Dreaming of Simplicity

NATO is to meet for an emergency summit to discuss the situation in Georgia. Despite Russia signing the ceasefire and withdrawal agreement, Russian forces are still believed to be in non-disputed Georgian territories. Also, AFP has reported that the Russian military are moving missile launchers into the area. Both the Russian military and the Kremlin deny the report. A BBC News correspondent in Georgia saw a Russian convoy of around 60 men on vehicles heading deeper into Georgia yesterday.

According to CNN, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hit out at Georgia once again yesterday. Speaking near the Russian-Georgian border, Medvedev said "The world has seen that even today, there are political morons who are ready to kill innocent and defenceless people in order to satisfy their self-serving interests, while compensating for their own inability to resolve complicated issues by using the most terrible solution -- by exterminating an entire people. I think that there should be no mercy for that. We will do our best not to let this crime go unpunished."

In response, Georgia's Ambassador to Washington said that the Russian invasion had been long in the making "You just don't move more than 1,200 tanks and 15,000 soldiers into a country within 12 hours without previous planning," Ambassador Vasil Sikharulidze said.

Speaking on the eve of the meeting of NATO's foreign ministers in Brussels, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the West must deprive Russia of any strategic victory from its assault on Georgia. The meeting was called by Secretary Rice who, on entry to Belgium, said "We are going to send the message that we are not going to allow Russia to draw a new line at those states that are not yet integrated into the transatlantic structures like Georgia and Ukraine".

It is thought that there will be two camps in the NATO talks. In one camp, Britain, Canada, the US with most Eastern European member states will seek a tough stance on Russia. The other camp, consisting of most of Western Europe, led by France and Germany, is expected to be more cautious of harming ties with Moscow.

Picture: [Demonstration in Tbilisi for a free and undivided Georgia. The sign says "Imperial Appetites"] by Håkan Henriksson - http://commons.wikimedia.org