Russia Threatens War Against Georgia

Breaking News
4:52pm UK, Friday August 08, 2008

[Editor's Note: This is a Sky News story.]

Russian tanks have rolled into Georgian territory as fears grow that all-out war will erupt over the breakaway province of South Ossetia.
The Georgian Interior Ministry said Russian forces were in control of part of the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, while Georgia claims it has shot down five Russian warplanes.

The UN Security Council is due to discuss the crisis later.

US President George Bush and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, discussed the issue in Beijing, where they are at the Olympic opening ceremony.

The US State Department called for calm and is sending an envoy to South Ossetia to join international mediation efforts.

Georgia has appealed to international leaders to stop Russian intervention in what began as a conflict between the former Soviet state and South Ossetian separatists.

Russia reported earlier that Georgian artillery shells killed more than 10 Russian peacekeepers, while Georgia accused Russian jets of injuring seven people in a bombing raid.

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A United Nations call for an immediate ceasefire between all sides fell on deaf ears.

The UN had earlier failed to reach an agreement on a Russia-drafted statement that would have called on Georgia and separatists region to halt all bloodshed.

South Ossetia and a second rebel Georgian region, Abkhazia - both of which unilaterally broke away from Georgia at the beginning of the 1990s - enjoy Russian political and financial backing.

Speaking from Moscow, Sunday Times correspondent Mark Franchetti said Russia claims it now has no choice but to protect its peacekeepers and Russian citizens in the Georgian province.

Putin: We Will Respond

[Please follow either the link at the beginning or the link at the bottom which says, 'Sky.com News' to view video.]

He said tensions between the Georgians and the Russian-backed South Ossetians had been rising for months.

The presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili - who is viewed in Russia as a stooge of the West - has been a major bone of contention.

"(The Russians) oppose his plans for Georgia to join Nato because they feel the Americans and Nato are encircling Russia," Mr Franchetti said.

If the Russians become fully involved, we could see the formation of a material frontier in South Ossetia in the clash between East and West.

Prior to Russia's official intervention, witnesses described heavy fighting in Tskhinvali, with the night sky lit blue and red by explosions and Georgian forces appeared to be firing Katyusha rockets.

A spokesman for the separatists said in Moscow that the offensive had caused "deaths and many wounded".

Skirmishes since last weekend have deepened fears of full-blown conflict in the Caucasus, which is emerging as a vital energy transit route and where Russia and the West are vying for influence.

Georgian troops fire rocket missiles at separatists in South Ossetia.

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[Please go to my other site, Russia Threatens War Against Georgia, to read this breaking news article from Sky.com News (because I just brought this over here but I don't know if the links will work. It's a techie thing.) It's getting HOT over there, and everyone is drinking tea. What the ****?

The UN said they'll get around to it. President Bush asked for them to calm down. Secretary of State (the most useless office) Condi Rice is sending someone to the hot spot to 'talk'. I swear. I have seen so many people whack their gums together and do more harm than good in my life! Anyway, this story is just breaking, like I mentioned, so keep your ears opened for more details.

Uh hem. Don't forget to read the news from my other site. ;)

Cross-posted @ Rosemary's News and Ideas.