tagged w/ South Ossetia
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The escalating conflict between Georgia and Russia over the former's breakaway province South Ossetia has far-reaching consequences and might become a major problem for Moscow, according to experts.
Full-fledged fighting raged in Georgia's separatist region of South Ossetia on Friday, Aug. 8, making short shrift of an Olympic peace set to blanket the opening ceremonies in Beijing.
Russia's premier Vladimir Putin and US President George W Bush, arranged on different sides of the conflict, spoke with "one voice," according to Putin. "Everybody agrees -- nobody wants to see a war," the Russian leader said.
But such words fell flat as pro-Western President Mikheil Saakashvili, a close US ally, ordered a full-scale mobilization to re-take the separatist region and Russia deployed troops and fighter jets to "protect its citizens" against Georgia's "dirty venture."
That's just a little bit of the articleThe escalating conflict between Georgia and Russia over the former's breakaway... more
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brad62
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What is the basis of South Ossetia's claim to independence? Why has Russia become involved? And what might happen next?
The Guardian provides a short but comprehensive article to explain the reasons behind the breakaway region's push for independence.What is the basis of South Ossetia's claim to independence? Why has Russia become... more
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Russian jets have carried out strikes on military targets in the central Georgian town of Gori, close to the breakaway region of South Ossetia.
Georgian officials say 60 people were killed when bombs hit two blocks of flats in the town. The Georgian parliament has meanwhile approved a presidential decree declaring a state of war for 15 days. Earlier, Russia said it had "liberated" South Ossetia's capital Tskhinvali, but Georgia said it remained in control.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said his country was seeking "to force the Georgian side to peace". The comments came after Russian commanders announced they were sending more troops into South Ossetia. They also confirmed two Russian jets had been shot down over Georgia, although they did not say where.
Read more...Russian jets have carried out strikes on military targets in the central Georgian town... more
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The tension between Russia and Georgia has remained even after a ceasefire agreement had been executed. President Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have both been outspoken about their belief that Russia is not in compliance with the agreement. Georgian citizens and others around the world fear that the ceasefire agreement's inability to create peace could be a dangerous sign that the violence may return.The tension between Russia and Georgia has remained even after a ceasefire agreement... more
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TSKHINVALI, Georgia - Georgian troops launched a major military offensive Friday to regain control over the breakaway province of South Ossetia, prompting a furious response from Russia -- which vowed retaliation and sent a column of tanks into the region.
The fighting was the worst outbreak of hostilities since the province won de-facto independence in a war that ended in 1992 -- raising fears that war could once again erupt.
Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said a convoy of Russian tanks had crossed into South Ossetia from the neighboring Russian province of North Ossetia and was moving toward the regional capital of Tskhinvali.
Russia's Channel 1 television earlier showed Russian tanks that it said had entered South Ossetia. The report said the convoy was expected to reach the provincial capital within a few hours.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has warned that the Georgian attack will draw retaliation and the Defense Ministry pledged to protect South Ossetians, most of whom have Russian citizenship.
Georgian forces also shot down two Russian combat planes, according to Georgia's Interior Ministry spokesman, Shota Utiashvili. He said the planes were downed while they were raiding Georgian territory, but wouldn't give their type or any further details.
Russia's Defense Ministry denied an earlier Georgian report about one Russian plane downed. It had no immediate comment on the latest claim.
An Associated Press reporter saw tanks and other heavy weapons concentrating on the Russian side of the border with South Ossetia. Some villagers were fleeing into Russia.
"I saw them (the Georgians) shelling my village," said Maria, who gave only her first name. She said she and other villagers spent the night in a field and then fled toward the Russian border as the fighting escalated.
Separatist officials in South Ossetia said 15 civilians had been killed in fighting overnight. Georgian officials said seven civilians were wounded in bombing raids by Russia.
Putin, in Beijing to attend the Olympic opening ceremony, also said an unspecified number of the peacekeepers have been wounded.
