Turns out the Russians REALLY ARE PROTECTORS and PEACEKEEPERS!
"Russian troops withdraw from Gori; Meet deadline, but checkpoints set up near city" by Jonathan Finer and Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post | August 23, 2008
GORI, Georgia - Russian troops pulled out of the Georgian city of Gori yesterday in what Moscow said was compliance with a cease-fire agreement, but they blew up Georgian military installations on their way out and set up checkpoints north of the city.
US, French, and Georgian officials later disputed Russia's assertion that it had complied with the pullout provisions of the cease-fire accord. Georgian police arrived on the heels of the Russian departure and began setting up their own checkpoints. They were followed by nearly two dozen Georgian police cars that headed into the city from the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, shortly after the pullout.
The road between Gori and Tbilisi, a main east-west artery, appeared to be clear of Russian checkpoints, and Russian tanks were moving out of their positions off the road. The Russians, however, did not immediately withdraw from undisputed Georgian territory, instead setting up a checkpoint about 2 miles north of Gori and several others on the road to Tskhinvali, the capital of the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia.
In Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said it was in compliance with the French-brokered cease-fire deal and that troops were carrying out their duties by manning what it described as peacekeeping checkpoints in Georgian territory.
In Crawford, Texas, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said President Bush and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France agreed in a telephone conversation yesterday that "Russia is not in compliance and that Russia needs to come into compliance now."
And if they don't, fuck shit?
A NATO envoy said more time was needed to determine whether Russian was in compliance, Reuters reported.
Translation: BUSH LIED -- AGAIN!!!
By late afternoon yesterday, the Russians had abandoned a checkpoint leading into Gori, as well as two others in the downtown area. Wire service and other reports from the region indicated that Russian columns were heading away from Gori, the western town of Senaki and the village of Igoeti, their closest point to Tbilisi.
At the same time, Georgian military and police units began reappearing along the main road from Tbilisi to Gori.
Just like cockroaches after the light goes away!
--more--"
