Violent Clashes Reported In Russia’s Volatile Caucasus Region

13 Killed, Including Islamist Warlord, In Clashes In Russia’s Volatile Caucasus -- Washington Post/AP

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia — Russian officials say an Islamist warlord, seven militants, four officers and one civilian have been killed in three separate incidents in Russia’s violence-plagued southern Caucasus region.

Russia’s Anti-Terrorist Committee spokesman Nikolai Sintsov said the leader of Islamist separatists in the province of Ingushetia was killed in a shootout Friday in the village of Ekazhevo along with two other militants.

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More News On The Continuing Violence In Russia's Caucasus Region

13 Killed In Russia's Volatile North Caucasus -- Radio Free Europe
Violence in Russia's North Caucasus Kills at Least 9 -- Voice of America
Russia says kills local rebel leader - agencies -- Reuters
4 Russian Troops, 5 Islamist Rebels Killed in Dagestan -- Naharnet
Twelve including local insurgent leader killed in Russia -- World Bulletin
Militant Leader Killed in Russia’s North Caucasus -- RIA Novosti

Can The War In The Caucasus Last A Hundred Years?

'The War In The Caucusus May Last A Hundred Years' -- Jerusalem Post/AP

Former Russian Interpol head says terror threat in country worse than in Israel; 4 top transportation officials fired over airport bombing.

"The level of terror threats in Russia is higher than that in Israel," former head of Russian Interpol Vladimir Ovchinsky stated during an interview with Novye Ivestia newspaper Wednesday.

"Our war is more intensive than the one between the Israelis and the Palestinians," he added, saying pessimistically that "The war in the Caucuses may last a hundred years."

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My Comment: War and conflict between Russia and many of the ethnic groups in the Caucasus has been ongoing since the early 1800s. Another hundred years .... that is very feasible.

Fighting Reported From Russia's Caucasus Region

Senior Militant Commander Among 8 Killed In Dagestan -- RIA Novosti

A senior militant commander was among eight gunmen killed in a special operation on Sunday in Makhachkala, Russia's Dagestan republic, the national anti-terrorism committee said.

One of the gunned militants has been identified as Amir Magomed Sheikhov. "He was appointed to post by the armed gang three months ago," the spokesman said.

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More News On Fighting In The Caucasus

8 Militants Killed In Russia's North Caucasus -- NPR/AP (Audio)
Gunmen blocked in Russia's Dagestan special operation -- RIA Novosti
Police kill militant chief in south Russia -- UPI
2 police killed, 5 wounded in Russia's Caucasus -- AP
Policeman shot dead in Russia's Dagestan -- RIA Novosti
6 police hurt in 2 North Caucasus blasts -- UPI
Putin Makes Symbolic Visit in Ethnic Strife -- New York Times
Thanks to Putin, North Caucasus has Become ‘Russia’s Palestine,’ Nemtsov Says -- Georgia Daily

The Day After A Suicide Blast In North Ossetia, More Violence Continues

Market Bomb Death Toll Rises In North Ossetia -- Voice of America

The death toll from a suicide bomb blast in Russia's restive North Caucasus rose to 17 Friday, as the stricken province observed a day of mourning for the victims.

Russian police have detained three men suspected of involvement in Thursday's bomb attack in Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia.

More than 100 people remain hospitalized. Officials say 11 of the most seriously injured have been airlifted to Moscow for treatment.

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More News On The Violence In The Caucasus

Day of mourning for Russian car bomb victims -- AP
Toll rises as region mourns after Russia suicide blast -- Reuters
North Ossetia Mourns Bombing Victims As Death Toll Rises -- Radio Free Europe
Death toll in Vladikavkaz market blast reaches 17 -- RIA Novosti
Vladikavkaz blast victims brought to Moscow -- RIA Novosti
Suicide bomb kills 17 in Russian market -- The Telegraph
Suicide car bombing in southern Russia kills 17 -- AP
Islamist militants blamed after suicide bomb kills 16 in Russian Orthodox city -- The Guardian

Russians mourn bombing victims; 10 others killed. -- AP
Four militants killed in Russia's North Caucasus -- RIA Novosti
Kremlin vows to destroy bandits in N.Caucasus -- Reuters
Russian president urges to destroy insurgents -- Xinhuanet

Russia's War Against Radical Islamists Continues

At least 4 militants killed, 2 policemen wounded in Ingushetia shootout. © RIA Novosti. Ruslan Vakhaev

Conflict Stirs In Dagestan -- UPI

MAKHACHKALA, Russia, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The driver of a deputy official in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan had his throat cut after his boss went missing, a security source said.

