The Guardian writes “Armed Cossacks pour in to fight Georgians”

At a special meeting of the UN security council yesterday morning, the United States called on the Kremlin to prevent irregulars entering South Ossetia via the 4km Roki tunnel, the republic’s only link with Russia. But at a meeting with the US president, George Bush, in Bejing, the Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin, admitted “many volunteers” were heading to South Ossetia and it would be “very hard to maintain peace”.

In Abkhazia, Cossack and Chechen units fought side by side against Georgian troops, despite being historical enemies. Abkhazia has promised to help South Ossetia in its conflict with Georgia.

Ossetians in Vladikavkaz yesterday said they were hoping for a decisive strike by the Russian army to drive Georgia’s forces out of South Ossetia. There were emotional scenes in the city, as hundreds of protesters, mostly women, gathered outside the regional government headquarters and shouted, “Russia, save us!” …

Shota Kochiev, 60, said: “This is America’s doing. They are supporting Georgia’s mad lust for new land – our land.”