War In The Caucasus -- Georgia Pulls Out Of Ossetia As Second Front Opens In Abkhazia (Update #6)

Abkhazians aim a heavy multiple rocket launcher at a border of Georgia's breakaway province of Abkhazia, in this image made from television Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008. Russia expanded its bombing blitz Sunday against tiny neighbor Georgia, a U.S. ally, targeting the country's capital for the first time. Heavy Russian shelling also forced Georgian troops to pull out of the capital of the contested province of South Ossetia. (AP Photo/RTR Russian Channel)

Georgian troops retreat from breakaway province -- Yahoo News/AP

GORI, Georgia - Georgian troops retreated from the breakaway province of South Ossetia on Sunday and their government pressed for a truce, overwhelmed by Russian firepower as the conflict threatened to set off a wider war.

Russia deployed a naval squadron off the coast of another of Georgia's separatist regions, Abkhazia, and its jets bombed the outskirts of Tblisi, the Georgian capital.

Georgia's Foreign Ministry said its soldiers were observing a cease-fire on orders of the president and declared the move in a note handed over to Russia's envoy to Tbilisi.

"Georgia expresses its readiness to immediately start negotiations with the Russian Federation on cease-fire and termination of hostilities," the ministry said in a statement.

Read more ....

NEWS

Georgia Conflict: Full Coverage -- Yahoo News
Russia takes S.Ossetian capital, Georgia pulls back -- Reuters
Russia disputes claim of Georgian pullout -- Yahoo News/AP
Russian Troops Tighten Hold on Georgia -- New York Times
Georgia Pulls Out of Ossetia as Second Front Opens in Abkhazia -- Bloomberg
Georgia rebel region sends troops to disputed gorge -- Reuters
Georgia 'war' intensifies -- ITV
Georgia Pulls Troops From South Ossetia After Losses -- Bloomberg
U.S.: Russia's actions in Georgia could harm U.S. ties -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Georgia declares cease-fire in breakaway province -- Yahoo News/AP
Georgia 'pulls out of S Ossetia' -- BBC News
Ossetian official describes fleeing -- BBC News
Fear, anger, confusion in Tbilisi -- BBC News
Eyewitness: Scenes of panic in Gori -- BBC News
Day-by-day: South Ossetia crisis -- BBC News
Russia Prepares for Naval Blockade of Georgia -- Kommersant (Russia Daily)
Russia expands Georgia bombings -- MSNBC
Russia Expands Bombing Against Georgia -- ABC News
Georgian breakaway city in ruins -- CNN
Russia Expands Bombing Attack as Georgian Troops Pull Out of South Ossetia -- FOX News
Russian assault rages as Georgia pulls back -- The Australian
Russian troops tighten hold on Georgia -- International Herald Tribune
Fear and anger among those left in besieged city -- International Herald Tribune
Georgia under all-out attack in breakaway Abkhazia -- Guardian
Georgia withdraws troops from South Ossetian capital -- The Guardian
US condemns 'dangerous' Russian response in South Ossetia -- The Guardian
Russian tanks roll into Georgia as cities burn -- The Guardian
Georgian troops 'pull out as Russian warships arrive' -- Independent
30,000 homeless as a chaotic conflict intensifies -- Independent
War in the Caucasus: Inside the battle zone -- Independent
Russia sends in warships as troops advance on Georgian town of Gori -- Daily Mail
Georgia 'pulls troops out of South Ossetia'-- Telegraph
Crisis deepens as Russia snubs Bush's call to pull troops out -- Telegraph
Russian strikes hit civilians -- Telegraph
‘Bodies are lying everywhere. It’s hell’ -- Times Online
Russia steps up attacks and blockade as Georgians retreat -- Times Online
Russia brings war deep into Georgia -- LA Times
Georgian troops retreat from breakaway province -- Newsweek
Georgian troops retreat from breakaway province -- U.S. News And World Report
Canada advises citizens to evacuate Georgia -- Yahoo News/AFP
Britain urges travellers to leave Georgia -- Yahoo News/AFP
FACTBOX: Casualty tolls in Caucasus conflict -- Reuters

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

'Why Georgia Lost the War' -- American Thinker
Why Georgia Lost The War -- Strategy Page
Georgia's Risky Move -- Post Global (Washington Post)
Challenging situation for Moscow -- BBC News
South Ossetia Crisis Could Be Russia's Chance To Defeat Siloviki -- Radio Free Europe
Andrew Wilson: Georgia and Russia can still step back from the brink -- Independent
Leading article: A war on our blind side -- Independent
Georgia: how much is the west to blame? -- The Guardian
Russia must prove its diplomatic maturity -- The Guardian
World Pleads for Peace in S. Ossetia -- The Guardian
War in the Caucasus -- Wall Street Journal
Taunting the Bear -- New York Times
The West cannot afford to be indifferent to Georgia's fate -- The Age

Stratfor map of the conflict in South Ossetia (Click to Enlarge) Hat tip Tigerhawk

BLOGS

Who’s winning Georgia Part 2 -- Belmont Club
Georgia-Russia Clash: American Culpability and the Kosovo Connection -- Washington Note
Georgia Bulldogs, Not Paper Tigers -- Information Dissemination
South Ossetia: Georgia, Russia and the U.S. Presidential Election -- Global Voices Online
Russia’s Invasion of South Ossetia: The Kosovo Precedent In Play? -- Austin Bay
Russia, Georgia, and the Western Alliance -- Brussels Journal
Flash Point: South Ossetia (9 -10 August) -- Small Wars journal
An Opinion Piece -- Registan
Russia's Air Blitz against Georgia -- Wired
Obama talks to Rice about Georgia, condemns Russia -- Politico
Georgia Under Online Assault -- Danger Room
The War in Georgia: Issues of Escalation and Justification -- Opinio Juris
Russia’s Air Blitz over Georgia -- War Is Boring

VIDEO NEWS

MSNBC



CBS News


Russia Today


Aljazeera

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Timeline: Conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia -- Reuters
South Ossetia: factbox -- The Telegraph
The tussle for South Ossetia -- The Guardian
Timeline: South Ossetia -- The Guardian
Q & A: Behind the battle for South Ossetia -- MSNBC
Q&A: Violence in South Ossetia -- BBC News
Timeline: Key Events in Russian-Georgian Relations - Associated Press
How Russian and Georgian Forces Stack Up - Reuters
Factbox: International Reaction to South Ossetia Conflict - Reuters
Georgia - CIA World Factbook
Russia - CIA World Factbook
Georgia - BBC Country Page
Russia - BBC Country Page
South Ossetia - New York Times background and related news
South Ossetia - BBC background