Saakashvili Warns over “Wahhabism Threat” in Pankisi

Internal troops are deployed in Pankisi since summer 2002.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili raised concern today over “the Wahhabism threat” in the Pankisi Gorge, adding that Pankisi “cannot become a center of Wahhabism.”

Pankisi Gorge in Georgia’s northern mountainous region, which border with Russia’s rebel republic of Chechnya, was a safe haven for Chechen militants and foreign mercenaries in 2000-2002.

However, as the Georgian authorities claim the gorge has been cleaned up as a result of anti-crime operation in 2002-2003. Georgian State Security Ministry admitted for the first time functioning of schools of Wahhabis or hard-line, fundamentalist Sunni Muslims, in Pankisi Gorge last year.
 
“The spread of Wahhabism ideology in Georgia is inadmissible and we will carry out the most severe measures against them. Georgia is a secular state and we have not donated Pankisi to Wahhabis,” President Saakashvili said at a news briefing on February 18 after introducing new Security Minister Zurab Adeishvili to the Ministry employees.
 
He said, Wahhabis schools have been opened in the Pankisi Gorge and Wahhabism is being propagandized there.
 
The Georgian President also did not rule out the danger of infiltration of Chechen fighters into Pankisi after the snow starts melting.
 
“Any armed person, who crosses the Georgian border, is a potential threat to each Georgian citizen. We should not permit the penetration of militants,” the Georgian President said.

He also stressed that those Chechen refugees who found shelter in Pankisi gorge after the second Chechen war has broken up, “really need protection.” There are around 3,700 Chechen refugees in Pankisi gorge.

During his visit to Moscow on February 11-12 Mikheil Saakashvili agreed with the Russian leadership on cooperation over the protection of the troubled Chechen-Ingush section of Russian-Georgian border.

Commander of the Georgian Border Guard Department Valerie Chkheidze and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Promichev signed on February 11 a protocol on exchange of information regarding the situation at the Russo-Georgian border.

Valerie Chkheidze after the Moscow visit that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Promichev is expected to visit Georgia in April and during which the sides will sign an agreement on joint patrolling the Chechen section of border.

Valeri Chkheidze said that the “joint patrolling” means coordinated measures to increase control over the border.

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