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US may open a third front on terrorism
The United States is planning to send elite military forces to the former Soviet republic of Georgia to help train that country`s troops, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, opening a third front in its war on terrorism.
The United States is planning to send elite military forces to the former Soviet republic of Georgia to help train that country's troops, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, opening a third front in its war on terrorism.
The officials, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters that Army special forces trainers were expected to go to Georgia soon in what would become a third front for the U.S. military in the war on terrorism after Afghanistan and the Philippines.
The Pentagon already has provided the Georgian government with 10 UH-1H Huey combat helicopters, six for operations and four for spare parts, the Washington Post reported in its Wednesday editions, citing Lt. Col. Ed Loomis, a spokesman for the U.S. military's European Command near Stuttgart, Germany. The U.S. officials stressed that any troops sent to Georgia would not be involved in fighting Muslim guerrillas there, but would be in a support role similar to those in the Philippines.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman refused to comment on any possible movement of U.S. troops to Georgia, which was visited by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in December.
Shevardnadze told Rumsfeld that democratic Georgia needed help in battling Muslim guerrillas and in modernizing its Soviet-style armed forces.
The United States blames bin Laden for masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks that killed more than 3,000 people.
Bureau Report
The Pentagon already has provided the Georgian government with 10 UH-1H Huey combat helicopters, six for operations and four for spare parts, the Washington Post reported in its Wednesday editions, citing Lt. Col. Ed Loomis, a spokesman for the U.S. military's European Command near Stuttgart, Germany. The U.S. officials stressed that any troops sent to Georgia would not be involved in fighting Muslim guerrillas there, but would be in a support role similar to those in the Philippines.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman refused to comment on any possible movement of U.S. troops to Georgia, which was visited by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in December.
Shevardnadze told Rumsfeld that democratic Georgia needed help in battling Muslim guerrillas and in modernizing its Soviet-style armed forces.
The United States blames bin Laden for masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks that killed more than 3,000 people.
Bureau Report