The driver for a border chief in Dagestan was found dead last weekend. His boss was reported missing and authorities are on the lookout for his vehicle and government-issued firearms, sources told Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

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More News On the Violence In The Caucasus

Russian security forces kill 5 militants-police -- Reuters
Five suspected rebels killed in Dagestan: officials -- AFP
Russia: 5 Militants Killed in North Caucasus -- Voice of America
5 Islamist Militants Killed In Russia's Dagestan Region -- RTT News
At least 6 die in violence in Russia`s Muslim south -- Antara News
At least 6 die in violence in Russia's Muslim south -- Reuters
2 Russian border guards, 1 civilian dead in south -- AP
Deputy Mayor Wounded, Two Killed In Daghestan -- Radio Free Europe
Dagestan announces state of emergency in 26 districts -- ITAR-TASS
Militant Leader Killed in Russia's Ingushetia -- CRIEnglish
At least 4 militants killed, 2 policemen wounded in Ingushetia shootout (Update 1) -- RIA Novosti
Police: Chechen militant detonates explosives as police try to arrest him, kills self, officer -- Canadian Press
Russians kill top Caucasus Emirate leader -- Long War Journal
Power Struggle Among Russia's Militants -- Right Side News

War And Civil Unrest Is Returning To The caucasus

Kremlin Says To Fire Security Aides If Caucasus Attacks Recur -- Reuters

MOSCOW/ATAZHUKINO Russia (Reuters) - President Dmitry Medvedev threatened on Thursday to sack top security officials if they fail to prevent more attacks on strategic assets in Russia's North Caucasus after suspected Islamist rebels bombed a hydropower plant there.

Six masked men stormed the power plant in Kabardino-Balkaria on Wednesday, shot dead two guards and set off remote-controlled bombs beside the main generator units, investigators for the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

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More News On The Unrest In The Caucasus

Russia: 5 Killed in Attacks in Muslim Separatist Region -- New York Times
Two militants killed in Russia's volatile North Caucasus -- RIA Novosti
Police officer murdered in Russia's Dagestan -- RIA Novosti
Judge shot dead in Dagestan -- AFP
Bishop killed in Russia's Dagestan -- Sacramento Bee
Doku Umarov names his successor -- Long War Journal

Tightened security around N Caucasus hydropower dams -- Voice of Russia
$49 million to fix North Caucasus plant -- UPI
Power Plant Attacked in Caucasus -- New York Times
Two killed in 'terror attack' on Russian power plant -- AFP
Two paramilitaries who attacked power plant killed in N Caucasus -- Itar Tass

Rights Activists In North Caucasus Appeal To Medvedev For Protection -- Radio Free Europe
Putin Sets New Strategy to Fight Caucasus Insurgency -- Voice of America
How to prevent another war in the Southern Caucasus -- Donald D. Asmus, Washington Post

The Growth Of Radical Islamic Groups In Russia

Russia Islamist Network Takes Shape As Caucasus Hit By Another Terrorist Attack -- Christian Science Monitor

An attack in Ingushetia today, the fifth to shake Russia in a week, underscores the threat posed by an Islamist insurgent network that has emerged from the ashes of Chechnya's nationalist rebellion.

Five terrorist attacks that killed almost 60 people in a single week have left Russians deeply shaken. The latest attack took place today in the restive Republic of Ingushetia.

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More News On Russia's Islamic Insurgency

String of bombings hits Russia's Caucasus: first Dagestan, now Ingushetia attack -- Christian Science Monitor
Suicide bomber kills two policemen in the latest terror attack in Russia -- Daily Mail
Bombers Kill Policemen in Russia -- New York Times
Suicide bomber kills 2 police in Russia's Caucasus -- AP
Russia: Bomber kills 2, Islamic insurgency spreads -- AP
FACTBOX - Recent suicide bomb attacks across Russia -- Reuters
Russia says teacher was 2nd subway suicide bomber -- AP
'Dagestan teacher is Moscow bomber' -- Al Jazeera
After Attacks in Russia, Fears of Xenophobia -- New York Times
How Russia nourishes radical Islam -- Washington Post opinion

A Look At A Teenage Suicide Bomber

The Kommersant newspaper says this photo, provided by the Russian news agency NewsTeam, shows Dzhanet Abdurakhmanova and husband Umalat Magomedov, who was killed by Russian troops last year. (NewsTeam)

In The Arms Of Her Militant Husband, The Baby-Faced 'Black Widow' Who 'Blew Herself Up On The Moscow Metro' -- The Daily Mail

This is the baby-faced 'Black Widow' suspected of blowing up herself and scores of commuters on the Moscow underground this week.

Looking like an Islamic extremist version of Bonnie and Clyde, Dzhennet Abdurakhmanova, 17, and her husband, a notorious militant leader, pose with guns.

Abdurakhmanova became a widow last year when Umalat Magomedov, an Islamist rebel in the southern republic of Dagestan, was shot by Russian agents.

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More News On Chechnya's "Black Widows"

Teen Widow Suspected in Moscow Blast -- Wall Street Journal
Changing face of terror in Russia -- Financial Times
A girl named paradise: The baby face of Moscow's attack -- Sydney Morning Herald
Suicide bomber 'widow of terrorist leader' -- The Independent
One of Moscow subway bombers was 17-year-old widow -- AP
Moscow bomber identified as teenage widow from Dagestan -- L.A. Times
Black widow bomber was 17-year-old 'wife' of Islamist leader -- The Telegraph
Russia Says Suicide Bomber Was Militant’s Widow -- New York Times
Russia says Moscow bomber was teenage "Black Widow" -- Reuters

Russia Promises Stiff Response Against Muslim Insurgents In The Caucasus

Russian President Makes Surprise Visit To North Caucasus -- Voice Of America

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev made a surprise visit Thursday to the restive North Caucasus, where he urged local authorities to enact "tough, severe" new measures to fight terrorism.

