Georgia sends special forces to Georgia-Ossetia conflict zone

Georgia is moving special-purpose forces to the region of the Georgia-Ossetia conflict according to a briefing given in Tbilisi on Monday by Georgia's Minister of Internal Affairs Georgy Baramidze.

According to Baramidze, the commander of the CIS mixed peacekeeping contingent in that region ordered the shutting down of certain police posts, set up in a few villages in the conflict area by Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs. Baramidze explained that these posts are used to cut off contraband coming into Georgia from Russia through the South Ossetia territory. The minister supposes that the effective work in these posts, which has reduced the level of contraband to practically nothing, has upset the leadership of the peacekeepers in South Ossetia who rely heavily on contraband as a source of income. 'We will bring all our power in order to continue the fight against contraband in Georgia. The posts will be defended by Special Forces and the internal troops of the country, and if a realistic threat to their safety appears we will apply force,' stated Baramidze. In his words, 'we are not attacking anyone, but we are not about to run, and we will answer force with force.'

Prime Minister of Georgia, Zurab Zhvania informed journalists 'no one will disrupt our efforts to root out contraband in our country's territory.'