TSR: "Russia's high-stakes military brinkmanship continues..."


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A recorded update of the overnight events, with more details from the Georgian government: 21 Georgian MPs were taken away by Russian troops in the town of Poti, and similar attempts were also made elsewhere. Also, the Russians are now talking about setting up permanent checkpoints in Gori.



WOLF BLITZER: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is joining with her NATO counterparts in calling for a quick withdrawal of Russian troops from the Republic of Georgia. In a joint statement following talks in Brussels, NATO warns that regular contacts with Moscow will be impossible until there's a full pullout.

CNN's Michael Ware is in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi with an update on the military situation.

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MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Russia's high-stakes military brinksmanship continues here in the war in Georgia, with all indications showing that the Russian troops are staying put in most of their positions.

On the western front, on the Black Sea coast, Georgian government officials say that Russian troops re-entered the all-important seaport city of Poti. There the Georgian government says Russian troops took 21 Georgian military police officers prisoners and took them back to a strong point 30 kilometers from the coast.

Meanwhile, on the eastern front, there were reports from the Georgian government of Russian troops attempting to enter a Georgian military barracks and prevented by Georgian police, with a threat, according to the Georgian government, that the Russian troops would return.

Meanwhile, in the city of Gori, an undisputed Georgian territory, again, there's absolutely no hint of Russian troops leaving. Indeed, a Georgian vice prime minister has told CNN that a Russian general informed him that Russian troops may, in fact, set up more permanent checkpoints in the city despite increasing calls from the international community now led by the NATO secretary-general for the Russians to pull back to their positions before this conflict began on August 6th.

Michael Ware, CNN, Tbilisi.