08TBILISI1409, GEORGIA: SITREP 15: LITTLE OR NO CHANGE ON THE

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Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
08TBILISI1409	2008-08-21 12:43	2011-08-30 01:44	CONFIDENTIAL	Embassy Tbilisi

VZCZCXRO5713
PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSI #1409/01 2341243
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 211243Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9934
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 001409 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC AND TASKFORCE-1 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM RU GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: SITREP 15: LITTLE OR NO CHANGE ON THE 
GROUND 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN F. TEFFT FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary.  Observers are not reporting any real 
movement to withdraw by Russian troops in Georgia.  According 
to the Georgian press, the Russians say they intend to set up 
a double line of checkpoints around South Ossetia with a 
buffer zone in between; however, Gori will not be in that 
zone.  High level visitors, including FM Stubb representing 
the OSCE chairman in office, Bob Simmons from the NATO 
International Staff, and the Romanian President are in 
Tbilisi; SACEUR General Craddock and USAID Director Henrietta 
Fore are also on the ground.  Senators Lieberman and Graham 
completed their visits August 20.  Georgian prisoners taken 
by the Russians in Poti have not been released.  The French 
Ambassador visited Sachkere, where Georgian troops remain in 
their barracks and Russian troops have not tried again to 
enter.  Russian troops detained the French Ambassador in Gori 
for three hours on August 21 before being allowed to return 
to Tbilisi; the French Ambassador accompanied two Amcit 
children who had been trapped in northern Georgia and were 
unable to return to their parents in the U.S.  End Summary. 
 
RUSSIANS STAY PUT 
----------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) According to the OSCE mission here, there is no 
evidence of any movement by the Russian army that indicates 
an intention to withdraw from Georgian territory.  Matyas 
Eorsi of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 
traveled to Gori on August 20 and also found no sign of a 
withdrawal.  Eorsi said he had seen looted houses in Gori and 
reminded the Russians that as an occupying power they bear 
responsibility for stopping such crimes.  A Reuters 
correspondent saw trucks moving toward the Roki Tunnel, but 
no armored vehicles were in the convoy.  The Russians have 
reopened checkpoints at various locations around Gori and 
Poti.  They are reported to be "digging in" at other points, 
and maintain the checkpoint at Igoeti, just north of Tbilisi, 
that was the scene of protests earlier in the week. 
Explosions were heard all day August 20 at the Senaki base. 
UNOMIG has not yet resumed patrols in some areas, including 
lower Gali, but hopes to soon.  The German Ambassador told us 
that Georgian police are guarding the Inguri Dam. 
 
SACHKERE SITUATION SAME, FRENCH AMBASSADOR DETAINED IN GORI 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Eric Fournier, the French ambassador to Georgia, told 
us that he was stopped by a Russian checkpoint on the west 
side of Gori, on his way to Tbilisi, and detained for three 
hours.  After numerous calls to Moscow and Russian generals 
in the area, both from Fournier and from Paris, he was 
allowed to proceed to Tbilisi.  In Fournier's vehicle were 
two Amcit children and their uncle who had been stuck in the 
northern Georgian village of Chiatura.  The safety of the 
children has been the focus of Rep Chris Smith's visit to 
Tbilisi.  Ambassador Fournier had been in Sachkere, where 
Georgian troops are still in their base despite Russian 
attempts to remove them. The German Ambassador visited Gori 
on August 20th and reported being delayed at a Russian 
checkpoint for an hour. 
 
¶4.  (C)  The British Ambassador told us that Foreign 
Secretary Miliband had productive meetings with Georgian 
leaders and that he expects his government to push for 
extensive economic support for reconstruction.  In meetings 
with Saakashvili, the Foreign Secretary urged the Georgians 
to resist further Russian provocations.  Miliband encouraged 
PM Gurgenidze to attend a September conference in London to 
raise investment capital.  Miliband also met with members of 
civil society and the opposition who told him that they 
support Saakashvili's government, but will raise questions 
related to the government's management of the crisis when the 
Russians had gone. 
 
