Georgian President Shielding Сhechen Rebels Again

Illegal armed formations left the Pankisi Gorge at the end of August-the beginning of September, thus, terrorists have been on Russian territory for over a month, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze announced in his interview with the national radio on Monday.

The so-called anti-criminal operation in the Pankisi Gorge was started by the Georgian authorities at the end of August.

"The active stage of the anti-criminal and anti-terrorist operation in the Pankisi Gorge has finished," Shevardnadze remarked. According to him, in the course of the operation over 40 suspects of committing various crimes were detained, two of them liquidated while offering resistance.

"There are units of the Georgian police and interior forces in every village of the gorge - they will not allow illegal armed formations to infiltrate the gorge," the Georgian president said.

The Georgian president is known to have covered for Chechen rebels not once. At first he did not admit the fact of their bases, located in the Pankisi Gorge. However, he had to admit the evident, in the long run. The so-called anti-terrorist operation in the gorge bore the character of a staged show.