Bush, CIA discuss Georgia crisis

MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. President Bush and CIA leaders Thursday discussed the situation in Georgia and different scenarios about what could happen in the area, officials said.

"(There are ) a lot of folks ... analyzing the situation on the ground and ... briefing us on different possibilities that could develop in the area and the region," Bush said after the meeting at CIA headquarters in McLean, Va.

The confrontation between Georgia and Russia began last week when Georgian forces tried to establish control in the breakaway republic South Ossetia, only to be overwhelmed by Russian forces. A cease-fire was brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy earlier this week.

Bush said he would be briefed Saturday by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on her trip to France and Georgia.

"I'm looking forward to hearing firsthand what she has seen, what she has heard," said Bush, who directed Rice to go to Europe Wednesday to help efforts to negotiate Georgia-Russia peace agreement. "And my call, of course, is for the territorial integrity of Georgia to be respected and for the cease-fire agreement to be honored."

After her meeting with Sarkozy, Rice said "the cease-fire really must go into place." Russia had been accused of violating terms of the agreement, which it denied.