26.6 MILLION IN DAMAGES TO COAST GUARD PROPERTY 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4.  (U) The Georgia Coast Guard estimates its losses of 
buildings and equipment in Poti at USD 26.6 million.  A large 
part of the equipment, including a USD 3 million "GRIF" boat 
sunk in Poti by the Russians, was procured with U.S. 
assistance. 
 
CORDON SANITAIRE FOR SOUTH OSSETIA 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) The Georgian press is reporting that according to 
Anatoly Nogovitsin, deputy chief of the general staff of the 
Russian armed forces, the Russians will establish two lines 
 
TBILISI 00001409  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
of checkpoints, one on the border of South Ossetia and one at 
the "line of the zone of responsibility of the Russian 
peacekeepers."   The forward line will be manned by 272 
soldiers at eight checkpoints.  A buffer zone will be 
maintained between the two lines.  Nogovitsin said the town 
of Gori will not be included in the zone. 
 
SOUTH OSSETIAN DEATH TOLL AT 133 
--------------------
------------ 
 
¶6.  (U) According to an official of the Russian prosecutor 
general's office, 133 South Ossetian civilians died in the 
recent conflict.  Human Rights Watch had earlier described 
South Ossetian claims of 2,000 civilian deaths as 
exaggerated.  The Russian prosecutor is reportedly initiating 
criminal cases in connection with some deaths. 
 
MORE FOREST FIRES SET 
--------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) According to the press, two Russian helicopters are 
reported to have dropped incendiary bombs over a forested 
area near the village of Kiketi, not far from Tbilisi.  The 
fire was reportedly quickly contained.  These reports have 
not been confirmed. 
 
U.S. SENATORS SHOW SUPPORT 
-------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) U.S. Senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham held 
talks with Georgian officials in Tbilisi on August 20. 
Lieberman said it is important for the world's democracies to 
stand in solidarity with Georgia.  The two senators called 
for more robust military assistance to Georgia, including 
anti-tank and anti-aircraft equipment. 
 
GEORGIAN PRISONERS STILL IN CUSTODY 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) The Georgian soldiers taken prisoner in Poti on 
August 19 remain in Russian custody as of mid-day August 21. 
There has been no word on hostages taken in Tskhinvali. 
 
HIGH LEVEL VISITORS 
------------------- 
 
¶10. (U) Romanian President Traian Basescu visited Tbilisi 
August 21.  A member of NATO's international staff, Robert 
Simmons, arrived August 20.  OSCE Chairman in Office Stubb is 
also in Tbilisi to bring the first two of 20 additional 
monitors for the OSCE mission.  OSCE reports that they are 
still unable to go into South Ossetia since the Russians 
refuse to guarantee the safety of OSCE monitors.  SACEUR 
General Craddock and USAID Administrator Fore are in Tbilisi 
for an August 21-22 visit. 
 
AZERIS PROMISE SHORT-TERM HELP 
------------------------------ 
 
¶11. (C) A Deputy Minister of Energy told Emboffs on August 20 
that Minister of Energy Alexander Khetaguri has returned from 
Baku with a promise from the Azeris to fill Georgia's needs 
for gas, electricity, food and other goods in the short term. 
TEFFT

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08TBILISI1405, USAID/DART GEORGIA COMPLEX EMERGENCY SITUATION REPORT #1

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Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
08TBILISI1405	2008-08-21 04:21	2011-08-30 01:44	UNCLASSIFIED	Embassy Tbilisi

