"Agree to observe a ceasefire . . Hours later, Georgian forces launch a surprise attack"

[Strelnikov_]

Think I'll be withholding judgment at this point. I have read enough to question the motives on both sides.

The next week will reveal if the Putinist's are really, as they claim, protecting ethnic Russian's, or if they are using this conflict to knock Georgia out as an energy transit route.

As for Saakashvili, pretty clear at this point he was playing from the neo-con playbook. Restoring "constitutional order" by opening up on civilian areas with a massive artillery barrage at dusk. Guess he had to destroy the 'village' to save it.


Pretty clear how the US media is spinning things, though. Then again, what would you expect.


++++++++


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7551576.stm

THURSDAY 7 AUGUST

Georgian forces and separatists in South Ossetia agree to observe a ceasefire and hold Russian-mediated talks to end their long-simmering conflict.

Hours later, Georgian forces launch a surprise attack, sending a large force against the breakaway province and reaching the capital Tskhinvali.

South Ossetian rebel leader Eduard Kokoity accuses Georgia of a "perfidious and base step".

The head of Georgian forces in South Ossetia says the operation is intended to "restore constitutional order" to the region, while the government says the troops are "neutralising separatist fighters attacking civilians".

Russia's special envoy in South Ossetia, Yury Popov, says Georgia's military operation shows that it cannot be trusted and he calls on Nato to reconsider plans to offer it membership.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_South_Ossetia_(2008)">Wiki

1 August - 7 August: towards the war

Beginning late on 1 August, intense fighting began between Georgian troops and paramilitary soldiers of South Ossetia causing the deaths of six people and the injuries of twenty-one others. Each side accused the other of commencing the fighting.<31> On 3 August, the Russian government allowed South Ossetians to begin evacuation into Russia, which resulted in twenty bus-loads of refugees leaving the region on the first day.<32>

Sporadic fighting continued throughout the next several days. On 6 August, Georgia said it lost an armoured personnel carrier (APC) and that three Georgian peacekeepers were wounded.<33><34> Four people were killed that night and Georgia resumed shelling at daybreak. Residents once again began evacuating areas of South Ossetia and Georgia moved tanks, artillery, and troops to the border.<35> <36> The Georgian Interior Ministry reported up to ten Georgian soldiers died in the clashes throughout 7 August.<37><38>

"A sniper war is ongoing against residents of the villages in the South Ossetian conflict zone and as I speak now intensive fire is ongoing from artillery, from tanks, from self-propelled artillery systems which have been brought in the conflict zone illegally and from other types of weaponry, including mortars and grenade launchers", Saakashvili said in a live televised address made at 19:10 7 August local time.<39> However, by the day's end, Saakashvili ordered a unilateral ceasefire. Saakashvili called for talks "in any format"; reaffirmed the long-standing offer of full autonomy for South Ossetia; proposed that Russia should guarantee that solution; offered a general amnesty; and pleaded for international intercession to stop the hostilities.<40>


7 August - 8 August: Georgian offensive

Following Saakashvili’s offer, attacks on Georgian-controlled villages in South Ossetia reportedly intensified. The village of Avnevi was reportedly almost completely destroyed, Tamarasheni and Prisi reportedly shelled, and the police station in Kurta, seat of the Sanakoyev administration, reportedly hit by artillery fire. Civilians began fleeing the villages.<40> Georgia began an operation into South Ossetia commanded by Mamuka Kurashvili. Kurashvili stated that the purpose of the operation was to restore constitutional order in the region.<15> This caused an increased number of refugees to cross into Russia.<42><43> Interfax quoted South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity as saying his forces were confronting Georgians in the outskirts of Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia; he noted that fierce fighting was under way.<15>

At 00:53 on 8 August (local time, 20:53 7 August UTC), Georgian forces began shelling the city, which allegedly included the route along which refugees were being moved.<44> As the day progressed, Russian media reported that at least fifteen civilians had been killed in Tskhinvali.<37> The Georgian Army crossed the border of South Ossetia on the early hours of August 8, 2008 after overnight bombardment of Tskhinvali by heavy artillery (howitzers), 122 mm multiple-launch rocket systems "Grad", and large-caliber mortars. Tanks and APC supported by artillery launched a thrust towards Tskhinvali. Opposed by South Ossetian forces, Georgians advanced and by the end of August 8th controlled a significant portion of the city. At 04:45 (00:45 UTC), Georgian State Minister for Reintegration Temuri Yakobashvili announced that Tskhinvali was nearly surrounded, and that Georgia controlled two-thirds of South Ossetia's territory.<45> The result of Georgian night-day offensive was more than 1,600 civilians killed according to South Ossetian sources, about 100 - according to the Georgians <46>.