Teleconference With Georgian President
9:59
Jon di Paolo: 
I'm standing by for a teleconference with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. You can follow it here live.
Monday August 11, 2008 9:59 Jon di Paolo
10:04
Jon di Paolo: 
Mr Saakashvili says he wants to tell the real story of what is happening.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:04 Jon di Paolo
10:05
Jon di Paolo: 
He says civilian targets are deliberately being attacked by the Russian military including bridges and roads.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:05 Jon di Paolo
10:06
Jon di Paolo: 
He said Georgia has 500 Russian tanks in its territory.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:06 Jon di Paolo
10:06
Jon di Paolo: 
Tens of thousands of refugees are fleeing the Russian advance, Mr Saakashvili adds.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:06 Jon di Paolo
10:07
Jon di Paolo: 
"Their purpose is to depose the democratically-elected government of Georgia," he said.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:07 Jon di Paolo
10:07
Jon di Paolo: 
He said Georgian defence forces have shot down up to 19 Russian aircraft and killed "hundreds" of Russian troops.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:07 Jon di Paolo
10:08
Jon di Paolo: 
He added that he had agreed to the terms of a peace deal being brokered by the EU.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:08 Jon di Paolo
10:09
Jon di Paolo: 
He said that prior to the conflict Russia had sabotaged power supplies to Georgia during the coldest days of winter.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:09 Jon di Paolo
10:11
Jon di Paolo: 
He says he hopes the world understands the Georgians are fighting for their independence.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:11 Jon di Paolo
10:12
Jon di Paolo: 
He said that Russia already had de facto control of South Ossetia before the conflict.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:12 Jon di Paolo
10:13
Jon di Paolo: 
Mr Saakashvili says the Russians now want to seize control of the whole of Georgia.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:13 Jon di Paolo
10:13
Jon di Paolo: 
He says Moscow is motivated by desire to control energy supplies and dominate the region.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:13 Jon di Paolo
10:16
Jon di Paolo: 
The president says recent military build-up he authorised was not with a view to attacking South Ossetia, but was to deter attacks from outside.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:16 Jon di Paolo
10:18
Jon di Paolo: 
"We only responded in South Ossetia when Georgia was invaded by Russian tanks," he adds.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:18 Jon di Paolo
10:19
Jon di Paolo: 
He said that if he had not ordered his troops to fire back, Russian tanks could have swept through his country.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:19 Jon di Paolo
10:20
Jon di Paolo: 
"Our troops are professional, and they fight very bravely," the president says.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:20 Jon di Paolo
10:21
Jon di Paolo: 
He estimates that 90% of the casualties in the fighting so far have been civilians.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:21 Jon di Paolo
10:22
Jon di Paolo: 
"We would be crazy to continue this war," he says. "But we will fight to defend our freedom to the end."
Monday August 11, 2008 10:22 Jon di Paolo
10:23
Jon di Paolo: 
"We want 21st-century solutions to 21st-century problems and we're getting 19th-century solutions," he said.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:23 Jon di Paolo
10:24
Jon di Paolo: 
"Are we going back to the Stone Age?"
Monday August 11, 2008 10:24 Jon di Paolo
10:25
Jon di Paolo: 
The conference call has been interrupted.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:25 Jon di Paolo
10:27
Jon di Paolo: 
We're waiting to hear whether the president can rejoin the call...
Monday August 11, 2008 10:27 Jon di Paolo
10:29
Jon di Paolo: 
Looks like that's all we're getting.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:29 Jon di Paolo
10:31
Jon di Paolo: 
The moderator has just told us the conference will resume "momentarily".
Monday August 11, 2008 10:31 Jon di Paolo
10:40
Jon di Paolo: 
The conference call has ended, because Russian jets are bombing near the place from where President Saakashvili was speaking.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:40 Jon di Paolo
10:41
Jon di Paolo: 
The moderator has said it will be re-arranged for a later time.
Monday August 11, 2008 10:41 Jon di Paolo
10:57



 
 
 
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