Georgia declared a three-hour cease-fire to allow civilians to leave Tskhinvali. Georgia's Interior Ministry spokesman said troops were observing the cease-fire, which began at 3 p.m. local time (7 a.m. EDT).
A spokesman for President Bush said Russia and Georgia should cease hostilities and hold talks to end the conflict. NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said he is seriously concerned about the fighting and that the alliance is closely following the situation.
Georgia, which borders the Black Sea between Turkey and Russia, was ruled by Moscow for most of the two centuries preceding the breakup of the Soviet Union. The country has angered Russia by seeking NATO membership -- a bid Moscow regards as part of a Western effort to weaken its influence in the region.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili long has pledged to restore Tbilisi's rule over South Ossetia and another breakaway province, Abkhazia. Both regions have run their own affairs without international recognition since splitting from Georgia in the early 1990s and built up ties with Moscow.
Relations between Georgia and Russia worsened notably this year as Georgia pushed to join NATO and Russia dispatched additional peacekeeper forces to Abkhazia.
South Ossetia officials said Georgia attacked with aircraft, armor and heavy artillery. Georgian troops fired missiles at Tskhinvali, an official said, and many buildings were on fire. The city's main hospital was among the buildings hit by Georgian shelling, the Russian news agency Interfax said.
"A full-scale aggression has been launched against Georgia," Saakashvili said in a televised statement.
He also announced a full military mobilization with reservists being called into action.
TSKHINVALI, Georgia - Georgian troops launched a major military offensive Friday... more
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Georgian forces began bombarding the South Ossetian capital on Thursday night and are now closing in on the city. Russia has warned of unspecified consequences, but may have begun bombing Georgian villages.
For months, tension has been rising in the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia on Russia's southern border. Late Thursday, the tension erupted into war, when Georgian ground forces, reinforced from the air, attacked separatist troops in an effort to re-establish control of the tiny region. Intense fighting has continued into Friday and there are reports of 15 civilian deaths, along with casualties among Russian peacekeepers stationed in the region.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Friday that his army had "freed" parts of the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali. His prime minister, Lado Gurgenidze, said the offensive would continue until a "durable peace" had been established. A Georgian military leader said on TV that the operation aimed at "establishing a constitutional order in the region."
With Russia backing the South Ossetians, however, the violence threatens to become a larger regional war. Georgia has long said Russian "peacekeepers" stationed in South Ossetia were unwelcome. On Friday the Interior Ministry in Tbilisi claimed that three Russian jets flew into Georgian airspace and dropped bombs on the Georgian side of South Ossetia's border. Saakashvili said that several Georgian villages had been hit.
"A full-scale aggression has been launched against Georgia," Saakashvili said in a televised address. "Georgia will not yield its territory or renounce its freedom."
Read more...Georgian forces began bombarding the South Ossetian capital on Thursday night and are... more
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Georgia's march into South Ossetia has prompted the Abkhazia to begin preparing for war as well. Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba told SPIEGEL ONLINE that his province might open up a second front.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How is Abkhazia reacting to the events in South Ossetia?
Shamba: We have a deal with South Ossetia on how we will deal with crisis situations. And we are now planning on implementing it. Our security council met all night and ordered our army to deploy this morning to the Georgian border.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Will a second front now be opened in Abkhazia?
Shamba: That depends on how the situation in South Ossetia develops. We understand very well that we Abkhazians are next in line after South Ossetia. If the situation doesn't stabilize again, then we will have to open a second front.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Why did the situation suddenly escalate now to the degree it has?
Shamba: After the recognition of Kosovo, the situation intensified and Georgia understands that it is losing South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Further talks will only serve to distance the two republics even further from Georgia. That's why the Georgians themselves have started to aggravate the situation, violating previous agreements and applying constant pressure. That has led to a counter response and the situation has gotten out of control. We actually expected this in Abkhazia, but now it is happening in South Ossetia.
