Best allow for timimg differences

It's almost 1.30 pm BST here in the UK and Goergia is 3 hours ahead of us. Ref to last night, in Georgia, is about 12 hours old.

[bemildred]

2. It seems to me that if Russia wanted Tbilisi, it would be in Tbilisi.

So I'm not too worried about their withdrawal, although I doubt they are going to be hurried into leaving before they finish what they have been doing the last few days, or that they will go out of their way to appease anybody.

The NATO question is interesting, but it's clear France and Germany are being conciliatory towards Russia. (You got that, Germany is no longer in our pocket? Keep an eye on Japan too. If that is not a sign of declining US hegemony, I don't know what is.) So it's hard to see how far it can go. NATO needs to worry about NATO, and antagonizing Russia will not unify NATO, it will divide it.

The political theater, of course, will go on.

[ohio2007]

11. If they wanted to unify the world against their actions...then yes, they would have easily taken

the pipeline conduit city.
they know how far they can push

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4543729.ece

[bemildred]

12. "A man has to know his limits." -- Dirty Harry.

Good link you got there.

[awoke_in_2003]

15. One small correction-

it is "A man has to know his limitations" :)

[bemildred]

16. Channelling Cheney: So?

But you are quite correct.
There is a lot of Gold in (some of) Eastwood's movies.
:hi:

[awoke_in_2003]

17. Clint Eastwood's characters

are a lot like batman. Individuals that are tormented about using wrong to make a right. They are projections of what we are as a people. Now, "Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?" :hi: right back at you.

[maddezmom]

3. Russian forces pull back from Igoeti's center

IGOETI, Georgia - Russian forces have pulled back from the center of a town near the Georgian capital after a cease-fire deal went into effect.

But Russia's foreign minister says the withdrawal will be contingent on further security measures.

Russia's president signed the cease-fire plan Saturday, a day after Georgia's president reluctantly agreed to the pact after lengthy talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The agreement calls for both forces to pull back to positions they held before fighting erupted Aug. 8.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080816/ap_on_re_eu/georgia_russia;_ylt=AimE0A3HiCpr_PCJ1.Bl6e.s0NUE

[bemildred]

4. Does the UNSC have to weigh in on this?

They seem to be making plans for an UNSC vote on it.

And also, does the truce have a date and time it goes into effect? I have not seen any mentioned.

[dipsydoodle]

6. Isn't it likely

that the Russia would veto any attempts at passing a resolution ? :shrug:

[bemildred]

7. The way I understand it, Russia is on board with the resolution.

It was negotiated to "satisfy" all parties (partly because they knew nothing would pass that Russia did not approve of.)

[dipsydoodle]

9. I guess then that must be

because they see it as being in their own interest to have UN Peacekeepers there.

[maddezmom]

5. Russia wants more security for Georgia troop pullout

SOCHI, Russia, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Russia will pull out troops from the conflict zone in Georgia once additional security arrangements are put in place, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday.

A ceasefire agreement signed by Russia and Georgia states that Moscow's troops will continue to implement additional security measures on a temporary basis pending the arrival of an international peacekeeping mechanism.

"The (Russian) president issued an order to the relevant authorities to start the adoption of extra security measures envisaged in the six-point plan," Lavrov told reporters.

"As these security measures are implemented, the withdrawal of forces sent to carry out this reinforcement operation will be carried out."

more:http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LG389569.htm

[ohio2007]

8. Georgia is their last territorial demand

on edit;
Need to use Google translate for Russian message board translations;
http://translate.google.com/translate_t?sl=ru&tl=en


Russian soldiers posting pics here;

The war in South Ossetia: 89 photos Arkady Babchenko
This post is entirely devoted to stories Arkady Babchenko from combat zones in Georgia. Arkady from Vladikavkaz reached Dzhavy, then to Tskhinvali, participated in the assault Zemo-Nikozi, flew with the battalion "Vostok" in the direction of Gori and already on the way back there by helicopter the wounded.

Short notes Arcadia on 4 days in the war can read here:

http://www.navoine.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?t=111

He was with a group of militiamen in 150 people, which goes to Dzhavu. City MFPL militiamen and volunteers, has about 2500 people. The bulk - Ossetians, as well as the present Russian, Cossacks. After the presentation as a military registration and enlistment office, all sent to Dzhavu where they are issued weapons. Until reigns in the whole sense of bardaka.

According to Arcadia, at the moment 58 - the army so I am not yet entered the Tskhinval. Figures in 2000 killed civilians in Vladikavkaz yet none of the local does not take lightly, it is rather the hundreds.

The last two days, according to testimony withdrew from the war, people in the conflict zone primacy of the Georgian aviation.

The city of circulating rumors about Ossetian snipers, who brought from the conflict zone 13 trophies - Georgian ears.

Go rumours that Ramzan Kadyrov has sent 300 Chechens in the conflict zone and they are already actively fighting and are killed.

Beware! Cadres of the fighting may contain shocking information!



http://lsd-25.ru/2008/08/14/voyna-v-yuzhnoy-osetii-89-fotografiy-arkadiya-babchenko/


...more to follow ?

[dipsydoodle]

10. Good find that.

I think those were taken mainly in Tskhinvali. Stills look similar to video footage shown on CNN Int. about 15 hours with their reporter on the spot insitu. The totalled tanks and armoured cars are what the Georgians used in that town in addition to the artillery barrage.

[ohio2007]

13. Georgia Pipeline war

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d40_1218892846

with this pipeline "on line" oil prices could fall. maybe faster then they are now?
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/SuperModels/CouldOilPlungeTo65ABarrel.aspx


Not good for a 2nd world country with a 1st world military that also supplies oil to fuel its economy.

[dipsydoodle]

14. For a full documentary

go to this site on this page : http://www.thedossier.ukonline.co.uk/video_cover-ups.htm

The site is a compilation of docmentaries etc which have been shown on UK TV at some time or other mainly BBC and Channel 4.

Scroll c. 2/3rds down that page and look for : BBC Storyville – The Curse of Oil. You need part two - The Pipeline which is about an hour long. It also explains why the pipeline is routed through Georgia : should've gone direct through Armenia which wasn't considered to be sufficiently stable. :rofl: