Pat Dollard | Young Americans

Times Of London:

The Russian occupation of the Georgian city of Gori appeared to be more entrenched tonight, despite claims by President Medvedev that his troops were planning to withdraw tomorrow.

As international pressure increased on Mr Medvedev to implement a French-brokered ceasefire pledge signed last week, the Kremlin declared today that Russian forces would start pulling back from the occupied territory tomorrow.

The ceasefire deal was meant to conclude a five-day war in which Russian forces launched an all-out assault within Georgia after stopping a Georgian army assault against Moscow-backed separatists the autonomous region of South Ossetia.

Yet despite Mr Medvedev’s claim that a withdrawal was imminent, evidence from the scene today in Gori seemed to indicate that forces would not be leaving soon.

The Times was told that, after destroying Georgian radio and television transmitters, Russian troops had now installed their own, meaning Gori residents can now only tune in to channels from Moscow.

In addition, Russian troops were seen bolstering their positions in the hills which surround Gori, including creating improved machine gun posts.

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Troops continue to surround Gori with tanks, armoured personnel carriers and security forces. All Georgian police and law enforcement were said to still be banned by Russia from operating there.

Russia’s continuing presence in the city is now causing huge anger and frustration within Georgia’s military ranks, as Georgian troops have withdrawn from Gori to Tblisi, and - according to the terms of last week’s ceasefire - are under strict instructions not to confront the Russian forces unless they attack the capital.

Russia is believed to be continuing to refuse Gori’s provincial administration any control over the city’s policing and security, and it only has authority at present to oversee the distribution of aid, which was itself proving difficult to hand out amid the continuing Russian occupation.

Russian forces also continuing to man positions along the main road from Tbilisi to Gori, including at a checkpoint in Igoeti, only 30km from the capital.

However, despite Georgian claims that Russian forces were involved in a wrecking spree in Gori, there was little evidence to suggest this was taking place. Windows have been blown out in many of the homes and businesses in the centre of town following shelling over the past few days, but there is little evidence there has been a deliberate destruction of infrastructure.

Despite what appeared evidence of forces refusing to ease their occupation, Russian General Vyacheslav Borisov insisted that a promised withdrawal would take place. “The Russian troops are starting to pull out and Russian peacekeepers are coming in,” he said.

President Medvedev also insisted today that Russian regular forces would start their pull-out tomorrow.

“From tomorrow, Russia will begin withdrawing its military forces that are supporting Russian peacekeepers,” Mr Medvedev told Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President who negotiated the ceasefire, in a telephone conversation.

The pair discussed the“practical realisation” of the six-point ceasefire plan, the Kremlin added.

Promising a withdrawal of Russian forces, Mr Medvedev also “underlined the need for the unconditional and strict fulfilment by the Georgian side of the return of its military units to their permanent positions,” the statement said.

France, however, said that Mr Sarkozy used the phonecall to warn his Russian counterpart of the “serious consequences that a failure to quickly and fully implement the deal would have on relations between Russia and the European Union.”

Of the phonecall, Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, ratcheted up the rhetoric accusing Mr Medvedev of failing to adhere to the ceasefire and demanding he now does so. “This is the promise that the Russian president has given to the French president .. I hope this time he’ll keep his word,” she said.

She also castigated Moscow for the eruption of violence in the Caucasus saying that it was now paying the price for its display of “disproportionate force against a small neighbour.”

As international pressure on Russia to make good its promises increased, Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, went to Georgia to repeat European and American demands for a swift withdrawal.

In a statement of solidarity with Georgia, she said that eastern European country would join the Western defence alliance Nato despite Russia’s fierce opposition to such a move. “Georgia will become a member of Nato if it wants to - and it does want to,” she said.

Meanwhile, Gori’s civil administration appeared to be struggling to distribute aid amid the Russian siege.

As an aid bus arrived in the centre of the city, a crowd of 150 jostled against the bus to try to be first in line. An official travelling with the aid convoy was heard to shout: “Be quiet! Order! Everyone will get their turn,” to try to calm the commotion.

The bus, which had arrived packed with boxes containing rice and dried beans from the Turkish Red Crescent, was swamped by the crowd who held up identity cards as proof that they had registered for help.