Bush says US military will deliver humanitarian aid to Georgia

• Mission to include Pentagon aircraft and naval vessels
• Condoleezza Rice dispatched to Tblisi

• Elana Schor in Washington
• guardian.co.uk,
• Wednesday August 13 2008 16:45 BST
• Article history

US President George Bush makes a statement Wednesday about Georgia with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the White House. Photograph: Jim Young/Reuters

George Bush today said the US military would start delivering humanitarian aid to Georgia amid reports that Russia has broken the terms of a ceasefire in the Caucasus conflict.

Bush also has dispatched Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, to Tbilisi "to rally a free world in defence of a free Georgia", as he put it. Rice will first meet with French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who helped orchestrate the ceasefire that Russia is accused of breaking.

"The US stands with the democratically elected government of Georgia and insists the territorial sovereignty of Georgia be respected," Bush said.

"We expect Russia to honour its commitment to let in all forms of humanitarian assistance."

The US military's humanitarian mission to Georgia will include Pentagon aircraft and naval vessels, Bush said. It is unclear when the first shipment of aid can arrive in the embattled nation and whether Russian forces will perceive the assistance as a US intervention.

Bush's promise of aid comes as Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili expressed frustration with the pace of the American response to the Caucasus conflict. The US-educated Saakashvili has touted his closeness to western leaders, including Republican presidential nominee John McCain, and appeared dismayed at his allies' failure to intervene in the crisis.

"Yesterday I heard Senator McCain say, 'we are all Georgians now'," Saakashvili told CNN today, referring to a speech in which the Republican candidate declared solidarity with Tbilisi.

"Well, very nice, you know, very cheering for us to hear that, but okay, it's time to pass from this. From words to deeds," the Georgian leader added.

McCain has accused Democratic rival Barack Obama of mounting an insufficiently vocal defence of Georgia as Russian troops crossed into its independent territory this week. The Republican's closeness to Saakashvili has also drawn criticism: the senior foreign policy adviser to McCain was a paid lobbyist for Georgia until three months ago.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Bush criticised early reports that Moscow already has violated the terms of the French-brokered ceasefire, obstructing parts of the city of Gori and threatening Tbilisi. He sternly warned Russian fighters to refrain from harming Georgians who are caught in the crossfire.

"All forces, including Russian forces, have an obligation to protect innocent civilians," Bush said.

The US is facing questions this week about whether its public engagement with Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili gave the small nation misguided hope that America would defend them in case of hostilities with Russia.

Rice made a high-profile visit to Tbilisi last month, as Saakashvili escalated a push to hold onto the breakaway province of South Ossetia. But Rice sent a deputy to warn Georgia against sending forces to Ossetia, the New York Times reported today.

Bush expects Moscow to honour Georgian truce

August 13, 2008, 21:07

U.S. President George Bush has expressed concern over reports that Russian troops had entered Georgia despite the cease-fire. In a televised address, he said he expects Moscow to honour its commitment to the truce and to cease all military activities in Georgia.

After meeting with his national security team about the fighting in Georgia’s breakaway republic of South Ossetia, Bush said he strongly supported France's efforts to broker an end to the conflict.

“Russia has also stated that it has halted military operations and agreed to a provisional cease-fire. Unfortunately, we're receiving reports of Russian actions that are inconsistent with these statements,” Bush said.

He said the U.S. is “concerned about reports that Russian units have taken up positions on the east side of the city of Gori, which allows them to block the east-to-west highway, divide the country, and threaten the capital of Tbilisi”.

He also expressed his “concerns” about reports that “Russian forces have entered and taken positions in the port city of Poti”, and that “Georgian citizens of all ethnic origins are not being protected”.

“With these concerns in mind,” the U.S. President said, he directed a series of steps to “demonstrate solidarity with the Georgian people and bring about a peaceful resolution to this conflict”.

Bush said he's sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Paris and then to Tbilisi, “where she will personally convey America's unwavering support for Georgia's democratic government”.

And the Secretary of Defense will begin a humanitarian mission to Georgians headed by the United States military. Whilst one of the U.S. planes with humanitarian aid is on its way, Bush said in the days ahead, “we will use U.S. aircraft, as well as naval forces, to deliver humanitarian and medical supplies”.

In his address the president said Washington expects “Russia to meet its commitment to cease all military activities in Georgia”, and all Russian forces that entered Georgia in recent days to withdraw from that country.

“Russia's ongoing action raised serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region,” he added.