Georgia
The Georgian Government condemned the September 11 terrorist attacks
and supports the international Coalition’s fight against terrorism. Immediately
following the attacks, the Georgian border guard troops along the border
with Russia went on high alert to monitor the passage of potential terrorists
in the area. In early October, Tbilisi offered the United States the use
of its airfields and airspace.
Georgia continued to face spillover violence from the Chechen conflict,
including a short period of fighting in the separatist region of Abkhazia
and bombings by aircraft from Russian territory on Georgia under the guise
of antiterrorist operations. Like Azerbaijan, Georgia also contended with
international mujahidin using Georgia as a conduit for financial and logistic
support for the mujahidin and Chechen fighters. The Georgian Government
has not been able to establish effective control over the eastern part
of the country. In early October, Georgian authorities extradited 13 Chechen
guerrillas to Russia, moving closer to cooperation with Russia. President
Shevardnadze in November promised to cooperate with Russia in apprehending
Chechen separatist fighters and foreign mujahidin in the Pankisi Gorge—a
region in northern Georgia that Russian authorities accuse Georgia of allowing
Chechen terrorists to use as a safehaven—if Moscow furnishes T’blisi with
concrete information on their whereabouts and alleged wrongdoing. The United
States has provided training and other assistance to help Georgian authorities
implement tighter counterterrorism controls in problem areas.
Kidnappings continued to be a problem in Georgia. Two Spanish businessmen
who were kidnapped on 30 November 2000 and held near the Pankisi Gorge
were released on 8 December 2001. A Japanese journalist was taken hostage
in the Pankisi Gorge in August and released on 9 December.