Date:19/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/19/stories/2008081955691300.htm

International

Russian peacekeepers to remain in S. Ossetia

Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW: Russia began pulling out its troops from Georgia on Monday even as President Dmitry Medvedev issued a stern warning to would-be aggressors.

Russian forces started withdrawing from Georgia to South Ossetia on Monday under an E.U.-brokered peace deal, said Russian military spokesman, General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff.

He said the Russian military would stay in South Ossetia to ensure its security. Earlier, Mr. Medvedev warned Russia would hit back with full force against anyone who would attempt to repeat Georgia’s attack on Russian citizens and peacekeepers in South Ossetia.

“Nobody should think that our citizens and our peacekeepers can be killed without punishment; we will never allow this to happen,” said Mr. Medvedev on Monday, adding: “Anyone who tries to do this will face crushing retaliation. We have all economic, political and military capabilities for this.”

In a counter-offensive on August 9-10, the Russian military routed the U.S.-trained Georgian Army and destroyed its military infrastructure. General Nogovitsyn did not give any deadline for completing the Russian withdrawal. He said the pace of the pullout would depend on the situation on the ground and Georgia’s compliance with the peace terms to return all troops to barracks. He said some forces would be withdrawn from South Ossetia, but Russia would keep a “reinforced” peacekeeping force in the region.

The Georgian military had planned to blow up the Roki Tunnel leading from Russia to South Ossetia to prevent the Russian Army from coming to the rescue of its peacekeepers in the region. Large caches of arms had been discovered near the tunnel, said General Nogovitsyn.

Moscow on Monday upbraided Washington for spreading lies about the war in South Ossetia. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told the U.S ambassador in Russia that U.S. officials should stick to facts in making statements about the situation on the ground.

The Foreign Ministry said the two sides discussed the procedure for the pullback, positions where they should withdraw to, and humanitarian aid.