DoD: The U.S. does not seek a new Cold War

Russia's actions "will not be tolerated," testified Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Eric Edelman during a hearing about the current military conflict in Georgia before Senate Armed Services Committee. "The United States does not seek a new Cold War," he said, challenging Russia to "define its relationship with the international community."

Defending the U.S. rush to side with Georgia, Edelman pointed out that "20 percent of [Georgia's] active duty forces were in Iraq" at the time their country was infiltrated. These troops were flown back to their base outside of Tblisi by the United States, shortly after the crisis broke out. Edelman called Georgia a partner in the war on terror. Edelman announced that the NATO alliance has decided to further the discussion of Georgia's membership by forming a commission to bring Georgia closer to membership.

Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried claimed The United States was taking steps to back already by working with NATO to establish Georgia's "military needs."

Bullet Updates on Russia and Georgia

Recent Developments in the Russia-Georgia Conflict

By Amanda Grinstead, TRNS intern


Tuesday August 12th

* A Dutch cameraman, Stan Storimans of RTL TV, was killed in Gori, and the correspondent accompanying him was wounded.


* the UK-based oil company BP shut down 3 of its pipelines as a "precautionary measure" in response to fighting in the region.


* Russian officials claimed that their actions were aimed at stopping Georgia's military attacks on Russian peacekeeping forces and civilians, with one diplomat stating that as many as 2,000 people had perished after Georgia entered South Ossetia.


* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia had had no option but to use military force against Georgia: "If Russia had a different option of reacting to Georgia's aggression against South Ossetia, we would have used it," he said. "But we didn't have this option. When several thousand civilians are killed, the state must act accordingly."


* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia, step down, although he said Russia was not demanding this.




Wednesday August 13th


* The French Presient Sarkozy, is to broker a 6-point ceasefire agreement between Russia and Georgia, to be submitted to the EU and then the UN Security Council. Sarkozy said that they are aiming to make the agreement "long-term".


* The terms included immediate ceasefire and allowing humanitarian aid access to the conflict regions.


* This was announced only hours after Russia withdrew its military incursion into Georgia.


* Reports claimed that there are 15,000 Russian troops present in Georgia.


* George Bush said that Russia's behaviour had seriously called into question its suitability as an ally of the US, and also that the G8 was considering expelling Russia as punishment for its aggression.


* Russia and Georgia both accused each other of breaking initial ceasefire.


* Lavrov claimed that Russian troops remain in Georgia to neutralise abandoned weapons arsenals and to enforce the peace that Georgia was ignoring.


* Saakashvili stated: "Russian tanks continue to ravage Georgia town and villages, killing people, destroying buildings, looting. ... They've been doing worse things to what I've heard in the past and I could never imagine happening in my country." He went on to blame the West, in part, for failing to respond to Russia adequately, and for failing to correctly read Russia's intentions in Georgia.


* Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that Georgian government officials had fled Gori, and that Russian soldiers were providing food and water to residents, although there were other reports of looting.




Thursday August 14th


* US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to take a ceasefire document to Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, which offers a slight concession to Russia and closes the loophole left by Sarkozy's agreement: the French-brokered agreement allows for Russia to take "additional security measures" until an international agreement is reached- this was seen as permitting Russia to remain in Georgia outside the main zone of conflict. Under this ceasefire agreement 1,500 Russian peacekeeping troops are permitted to remain, and patrol up to 6 kilometers outside Abkhazia and South Ossetia. They may not patrol in Gori or any other cities, and may not hinder aid or control ports, highways or railways.




Friday August 15th


* Human Rights Watch said that there is evidence that Russia had been dropping cluster bombs on Georgian civilians, including over Gori, killing 11, and had also seen evidence that houses are being set on fire.


* Saakashvili signed the ceasefire agreement, brought by Rice to Tbilisi. It includes a provision for independent monitors and an eventual reconstruction plan for Georgia's economy.


* Rice and Saakashvili met for almost 5 hours to discuss the agreement. Rice said that the priority was now for Russia to withdraw.


* Later on Friday, Sarkozy says Medvedev confirmed Russia's cooperation.




Saturday August 16th


* Georgia accused Russian troops of mining and exploding a key railway bridge and starting huge fires in the Borjomi Gorge, in spite of the new ceasefire agreement.