Mr. Medvedev's comments were televised from the southern republic of Dagestan, where two suicide bombers killed at least 12 people Wednesday. In Moscow on Monday, two suicide bomb attacks killed 39 commuters on the city's subway.

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More News On Russia's War In the Caucasus

Russia's Medvedev promises 'crueler' measures -- AP
Russia's Medvedev visits North Caucasus after bombings -- Reuters
Medvedev in Caucasus as Russia buries bomb victims -- Yahoo News/AFP
Russian Leader Calls for Tougher Actions Against Militants -- New York Times
Russia's Medvedev promises 'crueler' measures -- Yahoo News/AP
Medvedev seeks tougher response to terror -- UPI

Chechen Rebel Leader Speaks via YouTube -- New York Times
Chechen warlord Doku Umarov claims Moscow metro bombings -- Christian Science Monitor

Another blast in Dagestan kills two -- Press TV
Russia Seeks to Eliminate North Caucasus Terrorists -- Voice of America
Suspects held in Russian bombings, organizers identified - FSB -- RIA Novosti
Masterminds behind Moscow, Dagestani explosions known: FSB -- Xinhuanet
The FSB Dropped the Ball -- Moscow Times

After The Moscow Subway Bombings, Russia's War In The Caucasus Heats Up

The site of two explosions in the southern Russian town of Kizlyar on Wednesday. Zaur Halikov/Reuters

Bomb Attacks In Southern Russia Aim At Police -- New York Times

MOSCOW — Two bomb attacks aimed at the police killed at least 12 people in the volatile North Caucasus region of Russia on Wednesday, according to the Russian prosecutor’s office, further heightening security concerns two days after deadly suicide bombings struck the Moscow subway.

Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin said he did not rule out that Wednesday’s attacks in Dagestan, near the border with Chechnya, could have been organized by “the same group” behind the Moscow subway bombings. Dmitri A. Medvedev, Russia’s president, called the two sets of attacks “links of the same chain.”

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More News On Russia's War In The Caucasus

13 killed in double suicide attack in southern Russia -- Long War Journal
Bombs kill 12 in Russia's Dagestan region -- CNN
At least 12 killed in suicide blasts in Russia -- Washington Post
Suicide Bombs Strike Southern Russia -- New York Times/AP
Russia Rocked By Another Twin Suicide Bombing -- ABC News
Fatal blasts rock North Caucasus town -- UPI
New twin suicide blasts rock southern Russia -- China View
Dagestan Suicide Bombings (VIDEO): Second Bombing Caught On Camera -- Huffington Post
Echoing Moscow attack, Dagestan bombings underscore Russia's terrorism threat -- Christian Science Monitor
Single terrorist group may be behind Moscow, Dagestan bombings - Putin -- RIA Novosti
Moscow, Kizlyar bombings linked - Dagestan's president -- RIA Novosti
First bomb in Dagestan blasts had power of 200 kg TNT - investigators -- RIA Novosti
Radical Dagestan is legacy of Kremlin's siege of Chechnya -- The Guardian

The North Caucasus region is the part of Russia that slopes up towards the main ridge of the Caucasus mountains, often considered the border between Europe and Asia. It is home to dozens of nationalities and languages, many of which have troubled relationships with their neighbours or with central governments in Moscow or Tbilisi.

Islamic Insurgency Grows In Russia's Caucasus Region

With Breakdown of Order in Russia’s Dagestan Region, Fear Stalks Police -- New York Times

MAKHACHKALA, Russia — At a certain point last summer, when snipers on rooftops began picking off police officers, Col. Mukhtar Mukhtarov’s wife blocked the door with her body and refused to let him leave home in his uniform.

For 25 years, it had been one of the great joys of Colonel Mukhtarov’s life to walk the streets in his red-striped police cap. But by last summer all that had been turned so thoroughly on its head that he quietly went back to his bedroom to change into civilian clothes.

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More News On The Caucasus Region

'Emir of Grozny' terrorist leader killed in Russia's Dagestan -- RIA Novosti
“Emir of Grozny” killed in Makhachkala -- Voice of Russia
Suspected militant killed in security raid in Russia's volatile southern province -- Winnipeg Free Press/Canadian Press
Explosive device neutralized in Dagestan -- Voice of America
Terrorists derail empty freight train in North Caucasus -- RT
Counter-terrorism operation regime imposed in Dagestan's capital -- RIA Novosti
Russia kills four militants in Dagestan: official -- AFP
Global jihad creeping into Russia's insurgency -- Reuters

Russia's Bin Laden Killed In The Caucasus -- News Updates March 7/8, 2010

Russian 'Bin Laden' Killed By Moscow's Special Forces -- The Telegraph

Russia exulted in the death of a terrorist dubbed "the Russian Bin Laden," yesterday claiming it has proof he was behind a deadly train bombing last November that left 28 people dead.

