US navy arrives in Georgia

A US navy warship delivered humanitarian aid yesterday for victims of Georgia's brief war with Russia while Moscow ignored Western demands to pull its remaining troops from the Caucasus country's heartland. Russia says residual troops are peacekeepers needed to avert further bloodshed and to protect Georgia's separatist, pro-Moscow provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

However, in a sign of simmering tensions, a fuel train exploded on Georgia's main east-west rail line yesterday near the central town of Gori after hitting a landmine, according to Georgian officials. A huge plume of black smoke climbed into the sky.

Georgia's Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze said the damaged rail link was vital to the economy of Georgia and its neighbours, and Azeri officials said oil cargoes were being held up at the Georgian border following the explosion.

The Russia-Georgia conflict erupted on August 7-8 when Tbilisi tried to retake South Ossetia region in Georgia. A Russian counter-offensive pushed into Georgia proper, crossing its main east-west highway and nearing a Western-backed oil pipeline from Azerbaijan.

Russian troops also moved into Western Georgia from Abkhazia, another breakaway region on the Black Sea. Hundreds of people were killed, tens of thousands displaced and housing and infrastructure wrecked in the fighting.

A Reuters reporter in Batumi, 80 kilometres south of the port of Poti where Russian troops are still present, saw a giant crane unload 55 tonnes of aid from the USS McFaul.

Two other US ships were due to follow the guided missile destroyer to the port. The US, a strong ally of Georgia, has already delivered some aid by military cargo plane but is now shipping in beds and food.

"The United States is our great friend. They have arrived at such a difficult time. It means we are not alone," Georgian Defence Minister David Kezerashvili told reporters in Batumi.

The US and Europe fear the continued Russian presence in Georgia will cement the country's ethnic partition, undermine President Mikheil Saakashvili's pro-Western government and threaten vital energy pipelines criss-crossing the country.

Russia's action has also unnerved other ex-Soviet republics. In a clear swipe at Moscow, Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko said yesterday his country - home to a large ethnic Russian population - must boost its defences and speed up its efforts to join Nato.

Russia sees the ex-Soviet republics as part of its legitimate sphere of influence and opposes their Nato bids, but the US envoy to the Caucasus said Russia had inadvertently helped Georgia's bid for Nato membership with its actions.