After a series of terrorist attacks in Paris the Georgian authorities convened a meeting of the Council for security and crisis management and decided to strengthen measures for the security of the country. "At this stage no specific risks our service does not see … but you need to be mobilized. Need a complete 24-hour operation and comprehensive monitoring, "said Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
These include tightening the border regime. According to the head of the State security service of Vakhtang Gomelauri, as part of enhanced security measures for several dozen individuals have got admission into Georgia from those considerations that the territory does not become a country of transit for infiltration into Syria of "individuals" involved in the fighting. According to his data, special emphasis is placed on visitors from Asian and African countries.
Actually, the Georgian authorities are trying not to scare the population of terrorist threat, but experts say about it what is called, in the forehead, through the local press, giving much attention to the problem. In particular, the publication of "rezonansi" writes that the Georgian military experts have circulated information according to which "Islamic Caliphate established in the Caucasus is another one-Gurdžistan (Georgia), covering the main territory of the country".
The same sources the following data was reported: "in the coming days to spread video featuring Prouty's" Islamic State "(a terrorist organization proscribed in Russia-approx. com.) jihadists from Georgia, as well as the name of the head of the province is known. Order to the vilayet of is "to provide a transit communications with the North Caucasus". To do this, if you have already created an electronic network. Terrorist acts are not excluded.
It also recalled that "after Syria and Iraq, the terrorist organization" Islamic State "beginning to show activity in the North Caucasus. Last summer she won the Syrian town of Kobani near the Turkish border and stated that the North Caucasus created vilayet, which covers the Republic of Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay. In June, she issued a statement about the transition into its ranks the majority of fighters of the main rebel group of the North Caucasus "Emirate Caucasus" (a terrorist organization proscribed in Russia-approx. com.).
And further: "according to the experts on the Caucasus, recently" structure "in the North Caucasus Emirate collapsed and almost all warlords and militia sympathizers" 80 percent Islamic State ", therefore, revitalize the IG should wait. They are from the same beginning said that once the North Caucasus established a province, means GAM must do something. At a minimum, this means that people will no longer be sent en masse to Syria and Iraq, they will remain in place to create a front standoff. As you can see, the Caliphate was not satisfied with only the North Caucasus and decided to create a new one already in Georgia. This information confirms the military expert Vakhtang Maisaâ ".
In his opinion, one already exists. He also informed that the Caliphate in Georgia creates a structured network that supposedly covers the regions of Kvemo Kartli and Pankisi Adzharia. The expert did not rule out that the center of the Caliphate can become Tbilisi.
But in an interview with the newspaper "Aliya" he explained that the primary threat to the country is "the function of the so-called black transit hub". According to Maisaâ, this hub "will be used by terrorist groups Islamic orientation" because Georgia is a connecting corridor with the Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, and the "Islamic State" as the air need the mobilization of its forces in Afghanistan and the opening of a second front in that direction ". Georgian corridor, the expert believes, "it is important for them and in Russia's direction. Georgia would also be used to infiltrate Europe. "
Maisaâ also pointed out that "terrorists good at social adaptation. They have developed a strategy — how to lure a government official. A separate group working on this, so Georgian special services must work hard to identify these groups and eliminate the threat of terrorism. If this group autonomously running on network principle, 80% of the cases will be done. "
According to the expert, "… IG opened against us (Georgia) information war. We have already seen three promise with threats. This will be followed by a propaganda war, the proliferation of videos. We are already seeing as they appear in the information field. The respondent's opinion issuance, Georgia may become a target for terrorists because it is involved in peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan, and the Taliban is a strategic ally.
However, an expert on the Caucasus Mamuka Areshidze tend to think that now Georgia is not "under attack", but "dwells in the mode of ideological terror." "In the opinion of the" Islamic State ", we are now living in their territory. They have established one of the Caucasus, which includes Georgia. … But the main blow was aimed at those countries that participate in the military operation against GAM. In the case of Georgia the Islamists use a different method — indoctrination ".
