Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili put the military on alert Sunday, giving the restive Adzharia province one day to bow to his government's control after denying his motorcade entry. But the president pledged to rein in the unruly Black Sea region without bloodshed.
| How 'bout without riling the Russian bear? |
Speaking on Georgian television, Saakashvili issued a one-day ultimatum to Adzharian leader Aslan Abashidze to accept the central government's authority and start disarming his paramilitary forces. He said that air, land and sea routes to Adzharia would be closed and the government would also move to freeze foreign bank accounts belonging to Adzharian officials. "I'm ready for any dialogue, but these people consider a dialogue a sign of weakness and try resorting to blackmail," Saakashvili said.
Despite the purported closure of airspace, Abashidze arrived by plane in the Adzharian capital Batumi from Moscow early Monday morning, the Interfax news agency reported. Earlier, Abashidze claimed that Saakashvili had threatened in a phone conversation to shoot down his plane if he tried to return to Adzharia. Saakashvili, who spent most of the day in the neighboring region of Poti conferring with security officials, put the military at the highest level of preparedness. "Our military forces are prepared for everything, but today we haven't taken one step toward using them," Saakashvili said. "This problem must be resolved most peacefully."
| When your military can clean out the Pantisi Gorge we'll think you're serious. |
Russia, which has dismayed Georgia by expressing support for Abashidze, strongly warned Saakashvili against using force. "In the event of a crisis, all responsibility would lie with the Georgian leadership," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said.
| "Don't make us mad. You won't like us when we're mad!" |
Saakashvili told Russia to stay out of the conflict, saying "not one Russian tank should move from the base's territory. This is not their country, this is our country and any such move would lead to disaster and tragedy."
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