(Tbilisi, September 2, 2002, Civil Georgia) Georgian law enforcers intend to pay Pankisi residents for turning in illegal arms, State Security Minister Valeri Khaburdzania stated on August 31.
The Minister claims that this approach was successfully used in former Yugoslavia and it may also be successful in Pankisi gorge in case the donor states provide Georgia with needed finances.
Internal forces were deployed in the gorge on August 25 and wide-scale operation was launched there.
The second, detailed investigation phase of the operation began on September 2.