GEORGIAN POLICE BLOCK CIS PKF TRUCK FROM ENTERING

UNCLAS TBILISI 001136 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV GG SUBJECT: GEORGIAN POLICE BLOCK CIS PKF TRUCK FROM ENTERING ZUGDIDI REF: TBILISI 1031 ¶1. Georgian media reported on June 27 that Georgian police had prevented a CIS peacekeeping truck, accompanied by an armored personnel carrier, from entering the Georgian side of the security zone. The truck was headed to the CIS PKF checkpoint in the Georgian village of Urta, south of Zugdidi. The United Nations Observer Mission to Georgia (UNOMIG) reported that following the June 17 seizure of a peacekeeping truck transporting anti-tank missiles to the PKF checkpoint at Urta (reftel),CIS PKF commander Chaban has decided that all future PKF supply trucks will be escorted by BTR-2 armored personnel carriers. On June 26, a PKF supply truck and BTR prepared to cross the Inguri river into Zugdidi when Georgian police moved a truck to block their way. The sides remained at a standoff until Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General (D/SRSG),Ivo Petrov, convinced Chaban to withdraw the vehicles. The Georgians and Russians later agreed to allow peacekeeper supply trucks to be escorted by BTRs as long as they did not travel through Zugdidi. ¶2. More alarmingly, Chaban informed UNOMIG Chief Military Observer Khattak that he has authorized peacekeepers to fire "warning shots" if they encounter threats or intimidation by Georgian police or military forces. Chaban did not elaborate on specific rules of engagement that would trigger these warning shots, though he made it clear that he was growing impatient with the ongoing Georgian harassment of peacekeepers operating on the Georgian side of the security zone. He claimed to be receiving phone calls from concerned parents following Russian media reports showing Russian peacekeepers being beaten and arrested by Georgian police. TEFFT