The FSB intelligence service said a special forces operation had resulted in the death of Sheikh Said Buryatsky, an Islamist convert whose real name was Alexander Tikhomirov.

FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov told President Dmitry Medvedev said that the operation in southern Russia last week had resulted in the death of eight militants and the capture of ten.

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More News On The Caucasus

Russia says alleged passenger train bomber killed -- L.A. Times
Russia Confirms Killing of Militant Leader in Raid -- New York Times
Russian forces kill eight, find train attack clues -- AFP
Ingushetia rebel killed in raid by Russian troops -- BBC
Gang leader killed in N.Caucasus involved in 2009 train blast - FSB -- RIA Novosti
FSB chief certain of killed warlord's involvement in Nevsky Express blast -- RIA Novosti

Russia’s President Visits North Caucasus Offering No Real Solution to its Main Problem -- Georgian Daily
Five Years After Maskhadov's Death, Situation In North Caucasus Remains Complex -- Radio Free Europe
Vital Route in Caucasus Is Reopened, Just Barely -- New York Times
Georgia: Russia May Have 5,000 Troops In Abkhazia -- Eurasia Net

6 Insurgents Killed in Ingush Battle -- Moscow Times
Police Kill 20 in North Caucasus Skirmishes -- Moscow Times
14 militants killed in clash in Russia's Caucasus -- AP
Grenades launched at south Russia freight train -- RIA Novsoti
Russia’s Terror-Fighting Trains Back on the Rails -- The Danger Room
Russian investigators to thoroughly probe abductions in Chechnya -- RIA Novosti
Kremlin says police reform needed in violent south -- Reuters

Russia proposes fingerprinting for volatile N.Caucasus -- Reuters
Russian Official Suggests Fingerprinting Entire North Caucasus -- Radio Free Europe
Investigation Committee suggests total fingerprint/DNA registration in Russia -- ITAR-TASS

Azerbaijan warns of "great war" in South Caucasus -- Reuters
Azerbaijan warns of 'great war' -- Financial Times
Azerbaijan threatens Armenia the great war -- Ukrainian Globalist

Guerrilla War In The Caucasus Is Spreading

20 Insurgents Killed As Jihadist Attacks Rise In Russia's Caucasus -- Christian Science Monitor

An Islamist insurgency is now spreading beyond Chechyna to the entire patchwork of republics known as the north Caucasus.

One of the biggest thorns in Russia's side since the Soviet Union's collapse has been Chechnya, one of seven republics along its southeastern flank known collectively as the north Caucasus.

After two wars, Moscow has largely tamed Chechnya's separatists with the help of strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, though not without cost. An estimated quarter million people have been killed, and the tiny republic has turned into a totalitarian statelet. Dissenters face kidnapping, torture, and extrajudicial execution, says Alexander Cherkassov of Memorial, Russia's largest independent human rights group.

"Now we are seeing the same methods being applied in Ingushetia and Dagestan," he says.

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More News On The Caucasus

Russia says 20 killed in battle near Chechnya -- Reuters
Ingushetia operation against militants 'kills 20' -- BBC
Russia: Caucasus fighters killed -- Al Jazeera
Some 20 militants killed in south Russia -- RIA Novosti
Russia: 5 Soldiers Are Killed in Chechnya -- New York Times
Dagestan: Russia's Most Overlooked Hot Spot -- Foreign Policy
No threat of separatism in North Caucasus — Kadyrov -- RIA Novosti
Medvedev’s (and Putin’s) man in the Caucasus -- Moscow News
Putin Seeks More Jobs to Stabilize North Caucasus -- Moscow News

Civil War In The Caucasus Continues

The North Caucasus In 2009: Security Situation Worsened For Moscow -- Jamestown Foundation

A massive flurry of official statements was released to the Russian mass media by politicians, analysts, and experts on Russia summing up the year 2009 in the North Caucasus. After an assessment of these statements, it is increasingly obvious that the situation in the region in 2009 became worse compared to the previous year. Aleksandr Shashin, the deputy chief of Russian Interior Ministry’s headquarters in the Southern Federal District, says that the terrorist crime rate in 2009 increased by 60 percent in southern Russia in comparison to 2008 (www.rosbalt.ru, December 25).

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More News on The Conflict In the Caucasus

Government brutality gives rise to insurgency in North Caucasus -- Vancouver Sun
Russia's Medvedev plans "systematically" attacks on Caucasus fighters -- World Bulletin
Russian interior minister vows clampdown on Dagestan militants -- RIA Novosti
Russian Police Kill 2 Rebels After Suicide Blast -- New York Times/AP
Suicide bomber kills 5 police in Dagestan -- CNN
Dagestan suicide bomb kills six police officers -- BBC
Suicide bombing in Russia's Dagestan kills 5 police officers -- L.A. Times
Russian interior minister vows to strike Dagestan militants -- China View

Russia's Brutal Guerrilla War

From Foreign Policy Blog:

How the crisis in the North Caucasus could go global.

