MOSCOW. Sept 16 (Interfax-AVN) - The Georgian authorities know perfectly well where Chechen rebels, field commander Ruslan Gelayev in particular, are located in their territory, but they are reluctant to either block or root out the rebels, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said in an interview with the Monday edition of Kommersant daily.
"Both options would suit us. The second would come cheaper for the Russian taxpayer, frankly speaking, but both suit us, we would also agree to the first one. However, nothing is being done to that end! It is becoming evident that not because they cannot, but because they even don't want to," Ivanov said.
According to him, in addition to Russian nationals the terrorists include foreign mercenaries, some of them from Al-Qaeda.
"You have probably heard and read about the telephone conversation that took place 15 minutes after the explosions in New York and where one of the bandits was. It is no longer possible to reject that, and pretend that it is not like that," Ivanov said.
"The Georgian leadership often says that Russia is to blame for everything that has happened in Pankisi because it forced Chechen rebels to move there and created the problem. The situation is not like that at all," the minister said.
He recalled the events of August 1999 that followed the attack on Russia's internal republic of Dagestan when it was absolutely evident for the country's leadership that it was the time to begin a large-scale anti-terrorist operation. Vladimir Putin, who was prime minister at the time, initiated a telephone call from President Boris Yeltsin to Georgian leader Eduard Shevardnadze in which Yeltsin said, "We don't want to create problems for Georgia, we would like to tap at once the flow of terrorists, including international ones, to the Georgian territory, to the Pankisi Gorge. That is why I am asking you to receive Defense Minister Sergeyev and FSB Director Patrushev tomorrow in order to discuss the issue of Russian servicemen quartered in Georgia reaching the border from the Georgian territory, stopping there and closing the exit to Georgia for guerrillas."
"This was done only for Georgia's benefit. Eduard and said that he had changed his mind. The outcome of this is evident," Ivanov said.