State Minister: Georgia is "already into low-intensity conflict"

In an interview with the Messenger today, State Minister for Reintegration Issues Temur Iakobashvili said Georgia is already in a state of "low-intensity conflict."

The Messenger: You said in May that Georgia "literally had to avert war." How close is Georgia to war now?

State Minister Iakobashvili: I would say that where we are at now, it is more not [a case of being] in danger of war but we are already into low-intensity conflict.

South Ossetia releases Georgian soldiers

Separatist authorities in South Ossetia have released four Georgian servicemen detained late last night, the Georgian Defense Ministry confirmed.

The men are being taken to Gori, a town near breakaway South Ossetia.

President Mikheil Saakashvili had ordered the Interior Ministry to "immediately start preparations to use all legal means available" to free the four men in a security council session today.