Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, arrived in Tbilisi today to bolster Georgia's position after it was routed by Russia in the conflict over South Ossetia.

She told reporters travelling with her that the immediate goal was to get Michail Saakashvili out of there before he cracked up altogether.

But she said she would never ask Georgia to agree to locking him up permanently even if it were in his best interests.

Mikheil Saakashvili said he had not been feeling well since before he invaded South Ossetia but that the US had told him to do so.

This was denied, immediately, by Miss Rice who said she was flying Saakashvili back to the US - of his own free will - for a little rest.