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Lawmaker says U.S. behind Georgia's accusations against Russia RIA
Novosti The speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament said on Thursday that Georgia's claim that the Kremlin orchestrated mass unrest in Tbilisi was prompted by the United States. State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov said Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's allegations were "dictated by U.S. secret services." Before declaring a 15-day state of emergency in Georgia, Saakashvili said on national television that Russia's special services were behind events in Tbilisi, where thousands of protesters had rallied for six days, calling for the president's resignation. Saakashvili also said that according to Georgian special services, "an alternative government" has been formed in Russia, which "sent money and instructions."
Gryzlov expressed concern over clashes between protesters and riot police, who used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse the rally on Wednesday. A total of 589 people were injured in the clashes, and 29 protesters remain in hospital, the country's Health Ministry said on Thursday. Police in Tbilisi detained 32 protesters. The speaker stressed that Russia and its citizens are "not indifferent" to developments in the neighboring countries, and warned that the crisis in Georgia was "the beginning of bloodshed." Georgia's parliament will consider the presidential decree on imposing a state of emergency later today. The decree envisages a temporary ban on rallies, and limits media broadcasts to state outlets.
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