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Bush orders Navy to provide aid to Georgians

President Bush directed Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday to oversee a “rigorous and ongoing” air and naval humanitarian mission to Georgia, saying the United States is “seriously concerned” that Russia is not following the preliminary cease-fire agreement reached less than 12 hours earlier.

Navy spokesman Lt. Sean Robertson said Wednesday afternoon that the Navy is “considering a wide range of options,” but declined to discuss details.

Robertson also confirmed reports that the U.S. had pulled out of Operation FRUKUS, a joint U.S.-Russian naval exercise scheduled to begin later this week off Russia’s Pacific coast. France and the United Kingdom also were to take part in the exercise. Following the U.S. decision to pull out of the exercise, the British made a similar announcement, according to Agence France-Presse, echoing U.S. sentiment that continuation would be “highly inappropriate.”

The destroyer McCampbell was on its way to Russia to participate in the exercise, but had not yet made it to port, Robertson said.

“It’s just inappropriate to participate, given the current situation,” Robertson said.

Russian military forces invaded the former Soviet republic of Georgia on Aug. 8. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said that at the time of the attack, some 130 U.S. troops and contractors were in Georgia to prepare the Georgian forces for their next deployment to Iraq. All were accounted for, none had been injured, and there were no plans to pull them out of the country, Whitman said.

Bush said a C-17 Globemaster carrying humanitarian supplies already was en route to Georgia.

Also Wednesday, the president announced Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would travel to France to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Rice will then travel to Tbilisi, Georgia, “to convey America’s unwavering support for the Georgia democratic government.”

Rice strongly encouraged both Russia and Georgia to cease all military operations and move their forces back to pre-escalation levels.

“This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia, where Russia can threaten its neighbors, occupy a capital, overthrow a government, and get away with it. Things have changed. And so ... let’s accept that it is time to move the forces back,” Rice said Wednesday..

DISCUSS: Should the U.S. be involved?

Related reading:

• Marines in Georgia relocated, may leave

• Russia defies truce with Georgia

• U.S. flies troops from Iraq to Georgia

• U.S. forces in Iraq can accommodate Georgian pullout

• Marines train Georgians amid tension

• Video shows Russian MiG downing Georgian UAV