Georgia reports new air attack near capital

Misha Dzhindzhikhashvili ,  The Associated Press ,  Tbilisi, Georgia   |  Sat, 08/09/2008 10:19 AM  |  World

Intense fighting reportedly raged for a second night in the Georgian separatist region of South Ossetia on Saturday and Georgia's interior ministry reported air attacks on three military bases and key facilities for shipping oil to the West.

Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said the Vaziani military base on the outskirts of the Georgian capital was bombed by warplanes during the night and that bombs fell in the area of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline.

He also said two other Georgian military bases were hit and that warplanes bombed the Black Sea port city of Poti, which has a sizable oil shipment facility.

Utiashvili said there apparently were significant casualties and damage in the attacks, but that further details would not be known until the morning.

Russia dispatched an armored column into South Ossetia on Friday after Georgia, a staunch U.S. ally, launched a surprise offensive to crush separatists. Witnesses said hundreds of civilians were killed.

The fighting, which devastated the capital of Tskhinvali, threatened to ignite a wider war between Georgia and Russia, and escalate tensions between Moscow and Washington. Georgia said it was forced to launch the assault because of rebel attacks; the separatists alleged Georgia violated a cease-fire.

"I saw bodies lying on the streets, around ruined buildings, in cars," said Lyudmila Ostayeva, 50, who had fled with her family to Dzhava, a village near the border with Russia. "It's impossible to count them now. There is hardly a single building left undamaged."

The Interfax news agency cited South Ossetian government spokeswoman Irina Gagloyeva as saying Tskhinvali came under prolonged fire during the night "but it was suppressed by the armed forces."

The fighting broke out as much of the world's attention was focused on the start of the Olympic Games and many leaders, including Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush, were in Beijing.

The timing suggested Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili may have been counting on surprise to fulfill his longtime pledge to wrest back control of South Ossetia - a key to his hold on power. The rebels seek to unite with North Ossetia, which is part of Russia.

Saakashvili agreed the timing was not coincidental, but accused Russia of being the aggressor. "Most decision makers have gone for the holidays," he told CNN. "Brilliant moment to attack a small country."

Diplomats issued a flurry of statements calling on both sides to halt the fighting and called for another emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, its second since early Friday morning seeking to prevent an all-out war.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Russia to halt aircraft and missile attacks and withdraw combat forces from Georgian territory. Rice said in a statement the United States wants Russia to respect Georgian sovereignty and agree to international mediation.

The leader of South Ossetia's rebel government, Eduard Kokoity, said about 1,400 people were killed in the onslaught, the Interfax news agency reported. The toll could not be independently confirmed.

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Roshe (not verified) — Tue, 08/12/2008 - 1:58am

Do you not know he with fierce countenance who holds the controls over world resources/energy holds all the cards over everyone's head? Do you think your immune to the slavery? How interesting all nations can point the blaming finger at each other, did you know it does not matter? The children on the playground WANT to fight, just give them a reason or just a push. Blame yourself, yeah, the one in the mirror. Do you buy fuel, burn fuel, have fuel. Your to blame. Your willing to kill, lie, steal for it. That is who is to blame. All of us. Stop pointing. You better start preparing for what your going to do when the axe falls on all our heads and drives us to WWIII! Do you want to be in a war with heavy losses and nobody is going to win on this planet? Better suck up your pride and think survival! We all live on this planet folks, we ALL WILL PAY for our pride in the end. We won't look so snipety when there is no one left alive will we? So keep boasting WHO is wrong, just make sure you look in your mirror first Mr. and Mrs. I am so right and you are so wrong attitude! Are you ready to lose your lives, your family, in a war that will make any other war look like a weekend picnic. Oh! Your going to get the evil people first, because your so right? Your religion is going to overtake that religion! Did you ever think maybe everyone is going to obliterated from the face of the earth. Too late to say, Oops! I guess we was wrong!

Dirck (not verified) — Sun, 08/10/2008 - 9:47pm

I fully agree with Putin that it was Georgia which attacked first.

It was done purposely to get the Russians to move to the Georgia region out of the Gulf where an Armada of US British and the French are steaming towards Iran to commence another illegal Bush war and maybe WWWIII?

Its really amazing that the Americans can even think they can win this war...they dont seem to realize the country is already bankrupt...they soon will find out they have no ammunition to even start a war .

