TGG01: GEORGIA TASK FORCE SITUATION REPORT NO. 19

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 088303

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/17/2018
TAGS: AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO MARR PREL PINR AMGT CD
SUBJECT: TGG01: GEORGIA TASK FORCE SITUATION REPORT NO. 19

CLASSIFIED BY:DEBORAH SCHNEIDER, SENIOR WATCH OFFICER,
S/ES-O, REASON 1.4(D)


RUSSIAN TROOP MOVEMENTS
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1. (SBU) Embassy Tbilisi could not confirm any Russian
troop withdrawals. EU parliamentarians entered Gori
after being stopped at the outskirts. They saw no
troops in the city, but the Russian military has
established checkpoints at major junctions along the
road from Gori to Khashuri, giving them control of all
the main east-west roads in the country.


2. (SBU)Speaker Bakradze told Ambassador Tefft that
Georgian military intelligence reported the 71st and
50th Russian brigades at Gori have orders to move
toward Tbilisi, but the embassy could not confirm this
report.


3. (U)Russian soldiers told the BBC their final
destination would be Tbilisi, and they may be in
Georgia for up to a year.


4. (SBU)About 60 Russian vehicles reportedly deployed to
the town of Akhalgori, about 40 kilometers NW of
Tbilisi. Russian forces are trying to issue Russian
passports to local residents, who were told they would
need to "become Ossetian" or leave the area.


5. (SBU)Russian army units and Abkhazian separatist
militants reportedly set up administrations in 13
villages in a UN-declared buffer zone near the Enguri
River and separatists now control the Enguri
hydropower plant, which supplies 80 percent of
Georgia's hydroelectric power.

HUMANITARIAN ISSUES AND RESOURCES
--------------


6. (SBU)According to the GOG, damage to the Kaspi Railway
Bridge could be repaired in approximately 10 days.
The impact will be mitigated by work-arounds which do
not require using rail traffic. The Russian military
denied its forces were involved in destroying the
bridge.


7. (U)Russian troops and separatists forced Georgian men
to clean the streets of South Ossetia's bombed-out
capital, Tskhinvali.


8. (SBU)The EU released 1.5 million euros for
humanitarian assistance.


9. (SBU)Seven EUCOM C-130 flights delivered 98.5 tons of
humanitarian relief supplies to Tbilisi. By August
18, a total of 12,000 sheets, 8,000 sleeping bags,

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6,000 blankets, and 900 cots will have been delivered
to Tbilisi.


10. (SBU)A German team reports the commercial side of
the port in Poti is operating.

NATO AND OSCE ASSISTANCE
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11. (C)NATO members have not yet agreed on how to
respond to Georgian requests for assistance. France
and Germany are leading a contingent of Allies who do
not want it to appear that NATO is becoming militarily
involved in the conflict or taking sides. Pending
further details on OSCE requests, the Allies decided
to indicate they would "consider specific requests for
support from the UN, EU, and OSCE for their activities
in Georgia." The Political Committee will meet again
August 18. EUR A/S Fried suggested that agreed-upon
actions should be made public quickly, in order to
replace an "Allies divided" story with "Allies united
in providing assistance."


12. (SBU)EUR/RPM advised Finland to expeditiously
request airlift from the United States for German and
Ukrainian APCs, which have been offered to support an
OSCE observation mission.

AMCITS AFFECTED BY FIRES
--------------


13. (SBU)Embassy Tbilisi has communicated with Amcits
in areas affected by the fires. Several Amcits are
considering leaving the Surami, Borjomi, and Chiatori
areas. Approximately 30 unaccompanied Amcit minors
are visiting relatives in Georgia. Post will issue a
warden message regarding the fires.


14. (SBU)The two AmCit minor girls featured on Fox News
remained with their grandmother in Sveri rather than
evacuating due to nearby fires. Embassy Tbilisi
suggested they go to Kutaisi, if necessary, where the
Embassy can more easily assist them in traveling on to
Batumi.


15. Minimize considered.
RICE