From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Wed Dec 20 2000 - 11:06:05 EST
RUSSIA SAYS GEORGIA'S EFFORTS TO CONTAIN CHECHEN MILITANTS
INADEQUATE
Russian agencies on 18 December quoted unnamed
Russian military sources as rejecting as inadequate the
enhanced security precautions introduced in eastern Georgia
to curb criminal activities by Chechens in Georgia's Pankisi
gorge (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 6 December 2000). The Russian
sources said the new measures fail to strengthen controls on
the Georgian-Russian border or on minor roads leading to the
gorge. Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze told
journalists in Tbilisi the same day that Georgia is "actively
cooperating" with Russia to contain the Chechen threat and
will not under any circumstances agree that Russian troops be
given access to Georgian territory to mount a "mopping-up"
operation against Chechen militants currently ensconced in
the Pankisi gorge. LF
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