Georgia says "very close" to war with Russia

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia's deployment of extra troops inthe breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia has brought theprospect of war "very close," a minister of ex-Soviet Georgiasaid on Tuesday. 

Separately, in comments certain to fan rising tensionbetween Moscow and Tbilisi, the "foreign minister" of thebreakaway Black Sea region was quoted as saying it was ready tohand over military control to Russia.

"We literally have to avert war," Temur Iakobashvili, aGeorgian State Minister, told reporters in Brussels.