Russian troops tighten stranglehold.(Main)

TBILISI, Georgia - Russian forces broadened their crushing offensive against Georgia on Monday, and Georgian officials feared the worst - that the Russian invasion would mean the end of their country's independence.

Russian troops were reported in control of Georgia's main east-west highway outside the central Georgian town of Gori, had taken control of Georgia's main port at Poti, seized a Georgian military base in the West and had complete dominion of the skies, from which they bombed and strafed retreating Georgian troops at will. In Washington, President Bush warned of a "dramatic and brutal escalation" by Russia and said it appeared Russia might be trying to oust Georgia's president, a former Washington lawyer who is a staunch U.S. ally. Speaking in the White House Rose Garden immediately after flying home from China, Bush said it appeared Russia was moving beyond …