Read more...Georgia's march into South Ossetia has prompted the Abkhazia to begin preparing... more
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Georgian forces have resumed shelling South Ossetia, ending a unilateral ceasefire declared by Tbilisi on Thursday. Fifteen people are reported to have been killed in overnight attacks. At Russia’s request, the UN Security Council is holding an emergency debate on the situation.Georgian forces have resumed shelling South Ossetia, ending a unilateral ceasefire... more
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mcamca
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3 years ago
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Russia is accusing Georgian troops of using disproportionate force in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia, and is warning its neighbor not to further aggravate tensions.
Georgian authorities Monday countered the Russian accusation with charges that Russian-backed separatists are creating an "illusion of war" in South Ossetia and a second breakaway region, Abkhazia. Georgia also accuses the Russians of attempting to annex the areas.
The latest charges and counter-charges follow a weekend of deadly fighting between separatists and Georgian government forces in South Ossetia. At least six people were killed and 15 wounded.
Hundreds of women and children were reported fleeing South Ossetia to the safety of Russian territory.
Russia is accusing Georgian troops of using disproportionate force in the breakaway... more
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TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- Authorities in the Georgian separatist region of South Ossetia said Wednesday night that the outskirts of the region's capital were coming under heavy fire from Georgian-controlled territory, Russian news agencies reported.
Tensions in the region have soared recently, leading to fears of full-scale war. Georgian and South Ossetian officials were scheduled to meet Thursday to try to find resolution, but South Ossetia's president was quoted by the Interfax and ITAR-Tass agencies as saying the meeting was off.
Earlier Wednesday, Georgian and South Ossetian forces fired on each other in the region of the village of Nuli, and each blamed the other for starting the shooting. South Ossetian forces claimed to have taken control of strategic heights near Nuli that had been under Georgian control.
But South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity was quoted by ITAR-Tass as saying late Wednesday that "the proposal for a bilateral meeting is unacceptable since Georgia went into open military aggression against the people of South Ossetia on August 1st."
A night of heavy shooting round Tskhinvali on August 1 killed at least six people.
Most of South Ossetia, which is roughly 1.5 times the size of Luxembourg, has been under the control of an internationally unrecognized separatist government since the end of a war in the 1990s; Georgian forces hold large swaths of it.
Russia has close ties with the separatist government and with a similar separatist regime in Abkhazia. Russia has granted passports to most of these regions' residents and Tbilisi accuses Russian peacekeeping forces in both regions of supporting the separatists.
An outbreak of open war in either region could prompt Russia to send in more forces under the claim of protecting its citizens. Russia sent warplanes to circle over South Ossetia last month while U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was visiting the nearby Georgian capital; Russian officials said the planes were sent up to try to deter alleged Georgian plans to mount on offensive on South Ossetia.
Georgian officials have claimed Russia is the instigator of the recent fighting.
Relations between Tbilisi and Moscow have long been uneasy, but worsened notably this year amid Georgia's push to join NATO and Russia's dispatch of additional peacekeeper forces to Abkhazia.
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Share your thoughts about this conflict.TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- Authorities in the Georgian separatist region of South... more
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Georgian and separatist South Ossetian forces have exchanged fire again near the town of Tskhinvali, wounding several people, officials say.
Georgian television said there were wounded on both sides. A South Ossetian report spoke of 18 wounded.
Russia has close ties to the separatist administration in Tskhinvali.
Russian and Georgian officials are due to hold talks shortly aimed at defusing the tensions in South Ossetia, which broke away from Georgia in the 1990s.
At least six people have been killed in clashes in the region in recent days.
Russia's special envoy to the region, Yuri Popov, has gone to the Georgian capital Tbilisi for the talks, but South Ossetia has refused to take part, saying it will only agree to a meeting at which the Russian region of North Ossetia is also represented.
"The South Ossetian side, in connection with recent events, has voiced doubts about holding such negotiations. If this is the case, then I... will conduct shuttle negotiations," Mr Popov said.
The Ossetians have traditionally had good relations with Russia - unlike some of their Caucasus neighbours - and North Ossetia is part of the Russian Federation.
Read more...Georgian and separatist South Ossetian forces have exchanged fire again near the town... more
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