media reports

(Washington, DC) Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) and Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), Co-Chairmen of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission), made the following statement on Russia’s assault on the Republic of Georgia:
“Russia’s intervention into Georgia is a clear violation of Georgia’s territorial integrity and Principle Four of the Helsinki Final Act,” said Co-Chairmen Hastings and Cardin. “We urge Moscow to cease its military operations immediately.”

Chairman Hastings noted, “The Russian Federation has departed from its commitment to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) guiding principles of refraining from the threat of or use of force in the settlement of disputes; respect for the inviolability of borders and the territorial integrity of states; and the peaceful settlement of disputes.”

Co-Chairman Cardin commented, “Georgia and Russia have accused each other of responsibility for this military confrontation. But Moscow’s rejection of arbitration by the international community clearly demonstrates its indifference to cooperation and ending the hostilities, which have been building.”

Government of Georgia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, August 12 - 17:50 Tbilisi, Georgia

URGENT: Georgia confirms continued presence of massive Russian occupation force, bombings, ethnic cleansing & economic warfare Contrary to some media reports and to the statement by Russian President Medvedev, Russian occupation forces are fully operational in Georgia with at least 12,000 troops throughout the country, many of them outside of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This is no way represents a "halt to military operations" or a "halt to war" as many media outlets are reporting.

Specifically, at this hour:

• Russian soldiers occupy the Georgian Black Sea Port of Poti, which they have destroyed and where they have killed nearly 100 civilians. The port is blockaded and their are tanks on the roads outside of Poti.

In recent hours:

• Russian forces have bombed Gori city center for the first time, where two journalists were reported killed today and a hospital was bombed.
• In western Georgia, Russian troops ordered members of the civil administration to abandon their posts—In Senaki, Russian forces bombed and are believed to have mined a major Georgian army base. The base had been evacuated prior to the attack.
  

August 10, 5:00 pm EST

New Developments

• The last 72 hours military forces of the Russian Federation launched combined air and ground attacks on Georgian territory. This act of aggression is tantamount to an invasion and declaration of war against Georgia and comes at a time when Georgia has been trying to integrate itself with Euro-Atlantic institutions and strengthen its democracy and free market economy.
• Ukraine threatens to block Russian warships from returning to the port of Sevastopol. “Ukraine…reserves the right to bar warships and vessels which could take part in the action (conflict with Georgia) from returning to Ukrainian territory,” read a Foreign Ministry statement released on Sunday. The Russian warfleet consisting of 11 ships is deploying to the Georgian coast and holds the potential for cutting off Georgia’s access to the sea.
• Civilian infrastructure continues to be bombed with the Baku-Ceylan energy pipeline a target. Bombs missed the pipeline but further attacks are expected.
• Russians are using strategic weapons against Georgian civilian targets according to reports including Tu-22 bombers (capable of delivering nuclear missiles), and land-based cruise missiles mounted with conventional explosives. The Tu-22 can carry more than 50,000lbs of bombs.
• Russia’s 58^th Army, known as the Butchers of Chechnya, is leading the Russian assault against Georgia. This army received international condemnation for slaughtering civilians in Chechnya. Read more in the LA Times article Chechens Say Real Horror Began After Battle Ended, http://www.cdi.org/russia/Johnson/3710.html##4.
• NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Russia violated Georgia's territorial integrity in South Ossetia and employed a "disproportionate use of force."
• Russian troops continue to pour into South Ossetia. According to reports more than 6,000 soldiers including special forces, 90 tanks and 150 armored personnel carriers have passed have arrived in the last 24 hours.
• Russian tanks attempt to break out of South Ossetia and drive to the strategic Georgian city of Gori demonstrating their clear intention to take and hold Georgian territory.
• Polish, Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Presidents condemn Russian aggression in a joint statement. “We regret that not granting of the NATO’s Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Georgia was seen as a green light for agression in the region.” http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5572&Itemid=65
• Georgian forces have withdrawn from Tskhinvali, South Ossetia.
• President Saakashvili again appeals for a cease fire to stop the bloodshed.