The daily and deadly news from Russia's restive North Caucasus region -- police buildings blown up in Ingushetia, human rights activists murdered in Chechnya, firefights in Dagestan -- makes it clear that the insurgency there is far from finished, despite Moscow's frequent claims of victory. The conflict has splintered and metastasized, with atrocities carried out by both sides. Guerrillas are increasingly turning to suicide attacks, and they do not rule out more mass hostage takings, like the 2004 Beslan school seizure. Human rights activists and rivals of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov are murdered in Moscow, the Chechen capital, and abroad with impunity.

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My Comment: When the Soviet Union was first being formed after the 1917 revolution, many of the Muslim Republics in the Caucasus and Central Asia refused to join in, starting a low level insurgency campaign that lasted for almost 10 years.

It was brought to a close when individuals like Stalin and those like him .... using the security and intelligence forces .... began a massive campaign to systematically kill or deport suspected civilian populations. The suffering and dislocation of peoples is still felt in these Republics today .... which in turn brings about the anger and resentment that is now directed at Moscow.

Will history repeat itself? .... I give it a small but possible chance that Russia will repeat the same tactics and strategy that was used from 1917 - 1929. However .... if Islamic radicals become a threat to the very existence of the Russian Federation .... I will up these odds closer to 100%

Russia's Low Intensity War In The Caucasus -- News Updates July 16, 2009

A Mountain Of Troubles -- The Economist

The north Caucasus continues to suffer kidnappings, torture and killings on a horrifying scale

ON JULY 7th, as Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev discussed world security in the Kremlin, people charged with security in Chechnya kidnapped a local man and his son. Twelve hours later the man was dragged from a car in his underwear and executed before a few villagers. And this was but one of many punitive actions taken by Chechen authorities against relatives of alleged rebels.

It was brought to light by Natalia Estemirova, a human-rights activist who has chronicled kidnappings, torture and killings for a decade on behalf of Memorial, Russia’s oldest human-rights group. Ms Estemirova received prizes in Europe, but no thanks from her government. On July 15th, as she left home in Chechnya, she herself was kidnapped. A few hours later she was found dead in neighbouring Ingushetia. Her hands were tied and she had two bullets in her head and chest.

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Chechnya: 'Open Season' For Killing Rights Activists? -- Christian Science Monitor

Natalia Estemirova, who has long documented abuses by government-backed militias, is the fourth prominent critic of Kremlin policies to be killed in three years.

Rights groups on Thursday condemned the killing in Chechnya of prominent human rights activist Natalia Estemirova, who has long documented abuses by government-backed militias there.

The killing has drawn attention to a worrying trend in which critics of Kremlin-installed Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov have been harassed or murdered. Human rights groups have blamed Mr. Kadyrov and his followers for abusing innocent civilians in their counterinsurgency campaign against Islamic militants. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev expressed "outrage" and called for an inquiry, reports the BBC.

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More News On Russia And Its Low Intensity War In The Caucasus

15 militants killed in special operation in North Caucasus -- RIA Novosti
Police kill three militants in S.Russia -- RIA Novosti
Police officer killed, investigator injured in Russia's Caucasus -- RIA Novosti
Over 40 militants killed or detained on Chechen-Ingush border -- RIA Novosti
Four officers killed, six wounded in Chechnya clash -- RIA Novosti
Chechnya: 'Open Season' For Killing Rights Activists? -- Christian Science Monitor
Activist blames Putin, Chechen leader for slaying -- AP
Medvedev rejects Kadyrov role in Chechen rights activist murder -- RIA Novosti
Mourners weep for slain Russian rights activist -- AP
Russia Rights Group Blames ‘State Terror’ for Killing -- Bloomberg
Farewell ceremony held for slain Chechen human rights activist -- RIA Novosti
Killings of Russia's Human-Rights Activists Continue -- Time Magazine
Lawyers, activists and reporters killed in Russia -- AP

Georgia/Russia War News Updates -- Russia Ceases All Military Actions In Georgia

Russian soldiers on top of an APC pass by a burning house on the way to Tskhinvali, capital of Georgian breakaway enclave of South Ossetia on Monday, Aug. 11, 2008. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered a halt to military action in Georgia on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008.
(AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

Russian President Medvedev Says Russia Is Ready To Begin
Peace Talks With Georgia -- LA Times

He also orders a halt to his country's ongoing military action even as it continued to bomb sites deep in the country and apparently continued its advance.

TBILISI, Georgia -- Russia's president today said his country was ready to begin peace talks with Georgia to end a five-day conflict over pro-Russian separatist-minded enclaves along the two nations' Caucasus region border.

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, today also ordered a halt to his country's ongoing military action against Western-backed Georgia even as it continued to bomb sites deep in the country and apparently continue its advance, according to media reports.

