Roundup: Georgia Adopts Dual Tactics toward Russia over Pankisi Issue

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, August 28, 2002

Roundup: Georgia Adopts Dual Tactics toward Russia over Pankisi Issue

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Hundreds of Georgian government troops have started patrolling the lawless Pankisi Gorge over the weekend for rebels from the neighboring Russian republic of Chechnya, but have come up empty-handed so far.

In a parallel operation, about 1,500 Georgian troops are holding exercises in the Akhmeta district near the southern edge of the gorge.

Analysts here believe the operations reflect Georgia's two-sided strategy over increasing tension with Russia -- to show its efforts in cracking down on terrorism, and to demonstrate its military power in securing border areas.

The Pankisi Gorge in northeast Georgia has long been a focus of tension between Russia and Georgia. Moscow has accused Georgia of harboring Chechen rebels on its territory and has urged a joint military operation to flush them out. Georgia only acknowledges there may be criminals and militants among Chechen refugees in the gorge but argues it is capable of "bringing order" there.

The tension soared last week when Georgia accused Russia of crossing into its airspace and bombing villages in the gorge, killing one person and wounding five others. In sharp response Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze warned that "if things continue like this, Georgia will have to use all methods to stop such bombings."

Washington also sided with Georgia on the issue, with White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer blaming Russia for violating Georgia's sovereignty.

The Russian military denied the charge. Defense Minister SergeiIvanov on Monday suggested that Georgia itself carried out the raids, then put the blamed on Russia to avoid possible retaliation by Chechen militants.

The Russian Foreign Ministry released a toughly-worded statement last weekend, urging Georgia to disarm the Chechen rebels hiding in the gorge and hand them over to Russia.

Under escalating Russian pressure, Georgia on Sunday sent hundreds of Interior Ministry troops into the Pankisi Gorge on an "anti-criminal operation." No clashes have been reported so far in Pankisi as governmental soldiers set up 10 checkpoints there.

Analysts said Georgia's action may well serve as a gesture that it is both willing and able to fight terrorism, and to oust Chechen rebels from the Pankisi Gorge, partly to oblige to Russia's repeated demand.

At the same time, Tbilisi started a three-weeks exercise in a nearby district under the command of officers who have received United States anti-terrorism training.

Georgian Defense Minister David Tevzadze said the operation was to "test cooperation between the Defense Ministry, the Interior Ministry and border guards in securing border areas." But analysts say it amounted to an armed demonstration to Russia.

Washington has said that some of the militants in the gorge have possible links with al-Qaida and sent the first group of its military instructors to Georgia in May to help train troops for anti-terror operations.

Tbilisi said the US would dispatch about 150 military instructors to Georgia this year as part of a project worth 65 million US dollars to help improve the country's troops. The figure is three times that of the annual budget of the Georgian Defense Ministry.

Strong US support, however, has put Georgia into a rather difficult position with its big neighbor, Russia. The Georgian parliament convened an emergency session on Monday and asked Shevardnadze to begin Georgia's withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). But Shevardnadze said he opposed such action and noted that Georgia and Russia must work together to normalize relations.

The recent Georgian-Russian disputes show bilateral ties have cooled to a new low and will not bounce back in the near future as Tbilisi is pursing military cooperation with Washington and accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

However, facing such a giant and strong neighbor, Tbilisi would be very cautious about taking any radical steps, and would sometimes have to echo its shouts.

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