In fact like it has been proven so many times over in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq that they could not fight themselves out of a paper bag...although they are good in killing and raping civilians and not to forget friendly fire... they are just a bunch of hillbillies

Americans and its allies are far too dumn and are punch drunk from Bush,s illegal and unsuccessful wars

They should realize now their Titanic is sinking even before it sets sail...the Iranians , the Russians ans Chinese are far smarter than any of the corrupt Zionist scum in the White House...

I just hope they will try to initiate a war...as that is what America and its allies need...They need to be thought a lesson or two. It would not take more than a week to sink the USA and its fleet to the bottom of the Gulf...

I just cant believe how stupid the average American must be not to see through their corrupt Zionists leaders, Clinton, Bush family, Rice , and that dick the vice president...even Obama and McBush.

It just shows you how dumn and un-educated the American is...well sorry to say ...they will certainly wake up with a bang soon

Wake up America...grab your life vests while you can...you can blame it on your Zionist friends in Israel.

Well the World is watching you closely...this time no one will come to bail you out...

ITS ALL YOUR OWN DOING...TRYING TO PLAY THE WORLD COP AND CARETAKER...THE SOONER YOU SINK ...THE BETTER WE ARE OFF...GOODBYE

Jim in Canada (not verified) — Sun, 08/10/2008 - 3:26am

A very well played ploy, attacking innocent civilians during the onset of the Olympic games in Beijing, when international civilian attention is drawn away. And then play on people's natural inclination to root for the underdog and play up Russian coming to protect Ossetian civilians as being invading imperialists. What do they gain? A propped up Georgian military (trained by Israel and the U.S.) will provoke a large scale counter from Russia in order to justify further American expansion in the region. Worse yet, what if this just the beginning? What if an attack on Iran is finally going to happen? Has the American government and military lost their collective minds? Their thirst for blood seems unquenchable, and today innocent South Ossetians are providing that blood.

Dutch (not verified) — Sun, 08/10/2008 - 3:23am

Once again, we find the world's chief trouble-maker (Israel) involved...

Jerusalem owns a strong interest in Caspian oil and gas pipelines reach the Turkish terminal port of Ceyhan, rather than the Russian network. Intense negotiations are afoot between Israel Turkey, Georgia, Turkmenistan and Azarbaijan for pipelines to reach Turkey and thence to Israel’s oil terminal at Ashkelon and on to its Red Sea port of Eilat. From there, supertankers can carry the gas and oil to the Far East through the Indian Ocean.

Last year, the Georgian president commissioned from private Israeli security firms several hundred military advisers, estimated at up to 1,000, to train the Georgian armed forces in commando, air, sea, armored and artillery combat tactics. They also offer instruction on military intelligence and security for the central regime. Tbilisi also purchased weapons, intelligence and electronic warfare systems from Israel.

These advisers were undoubtedly deeply involved in the Georgian army’s preparations to conquer the South Ossetian capital Friday.

Carl Street (not verified) — Sun, 08/10/2008 - 2:35am

Ah the pigeons come home to roost -- just as predicted.

The USA has shot itself in the foot as so many of us had warned; but were laughed at and villified for our remarks that once the premise that one nation could attack another not in documentable self-defense; but to suit the political and economic agendas of its leaders there would be NO END of mischief set loose upon the world.

The USA adopted the warped philosphy that it had the "right" to act as a vigilante and set a precedent that international law could be ignored. Now that very precedent has come back to bite it literally on its rear end. TOO late to cry foul now -- hipocrisy will NOT carry the day once one abandons the moral high ground for expediency.

Unfortunately, the game has just begun -- the USA has exhausted itself economically and militarily so all it can do is snarl and whine. And it is few friends left having threatened and bullied nearly everyone. And, like most bullies; once found to be powerless will become a laughingstock if lucky; and torn to shreds if not.

What a shame all those who believed the lies told them by their leaders will soon experience shock and awe of their own choosing.

Joseph W. Schultz (not verified) — Sun, 08/10/2008 - 1:57am

A few things could be said about this. 1)Oil/gas pipe line. 2)good time for an Israeli/US attack on Iran 3)Georgia and the US are allies, who initiated the attack on the "rebels"? To whose benefit is it to control the gas/oil pipe line close by? Russia has already got control of the gas coming out of the Caspian Basin, with contracts signed, sealed and delivered. The US, with all of its expenditures in $$$ and US lives has lost an important round in their effort to control of Caspian Basin energy sources. Conclusion; why is it always about oil? --jws

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