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NEWS

Russia endorses plan to leave breakaway region -- Yahoo News/AP
Russia urges Georgia to pledge not to use force -- Yahoo News/AP
Georgia to declare breakaway regions occupied -- Yahoo News/AP
Russia orders halt to war, Georgia skeptical -- Reuters
Georgia says bombings continue after Russian order -- Yahoo News/AP
Medvedev halts Russian attacks in Georgia -- MSNBC
Russia orders halt to Georgia military action but fighting continues -- International Herald Tribune
Georgia Says Russia Still Bombing Despite 'Halt' -- FOX News
Georgia defiant after Russian ceasefire -- Financial Times
Georgia says Russia still attacking -- CNN
Defiant Russia Halts Operations In Georgia -- CBS
Sarkozy Arrives in Moscow to Mediate Crisis -- ABC News
Russia 'ends Georgia operation' -- BBC News
Attacks on Georgia continue despite Russian president's calls to halt -- The Guardian
Russia orders end to operation after bombing of media centre -- Times Online
Russia orders halt to war in Georgia -- The Independent
Russian president Dimitry Medvedev orders end to conflict in Georgia -- The Telegraph
Enter Sarkozy the peacemaker -- The Guardian
Moscow accused of planning invasion but remains deaf to critics -- The Guardian
'I got my children out minutes before the bombs fell' -- the Guardian
Exodus gathers pace as the funerals begin -- The Guardian
Coverage Of the Georgian/Russian war -- The Guardian
Russia 'ends Georgia operation' as Britons are evacuated from under-siege capital -- The Daily Mail
Pensioners burned alive in a church and a baby stabbed to death - just some of the horrific stories from Georgia -- The Daily Mail
Russia halts military action in Georgia -- Washington Times
Russia orders halt to military action in Georgia -- U.S. News And World Report
Russia Halts Military Action -- Time Magazine
Georgia says bombings continue after Russian order -- Newsweek
For Georgia's president, a rebuke in the boom of artillery -- International Herald Tribune
Dutch journalist killed in Russian bombing of Gori -- International Herald Tribune
Calling shots, Putin salves old wounds -- International Herald Tribune
Firsthand Accounts from the Russia-Georgia Conflict -- FOX News
Georgia soldiers, civilians break down on road to battle -- LA Times
Civilian emergency hits Georgia -- BBC News
Anxiety Hovers Over Tbilisi -- Washington Post
BP shuts pipelines on fears over Georgia -- Financial Times
Georgia conflict 'a threat to strategic energy supplies' -- Yahoo News
Georgian military officials and civilians ask why the West hasn't intervened as Russia moves in. -- Newsweek
U.S. servers for Georgia sites -- L.A. Times
Map: the Russia-Georgia conflict (pdf) -- The Guardian

COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

Moscow's Sinister Brilliance - Victor Davis Hanson, National Review Online
A Path to Peace in the Caucasus - Mikhail Gorbachev, Washington Post
Russia's Power Play: Reality Intrudes - George Will, Houston Chronicle
Conflict Offers Glimpse at New World Order - Gerald Seib, Wall St. Journal
Russia is Back as a Grand Adversary - Robert Kaplan, The Atlantic
Terror tactics -- The Guardian
What Georgia means for Europe -- The Guardian
Vladimir Putin capitalises on US ambivalence -- Times Online
Beleaguered president: Gambler who risked his country and links with West -- The Independent
COMMENTARY: Why puppetmaster Putin is more dangerous than ever -- The Daily Mail
Russia, and Putin, Assert Authority -- New York Times
Vladimir Bonaparte -- Wall Street Journal
INSTANT VIEW - Russian president orders stop to Georgia ops -- Reuters
INSTANT ANALYSIS: Winners and losers in S.Ossetia crisis -- Reuters
U.S. has few options in conflict -- Reuters
U.S. can't do much to stop Russia -- MSNBC
The Danger Of Appeasing Russia -- Newsweek
Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili's 'calculated gamble' -- LA Times
U.S. has few military options in Russia response -- L.A. Times
Georgia clash imperils Europe's fuel flow -- Washington Times
More on Georgia -- Time Magazine
Russia buoyed by weakened Georgia -- BBC News

BLOGS

Live Blogging On the War -- The Guardian Blog
Can the Caucasus flames be controlled? -- Global News Blog (Reuters)
Russia Orders Halt To Fighting In Georgia -- Huffington Post
The Lights Stay On In Georgia? -- Blackfive
Russia calls a halt -- Belmont Club
Russia has stopped its invasion in Georgia. But at what price? -- Transatlantic
Russia Reveals Its Desire to Replace Georgian President Saakahvili ...Bush Responds -- Gateway Pundit
Diplomatic Licence: Saving Saakashvili -- Indy Blogs (the Independent)
Another Front in the War on Georgia (Cyberwar) -- Know It All
Estonia sending cyber defense experts to Georgia -- Net Work World
An Examination Of the New York Times Coverage Of The Georgian/Russian War -- Kenneth Anderson On Law Of War

