Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TBILISI1940
2007-08-06 11:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:  

SOUTH OSSETIA: SHOOTINGS AND ACCUSATIONS

Tags:  PGOV PREL OSCE GG 
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VZCZCXRO2251
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSI #1940 2181114
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 061114Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7196
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 001940 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL OSCE GG
SUBJECT: SOUTH OSSETIA: SHOOTINGS AND ACCUSATIONS


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Mark X. Perry for reasons 1.4(b
)&(d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 001940

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL OSCE GG
SUBJECT: SOUTH OSSETIA: SHOOTINGS AND ACCUSATIONS


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Mark X. Perry for reasons 1.4(b
)&(d).


1. (C) OSCE Political Advisor Gantcho Gantchev told us August
6 that South Ossetian accusations of a Georgian "terrorist
attack" August 3 should not be taken too seriously. In the
incident, a bomb reportedly exploded in Tskhinvali, damaging
a gas station but causing no injuries. The next day the
South Ossetians announced they would not attend a Joint
Control Commission (JCC) meeting planned for August 9-10
unless it was held in Tskhinvali or Moscow. The explosion
came a few days after the South Ossetians had claimed to have
defused two other explosive devices. Gantchev said OSCE
monitors were reporting that the incident did not appear
serious, and he speculated that local "FSB or KGB" in South
Ossetia had "developed it for propaganda" purposes. He noted
that the incident was conveniently timed to support the South
Ossetians' claims that the security situation was not safe
enough for them to attend the JCC meeting in Tbilisi August
9-10. Gantchev said that OSCE had not yet given up on the
meeting, despite the South Ossetians' announcement they would
not participate, and he expressed hope that visiting Russian
envoy Yuri Popov would be able to get the JCC meeting back on
track during consultations on August 6-7.


2. (C) Gantchev also confirmed reports of a shooting incident
August 4 in the area of Prisi in the conflict zone, which
left one Ossetian and one Georgian wounded -- the Ossetian
seriously. Gantchev said it was not yet clear how the
shooting started, but there were suspicions the initial
firing came from South Ossetian positions close to the scene.

PERRY