US President Appeals to Russia 'to Give Georgia a Chance' - 16 September, 2002

US President George Bush has appealed to Russia to 'give Georgia a chance' to deal with terrorists hiding in the Pankisi Gorge herself, the UN's press service in Georgia has announced. According to Bush, 'finding the killers from al-Qaeda and punishing them is extremely important for Moscow, for Tbilisi and for Washington'. During a conversation with Vladimir Putin the US President advised the Russian Government to allow Georgian troops to carry out this task in cooperation with the US. According to the President, there are currently US troops in Georgia, who are training Georgian anti-terrorist units.