Georgia Denies Mobilization of Forces Near South Ossetia
Georgian Defense Minister Gela Bezhuashvili denied the June 3 reports that Georgia is sending extra troops to the town of Gori, which lies in central Georgia and is a mere 30 kilometers away from the breakaway South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali.
Georgian television stations showed footage of dozens of battle tanks being deployed to Gori on June 3.
?This unit of the Georgian Defense Ministry is just returning back to their base [in Gori] and this is not a mobilization of forces,? Gela Bezhuashvili told reporters.
He said that the battle tanks and some 200 soldiers from this military unit participated in Georgia’s largest-ever military parade, which was held on May 26 in honor of Georgia?s Independence Day.
However, the Georgian Defense Minister did say that the Gori-based military unit ?will be enforced with additional forces soon.?
President Eduard Kokoev, of the self-styled South Ossetian Republic, has already expressed concern over the ?mobilization of Georgian troops in the conflict zone? and alleged that Tbilisi intends to mount an ?incursion into South Ossetia.?
