Russia's defense minister says his country's forces have completedtheir withdrawal from Georgia under a French-mediated cease-fire,leaving only troops manning a security zone in the Caucasus country.
MinisterAnatoly Serdyukov issued his statement Friday after journalistsconfirmed the departure of columns of trucks and armor heading northtoward Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Atop Russian general in Moscow, General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, said thecountry's troops will maintain 18 checkpoints in a security zone aroundSouth Ossetia, which includes the airport near the town of Senaki.
Butthe extent of Russia's final withdrawal remains unclear, as Russianmilitary officials say their troops will maintain checkpoints alongGeorgia's main east-west highway.
In Washington, StateDepartment spokesman Robert Wood confirmed that Russian forces havebegun leaving Georgia. But he said that, without a doubt, the Russiansare failing to adhere to the French-mediated cease-fire agreement. Hecited the establishment of checkpoints and the security zone asviolations.
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev had pledged tohave the troops out by Friday evening. But Thursday, the top commanderof Russia's land forces, General Vladimir Boldyrev, said his forceswill need about 10 days to complete their withdrawal.
InTbilisi, U.S. General John Craddock, NATO's supreme allied commander,told reporters the Russian departure from Georgia is proceeding at "asnail's pace."
U.S. President George Bush told GeorgianPresident Mikheil Saakashvili Thursday that the United States islooking for Russia to comply with the agreement to withdraw, and to endwhat Mr. Bush called Russia's "siege" of Georgia.
The Georgianmove into South Ossetia earlier this month triggered a massive Russianmilitary response, with Moscow sending scores of tanks and thousands oftroops into Georgia.