STEVE INSKEEP, host:
It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Renee Montagne is away. I'm Steve Inskeep. Good morning.
Reporters covering a war can only trust what they actually see. And a good example is the Republic of Georgia. That's where Russian troops attacked in recent days in the face of international protest, and that's where Russia has been saying its troops are withdrawing - even as they've have dug in.
This morning, though, there are signs of movement. We got a look at that movement a short time ago through the eyes of NPR's Ivan Watson.
Ivan Watson, where are you and what are you seeing?
IVAN WATSON: Steve, I'm on the highway, about halfway between the Georgian capital, that Russian occupied town of Gori. And you can hear the rumbling right now of tank treads as now dozens of Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers loaded with soldiers are now leaving territory that they have occupied for the past several days. The soldiers are smiling. They're waving to journalists and Georgians on the side of the road as they go past. I asked one of these officers, Steve, where are you going? And he turned to me with a big smile, and he said, home.
INSKEEP: Is this one of the areas where Russian troops, I'm told, just a couple of days ago seemed to be digging in and making their presence permanent?
WATSON: Absolutely, Steve. On this very same stretch of road, I was watching Russian soldiers, just yesterday afternoon, digging fresh trenches. This has been a de facto land blockade of the Georgian capital because they have not been allowing trucks and supply vehicles to come through for the past several days. And of course, the Russians have been promising to open this road. They have been promising to pull back. According to a ceasefire agreement signed with Georgia which was mediated by the French president Nicolas Sarkozy nearly a week ago, but they have procrastinated and delayed. And now it looks like we're seeing the beginning of the moment that Georgia has been waiting for.
INSKEEP: Now, just as we began talking, Ivan, the sound of the tanks is growing much fainter. Is the convoy continuing or is everybody out the area now?
WATSON: Now, the convoy is continuing, Steve. Now, these are more supply trucks that are rolling pass now. And this is a convoy of probably at least 50 vehicles that are leaving. They're flying Russian flags. And the Russian soldiers on top clearly look very happy to be leaving.
Now, the big question, though, is how far back are they going to go? For example, I have been stopped at a Russian military checkpoint that is guiding this convoy through. They are not letting me and other civilians go on farther towards the town of Gori, which has been occupied for more than a week now.
INSKEEP: Oh, so we do not know if they're really getting out of the country of Georgia or if they're getting out of this area. But anyway, we just know that they're moving. Now, Ivan, as best you've been able to determine from whatever sources you have, how widespread is this withdrawal?
WATSON: Well, we've had reports in the Georgian media of Russian troops pulling out of a western town called Zugdidi, where on Monday I saw Russian troops leaving in Georgian army and police bases. At the same time, though, yesterday, we had reports of the Russians digging in to the Black Sea port of Poti just yesterday. So, we're getting mixed signals. But this is clearly a demonstration. The Russians clearly want to show this - there are hundreds of journalists and TV cameras gathered here. And the Russians have been demonstrating both shows of force and now I think they're trying to demonstrate that they are going to make good on their repeated promises over the past week to pull out.
INSKEEP: And Ivan, the tanks are now so loud. I feel obliged to tell you: don't get run over on our account. But as you're continuing to watch that, give us an idea again of the basics of the situation. The Russians say they're pulling out of Georgia, but they're not pulling out of this breakaway region, South Ossetia, they'll remain there. And there will still be a dispute with the West, is that correct?
WATSON: The Russians have said Georgia might as well forget about the breakaway region of South Ossetia where this conflict exploded on August 7th and 8th when Georgia tried to retake control of the separatist region. They've also said Georgia might as well forget the other breakaway region of Abkhazia, as well. And the Russians have also published maps this week indicating that they are keen on developing a buffer zone to the south of South Ossetia, extending up to 10 miles into Georgian territory - not too far from where I'm standing now -that they reserve the right to continue to maintain a military presence in this area of hundreds of soldiers. That is, of course, something that the Georgians are not going to be very happy with.
INSKEEP: NPR's Ivan Watson is in the republic of Georgia by a roadside where a Russian convoy is moving, they say, out.
Ivan, thanks very much.
WATSON: You're welcome, Steve.
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