Post by ۞Quaalude™۞ on Aug 15, 2008 16:47:51 GMT -5
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has demanded that Russian forces withdraw from Georgia immediately.
It comes after Georgia's president signed an EU-brokered ceasefire deal, after nearly five hours of talks.
In angry comments at a news briefing in Tbilisi, President Mikhail Saakashvili said his country would never accept the loss of any of its territory.
The crisis began when Georgia attacked the breakaway region of South Ossetia a week ago sparking Russian intervention.
Georgian forces launched a surprise attack on 7 August against separatist militiamen that it accused of attacking civilians in South Ossetia.
Scores of people have died since the fighting began and tens of thousands have been displaced.
"Cold-blooded killers"
President Saakashvili said he had signed the six-point ceasefire agreement - brokered by France - but that it was not a permanent solution.
See map of the region
It includes a pledge to pull all troops back to their pre-conflict positions, and a plan to begin international talks about the future status of South Ossetia and a second breakaway region, Abkhazia.
Mr Saakashvili denounced the Russian invasion, referring to its forces as "cold-blooded killers" and "barbarians" - he said that Georgia was now "looking evil directly in the eye".
He also accused the West - especially European countries - of inviting Moscow's military action by failing to offer his country Nato membership earlier this year.
Ms Rice said that Georgia's acceptance of the plan meant all Russian combat forces should now withdraw, and she called on Russia to co-operate in getting international observers in place.
In a telephone call, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, that his country would sign the ceasefire agreement, French officials said.
"[Mr Medvedev] confirmed that he would scrupulously respect its commitments to the accord, notably the pull-out of Russian forces," the statement said.
Meanwhile, the campaign group, Human Rights Watch, said it had evidence Russian aircraft attacked populated areas of Georgia with cluster bombs, which are banned internationally.
A senior Russian official denied the allegation, saying the report was a "well-prepared lie". More Bad News Here QC
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7564176.stm
It comes after Georgia's president signed an EU-brokered ceasefire deal, after nearly five hours of talks.
In angry comments at a news briefing in Tbilisi, President Mikhail Saakashvili said his country would never accept the loss of any of its territory.
The crisis began when Georgia attacked the breakaway region of South Ossetia a week ago sparking Russian intervention.
Georgian forces launched a surprise attack on 7 August against separatist militiamen that it accused of attacking civilians in South Ossetia.
Scores of people have died since the fighting began and tens of thousands have been displaced.
"Cold-blooded killers"
President Saakashvili said he had signed the six-point ceasefire agreement - brokered by France - but that it was not a permanent solution.
See map of the region
It includes a pledge to pull all troops back to their pre-conflict positions, and a plan to begin international talks about the future status of South Ossetia and a second breakaway region, Abkhazia.
Mr Saakashvili denounced the Russian invasion, referring to its forces as "cold-blooded killers" and "barbarians" - he said that Georgia was now "looking evil directly in the eye".
He also accused the West - especially European countries - of inviting Moscow's military action by failing to offer his country Nato membership earlier this year.
Ms Rice said that Georgia's acceptance of the plan meant all Russian combat forces should now withdraw, and she called on Russia to co-operate in getting international observers in place.
In a telephone call, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, that his country would sign the ceasefire agreement, French officials said.
"[Mr Medvedev] confirmed that he would scrupulously respect its commitments to the accord, notably the pull-out of Russian forces," the statement said.
Meanwhile, the campaign group, Human Rights Watch, said it had evidence Russian aircraft attacked populated areas of Georgia with cluster bombs, which are banned internationally.
A senior Russian official denied the allegation, saying the report was a "well-prepared lie". More Bad News Here QC
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7564176.stm