Bush denounces Russian violence in Georgia

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush is denouncing what he calls Russia's dramatic and brutal escalation of violence in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. He pressed Moscow to accept an immediate cease-fire and to pull back its troops. Bush put the crisis at the top of his agenda as he returned from the Olympic Games in Beijing. In a Rose Garden statement Monday, Bush said there appeared to be an attempt by Russia to unseat Georgia's pro-Western president, Mikhail Saakashvili.

He demanded an immediate cease-fire, the withdrawal of Russian troops from the conflict zone and a return to the status quo as of Aug. 6. Russia has ignored calls for a truce and has responded with overwhelming military force.