While the international media have given a lot of attention to Russian National Security Council head Nikolai Patrushev's floating of the possibility that Georgia could have been behind the Moscow Metro attacks, South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity's contribution seems to have slipped under the radar. The same day as the attacks, GeorgiaTimes reported:
At the hearing with leaders of security and law enforcement structures Kokoyty paid special attention to messages about Guantanamo Bay's prisoners in Georgia.
"Considering that in immediate vicinity of South Ossetia Georgian authorities intend to open a base for training subversive agents, I cannot rule out these people will be used as suicide bombers here or in North Caucasus," Kokoyty said.
Yes, it's a win-win proposition for Tbilisi: curry favor with Washington by taking some Gitmo prisoners off its hands, while gaining cannon fodder to use against the South Ossetians. Well played, Misha!
Joshua Kucera, a senior correspondent, is Eurasianet's former Turkey/Caucasus editor and has written for the site since 2007.
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