"We are," he said, "are in a mode of ideological terror. In social networks, using different charitable or educational organizations IG widely land ideological front in Georgia. But on the ideological work to the terrorist act is just one step. Indoctrination occurs everywhere, where Muslims live and where they do not live. This process is particularly active in Adjara in Tbilisi, Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti and Shida Kartli region ".
As to the Pankisi Gorge, where predominantly Kist people (ethnic Chechens), from this region, believes Areshidze, do not create an image of the enemy: "… In the Pankisi Gorge lives just 8 thousand people. A State which cannot cope with the 8 thousand people and provide security, should not claim to existence. This situation is neither in our country nor in the Pankisi Gorge. " However, he said, "part of the population in Pankisi sympathizes with the Wahhabi, 60-70 people from the Valley fight in Syria. But the situation in Adjara and Kvemo Kartli are much harder. "
However, besides terrorism, Georgia and think about the problem of refugees. Moreover, it is created when submitting certain circles in Europe, which believe that pretending to European integration, Georgia should assume and share solidarity with the European Union in this matter. As possible, bearing in mind the socio-economic and other problems of the country, where the number of refugees from Abkhazia and South Ossetia is estimated almost 400 000 people, lobbyists do not specify the corresponding process.
Meanwhile, Minister for refugees Sozar Subari has confirmed that the country was already taking Syrian refugees, and was aware Commissioner for human rights. According to Subari, Mr. Hartley even surprised to see these numbers. " According to "rezonansi", the Minister told that after the outbreak of hostilities in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine and Georgia has simplified and accelerated procedures for awarding refugee status and humanitarian status, and the country has been updated with more than four thousand refugees. Part of their Georgia left and 1 038 already granted asylum with the appropriate status. It was denied in 327 cases and 296 more cases are being dealt with. At this stage in Georgia granted asylum 387 Iraqis — yazidis and Kurds refugee from Ukraine and 273 49 — from Syria.
Political scientist Khatuna Lagazidze believes, the influx of large numbers of refugees in Georgia may increase the threat of tension with the North Caucasus. "Georgia, unlike EU Member States over the years has experienced a lot, and she does not need to substitute his head under the new risks," she said. In her view, the risk is that as a result of the influx of refugees in the country could increase anti-western sentiment.
In General, despite the fact that the views of the Government and experts about the terrorist threat in Georgia for open verbal level do not match, the country's Parliament has already sounded the requirement to increase funding for State security structures. In particular, the head of the Parliamentary Committee on defense and security, Irakli Sesiashvili explained the need for increased funding of appropriate structures that "next year will be difficult," and the fight against terrorism and ensuring the safety of the country's "requires very serious resources. Moreover, explained the head of the Parliamentary Committee that "Georgia is geographically close to the region where the threats are."
The increase in the budget of the State security structures and insists the opposition parliamentary faction "free Democrats". According to its Deputy Irakli Chikovani, "it is necessary that the Agency's budget and the Department of border guards has been increased in the year 2016, to prevent, slow down and neutralize all possible threats."
It should be noted that the requirements of the deputies, having in mind the least promulgated recently on the site of the initiative Vision of Humanity's global terrorism index rating in 2015 year compiled by the International Institute for Economics and peace. On a scale from 1 (the higher the score, the higher the risks of terrorism) Georgia received like a little — 2, 373 points, finishing in the ranking of 71, but at the same time as Azerbaijan scored a total of 1, 381 points and Armenia and does 0, 115 points.
That is, Armenia is in the list of countries with the least influence of terrorism, while Georgia dwells among the States with higher levels of associated impacts, and, in this regard, "the leader" in the southern Caucasus. Note also that neighbouring Turkey and Russia scored 5, 737 and 6.207 points respectively. That is, Russia got into extremely dangerous, the so-called "red zone". And topped Iraq is 10 points.
Andrey Nikolaev
