US Official Says Aerial Surveillance Over Georgia is not Against Russia
(Tbilisi. March 28, 2003. Civil Georgia) – US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in the interview to the Russian daily Izvestia that U-2 spy planes overflying Georgia are not for espionage against Russia.
He said the US spy plane examines situation at the Russo-Georgian border, “particularly situation in Pankisi gorge,” which was a safe haven for the Chechen militants and Arab mercenaries.
Richard Armitage said the United States will inform Russia in case something suspicious is found in the area.
Appearance of the US spy plane U-2 in the Georgian sky raises concerns in neighboring Russia. Moscow accused Washington in using “the Cold War tactics,” after the “American eye” overflew Georgia, 20-30 kilometers away from the Russian airspace on March 22.
According to the Russian side this was the third case of flight of the US spy plane over Georgia. “The March 22 flight by the American plane followed two earlier incidents on March 7 and February 27,” Russian Foreign Ministry statement of protest delivered to the US embassy in Moscow reads.
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American Eye in the Georgian Sky
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