Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili confirmed on Wednesday that security officials found a Soviet-made RPG-5 hand grenade, which was a dud and posed no threat to the U.S. and Georgian Presidents, who addressed tens of thousands of Georgians gathered on Freedom Square on May 10.
He said that use of this weapon aimed at triggering ?panic and fear? among the people and at overshadowing the importance of the U.S. President?s visit.
?The hand grenade was not intended to explosed and even if it had exploded, the Presidents were in safe, they were protected,? Vano Merabishvili said.
?It was aimed at causing panic and fear among the people and, what is most alarming, [it aimed] at an attempt to downplay and overshadow the importance of this visit in the international media,? he added.
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