Russia Shrugs Off NATO Scolding, Takes Prisoners and Humvees

Aug. 19, 2008— -- A Western draft of a U.N. Security Council resolution on Georgia calls on Russia to withdraw immediately to pre-conflict lines, according to a text obtained by Reuters today. The draft also calls for the return of Georgian forces to their usual bases, demands full and immediate compliance with the ceasefire and a reference to "the territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders."

Led by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, NATO delivered a tough message to Moscow, warning that the Western alliance cannot "continue to do business as usual" with Russia as long as its troops are in the neighboring country of Georgia.

Russia shrugged off the diplomatic scolding and called the Georgian government a "criminal, failed regime."

"NATO is trying to make a victim of an aggressor and whitewash a criminal regime, save a collapsing regime and is taking a path to the rearmament of the current leaders in Georgia," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters today.

Lavrov said Russia could pull its troops out of Georgia by this weekend, depending whether Georgian troops returned to their bases.

In an even more blunt response, Russia sent tanks and trucks today into Georgia's port city of Poti, which is key to Georgia's oil shipments. The Russians sealed the port and then towed Georgia's missile boat Dioskuria out of sight. A loud explosion was heard soon after.

When the Russians pulled out of the port several hours later, about 20 blindfolded and handcuffed Georgian soldiers held at gunpoint were riding atop the Russian vehicles.

They also commandeered four American Humvees that had been left from a joint U.S.-Georgia military exercise and were awaiting shipment back to the states.

U.S. military officials said the vehicles were amphibious Humvees. They said it was unclear whether other U.S. equipment, including a few trucks and life support equipment, had also been appropriated by the Russians.

Officially the Pentagon is saying only that it is looking into the reports of the missing Humvees and has not yet demanded that the Russians give them back.

Russia's Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsin said the Humvees were "captured" along with the 20 Georgian troops who were using them.

The Russians have signed a cease-fire agreement in which both sides are to pull back to positions they held before last week's fighting erupted over Georgia's breakaway province of South Ossetia. Although the fighting stopped nearly a week ago, Russian tanks and troops continue to man roadblocks in central Georgia and maintain control over the key Georgian city of Gori.

NATO concluded its emergency summit in Brussels today by deciding to freeze regular contacts with Moscow until it withdraws its troops from Georgia.

"We have determined that we cannot continue with business as usual," the 26 NATO states said in a joint declaration issued after emergency talks in Brussels.