* The bridge connects East and West Georgia and has been a main route for refugees fleeing the fighting- the Georgian Ministry for Foreign Affairs claimed that Russia was deliberately trying to bring about "humanitarian catastrophe".


* Georgia's Interior Ministry also said that Russian-backed militias members have seized control of 13 Georgian villages and a power plant in the region.


* Russian troops remained within 25 miles (40 kilometers) of Tbilisi and were on the western front of Abkhazia.




Sunday August 17th


* Russia stated that it would begin withdrawing its forces into a buffer zone and South Ossetia on Monday 18th.


* However, Konstantin Kosachev, head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, said Moscow will withdraw only when it is "assured that Georgians will not continue to use military force" in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.




Monday August 18th


* Medvedev spoke, threatening punishment for the Georgians whom he claimed were responsible for ethnic cleansing in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgia has made similar accusations of genocide.


* Georgia's ambassador to the United States, Vasil Sikharulidze, said the Russian push into Georgia had been long planned:
"You just don't move more than 1,200 tanks and 15,000 soldiers into a country within 12 hours without previous planning."


* The Georgian Foreign Ministry said that a Russian armoured column had been sighted moving deeper into Georgian territory, travelling south of Kashuri, which is roughly 10 miles south of South Ossetia.




Tuesday August 19th


* Hopes of peace were bolstered when Russia and Georgia exchanged captured soldiers, though later at the port of Poti Russia took 21 Georgian military police officers hostage, and reportedly seized 4 American military vehicles.


* In Brussels, at an emergency meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO's members, NATO's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer accused Russia of ignoring the terms of the ceasefire agreed last week by not withdrawing its troops to their positions before August 6th.


* Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov claimed that NATO is "biased" to Georgia's side, while Russian General Anatoly Nogovitsyn said that troops remained in order to protect the South Ossetia border.


* Ministers at the NATO meeting said that they were "seriously" considering the implications of Russia's actions on the NATO-Russia relationship. Scheffer said: "As long as Russian forces are basically occupying a large part of Georgia, I cannot see a NATO-Russia Council convene at whatever level."


* Scheffer stated that a NATO-Georgia Commission is to be set up to assess Georgia's relationship with NATO, supervise its bid for membership, and provide assistance in Tbilisi, the capital. 50 NATO staff are to be sent to Georgia to assist with air traffic control and assess the needs of Georgia's military.


* US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that Russia was isolating itself by "invading smaller neighbours, bombing civilian infrastructure, going into villages and wreaking havoc and (carrying out) the wanton destruction of (Georgia's) infrastructure.


* The Bush administration claimed that Russia was trying to undermine Georgia because of the pro-West stance of its President, Saakashvili. Bush wants the suspension of all Russia-NATO cooperation for the moment, and also for Europe to lessen its dependence on Russia for energy supplies.


* Medvedev issued fresh commitment to withdraw, but at the same time pulled the Russian navy out of NATO exercises- relations between Russia and NATO are at an all-time low.


* The French presidency stated that: "President Medvedev announced to Sarkozy that the withdrawal of Russian troops will be concluded August 21-22, with the exception of a team of 500 personnel charged with implementing additional security measures under article five of the August 12 agreement."

Evaluating U.S.-Russian relations based on "realities"

"In the days and weeks ahead the Department of Defense will reexamine the whole gambit of our relationship with the Russian military," said Secretary Robert Gates during a press briefing at the Pentagon. Gates said that not only was the Russian offensive against Georgia designed to punish Georgia for their claim and involvement in the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but to send a message on those seeking to build relationships with western nations." I think that the Russian further message was to all of the parts of the former Soviet Union as a signal about trying to integrate with the west and move outside of the longtime Russian sphere of influence," he said.

Gates and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. James Cartwright laid out the details of the U.S. humanitarian mission to Georgia, which has been involved in heavy fighting with Russia over the past week.

"Generally they are moving out of the cities," said Cartwright of Russian forces which had gone as far as Gori, a town in central Georgia. "The air activities have slowed dramatically over the last 24 hours," he said.

President Bush has charged the Department of Defense with a humanitarian mission to bring relief supplies to Georgians. Gates said that the relief mission will be the focus point. "I don't see any prospect for the use of military force by the US in this situation," said Gates. He also said that American support is "sequenced" with the humanitarian mission coming first and then security to execute that mission and then some kind of economic reconstruction.

