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http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=2764014&startrow=41&date=2002-10-03&do_alert=0 SPOKESMAN OF U.S. MILITARY COMMAND IN EUROPE, GEORGIAN DEFENCE MINISTER SIGN AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION -On Thursday a U.S. military delegation watched the U.S. instructors training servicemen of "Commandos" battalion of the Georgian army. Head of the U.S. delegation said that he was satisfied with the training process of Georgian servicemen. U.S. instructors are going to train about 2,000 Georgian servicemen within the next year and a half. TBILISI, October 3rd, 2002 /From RIA Novosti correspondent David Imedashvili/ -- A spokesman of the U.S. Military Command in Europe Fred Rasmussen and Georgian Defence Minister David Tevzadze have signed an agreement on logistics cooperation. The Georgian Defence Ministry told RIA Novosti that the agreement had been signed as a standard agreement between the NATO member-states and the NATO partner-states. The agreement envisages further cooperation between the countries in defence. On Thursday a U.S. military delegation watched the U.S. instructors training servicemen of "Commandos" battalion of the Georgian army. Head of the U.S. delegation said that he was satisfied with the training process of Georgian servicemen. U.S. instructors are going to train about 2,000 Georgian servicemen within the next year and a half. ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2002/10-october/e1001a.htm NATO Online October 4, 2002 NATO to help destroy munitions and clean up military sites in Georgia Georgia and NATO signed, on 1 October, a memorandum opening the way for a joint project aimed at disposing of missile stockpiles and clean up of military sites in Georgia. The agreement was signed by the Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagarishvili and Peter D. Markey, General Manager of the NATO’s Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA), during the Foreign Minister’s visit to NATO Headquarters. Assistance and training Under the agreement, NATO will provide material assistance and training to carry out the safe disposal of missile stockpiles and the clean up of a former military site close to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. The cost of the project is estimated to be in excess of EUR 1,250,000. The Georgian authorities will contribute in kind. Financial support will be provided by Luxembourg and other NATO and partner countries. Working with partner countries This is the fourth project initiated under NATO’s Partnership for Peace Trust Fund, which was established in 2000 to assist partner countries in destroying surplus munitions. NAMSA is currently overseeing Trust Fund projects to ensure the destruction of surplus ordnance in Ukraine and Moldova, having earlier this year completed the destruction of 1.6 million anti-personnel landmines in Albania. ------------------------------------------------------- http://top.rbc.ru/english/index.shtml?/news/english/2002/10/03/03170401_bod.shtml RBC.ru October 4, 2002 Captured gunman claims Shevardnadze met with Chechen warlord Chechen warlord Ruslan Gelayev several times visited Tbilisi where he met with Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, Murtaz Maniya, a member of Gelayev’s detachment, told representatives of the federal forces when he was captured after recent combat near the Galashki village in Ingushetia. According to the gunman, he was trained at a base headed by Gelayev in the Pankisi gorge, Georgia, RTR television reported. The militant also said that representatives of Georgian authorities, generals and colonels of the Georgian armed forces had visited the base several times. They brought weapons and food supplies. Maniya stressed that Georgian authorities intended to use Gelayev’s group to restart a military conflict in Abkhazia. Moreover, Gelayev planned to seize the Sochi airport to demand the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya. As it was reported earlier, former Georgian Defense Minister Tengiz Kitovani admitted that about three years ago he had discussed the problem of Chechen gunmen in the Pankisi gorge with President Eduard Shevardnadze. However, the Georgian leader did nothing about this problem at that time. “I think Shevardnadze used Gelayev’s gangs for his personal purposes, to conduct his policy”, the former Minister claimed. ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.gazeta.ru/intnews.shtml?204710#204710 Gazeta.ru October 4, 2002 Captured rebel tells of Georgian authorities’ support to Gelayev’s gang Chechen fighter Murtaza Maniya, who was captured in the recent operation in Ingushetia has told investigators that the Georgian authorities openly supported Chechen warlord Ruslan Gelayev and his gunmen during their stay in the Pankisi gorge. Maniya said that he had repeatedly heard that after being wounded Gelayev had underwent treatment in a Tbilisi hospital and personally met Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze. Also, Georgian officials visited rebel training camps in Pankisi Gorge and brought with them foodstuffs, weapons and medicines. The captured fighter says that the Georgian officials hoped that the Chechens would start a large scale war in breakaway Abkhazia so that Georgian forces could invade this republic. Gelayev, in turn, intended to pass through Abkhazian territory and capture an airport in Sochi in order to demand the withdrawal of Russian troops from Chechnya. //Interfax ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.civil.ge/cgi-bin/newspro/fullnews.cgi?newsid1033711615,77201, Civil Georgia October 4, 2002 Breakaway Region Against Georgian Anti-Criminal Operation -The Russian news agencies report quoting source in unrecognized Ossetian government Ossetian law enforcers will not let Georgians to carry out operations in South Ossetia. (Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, October 3, 2002) - Unrecognized South Ossetian Republic is against of Georgian law enforcers intentions to intensify anti-criminal activity in Shida Kartli region. Georgian Interior Ministry’s leadership took the decision to intensify activity in Shida Kartli on October 3 in regard of the worsen criminal situation in the region. Georgian authorities say that many criminals hide in Tskhinvali (capital of South Ossetia). The Russian news agencies report quoting source in unrecognized Ossetian government Ossetian law enforcers will not let Georgians to carry out operations in South Ossetia. Georgian Interior Ministry does not considers the possibility of conducting large-scale anti-criminal operation, similar to one that was conducted in Pankisi gorge, in Shida Kartli so far. Breakaway South Ossetia is the part of the Shida Kartli region, but as the Georgian law enforcers say the anti-criminal activities will be carried out in only Georgian controlled territory. ------------------------------------------------------- http://www.civil.ge/cgi-bin/newspro/fullnews.cgi?newsid1033716429,51345, Civil Georgia October 4, 2002 Anti-Criminal Operation Possible in Shida Kartli -A province of Shida Kartli technically incorporates the towns and villages of South Ossetia, breakaway region beyond the control of the central Georgian authorities since the armed conflict that ended in 1992. The trilateral Russo-Georgian-Ossetian peacekeeping forces are observing the implementation of the terms of the 1992 ceasefire. -On October 2 Deputy Secretary of the Georgian National Security Council Jemal Gakhokidze told the reporters " there is a special order of President Shevardnadze to take measures to improve situation in the region [of Shida Kartli]". On an emergency meeting in a provincial center of Gori top brass Georgian law enforcers say the crime rates may command an anti-criminal operation in Shida Kartli patterned after the one in Pankisi. But if such decision is taken, its implementation could be dubious. A province of Shida Kartli technically incorporates the towns and villages of South Ossetia, breakaway region beyond the control of the central Georgian authorities since the armed conflict that ended in 1992. The trilateral Russo-Georgian-Ossetian peacekeeping forces are observing the implementation of the terms of the 1992 ceasefire. Serious increase in crime rates cannot be disputed. The regional police department reported to the Minister Koba Narchemashvili that 30 cases of homicide were recorded during the last two months in the region. The highway between Gori and the capital of self-styled South Ossetia, Tskhinvali is a no man's land with more than 40 recorded armed assaults and robberies this year. Georgian Interior Minister's visit to Gori followed the bloody attack of the criminals in the Georgian village, which is 7 kilometers away from Tskhinvali. Two Georgians died and one was injured after the two masked gunmen opened fire in the restaurant in the village of Tkviavi on October 1. Georgian law enforcers allege that the attackers were Ossetians, who withdrew to the breakaway region after the attack. While the law enforcers were discussing the ways of improving situation, one more violent crime was committed in Gori. Four masked gunmen attacked the owner of the currency exchange office. The owner was badly injured by the criminals. Georgian law enforcers say that the criminal situation in the region has worsened since the Moscow-based businessman Eduard Kokoev was elected the president of the unrecognized South Ossetia last November. Georgian authorities refrain from launching large-scale anti-criminal operation at this date. Minister Narchemashvili said after the meeting that he would, however reinforce the investigation department of the police in Gori, to deal with the heap of criminal cases. If the need for more massive response to the skyrocketing crime is needed, the authorities might have some difficult negotiating to do with de facto South Ossetian authorities, to avoid re-escalation of the "frozen" Georgia-Ossetia conflict. There are indications, that top Georgian leadership may be determined to walk this path: President Shevardnadze said in his radiobroadcast on September 30 that the anti-criminal operation, similar to one that was carried out in Pankisi gorge "is not excluded in other parts of Georgia." On October 2 Deputy Secretary of the Georgian National Security Council Jemal Gakhokidze told the reporters " there is a special order of President Shevardnadze to take measures to improve situation in the region [of Shida Kartli]". By Giorgi Sepashvili, Civil Georgia ------------------------------------------------------- __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
