Russians Take Georgian City Of Gori

As sad as it was obvious.

Russian forces overran the strategic Georgian city of Gori today as troops prepared to defend the capital Tbilisi from what one official called a "total onslaught".

Georgian soldiers fled Gori, 17 miles from the border with rebel South Ossetia, in panic and disarray, clinging to the sides of cars and vehicles as they sped out of town. A Georgian armoured personnel carrier was in flames on the street, a victim of the sudden rout.

Alexander Lomaia, secretary of the Georgian security council, said that the Georgian army had been told instead to concentrate its efforts on holding Mtskheta, 15 miles from the capital.

"Russian forces are occupying Gori. Georgian armed forces received an order to leave Gori and to fortify positions near Mtskheta to defend the capital. This is a total onslaught," Mr Lomaia said.

Gori is not in either of the 'breakaway' regions of South Ossetia or Abkhazia but inside of undisputed Georgian territory.

The US maintains it's displeasure at the situation, for all the good that will do.

The president spoke to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin twice on Aug. 8 in Beijing, telling Putin the ``violence is unacceptable,'' Bush said in an interview in Beijing with NBC News.

``I expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of Russia, and that we strongly condemn bombing outside of South Ossetia,'' Bush told NBC.

Bush, who is in Beijing attending sporting events at the Olympic Games, told NBC's Bob Costas that it was ``interesting to me that here we are, trying to promote peace and harmony, and we're witnessing a conflict take place.''

After nearly 7 years as a wartime President can he still be surprised at how thugs work?

posted by DrewM. at 02:33 PM

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