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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Russian Troops Reported Looting Gori

Here is a timeline posted by the Georgian Foreign Ministry:

16:10 Russian troops from the city of Gori started moving towards Tbilisi

15:20 Alisia Vardanyan, Georgian GPB television journalists reports from Gori that marauding has started in the city. The residents are being robbed; the houses are being demolished by Russian tanks.

15:15 According to the reports from the civilians on the ground, Georgian population of villages Bobnevi, Marana, Dzevera, Khidistavi, Tchalaubani is escaping to the forest from the Ossetian separatists.

15:00 Gigi Mtvarelidze, member of Georgian CEC, have been robbed by the Russian-speaking militaries nearby Gori. They took his car with other possessions.

14:45 Paata Sabelashvili, photographer, reported from highway nearby Gori that mini-bus with Georgian civilians have been robbed by Ossetian separatists, one of the passengers, 25-year old women has been kidnapped by the attackers.

14:20 Many residents of Gori are escaping towards the village of Ateni, south of Gori, according to the reports on the ground.

And this press release from the State Ministry of Re-integration:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 13 - 13:30 CET

The Georgian Government notes with concern the decision by the Russian Federation to breach the terms of the ceasefire agreed last night by Presidents Saakashvili, Medvedev and Sarkozy.

Reports from the media, diplomatic sources and our own intelligence confirm that Russian tanks moved into Gori this morning. They are still there, and are firing their guns. Reports speak of summary executions of Georgian civilians in the area.

The Georgian Government calls on the international community to pressure the Russian Federation to immediately stop the operations of its troops and return to the areas agreed in the ceasefire. The Government remains committed to the agreed ceasefire, and insists that Russia abide by its terms.
###

Source of Press Release

Here is an update on the cyberwarfare front:

The same patterns are being seen now, but the attacks are directed at Georgia. Again, none of this is being done officially, and the Russian government denies any involvement. Meanwhile, the Russian media, and Russian language Internet sites, are full of anti-Georgian propaganda, and were for weeks before the Russians attacked. Some of this bile is being picked up by other European users, and currently it's very fashionable on French web sites to blame the Russian invasion on the United States, and portray the Russians as the true victims.
Meanwhile, Estonia has sent two Cyber War exerts to Georgia, to help in dealing with the Internet based attacks coming out of Russia.

Source: Cyber Thugs March Through Georgia

And here is a CNN report that includes information about continued air strikes by Russia:




Commentary

And what will the feckless EU do in response? Will NATO move troops into position between the Russians and Georgian positions, and into Abkhazia and Ossetia?

The first thing I would do is to bomb the Roki Tunnel to prevent future Russian incursions, and tell the Russians to stuff it. I have to admit...perhaps General Wesley Clark was right in his Kosovo confrontation with the Russians and his attempt to bomb the CNN Bureau in Belgrade certainly endeared him to me.

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