Truce between Russia, Georgia flawed, some say

Since the hastily drafted six-point plan was announced Wednesday, Russian forces have continued to sweep through Georgian territory, beyond the contested regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in apparent violation of the truce.

The Georgians accuse the Russians of ignoring the truce, and are concerned that the pact doesn't have a timetable.

Article 5 of the plan, brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, allows the Russian to "implement additional security measures" in Georgia pending the setting up of an "international mechanism" to monitor the conflict zone.

Analysts fear that wording--which diplomats in Brussels say was introduced at Russia's insistence--could be used to justify incursions like those Wednesday and Thursday in the city of Gori and other Georgian locations.

The Russians say they are keeping order in those locations and preventing looting of arms depots.

In Paris on Thursday, U.S. and French officials fleshed out details of the pact that includes apparent concessions to Moscow but preserves Georgian borders, U.S. officials said.

If both sides agree, the pact would allow Russian peacekeepers who were in South Ossetia before the fighting broke out last week to stay and would be permitted to patrol in a strip up to roughly 6 miles outside the area, the officials said.

The concession was demanded by Russia, which accuses Georgian forces of attacking the peacekeepers and pro-Russian South Ossetians there. Georgia's military move to regain control of the region prompted Russia to launch its invasion. The plan would also allow Russian peacekeepers to remain in Abkhazia, but without expanded patrol rights, the officials said.

In return, Russia would need to respect Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, something that Sarkozy and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice both stressed on Thursday after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov openly questioned the viability country's established borders.