Moscow does not believe statements of Georgian officials on Pankisi Gorge

A source in the Russian government said that Moscow was skeptical about statements made by the Georgian officials, according to which, the Pankisi Gorge had been taken under Georgian control. It is common knowledge that there are training centres of international terrorists in the Pankisi Gorge. When speaking about the statement of Georgian Interior Minister Koba Narchemashvili, the source told RIA Novosti that "it is only Tbilisi's wishful thinking, that the active stage of the anti-terrorist operation in the Pankisi Gorge was coming to an end and the Pankisi Gorge had been taken under control of the Georgian authorities".

The source in the Russian government was puzzled over the statement made by another Georgian official - Deputy Georgian State Security Minister Lasha Natsvlishvili. The latter expressed the viewpoint of the Georgian authorities who "were not going to oppose a natural wish of Chechens to come back to their motherland". "If we are talking about refugees they must voluntary come back to places of their residence without weapons," the source stressed.

However, a lot of terrorists are among those who are being pressed out of Georgia during the anti-terrorist operation in the Pankisi Gorge. They are not only Chechens but Turks, Georgians, Arabs - terrorists from all over the world," the source emphasized.

"Apparently, the Georgian authorities have a special different viewpoint on how to combat international terrorism," the source said in conclusion.