Paris - French President Nicolas Sarkozy demanded that Russian troops withdraw "without delay" from Georgia, adding that "this point is not negotiable in my eyes."

In an article to appear in Le Figaro newspaper Monday, Sarkozy said he would convene a special European Union summit if Russia failed to remove its military troops that entered Georgia on and after August 7.

"If this clause of the ceasefire accord is not applied rapidly and totally, I would summon an extraordinary European Council to decide what consequences to draw," the article said.

New York - Unit

London, Aug. 16 : Human Rights Watch (HRW) officials have claimed that they have evidence of Russia using cluster bombs against civilian targets and infrastructure in Georgia.

Citing eyewitness accounts, as well as video and photographic evidence, the HRW officials said that Russian aircraft dropped RBK-250 cluster bombs, each containing 30 PTAB 2.5M submunitions, on the town of Ruisi in the Kareli district of Georgia on Tuesday.

Washington, Aug 15 : Russia’s military offensive into Georgia has jolted Washington’s relationship with Moscow, senior Bush Administration officials have said.

The offensive has forced a wholesale reassessment of American dealings with Russia and jeopardizing talks on everything from halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions to reducing strategic arsenals to cooperation on missiles defences

Even as the conflict between Russia and Georgia appeared to ease on Thursday, Secretary of Defence Robert M. Gates said the Russian attack had forced a fundamental rethinking of the administration’s effort to forge “an ongoing and long-term strategic dialogue with Russia.”

Tbilisi - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was en route to Tbilisi on Friday, as Russia's military continued to occupy two Georgian provinces despite a ceasefire agreement obliging them to leave.

Rice was set to meet with members of the Georgian leadership to discuss the implementation of a ceasefire plan for the region, and humanitarian aid to Georgia being delivered by the US Air Force and Navy.

US President George W. Bush's decision to send Georgia support aboard US military aircraft and warships has turned the Ossetia conflict into an clear face-off between the Kremlin and Washington, despite claims by both sides they only want peace in the region.