- Georgian troops began their first big anti-terrorist
operations in the Pankisi gorge border region yesterday as the United States
issued its strongest warning to the Russian government to end its reported
bombing of the area, which Moscow considers a base for Chechen rebels.
-
- Interior ministry troops set up 10 checkpoints in an
attempt to restrict the movement of the Chechens, whom Russia insists regularly
cross the border to fight in Chechnya.
-
- On Friday it was reported that Russia had sent 10 helicopters
into the gorge on a bombing run, killing one civilian and injuring seven.
-
- Russia denied that it had carried out a raid, the fifth
it has been accused of this month, but it has repeatedly criticised Tbilisi's
failure to act against "terrorists" in the area.
-
- The Georgian president, Eduard Shevardnadze, said yesterday:"The
whole world supports Georgia".
-
- He said Georgia had delayed sending troops until now,
when "guarantees of success have been created".
-
- The deployment was made within hours of the White House
spokesman Ari Fleischer calling the reports of a Russian bombing raid "credible".
He added: "The United States regrets this loss of life and deplores
the violation of Georgia's sovereignty."
-
- He insisted that relations with Russia were not broadly
affected, but the openly delivered reprimand, which included a call for
a political settlement in Chechnya guaranteed to raise hackles further
in Moscow, adds to the unease between Russia and the US which was worsened
last week by Moscow's announcement of a $40 billion trade agreement with
Iraq.
-
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/chechnya/Story/0,2763,780741,00.html
|
