Georgian War: Poti Closed Off – Gori Falls – Country “Cut in Half”
by John Little on 11/08/2008The situation is bleak:
Russia’s over-running of Senaki, a town 25 miles inland from Poti, has effectively shut down the country’s biggest commercial port.
The move will, officials say, starve the country of more than half of its imports of key products like wheat, grain, tinned food and cars.
Giorgi Badrdidze, the acting head of mission at the Georgian Embassy in London, said: “Poti is a vital lifeline for Georgia and Tbilisi because it offers a direct connection to western countries.
“This is a major, strategically important economic target. It imports a huge part of the Caucuses’ agricultural products.”
Independent experts said that the blockade of Poti would be felt across the regions as products shipped through the Black Sea port feed neighbouring countries Armenia and Azerbaijan.
John Roberts, from energy consultants Platts who has written a report on the port Poti, said: “Poti is very important as a commerical port, with an important ferry service to Romania. It is Georgia’s window on the world.”
Gori, which is much closer to Tbilisi, has fallen as well:
The head of Georgia’s national security council says Russian forces have taken the strategically key city of Gori.
Gori is on Georgia’s main east-west highway, about 60 miles west of the capital Tbilisi. By taking the city, Russia has the potential to effectively cut the country in half.
If Russia’s intent is to demonstrate that they can act with impunity within their sphere of influence I think they’ve succeeded. They’ve managed to make Eurasia a messier, more unstable, place. I don’t see a reversal of that trend on the horizon.
Update:
U.S. officials aren’t so sure that the Russians are in Gori:
Georgian officials said Russian troops had moved out of South Ossetia into Georgia proper, occupying the city of Gori while Georgian troops were retreating to the capital.
But US defense officials said they were unable to corroborate the Georgian claims.
“We don’t see anything that supports they are in Gori,” said a defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “I don’t know why the Georgians are saying that.”
“That assessment is ongoing,” said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman.
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