VIDEOS

Russia Moves Further Into Georgia -- New York Times

Reporting On the Georgian/Russian War -- Financial Times

News on Georgia -- ABC News

MSNBC


CNN


Russia Today (Yesterday's Broadcast)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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

Georgia / Russia War News Updates -- Russia Rejects Georgian Ceasefire

Map showing the latest situation in Georgia. Dozens of Russian warplanes staged air raids in Georgia, officials said, but Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States of trying to undermine Russia's mounting military offensive. (AFP Graphic)

Some Weep, Some Rage As Bombs Pulverise Capital -- The Independent

Kim Sengupta and Shaun Walker, the first Western journalists to enter South Ossetia since the start of the conflict, report from Tskhinvali

The capital of South Ossetia bears all the appearance of a place that has been pulverised by days of Georgian bombing and by the ferocious Russian counter-attack that followed. Smoke still rises from smouldering buildings and from the wreckage of tanks and armoured cars. Grief-stricken women amid the ruins weep at the horror visited on them, others scream their rage.

The Independent entered the rebel capital yesterday, the first Western news organisation to do so since the start of a conflict in which Russian warplanes have bombed targets across Georgia, an ally of the West. We were escorted in by South Ossetian soldiers stationed at the border with the words: "You are coming with us to Tskhinvali, you are not going back, I promise you."

What unfolded offered an intriguing, if terrifying, insight into the savage, internecine violence that has now been unleashed in Georgia.

Read more ....

NEWS

Russian jets attack Georgia as Moscow-US tensions worsen -- Yahoo News/AFP
Russians in Abkhazia issue ultimatum to Georgia -- Yahoo News/AP
Oil prices rise near $117 as Georgia conflict halts exports -- Yahoo News/AFP
Georgia and Russia claim 'mass arrests' -- CNN
S.Ossetia: "Intense" Georgia shelling resumes-Ifax -- Reuters
Russia rejects Georgia ceasefire as fighting goes on -- Reuters
Human Rights Watch Counts South Ossetian Casualties, Displaced -- Deutsche Welle
Ceasefire bid amid Georgia crisis -- BBC
Crude rises on Georgia fighting -- BBC News
Russia intensifies attack on Georgia -- Washington Times
Georgia Retreats, Pleads for Truce; U.S. Condemns Russian Onslaught -- Washington Post
Russian blitz on Georgia continues -- USA Today
Russians push past separatist area to assault central Georgia -- International Herald Tribune
Georgian president says he signs cease-fire pledge -- International Herald Tribune
Russians in Abkhazia issue ultimatum to Georgia -- International Herald Tribune
On slog to safety, seething at west -- International Herald Tribune
Russian markets falter, then recover, as violence escalates -- International Herald Tribune
Georgia, Russia battle as envoy seeks peace -- MSNBC
Bush says violence in Georgia is unacceptable -- MSNBC
South Ossetians describe escape from fighting -- MSNBC
Russian Jets Bomb Georgian Targets; Georgia Signs Cease-Fire Pledge -- FOX News
Bush: Russian Violence in Georgia is Unacceptable -- FOX News
Putin Assails US Over Conflict With Georgia -- ABC News
Bush Condemns Russia's Attack On Georgia -- CBS News
Russian Bomb Blitz Hits Georgian Capital -- CBS News
Cease-fire proposed as Russia bombs Georgia -- CNN
Bush, Cheney signal support for Georgia -- CNN
Russia brushes aside ceasefire calls after Georgia withdraws -- The Guardian
Abkhazia: Moscow sends troops into second enclave -- The Guardian
Georgia: Gori evacuated as fears of Russian advance into Georgia grow -- The Telegraph
Georgia: Russia launches second front in war as troops reach Abkhazia -- The Telegraph
U.S. warns Russia to end Georgia onslaught over fears Moscow will seize crucial oil pipelines -- the Daily Mail
Chilling eye witness accounts of the cost of the Georgia conflict -- The Daily Mail
Russian assault rages as Georgia pulls back -- The Australian
We helped in Iraq - now help us, beg Georgians -- Times Online
Moscow on attack as desperate Georgian forces sue for peace -- Times Online
Georgia: Vladimir Putin leads from front to send US a bullish message -- Times Online
On the border: Georgian troops retreat, civilians flee as Russian Army advances -- Times Online
Georgia bows to might of Russia -- Independent
Diplomatic Effort: UN urges Russia to halt offensive -- the Independent
The Refugees: Civilians pour over border into Russia to escape conflict -- The Independent
U.S. suggests Russia wants "regime change" in Georgia -- Reuters
U.S., allies keep up pressure on Russia to end attacks in Georgia -- L.A. Times
Russia expands Georgia blitz, deploys ships -- L.A. Times
In South Ossetia capital, a relative calm -- L.A. Times
Russian media, "Turkey supports Georgia" -- Hurriyet
Russian Ground Forces Assault Vital Georgian City -- New York Times
Putin Assails US on Georgia Conflict -- Time Magazine
Russia Jets Bomb Georgia Oil Pipeline -- New York Sun
Russia Opens Second Front In War on Georgia -- New York Sun

ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

Russia is Waging War on My Country -- Mikheil Saakashvili, Wall St. Journal
Kremlin Capers -- Wall Street Journal
Russia's Self-Aggrandisement -- Times Online
Untimely war raises infinite dangers -- The Australian
Russian Aggression -- Washington Times
Paralysis of War Grips the U.N. -- New York Sun
In Georgia and Russia, a perfect brew for a blowup -- International Herald Tribune
ANALYSTS' VIEW-Conflict in Georgia and its breakaway region -- Reuters
FACTBOX: Scenarios for Georgia's South Ossetia crisis -- Reuters
Georgian War Not All Russia's Fault -- CS Monitor
Russia's Cold War Mentality -- Christian Science Monitor
Analysis: roots of the conflict between Georgia, South Ossetia and Russia -- Times Online
Will Russia Get Away With It? -- New York Times
Challenging situation for Moscow -- BBC
Putin Makes His Move -- Washington Post
When Frozen Wars Heat Up -- National Review
Do the Right Thing -- National Review
Georgian conflict driven by fear -- The Australian
Black Sea Watershed -- Washington Post
The real wake-up call of South Ossetia -- The Guardian
Why Georgia Lost The War -- Strategy Page
Who’s winning Georgia Part 2 -- Belmont Club/Pajamas Media
Russian clout prevails in S. Ossetia -- Christian Science Monitor
Georgia's volatile risk-taker has gone over the brink -- The Guardian
This is no pipeline war but an assault on Russian influence -- The Guardian
COMMENTARY: So why did Georgia blunder into this trap? -- The Daily Mail
Moscow's Dangerous Game in Georgia -- Time Magazine
Georgia: Reckless Saakashvili took on Russian Goliath Putin -- Times Online
Bruce Anderson: The West must share the blame for war in Georgia -- The Independent
Leading article: A small war in the Causasus which has huge implications -- The Independent
Brzezinski: Russia's Invasion Of Georgia Is Reminiscent Of Stalin's Attack On Finland -- The Huffington Post
Georgia on my mind -- Bob Krumm
The crisis in Georgia, 9/11, and the lessons of gratitude -- Pajamas Media
Georgia and Russia — McCain and Obama -- Pajamas Media

BLOGS

A Number Of Blogs In The Region -- Global Voices
Georgia Under Online Assault -- danger Room (Wired)
Showdown in Georgia -- American Spectator
Zbigniew Brzezinski on Russia and Georgia -- Volokh Conspiracy
Georgia, from the American Side -- Registan
Who lost Georgia? -- Mississippifarian
On Russia-Georgia: Four Views -- Washington Note
War in the Other Georgia -- Conservative Cat
What’s Behind Russia’s Invasion Of Georgia? -- Washington Hotlist
Bush won't sway Putin on Georgia -- The Swamp
What if Georgia were in NATO? -- Global Dashboard
Is Georgia in 2008 like Hungary in 1956? -- Michelle Malkin

VIDEO

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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

Russian Ground Forces Are Now Entering Into Georgia Proper -- Are They Going To Invade The Country?

Russian Ground Forces Assault Vital Georgian City -- New York Times

TBILISI, Georgia — Russian tanks and troops moved through the separatist enclave of South Ossetia and advanced on the city of Gori in central Georgia on Sunday night, for the first time directly assaulting a Georgian city with ground forces after three days of heavy fighting, Georgian officials said.

Georgian tanks were dug into positions outside Gori and planning to defend the city, said Shota Utiashvili, an official in Georgia’s interior ministry. He said the city of Gori was coming under artillery and tank fire. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

A senior Western diplomat said it was unclear whether Russia intended a full invasion of Georgia. “They seem to have gone beyond the logical stopping point” to retake the separatist regions, he said.

Read more ....

My Comment: I find it interesting that the pundits are trying to gauge what the Russian Army is going to do in the Caucasus. I suggest that they read the Russian websites (some of them are in English) from Russia itself .... their track record has so far been excellent in reporting what the Russian Army was going to do in this war .... and they are very clear on what is going to happen now.

Russian forces are now being rushed into the Caucasus for an invasion and/or occupation of a good chunk of Georgia. The Army that is presently in the field are under orders to attack, degrade, and to destroy as much of the Georgian Army as possible. The Fronts in this war are in two provinces .... South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The important theater for operation is in South Ossetia. By taking Gorin, a town south of South Ossetia ... the birth place of Stalin .... the Russian Army will have effectively cut Georgia in two. They will also be in a position to strike against the capital city of Tbilisi.

Discussion and negotiation is not on the table, and for the Russians it is not an option. The goal is to punish Georgia as much as possible .... and they will. When they have felt that the core of the Georgian Government is now fearful of their survival ... maybe then some form of negotiations will proceed.

I expect the lights to be going out in Tbilisi very soon.

Update: The Georgian And U.S. Governments have come to the same conclusion:
Russia wants all of Georgia - leader -- Reuters
U.S. suggests Russia wants "regime change" in Georgia -- Reuters