Officers of Elite Troops not to Quit Army
(Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, July 19, 2002) – After the talks with the Defense Minister Nika Janjghava, former acting chief of the land forces stated that he quits the post and the army, though other officers of the 100 officers of the Commando battalion and the special-purpose battalion of the Georgian Ministry of Defense (MoD) remain.
“In case the situation is not improved in the army Georgia will be left without Commando and the special-purpose battalion,” Nika Janjghava told the reporters after the talks with Defense Minister Davit Tevzadze.
Today 102 officers of the Commando battalion and the special-purpose battalion of the Georgian Ministry of Defense (MoD) deployed at Kojori camp filed dismissal notices to the Minister of Defense.
Nika Janjghava, former Acting Commander of the Land Forces was among the officers. He said that the reason of their decision was the unbearable conditions in the army.
Defense Minister Tevzadze told the journalists today that dismissal of Janjghava was reviewed for ‘unsanctioned release of information.’ The Minister did not disclose the details.
The officers’ move jeopardized implementation of the third phase of the US funded Georgia Train-and-Equip program (GTEP) as the decision of the officers of the elite battalions came just few days before the launch of the field-training phase . Commando and Kojori battalions are planned to take active part in the GTEP.
