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| Several units of internal troops are still stationed in Pankisi gorge. |
Georgian officials made no comment regarding the U.S. Ambassador’s statement so far. Session of the Georgian cabinet is held at the moment in the President’s office. It is most likely that official statements will be made after the cabinet meeting.
U.S. Ambassador was speaking on September 13, after singing of an agreement with Georgian Interior Minister Irakli Okruashvili, which will strengthen Georgia’s borders by providing Georgia with the PISCES computer network at border points of entry.
Richard Miles said, while answering question whether there are terrorists in Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge as claimed by the Russian officials: “We’ve had some arguments with Georgian authorities about that, and I don’t want to get into that big argument here today, but the short answer is yes, there are still a few international terrorists in the vicinity of the Pankisi Gorge.”
“The situation under the previous [ex-President Shevardnadze’s] government had already been improved [in Pankisi Gorge], from let’s say the period of two-and-a-half to three years ago, the number of Chechen fighters had diminished by some 90% and the international terrorists by 60% or 70% or more. I’m not an expert on such matters, but in my own opinion this is not the sort of a situation which lends itself to military-type activity. It’s really a matter for the Internal Security services,” Richard Miles told reporters.
“Prior to the restoration of Georgian government authority in the Pankisi Gorge, there was what we consider to be a significant handful of international terrorists. We believe that due to the actions of the Georgian authorities, that number has been significantly diminished by at least two-thirds or more of its previous size. But this is disputable, and in fact, some Georgian authorities have disputed it. But you asked my opinion,” he added.
A tiny gorge in north-eastern part of Georgia became in the focus of international attention in late 2001 and beginning of 2002 when the Georgian authorities admitted presence of Chechen fighters and foreign mercenaries in the gorge, following the frequent accusations of Russia that Tbilisi shelters terrorists. Pankisi gorge near the Russo-Georgian border became a refuge for several thousand Chechens, who fled second war in Chechnya in 1999.
On January 15, 2002 the Georgian police and internal troops under the personal supervision of by then Interior Minister Koba Narchemashvili launched the first phase of an operation intended to establish the rule of law in the Pankisi gorge, which also became notorious by kidnappings.
After the operation Georgian authorities announced in 2003 that there were no Chechen fighters, or terrorist suspects in the gorge. According to the Georgian Security Ministry before the anti-crime operation up to 700 Chechen fighters and 100 Arab mercenaries, with alleged links to international terrorist groups, as well as the criminal gangs were hiding in Pankisi gorge.
Following the launch of the anti-crime operation in Pankisi, the U.S. government sent a group of military instructors to Georgia to train Georgian troops. As a result, 2,500 Georgian soldiers and officers underwent the U.S.-funded Georgia Train-and-Equip program, in which the U.S. administration allocated USD 64 million.
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