Georgia threatens rebel region

[Aidoneus]

Georgia threatens rebel region
Monday 15 March 2004

Georgia was teetering on the edge of armed conflict early on Monday as its leadership squared off against the renegade region of Adjara for defying the government's authority.

President Mikhail Saakashvili gave Adjara's leader Aslan Abashidze until the evening to recognise Tbilisi's authority.

"I am giving Abashidze until tomorrow night for reflection," Saakashvili told reporters at the Ankor Hotel in the coastal town of Poti.

--snip--

Russia - which has a military base inside Adjara - warned the Georgian authorities of "grave and unpredictable consequences" if Georgia sends its forces into the region.

The crisis flared early on Sunday after armed men loyal to Abashidze blocked Saakashvili and his entourage from driving into Adjara and fired automatic rounds into the air over his motorcade.

Saakashvili turned around and drove to the nearby city of Poti, where he convened an emergency cabinet meeting, ordered the military onto high alert, and ordered Adjara's airspace shut down.

In Adjara, where authorities declared a curfew early on Monday, there were reports of tanks being mobilised and weapons being handed out to civilians as Abashidze, warned that Saakashvili was planning an armed invasion.

--snip--

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/9CA87F16-2FE1-4AB5-9C1D-288C335FE639.htm

[bemildred]

1. Saw that.

Is Mr. Saakashvili biting off more than he can chew?
Does he expect to get help?
I don't expect that Russia will just sit there.

[Aidoneus]

2. perhaps he's testing the waters

he's assumed to be Washington's Guy there, perhaps he wants to know if anybody has his back when beating drums as this. The head Ajaran figure seems to think that Russia has his. :shrug: