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http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/09/23/011.html Moscow Times Monday, Sep. 23, 2002. Page 3 Georgia Calls for 3-Way Pankisi Talks Combined Reports -Irakly Menagarishvili told Georgia's Rustavi-2 television late last week from New York that Washington had suggested the talks. "If the Russian side refuses to participate, the consultations will continue in a bilateral format." Georgia's foreign minister said Georgian, Russian and U.S. officials may hold three-way talks on the controversy surrounding the Pankisi Gorge, where Moscow asserts hundreds of Chechen rebels and international terrorists have taken refuge and pose a grave threat to Russia's security. Irakly Menagarishvili told Georgia's Rustavi-2 television late last week from New York that Washington had suggested the talks. He said Tedo Dzhaparidze, the head of Georgia's Security Council who left for Washington on Thursday for a previously planned visit, would represent Georgia. "If the Russian side refuses to participate, the consultations will continue in a bilateral format," Menagarishvili said. However, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said in Washington on Friday that Russia had not received any proposal for three-way talks, Interfax reported. "What's needed is not committees and commissions but political will," Ivanov said. Ivanov and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov met Friday with U.S. President George W. Bush and their U.S. counterparts. Sergei Ivanov told reporters Moscow was prepared to launch pre-emptive strikes against Chechen rebels on Georgian territory, and he said Friday that Russia gave U.S. officials "incontrovertible data proving links between Georgian official representatives and terrorists in Georgia," Interfax reported. Georgian officials said President Eduard Shevardnadze received a letter from Bush on Saturday in which he emphasized that the United States firmly supports Georgia's territorial integrity and will help it fight terrorism, but that stability in the region depends on cooperation between Georgia and Russia. Washington believes fighters connected with al-Qaida are in Pankisi, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said Thursday that terrorists are actively training and plotting in Georgia. "There are countries like Yemen and Georgia, where we know there are active terrorists, not just training camps," he said. The United States has backed Georgia's right to deal with the problem on its own, and Bush on Friday "stressed the importance of Russia protecting the sovereignty, the territorial integrity of Georgia," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. Sergei Ivanov said he saw "no parallel" between the situations in Georgia and Iraq, asserting that the terrorist threat from Georgia is clearer. "If we are talking about Georgia, no additional proof supporting the fact that terrorists are on its territory is needed," he said. The State Border Service said Friday that more than 500 Chechen rebels are concentrated in Pankisi. Georgian police forces sweeping the gorge have detained 26 people since late August -- 25 ethnic Chechens and one man believed to be a national of an Arab country carrying a fake French passport. Ten of the Chechens, from a group of 12 detained Wednesday, have been released, Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Paata Gomelauri said Saturday. Also Saturday, Liberal Russia leaders criticized the Kremlin's threats of possible military action in Georgia and called for talks to end the war in Chechnya, which they said has caused the tension between Russia and Georgia. n Bulgaria's government on Friday pledged $90,000 worth of arms to Georgia in a gift meant to help fight terrorism. The donation is intended to be used by Georgia's security forces in their efforts against Chechen fighters sheltering in the Pankisi Gorge. (AP, Reuters) ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.civil.ge/cgi-bin/newspro/fullnews.cgi?newsid1032546892,4870, Civil Georgia September 21, 2002 Georgian Security Chief Met Condoleezza Rice -"She assured me that whatever statements are made by the Russian authorities, the United States would strongly support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity." (Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, September 20, 2002) - Georgian National Security Council Secretary Tedo Japaridze met with Condoleezza Rice, the assistant to the US President for national security affairs on September 20. The Pankisi problem was in the top of the agenda during the meeting. "She assured me that whatever statements are made by the Russian authorities, the United States would strongly support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Tedo Japaridze told the Rustavi 2 TV channel after the meeting with the US official. After the meeting the talks between US President George W. Bush and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov was held. After the talks the both of the Russian Ministers once again accused Georgia in harboring terrorists. Georgian National Security Council Secretary said that his visit to the United States was the first attempt to hold the trilateral talks on the issue between the United States, Georgia and Russia. "At this time such a talk was not held, but in the future representatives of the three country will hold consultations," Tedo Japaridze said. ------------------------------------------------------- http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=2736685&startrow=1&date=2002-09-22&do_alert=0 RF DEFENSE MINISTER SERGEI IVANOV CHALLENGES US POSITION, ASSERTING THAT RUSSIA CANNOT SHOW "TOLERANCE" WHEN BANDS OF TERRORISTS INFILTRATE INOT ITS TERRITORY FROM GEORGIA -Should such border crossings continue, we, and I put it straight to my American counterparts, will retaliate with the means at our disposal, including preventive strikes MOSCOW, 22 SEPTEMBER 2002. /From RIA Novosti correspondent/. --RF Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov challenges the position taken by the USA, in whose opinion Russia should "show tolerance" in the situation pertaining to Chechen militants' activities in Georgia. At the same time, Sergei Ivanov pointed out in his televised interview to the host of the popular Vesti news program, Evgeny Revenko, in general, Russia and the USA share similar views on the situation. "It is a proven fact that terrorists are making inroads into Russia from Georgia's territory. Nobody disputes that," the RF Defense Minister said. "There are some differences in approaching the problem. The American side recognizes the legitimacy of our concerns and demands vis-a-vis Georgia, which is reflected in a recent statement made by top-ranking US military officials. At the same time, the United States believe that we should show tolerance and carry on with negotiations. We have never refused to negotiate things, but when bands of terrorists keep crossing our border from Georgia to kill Russian citizens, blow up buildings, buses and helicopters we cannot, and it is quite natural, show tolerance. Should such border crossings continue, we, and I put it straight to my American counterparts, will retaliate with the means at our disposal, including preventive strikes". ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.gazeta.ru/intnews.shtml?201670#201670 Gazeta.ru September 23, 2002 Over 100 guerillas preparing to break through Georgian-Russian border - Source Up to 120 guerillas led by Chechen field commander Mazhidov have concentrated near the Georgian community of Barisakho, a source with the headquarters of the North Caucasus regional department of the Russian Federal Border Service has told Interfax. "The guerillas are preparing to break through the Georgian-Russian border near the Shandon Gorge in the near future," the source said. "The guerillas are armed with firearms and grenade launchers," he said. //Interfax __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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