Breakaway Region Fears of Attack

Eduard Kokoev, de facto president of Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia, has expressed concern that the Georgian authorities are preparing to launch a military campaign under the pretext of a crackdown on smuggling.
 
Speaker of unrecognized republic’s parliament Stanislav Kochiev also expressed concern that recent statements by President Saakashvili that Georgia’s territorial unity will soon be restored have triggered alarm among the population of South Ossetia.

President Saakashvili made a surprise trip to the breakaway region just before the presidential elections on January 3 and met with the local population of Tskhinvali, capital of breakaway South Ossetia. Mikheil Saakashvili vowed in Tskhinvali that during the next presidential elections polling stations would be opened in South Ossetia as well.