O 210421Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9927
INFO AMEMBASSY YEREVAN IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY KIEV IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY ANKARA IMMEDIATE 
AMEMBASSY BAKU IMMEDIATE 
USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 
USMISSION UN ROME IMMEDIATE 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 
NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS TBILISI 001405 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR, S/CRS, PRM 
DEPT PLS PASS TO USAID 
USAID/W FOR A/AID HFORE; USAID/EE FOR ABREWER, RMAUSHAMMER; 
USAID/DCHA FOR MHESS 
DCHA/OFDA FOR KLUU, ACONVERY, DHAJJAR, MMICHAUD, GEORGIA COMPLEX 
EMERGENCY RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM 
DCHA/FFP FOR RGRANT; DCHA/OTI FOR RJENKINS 
GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
NSC FOR PMARCHAM 
BRUSSELS FOR JADDLETON 
NEW YORK FOR FSHANKS 
ROME FOR RNEWBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PHUM PREF SOCI GG
SUBJECT:  USAID/DART GEORGIA COMPLEX EMERGENCY SITUATION REPORT #1 
 
REF: TBILISI 1356; STATE 85957 
------- 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  In early August, heightened tension led to armed conflict 
involving Georgian and Russian armed forces and a South Ossetian 
separatist group, affecting populations along the Georgia-Russia 
border and areas within Georgia, including South Ossetia, parts of 
Abkhazia, and the town of Gori.  While clashes between the parties 
have largely ceased since an August 12 ceasefire, tensions remain 
high in South Ossetia Region, Abkhazia, in and around Gori town in 
Shida Kartli Region, and in Poti port.  The fighting displaced more 
than 128,000 civilians and reportedly led to the deaths of hundreds 
of people. 
 
¶2.  In response to the crisis, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign 
Disaster Assistance deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team 
(USAID/DART) to Tbilisi, Georgia, to conduct humanitarian needs 
assessments and coordinate with the Government of Georgia (GOG) and 
relief agencies. 
 
¶3.  The USAID/DART notes that limits on access to all affected 
populations, including in South Ossetia Region, present challenges 
for humanitarian service delivery and needs prioritization. In 
addition, the proliferation of centers for internally displaced 
persons (IDPs) presents challenges for coordination of the response. 
 The USAID/DART continues to work with relief agencies and U.S. 
Government agencies in Georgia to provide needed assistance to 
conflict-affected populations.  End summary. 
 
-------------- 
NUMBER OF IDPS 
-------------- 
 
¶4.  According to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for 
Refugees (UNHCR), the conflict in Georgia has displaced an estimated 
128,700 individuals in Georgia, and the Government of the Russian 
Federation (GORF) reports that approximately 30,000 individuals were 
displaced from South Ossetia into Russia during the clashes. 
 
¶5.  On August 19, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of 
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that approximately 100,000 
pre-existing internally displaced persons (IDPs) were living in more 
than 1,600 collective centers before conflict erupted in August and 
provided estimates that more than 550 IDP centers have opened in 
Tbilisi alone since the crisis began. 
 
-------------------------------- 
SECURITY AND HUMANITARIAN ACCESS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  As of August 19, international media report no significant signs 
of Russian troops withdrawing from Georgia, despite an agreement to 
pull back to pre-conflict areas beginning August 18.  The security 
situation remains tense, particularly in South Ossetia, Gori, and 
Abkahzia.  Humanitarian agencies remain unable to access South 
Ossetia Region, where much of the fighting occurred.  According to 
OCHA, no humanitarian agencies have undertaken a full assessment 
mission or assistance operations in South Ossetia to date, with 
access remaining sporadic. 
 
¶7.  As security has improved in Gori, multiple relief agencies have 
made preliminary damage assessments of Gori town and surrounding 
areas.  Despite media reports that Gori sustained critical damage to 
most or all dwellings, the assessments indicate that 10 to 15 
residential buildings in Gori town that previously housed 300-500 
individuals are heavily damaged, and approximately 30 percent of 
houses in Gori town sustained window damage. 
 
¶8.  In Gori Region, a non-governmental organization (NGO) assessment 
team reported that at least 15 to 20 percent of homes are damaged 
and 2 to 3 percent are completely destroyed, affecting 2,000-10,000 
households.  Community members in shelters for displaced persons are 
reluctant to return to communities in the near future but have 
considered the possibility of returning to Gori town. 
 
