Martial Law Planned – Official

President Saakashvili is expected to declare martial law within hours, Alexandre Lomaia, the secretary of the National Security Council, said at about 2am on August 9.

Speaking with CNN via phone from Tbilisi, Lomaia confirmed that key governmental buildings, including the parliament and the president’s administration, have been evacuated after the Russian aircraft bombed number of strategic targets across Georgia.

“President Saakashvili is now in safe place,” he said.

Military base in Senaki, western Georgia, and a railway station there, as well as port of Poti were targets of air strikes late on August 8.

Lomaia also said that that the Georgian authorities feared Tbilisi might also become the target of Russia’s air strike.