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Terror Networks |
Pankisi Gorge backgrounder |
2002-02-28 |
"Afghans are going there for a breather and, unfortunately, the region has become a hide-out" and a "hotbed of tension for us," Mr. Khaburdzania said. "The drug business is flourishing. We can't control everything that is going on there, and unless we tackle the Pankisi problem, this issue will create a threat to Georgia's integrity and the security of the region." The Pankisi Gorge is a haven for the Muslim Chechens in part because it houses Georgia's tiny population of Kistinians, who share the Chechens' language and faith. The leadership of the Chechen rebellion is split between President Aslan Maskhadov, who is in hiding, and powerful field commanders like Shamil Basayev and a Jordanian known as Khattab. First problem is going to be unraveling who's who. This will not be an easy operation... |
Posted by:Fred Pruitt |