While World watches China, Russia goes to war...

[EuphoricMilk]

Georgia: Russia has invaded and we are under attack

 

1,400 reported dead. Georgia to withdraw troops from Iraq for use in South Ossetia.

 

By Gary Fennelly

Friday, 8 August 2008

Russian First Channel claims these are burning Georgian armored vehicles are seen in Tskhinvali in the South Ossetian breakaway region of Georgia on Friday, Aug. 8, 2008.

 

Russia sent troops and tanks into the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia today as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin declared "the war has started".

 

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "War started today in South Ossetia when Georgia attacked Russian peacekeepers in the disputed region."

 

Earlier an official in Georgia's National Security Council said Russia invaded Georgia.

 

Kakha Lamaia said: "If it's not war, then we are very close to it. The Russians have invaded Georgia and we are under attack."

 

Georgian President Mikhail Saakasvili told CNN: "Russia is fighting a war with us in our own territory.

 

"This is a clear intrusion on another country's territory. We have Russian tanks on our territory, jets on our territory in broad daylight."

 

Saakashvili accused its neighbor of a "well-planned invasion" and called on reservists to sign up for duty. He said "150 Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other vehicles" had entered South Ossetia.

 

The president of the Georgian breakaway region, Eduard Kokoity, was quoted as saying: "About 1,400 people have died. We will check these figures, but the order of the numbers is around this. We have this on the basis of reports from relatives."

 

Witnesses claim Tskhinvali is devastated. "I saw bodies lying on the streets, around ruined buildings, in cars," said one.

 

"It's impossible to count them now. There is hardly a single building left undamaged."

 

The Georgian government said it will try to protect Russian peacekeepers who are in the disputed region. However Russia claims 10 Russian peacekeepers have already been killed.

 

As the fighting escalates Georgia says it will withdraw 1,000 troops from Iraq and redeploy them to the region.

 

Nato, the US and the EU are calling for an immediate end to hostilities.

 

Georgia claims to have shot down five Russian war planes as the two countries fight for control of the breakaway province of South Ossetia.

 

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has vowed to protect Russian citizens in the region.

 

Medvedev said: "In accordance with the constitution and the federal law, I, as president of Russia, am obliged to protect the lives and dignity of Russian citizens wherever they are located," Mr Medvedev said in televised remarks.

 

"We won't allow the death of our compatriots to go unpunished."

 

Georgian troops are currently observing a three-hour ceasefire to let civilians leave the besieged capital, Tskhinvali.

 

Saakashvili said most of South Ossetia had been "liberated" in an overnight offensive.

 

"Most of South Ossetia's territory is liberated and is controlled by Georgia," Saakashvili said in televised comments today.

 

"Russian flights are ongoing in the centre of Tskhinvali (the South Ossetian capital)... I demand Russia stop bombardment of peaceful Georgian cities."

 

Source: Belfast Telegraph

 

...Fuck

[C Steppa]

heavy shit aye. footage on the news looked intense.... Not bad timing for by old putin while the rest of the world is distracted by whether or not the chinese gymnastics team will take the gold medal back from the U.S.A.... now thats where the real war is!

 

[Known One]

for those people affected

[skono]

terrible stuff

 

very sneaky and underhanded tactics from Putin i reckon. The guys an asshole.

[KN]

Yeah some pretty sad stuff.

The whole thing showed my ignorance as well, I had no idea who or where Georgia is.

[Dr Awesome]

Yeah some pretty sad stuff.

The whole thing showed my ignorance as well, I had no idea who or where Georgia is.

 

Just above Florida mate.

[Tim]