He said in his address to the Ossetians, "You are well aware that Georgia does not want to resume military action in Tskhinvali. This is a small town but it's ours, it is part of Georgia, and no one can stand in [our] way."
"We want neither an armed conflict nor problems with our northern neighbor. However, should someone trigger an armed conflict against Georgia - Russia involved in an armed confrontation with Georgia is the last thing I want - we must be ready for anything," Mr. Saakashvili said.
"But if [there are] some villains, criminals... or a militia gathered currently in [South Ossetian capital] Tskhinvali and in [North Ossetian capital] Vladikavkaz, some foreigners from [the Siberian city of] Krasnoyarsk we have detained, if they have come here to shed blood, let them come and shed blood, but this will be their blood," the Georgian president said.
He emphasized that everybody entering Georgia with a weapon on him would be terminated.
"We all have to understand that, whatever strong they might be, they are foreigners and enemies, while we are defending our homeland," he said.
He called upon each Georgian family to put up defense and take care of the army. "We have to understand that all finance will be spent on defenses, and please do not criticize me for that," the Georgian president went on.
According to him, all state money should be spent on the army, border reinforcements, and strategic reserves.
"I want to take to the Russian people! In January we have extended our hand but it's still there not shaken. Unfortunately, no one has so far cared to shake our hand of friendship," he said.
According to the Georgian president, he has good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and various Russian entities. However, he believes, thereare some forces in Russia that want 1992 nightmare back (in 1992, as then Georgian president Zviad Gamsakhurdia cancelled privileges South Ossetia used to have as Georgia's autonomous province, an ethnic conflict broke out in the area. As a result of it, thousands of Georgians were forced out into Georgia, and South Ossetia proclaimed independence but was not recognized).
Should this happen, Mikhail Saakashvili said, the enemy will not face the Georgia of 1992 - Georgia "will be not like a palm, but like a fist."
"We will by no means turn a blind eye and pretend to see nothing. We will see that neither the Ossetians nor the Abkhaz are our enemies. We will know who our adversary and enemy is and whom we will fight to the last drop of our blood," the Georgian president warned.
According to the Georgian leader, South Ossetian armed formations have been attacking Georgian villages in South Ossetia since last night.
He said that Georgian Interior Ministry troops were ordered to do their best to avoid casualties among Ossetians.
