U.S. Destroyer, Laden With Relief And Cruise Missiles, Sets Up Shop In Georgian Port
POTI, Georgia - Thousands of Georgians demanded that Russian troops leave the outskirts of this strategic Black Sea port on Saturday and took to the streets in protest, while a top Russian general said his country’s forces would keep patrolling the area.
The comments by deputy head of the general staff Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, reported by Russian news agencies, showed that despite protests from the United States, France and Britain, Russia was confident enough to occupy whatever part of Georgia it deemed necessary.
“Russian military: You are not a liberating military, you are an occupying force!” one man shouted at the Poti protest. Banners read “Say No to War” and “Russia go home.”
Georgians look at Russian invaders now wearing blue stripes and calling themselves “Peacekeepers” during a rally in the Black Sea port city of Poti, western Georgia, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008. Thousands of Georgians angry at the presence of Russian troops on the outskirts of this strategic Black Sea port took to the streets in protest Saturday, demanding that the Russians move out.
On Sunday, a U.S. Navy warship carrying humanitarian aid for Georgia anchored in the southern Georgian port of Batumi. It was the first of five American ships scheduled to arrive this week with supplies.
The McFaul is loaded with 72 pallets of humanitarian aid, and is also outfitted with an array of weaponry, including Tomahawk cruise missiles. U.S. Air Force flights that have brought in more than 1 million pounds of humanitarian relief.
On Friday, Russia said it had pulled back forces from Georgia in accordance with a EU-brokered cease-fire agreement.
“There are very specific requirements for Russian withdrawal. Putting up permanent facilities and checkpoints are inconsistent with the agreement. We are in contact with the various parties to obtain clarification,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s office said he had pressed Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during a phone conversation Saturday to quickly remove Russian troops from an axis between the Georgian towns of Poti and Senaki.
Russia’s pullback on Friday came two weeks to the day after thousands of Russian soldiers roared into the former Soviet republic following an assault by Georgian forces on the separatist region of South Ossetia. The fighting left hundreds dead and nearly 160,000 people homeless.
It also has deeply strained relations between Moscow and the West. Russia has frozen its military cooperation with NATO, Moscow’s Cold War foe, underscoring a growing division in Europe.
On Saturday, residents of the strategic central city of Gori began returning. Chaotic crowds of people and cars were jammed outside the city as Georgian police tried to control the mass return by setting up makeshift checkpoints.
Those who were let through came back to find a city battered by bombs, suffering from food shortages and gripped by anguish.
Surman Kekashvili, 37, stayed in Gori, taking shelter in a basement after his apartment was destroyed by a Russian bomb. Several days ago, he tried to bury three relatives killed by the bomb, placing what body parts he could find in a shallow grave covered by a burnt log, a rock and a piece of scrap metal.
“I took only a foot and some of a torso. I could not get the other bodies out,” he said.
His next-door neighbor, Frosia Dzadiashvili, found most of her apartment destroyed, leaving only a room the size of a broom closet to stay in.
“I have nothing. My neighbors feed me if they have food to share,” the 70-year-old woman said.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
I know that this site has nothing to do with the media’s posting, but…
What in the world does the caption under the photograph mean: “Russian peacekeepers?” These are not peace keepers, these troops are an attack and occupation forces period!
Come on! Remember what the liberal mass media keeps calling our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines: They call them “Occupiers.” American troops are the liberators, Communist Russian troops are the occupiers and oppressors.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:27 amWhy Batumi?
A U.S. official said the American ship anchored in Batumi, Georgia’s main oil port, which is close to the southern end of Georgia’s Black Sea coast near Turkey, because of concerns about the Georgian port of Poti.
Russian troops still hold positions near Poti, and reports from AP journalists there have shown Russians looting the area. Georgian port officials have said radar, Coast Guard ships and other port facilities were extensively damaged by Russian troops.
“Because there was damage to the port facility in Poti, we wanted to be sure the humanitarian aid got in,” U.S. Embassy spokesman Stephen Guice said in Batumi.
At dockside in Batumi, with the McFaul anchored offshore, U.S. Navy officials in crisp white uniforms were met Sunday by Georgian officials including Defense Minister David Kezerashvili and the regional governor.
http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=15574404
Not that the Russians are good for their word, but some official has stated that Russian troops will remain in Poti until the local Georgian administration comes in and assumes control. This might be the first sign that the Russkies don’t intend to stay in Poti indefinitely.
Reuters also reports that the flagship of the Russian Black Sea fleet, the Moskva, is returning to its base in Sevastapol along with two smaller ships who have been patrolling the waters off the coast of Georgia.
BTW, Some have been wondering in these threads whether or not the US had any subs in the Black Sea, and the answer is yes. The Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarine USS Dallas (SSN 700) is keepin’ a bubble somewhere - one would presume in the vicinity of Batumi.
Finally, note that the US has now expanded the number of ships due to arrive in Georgia this week to five.
August 24th, 2008 at 5:38 amAnd of course the best humanitarian aid is the capability of the McFaul to track and engage aircraft, land and sea based targets anywhere in the AO which I imagine covers all of Georgia.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:16 am
AZ Patriot (Merchant of Death) -
August 24th, 2008 at 12:45 pmDamn right.
Pat:
Fantastic article. Do you know who published it?
August 24th, 2008 at 3:02 pmThey’ve probably mined the port of Poti.
Peacekeepers that loot and take trophies must be a definition in the libtard dictionary.
August 24th, 2008 at 6:55 pmYep, the beauty of a U.S. Destroyer - the real relief and the real peacekeepers have arrived.
August 24th, 2008 at 9:53 pmthing is the russkies were awaiting for the US Navy to arrive at Poti, so they’ve set up a “checkpoint” to control what kind of humanitarian aid the US is delivering to Georgia, and since the land route would be escorted by our police they planned to search every crate. If you remember the russian general staff wondered about the nature of “humanitarian” aid the US was delivering with the C-17s..so they decided to double check the naval side of it…what a bunch of loosers, i wonder if the US Marines were to escort the aid convoys would the russians have balls to stop and inspect the cargo? i doubt it…
August 25th, 2008 at 12:00 amI wonder how long some of the locals will put up w/the ruskies sittin’ in the country before someone decides to organize a little “hit n run” occasionally on the “peacekeepers”
August 25th, 2008 at 7:22 amThis is being reported from DEBKAfile as of this morning.
Russian Mediterranean warships placed under Black Sea Fleet command
In this report it is mentioned that they plan on searching any and all cargo coming into the port of Poti, the way it’s worded it sounds like they intend to board all shipping.
Maybe we should go poke them in the eye and tell them to fuck off.
August 25th, 2008 at 9:02 amRussians boarding US warships??
August 25th, 2008 at 2:21 pmYeah… that’s happening.