Clipmarks | Gori army base Clips

Georgian Villagers Recount Tales Of Marauders

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:25:57 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: The violence was much worse in ethnic Georgian villages in the separatist territory of South Ossetia. Displaced persons told stories of how they hid in basements while Ossetian and Chechen irregulars rampaged through their villages. They recounted tales of neighbors being shot and of homes being torched. Events happened so fast that many, especially the elderly, didn’t have enough time to escape.

"They poured gasoline on houses and lit them on fire everyday," says 84 year-old Alexi Datashvili, one of about two dozen elderly and feeble residents from the Georgian villages [...]

In Gori itself, Russian officials have impeded Georgian television broadcasts, replacing them with Russian programming.

The recently modernized Georgian army base in Gori has been thoroughly ransacked. Several hundred meters north of the base, Russian forces are digging new artillery positions – an indicator that Russian troops are not intending to pull out soon.

Clip Source: www.eurasianet.org

The Georgian village of Karateli lies seven kilometers north of Gori. While many buildings in the village are still standing, a large number of homes along the road have been destroyed and every store looted. Village residents recall being terrified as marauding bands swept into the village.

A woman named Marina, who requested that her family name not be used, said she was one of eight people who hid in a garage as the looting occurred. "Ossetians attacked us, they stole all our cars – didn’t leave a single one," she states. Indeed, the only vehicles to be seen in the town were all burned-out wrecks. Marina said that while she was in hiding, her house was pillaged and a storeroom burned.

Locals claim only a few Georgians were killed, although another village resident, Medea Bibilashvili, claimed that "some" young men were rounded up and taken away. The account could not be independently verified.

Tags: gori, karateli, ossetians and chechen irregulars, russian tv broadcast, gori army base

Russian's Break Agreement As Usual

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:35:11 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: 14.08.08 13:19 Declaration of U.S. support to Georgia has increased the aggression of Russia and instead of pulling out from the city of Gori, they have reinforced their positions there, ousted Georgian police and journalists from the city. Reporters say they are hearing explosions from the entrance of the city; Ossetian gunmen have abducted several vehicles of various TV crews, reportedly, Niva, Jeep and Mercedes type cars. Russians did not stop the robbers. Ossetian militant was even threatening the reporter of the Rustavi2 with a gun.
Despite numerous evidences of various reporters, Russian general denies the abduction. Georgian Security Secretary, who was waiting for the settlement of situation in the city, and the team of reporters have been evacuated from the city. Russian general says he is no responsible for the security of journalists and says no exact date when Russian will leave the city.

Clip Source: rustavi2.com

Russians plunder military bases in Samegrelo

17.08.08 17:17

Russian soldiers have plundered whole Region of Samegrelo, Georgia before their departure from the areas of the country beyond the conflict zone of Abkhazia. Soldiers of Russian regular army have completely plundered Senaki military base and taken away all they could place on their vehicles and the military vehicles of Georgian defense ministry as well. Russian soldiers are stealing dishes, furniture, household appliances, blankets, computers, power generators, radiators and even toilet units. What they cannot take away with them they are destroying. The whole bases in Senaki as well as Poti coastal guards have been destroyed.

Russians burn woods in protected areas

Russians plunder military bases in Senaki, Poti

Ossetian gunmen kidnap Georgians

Turkish journalists came under fire in S.Ossetia

Russians arrest Georgian reporters

Police reveals facts of plunder

Justice minister reports prison break

Tags: georgia, russian funded ossetian militia, russian military, plunder, kidnappings, journalists evacuated, senaki/poti coastal guards destroyed

Russia warns threat of war real between Georgia,South Ossetia

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:24:11 GMT

clipped by: tommy2balmy
clipper's remarks: Inching closer to open warfare

Clip Source: en.rian.ru

MOSCOW, August 3 (RIA Novosti) - The threat of war between Georgia and its breakaway region of South Ossetia is becoming increasingly real, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

"The situation in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict area, which sharply aggravated on August 1-2 as a result of mass mortar shelling of residential quarters in Tskhinvali, which claimed human lives, remains extremely explosive. The threat of large-scale combat operations between Georgia and South Ossetia is becoming ever more real," the ministry said on its web site.

South Ossetian authorities on Sunday accused Georgia of moving its troops close to the separatist region's borders, saying that an artillery battalion and two mortar batteries from the 4th motorized brigade of the Georgian Defense Ministry had started movement from the army base in Georgia's eastern town of Gori towards the separatist republic's capital, Tskhinvali.

Georgia rejected the reports as being untrue.

Tags: russia, georgia, south ossetia, former soviet republic