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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Georgia withdrew troops from S. Ossetia |
| 2008-08-11 |
| Georgia withdrew its forces from breakaway South Ossetia region on Sunday after three days of fighting but Russia has sent more troops into the enclave, the Georgian government said, amid conflicting reports on a deal between the two warring nations to create "humanitarian corridors" to evacuate refugees. The pull-out announcement followed a Georgian push to take control of the pro-Moscow enclave from separatists which prompted Russia to pour troops into South Ossetia and launch air strikes inside Georgia. "They have been withdrawn, completely," Georgian interior ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili told Reuters. Russian officials said the death toll in fighting that began on Thursday stood at 2,000. Georgia said on Friday that it had lost up to 300 people killed, mainly civilians. On Sunday, a Georgian convoy of troops and artillery withdrew from South Ossetia through the village of Ergneti, just inside Georgian-controlled territory south of the separatist capital Tskhinvali. Meanwhile, RIA Novosti news agency reported Sunday that Russia and Georgia have agreed to open two humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of wounded people and refugees from fighting in South Ossetia. Georgia, however, denied the report. "It's not true," said Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said earlier it was working on creating conditions for the evacuation of refugees from the region after Georgia said it was withdrawing its forces. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 grom, you might be happier today at Kos, they pretty much all share your view of Saakashvilli. |
| Posted by: superstitiousGalitizianer 2008-08-11 10:06 |
| #2 I see a Georgetown professorship in Saakashvili's future. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2008-08-11 10:00 |
| #1 If true, and the Russians have not stopped bombing (civilians) in Georgia proper, then they must be sanctioned. Kick them out of the G-8. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-08-11 02:01 |