¶9. Although a damaged rail line between Gori and Tbilisi has 
temporarily halted rail transit, humanitarian travel is beginning to 
flow on the major east-west highway across the country, allowing the 
distribution of humanitarian relief to Gori and as far west as Poti, 
along the Black Sea.  The USAID/DART notes the need for unimpeded 
access to affected populations, as full humanitarian assessments are 
necessary for prioritization of assistance.  The USAID/DART is 
working with NGO and U.N. partners to facilitate information-sharing 
regarding planned assessments and humanitarian needs. &#x000
A; 
-------- 
FOOD AID 
-------- 
 
¶10.  As of August 18, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) had reached 
114,500 beneficiaries in Georgia.  WFP is providing IDPs with wheat 
flour, vegetable oil, beans, salt, sugar, high-energy biscuits, and 
baked bread.  Since access to cooking facilities remains a challenge 
for IDP populations in some urban IDP collection centers, the U.S. 
Government (USG) has provided ready-to-eat food (RUF) and 
high-energy biscuits to IDP populations in the Tbilisi and Gori 
areas.  U.S.  European Command (EUCOM) flights of USG 
meals-ready-to-eat (MREs) and humanitarian daily rations (HDRs) are 
ongoing. 
 
¶11.  According to WFP, regular humanitarian convoys into Gori and 
surrounding villages began on August 18, with a consignment of 2,500 
10-day rations, including wheat flour, oil, and sugar, to the 
village of Arteni, south of Gori, where an estimated 10,000 former 
Gori inhabitants have reportedly taken refuge. 
 
¶12.  On August 19, WFP moved its first convoy since the start of the 
crisis from the port of Poti to Tbilisi.  The convoy consisted of 11 
trucks transporting 220 metric tons (MT) of wheat flour.  The 
establishment of the route provides a critical pipeline of 
commodities, including food aid, toward eastern Georgia following 
the destruction of the rail line linking the Black Sea and eastern 
Georgia. 
 
------ 
HEALTH 
------ 
 
¶13.  USAID/Georgia and USAID/DART staff note that the proliferation 
of IDP collective centers, with numerous people living in close 
proximity, could pose future health risks.  USAID/Georgia has 
provided $62,944 to World Vision/Georgia to provide health 
activities in six IDP collective centers in Tbilisi.  The health 
activities, which will be staffed by one nurse and one psychologist, 
will provide basic medical and psycho-social support to residents of 
the six centers on a daily basis. 
 
-------------------- 
USG RESPONSE TO DATE 
-------------------- 
 
¶14.  The USG has provided more than USD 8.2 million to date in 
response to the crisis.  On August 9, U.S. Ambassador John F. Tefft 
declared a disaster due to the effects of armed conflict in Georgia, 
and USAID/OFDA provided an initial USD 250,000 through the U.S. 
Embassy in Tbilisi for the provision of emergency relief supplies to 
benefit up to 10,000 people.  In addition, USAID/OFDA, in 
coordination with USAID's Office of Food for Peace, provided USD 1 
million to WFP for local procurement of more than 650 MT of 
emergency food commodities, including high-energy biscuits, for 
displaced people who lack access to cooking facilities. 
Distributions of WFP food in Gori began on August 15. 
 
¶15.  U.S. Embassy Tbilisi has released Department of State 
pre-positioned disaster packages including medical supplies, tents, 
blankets, bedding, hygiene items, and clothing valued at USD 1.2 
million.  As of August 19, EUCOM had delivered 15 flights of USG 
relief and medical supplies to Tbilisi to benefit populations 
affected by the conflict.  The total value of EUCOM's assistance, 
including DOD emergency relief supplies, is more than USD 3.8 
million. 
 
¶16.  USAID/OFDA continues to work closely with USAID/Georgia, the 
U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy Tbilisi, Department of 
Defense, and humanitarian agencies on the ground to coordinate 
relief activities. 
 
TEFFT

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