GEORGIA CLAIMS IT QUASHED RUSSIAN-BACKED ARMY MUTINY
Irish Times
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Officials initially said the alleged mutiny at the Mukhrovani tank
base near the capital, Tbilisi, was part of a military coup against
Mr Saakashvili, but later said its main aim had been to disrupt major
Nato exercises in Georgia that are due to start today.
Some three hours after news broke of the uprising, about 30 tanks and
armoured personnel carriers rumbled into the base, followed later by
Mr Saakashvili and his defence and interior ministers.
"The plan was to stage a large-scale mutiny in Tbilisi and to take
steps against the sovereignty of Georgia and Georgia’s European and
Euro-Atlantic integration," Mr Saakashvili said. "I demand that our
northern neighbour refrain from provocations." It was not clear how
many of the 500 soldiers at the base were involved in the incident,
but their commander was arrested and police said several other former
military officers were being investigated.
Interior ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said the mutiny had been
put down without any violence. "The plan was co-ordinated with Russia,
at a minimum to disrupt Nato military exercises and at a maximum to
organise a large-scale military rebellion in Georgia," he said.
"We have information that the rebels were in direct contact with
Russians, that they were receiving orders from them,20that they were
receiving money from them."
Moscow has been at odds with Mr Saakashvili since he ousted an
ex-Soviet old guard in the 2003 Rose revolution, vowed to lead Georgia
into Nato and became the West’s strongest ally in the volatile
Caucasus region, which the Kremlin still regards as part of its
"sphere of influence".
Russian forces crushed Mr Saakashvili’s attempt last August to retake
the rebel Georgian region of South Ossetia, which Moscow subsequently
recognised as an independent state along with another separatist
enclave, Abkhazia. Last week, Russian troops formally took control of
border security in the two provinces, and Moscow officials condemned
Nato’s plans for military exercises in Georgia.
"It would make more sense to hold the exercises in a lunatic asylum,"
said Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s envoy to Nato, who poured scorn on Mr
Saakashvili’s "insane accusations".
Nato said the month-long exercises, involving 19 members and partners
of the alliance, would take place as planned. Only Armenia – a Russian
ally in the Caucasus – pulled out after yesterday’s events.
Analysts suggested the alleged mutiny could be linked to plans to use
the military to break up month-long protests against Mr Saakashvili. "I
have the impression this is nothing but a theatrical show staged by
Saakashvili to distract people from the20ongoing protests against
his rule," said one opposition leader, David Gamkrelidze.