Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10TBILISI55
2010-01-14 14:20:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tbilisi
Cable title:
GEORGIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM
how-toVZCZCXYZ0007 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHSI #0055 0141420 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 141420Z JAN 10 FM AMEMBASSY TBILISI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2709 INFO RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS TBILISI 000055
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR S/CT: RHONDA SHORE, NCTC FOR RUEILB
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM
REF: SECSTATE 109980
UNCLAS TBILISI 000055
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR S/CT: RHONDA SHORE, NCTC FOR RUEILB
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM
REF: SECSTATE 109980
1. (U) BEGIN TEXT.
GEORGIA
In 2009, Georgia continued to support U.S. efforts in the
fight against terrorism, increasing its role by providing a
battalion of Georgian soldiers, approximately 750 troops, to
be trained by the U.S. in preparation for a spring 2010
deployment as part of the International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The Georgian government has
agreed to deploy these forces without national caveats, and
they are expected to deploy with U.S. Marines in Helmand
province. This is in addition to 173 Georgian troops already
serving as part of ISAF with French and one servicemember
serving with Turkish forces. Additionally, Georgia has
granted blanket flight clearance for all U.S. military
aircraft engaged in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Georgia remains an important counterterrorism partner for the
United States, and it independently confronts
counterterrorism issues that arise on its own territory.
Russian claims of Georgian support for Chechen terrorists,
and harboring of such individuals in the Pankisi Gorge, have
proven baseless, and the Georgian government has made
significant efforts to prove to the international community
the falsity of these Russian allegations.
Border security operations and anti-corruption efforts at
border checkpoints remained high priorities for the Georgian
government, with its continued focus on countering the
smuggling of contraband such as money, drugs and weaponry
that could support terrorism. Countering nuclear
proliferation has been an essential goal of both the U.S. and
Georgian governments, and joint efforts remained at a high
level in 2009. Significant improvements to infrastructure at
border crossing points and employent of Department of
Energy's Second Line of Defense Program to detect radiation
continued, and the new border crossing facility at
Kazbegi/Larsi between Georgia and Russia was finished in
September 2009 (although due to the state of relations
between Georgia and Russia, the border remains closed).
Additionally, seven remote border posts were completed in
2009, enhancing the security of the Georgian-Azeri border and
further limiting illegal crossings. Also completed was the
fifth and final radar station on the Black Sea coast, which
will enhance Georgian capabilities to secure its maritime
border and interdict potential smugglers and counter any
terrorist threats from this direction. In 2009, the
capabilities of the Georgian Border Police were improved, and
its ability to monitor, patrol, and interdict criminals along
the green borders was significantly enhanced. This was
accomplished by the development of additional enforcement
tools such as new communications equipment and protocols.
The situation in the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia remained largely unchanged in 2009, and the Georgian
government does not control its international borders located
between these regions and Russia. This lack of control
allowed for unrestricted and unidentified flow of people,
goods and other potentially dangerous items from Russia into
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The administrative boundary
lines between Georgia and the conflict zones were furthered
militarized in 2009 when Russia tasked FSB border guards to
take over control from the de facto governments in both
territories. Movement over these boundary lines was strictly
controlled, although formal customs checks, security
inspections or other CT procedures did not exist.
Separately, Russian officials accused the Georgian government
QSeparately, Russian officials accused the Georgian government
of harboring terrorists in 2009 as terrorist attacks occurred
in the north Caucasus; however, the Georgian government
strongly denied such claims, worked with its allies such as
the United States to disprove such claims, and called on the
Russian government to provide proof for their suspicions.
Embassy POC for this report: John Anthony,
anthonyjs@state.gov.
LOGSDON
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR S/CT: RHONDA SHORE, NCTC FOR RUEILB
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM
REF: SECSTATE 109980
1. (U) BEGIN TEXT.
GEORGIA
In 2009, Georgia continued to support U.S. efforts in the
fight against terrorism, increasing its role by providing a
battalion of Georgian soldiers, approximately 750 troops, to
be trained by the U.S. in preparation for a spring 2010
deployment as part of the International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The Georgian government has
agreed to deploy these forces without national caveats, and
they are expected to deploy with U.S. Marines in Helmand
province. This is in addition to 173 Georgian troops already
serving as part of ISAF with French and one servicemember
serving with Turkish forces. Additionally, Georgia has
granted blanket flight clearance for all U.S. military
aircraft engaged in operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Georgia remains an important counterterrorism partner for the
United States, and it independently confronts
counterterrorism issues that arise on its own territory.
Russian claims of Georgian support for Chechen terrorists,
and harboring of such individuals in the Pankisi Gorge, have
proven baseless, and the Georgian government has made
significant efforts to prove to the international community
the falsity of these Russian allegations.
Border security operations and anti-corruption efforts at
border checkpoints remained high priorities for the Georgian
government, with its continued focus on countering the
smuggling of contraband such as money, drugs and weaponry
that could support terrorism. Countering nuclear
proliferation has been an essential goal of both the U.S. and
Georgian governments, and joint efforts remained at a high
level in 2009. Significant improvements to infrastructure at
border crossing points and employent of Department of
Energy's Second Line of Defense Program to detect radiation
continued, and the new border crossing facility at
Kazbegi/Larsi between Georgia and Russia was finished in
September 2009 (although due to the state of relations
between Georgia and Russia, the border remains closed).
Additionally, seven remote border posts were completed in
2009, enhancing the security of the Georgian-Azeri border and
further limiting illegal crossings. Also completed was the
fifth and final radar station on the Black Sea coast, which
will enhance Georgian capabilities to secure its maritime
border and interdict potential smugglers and counter any
terrorist threats from this direction. In 2009, the
capabilities of the Georgian Border Police were improved, and
its ability to monitor, patrol, and interdict criminals along
the green borders was significantly enhanced. This was
accomplished by the development of additional enforcement
tools such as new communications equipment and protocols.
The situation in the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia remained largely unchanged in 2009, and the Georgian
government does not control its international borders located
between these regions and Russia. This lack of control
allowed for unrestricted and unidentified flow of people,
goods and other potentially dangerous items from Russia into
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The administrative boundary
lines between Georgia and the conflict zones were furthered
militarized in 2009 when Russia tasked FSB border guards to
take over control from the de facto governments in both
territories. Movement over these boundary lines was strictly
controlled, although formal customs checks, security
inspections or other CT procedures did not exist.
Separately, Russian officials accused the Georgian government
QSeparately, Russian officials accused the Georgian government
of harboring terrorists in 2009 as terrorist attacks occurred
in the north Caucasus; however, the Georgian government
strongly denied such claims, worked with its allies such as
the United States to disprove such claims, and called on the
Russian government to provide proof for their suspicions.
Embassy POC for this report: John Anthony,
anthonyjs@state.gov.
LOGSDON