Gates set the tone for a slow rebuilding of relations between the U.S. and Russia. When asked if he trusted Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Gates said, "I have never believe that one should make national security policy on the basis of trust. I think that you make national security policy based on interests and on realities."

White House Gaggle

Briefer: Deputy White House Press Secretary Tony Fratto

President’s Schedule

This morning President Bush got an update from National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and also spoke to Secretary Rice on the phone. He then received his daily intelligence briefings where Georgia was also discussed.
There have been a number of calls made to foreign leader in the last 24 hours: Yesterday, President Bush made calls from Air Force One to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Lithuanian President Adamkus, and President Kaczynski of Poland. Following last night’s statement in the Rose Garden, he also spoke with Georgian President Saakashvili. This morning, President Bush talked to Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi and Chancellor Merkel of Germany.
At 1.15 pm, the President will meet with the Coalition for Affordable American Energy.

At 11 am, National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley will hold a briefing on the situation in Georgia, and there will be no regular White House briefing today.

Georgia

When asked about an assessment of the ground and the White House reaction to Russia’s saying that they are halting their attacks; Fratto said that Hadley will be able to give us an assessment at the 11 am briefing and talk about what a halt really means and whether it is taking place. Fratto is not in a position to talk about the conditions on the ground and how to read it.
Fratto was also asked what else the US can do apart from calling foreign leaders and expressing their disapproval, and he said that the there is great unity within the global community. Everyone believes that cease-fire and returning to the August 6th status is critically important, Fratto said.
When asked if President Bush has been asked to consider any military engagement to back up Georgia, Fratto said that he is not aware of any request. Right now, the US is providing some humanitarian assistance, but we have to wait for the shooting to stop in order to assess the need for the civilian population. At the request of the Georgian authority, the US was able to assist in returning their troops from Iraq.

President Bush talked to Prime Minister Putin in Beijing, and made a phone call to President Medvedev subsequent to that. When asked if there are any plans to call the Russian President now, Fratto said that no calls were planned.
When asked to state who bears the blame for the situation, Fratto replied that he is not going to get in to the position of blame, or become a fact witness of the events, as he thinks it is irrelevant question at this point. It is clear that there have been lots of provocations well before August 6th. The history between Georgia and Russia is long and complicated, and Fratto was not to make any assessments of it.
“Since August 6th… the escalation on the part of Russia was disproportioned to their stated intentions, and that is our position, “Fratto said. He continued to say that at this point Russia need to pull back, agree to a cease fire, respect the territorial integrity of Georgia, and begin a dialogue with the international mediators.


Pakistan

When asked if Fratto had any comment on Pakistan claiming that a senior Al Qaeda commander, Sheik Saeed al-Masri, has been killed, Fratto said that he saw the report just as he walked out to the gaggle and did not have a comment on it.



CPSC legislation signing

Fratto was asked if there are any plans to sign the CPSC legislation today, and he reponded that it is probably going to happen either day or tomorrow.


North Korea

When asked about a comment on today’s meeting between North Korea and Japan, Fratto said that questions regarding de-listing of North Korea requires a verification protocol and will not go forward until fulfilled. However, he also said communication between the parties is still very positive.

A chance for small time insurgents to surrender

" We are seeing many insurgents come forward to reconcile and promise their support to the central govenrment," said Maj. Gen. Hertling, commander of Multinational division North in Iraq. Hertling referred to a new week long cease fire by the provincial government of Diyala to give insurgents a chance to turn themselves in, as a "tactical pause." Hertling said that this was a chance to give those who were "gang members' or "just along for the money" a chance to turn themselves in. Hertling said that these less hardcore insurgents are seeing "the power of the vote overcoming the power of the gun."

Hertling is the commander of northern Iraqi provinces where about 80 Georgian infantry soldiers have been serving These soldiers are now being centralized with the rest of the Georgian brigade serving in Iraq so that they can be redeployed back to T'blisi to support Georgian defense efforts in the conflict with Russia. In a past assignment Hertling served in Europe training Georgian soldiers. Hertling said that while the Georgians were able soldiers the coalition is able to adjust top their absence because there were so few of them.

Hertling also announced the attempt his area is making to reduce the number of "sons of Iraq" who are on the U.S. payroll. He said that they are working to place neighborhood security volunteers in Iraqi army or police unites as well as train them to take other jobs in the private sector. The process is taking time, Hertling said because job opportunities in northern Iraq are not readily available.