Russia says to inspect cargo at Georgian port

[Junkdrawer]

Source: Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian forces will carry out regular inspections of cargo at Georgia's economically vital Black Sea port of Poti, a senior Russian defense official said on Monday.

"The Russian contingent is carrying out patrolling duties in Poti. Within the framework of those tasks is the regular inspection of cargo which is brought in and out of the port. These checks are carried out on a regular basis," Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian military's General Staff, told Reuters after a news conference.

Russia says it has honored a pledge to withdraw the bulk of troops it sent in this month after Georgian forces tried to retake the Moscow-backed breakaway region of South Ossetia.

But Western states believe the Russian plan to station what it calls peacekeeping troops deep inside Georgia will hand the Kremlin pressure points on key oil and trade routes through Georgia to the Black Sea.



Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKLP61136820080825

---

One US warship unloaded a cargo at another Georgian port Sunday. Two more are due this week.

See:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3847593

[grannie4peace]

1. i don't trust bush either

[bluesmail]

2. Oh look. Weapons. Instead of 'humanitarian aid'.

[The Croquist]

3. It's none of the Russian's business what the Georgians import

It's their country. This is turning into a Russian occupation of Georgia.

[Junkdrawer]

4. Was it none of our business what Cuba imported in 1962?

:shrug:

[Igel]

9. You're right.

The proper response--which is the one we had--was to put occupation troops in, trash Castro's military, confiscate any military equipment belonging either to Russia or to Cuba and return it to the US.

Defensive or offensive, doesn't matter.

That's what you'd consider to have been right? Or do you think we actually did that?

I don't.

ICBMs are not APCs.

[AlphaCentauri]

10. So what about Saddam's imported weapons of mass destruction?

didn't we were looking for them?

how is that for a "good" invasion...

[Purveyor]

5. Wise move on Russia's part. eom

[Xithras]

6. What do they hope to accomplish with this?

Georgia has two large port cities on the Black Sea. Poti, which is now controlled by the Russians, and Bat'umi further south which largely avoided damage in the war and is still controlled by Georgia. Bat'umi is also the countries oil hub, and is well connected to the rest of the country by road and rail networks.

The Russians are claiming that they want to maintain control of Poti to "inspect" cargo, but they know full well that any military equipment would now simply be imported via Bat'umi instead. The U.S. ships are docking in Bat'umi as we speak, bypassing the Russians entirely.

IMO, Russia is holding onto Poti as a bargaining chip. They want to use the city and port, which are vital to the countries economy, as leverage to get the country to acquiesce to their desire to annex Abkhazia and South Ossetia into the Russian sphere. The port itself has little real strategic value to them.

[Junkdrawer]

7. And if/when the Russian move to inspect Bat'umi???

:shrug:

BTW: No one is "docking" in Bat'umi. Ships are being unloaded with floating cranes. Poti is the port for heavy, non-pumpable cargos.

...

The destroyer USS McFaul is reported to be carrying supplies such as blankets, hygiene kits and baby food. The supplies will be unloaded by a floating crane as the port is too shallow for the ship to dock.

Two more US ships are due to arrive later this week.

The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, aboard the American warship, said that apart from delivering aid, the arrival of US naval personnel is undoubtedly intended to send a signal to the Russians - that America is serious about its support for Georgia.

But, he adds, the prospect of US and Russian armed forces actually meeting on Georgian soil is one that both sides seem keen to avoid.

Batumi is not a natural harbour for a naval vessel the size of the USS McFaul to dock, but Russian forces have been fortifying their positions at the key port of Poti, further up the coast.

...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7579506.stm

[cliss]

8. Interesting.

I wonder if the Russians will inspect US Aid coming in via the Navy Destroyers.

Navy Destroyers bringing aid.
Is it unusual for the US to bring disaster supplies via a destroyer?

This whole thing is odd.
:smoke:

[mainegreen]

11. Russia is holding all the aces. We really have no leverage.

There are no economic levers to use on Russia.
There is no energy leverage to use on Russia.
There is no military leverage we have against Russia.
We have no political leverage with Russia.

Hell, we even need their space program right now.

Seriously, we should just roll over and not waste any more time on this. Russia will do damned well whatever they please there and there isn't shit we can, or even should do there.