Russia orders halt to war, Georgia sceptical

MOSCOW/TBILISI, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered a halt to military operations in Georgia on Tuesday but Tbilisi cast doubt on the announcement, saying Moscow was still bombing towns and villages.

The announcement coincided with the visit of French president Nicolas Sarkozy to Moscow on an EU peace mission and seemed intended to help international efforts to negotiate a lasting truce.Sarkozy said Russia and Georgia, who have been fighting since last Thursday, had not yet agreed a peace deal, adding: "We don't yet have peace. But we have a provisional cessation of hostilities. And everyone should be aware that this is considerable progress. There is still much work to be done....What we want is to secure the best result."

In a first U.S. reaction, Washington's envoy to the region, Matthew Bryza, termed the Russian move "extremely positive".

"Positive." Ugh.



Russia 'ends Georgia operation'

According to a Kremlin statement, Mr Medvedev told his defence minister and chief of staff that "the goal has been attained".

"I've decided to finish the operation to force the Georgian authorities to peace. The safety of our peacekeeping forces and civilian population has been restored," he said.

But Mr Medvedev warned that Russia would not tolerate any further Georgian military activity in South Ossetia, saying: "Should centres of resistance or other aggressive attempts arise, you must take the decision to destroy them."

Spin, spin, spin.



France: Cease-fire, not peace reached in Georgia

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- The Russian and French presidents on Tuesday announced a six-point plan of principles for settling the immediate conflict in Georgia but stopped short of tackling the issues that sparked the violence.

"We have not achieved peace yet but we have achieved a provisional cease-fire of hostilities," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said.

The points include Russian agreements to conclude all military operations, return Russian armed forces to the line preceding the beginning of operations, and not use force again in Georgia.

In return Georgia would return its armed forces to their normal and permanent locations.

Both sides would provide free access for humanitarian assistance; and international consideration of the issues of South Ossetia and Abkhazia would be undertaken.

"All we need to do now is to stop suffering, stop the death of people," Sarkozy said. Stopping the fighting "is the most important objective."

Be sure to click their interactive map.




Day-by-day: Georgia-Russia crisis

Then, ahead of a meeting with French and EU President Nicolas Sarkozy, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announces that his forces will end their operation in Georgia, claiming that Russia's military aims have been achieved. Mr Medvedev reserves the right to "destroy" any "centres of resistance", and there is no mention of a withdrawal of troops to pre-conflict positions - a key European demand.

Mr Medvedev's move is welcomed by the visiting Mr Sarkozy, but within hours Georgia asserts that bombing raids are continuing against towns and villages in its territory.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili speaks to a large crowd in central Tbilisi, accusing the Russians of staging a ruthless invasion of Georgia.

Georgia sues Russia for alleged ethnic cleansing

TBILISI, GEORGIA (AP) - The Georgian security council says it has filed a lawsuit in the International Court of Justice for alleged ethnic cleansing.

Council chief Alexander Lomaia told The Associated Press that Georgia made the filing Tuesday with the international court. He gave no other details of the lawsuit.

Russian officials have accused Georgia of committing genocide by launching an offensive last week to try to retake control of the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, meanwhile, accused Russian forces Monday of cleansing another breakaway province, Abkhazia, of ethnic Georgians.

Allies weigh punishment for Russia

WASHINGTON - Scrambling to find ways to punish Russia for its invasion of pro-Western Georgia, the United States and its allies are considering expelling Moscow from an exclusive club of powerful nations and canceling an upcoming joint NATO-Russia military exercise, Bush administration officials said Tuesday.

But with little leverage in the face of an emboldened Moscow, Washington and its friends have been forced to face the uncomfortable reality that their options are limited to mainly symbolic measures, such as boycotting Russian-hosted meetings and events, that may have little or no long-term impact on Russia's behavior, the officials said.

Yeah, Pooty-Poot's quaking in his KGB boots.


This isn't over. It is, at best, a lull. Power, control, oil, money... too much at stake.

Georgia will not be the only battlefield.