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CNN Saturday Morning News

U.S. Troops to Train Georgian Authorities in Anti-Terror Tactics

Aired March 02, 2002 - 07:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The war on terrorism is moving to a new front. More than 100 U.S. troops are headed to the Republic of Georgia to help train local forces in antiterrorism tactics.

CNN's Jill Dougherty is on the ground in Iraqi area near the Georgia-Chechen border. She sets the scene for us now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in the village of Duisi, which is located in the Pankisi Gorge, this is an area that traditionally has been very unstable. It is located near the Caucusus Mountains that you can see behind me. It's an area that also has very large numbers, 7,000 refugees. This town, in fact, has a population of 300 -- of 3,600, 2,000 of whom are refugees.

The reports have been that there are rebels, rebels from Chechnya, and now fighters allied, perhaps directly, perhaps indirectly, with al Qaeda. We spoke with people in the village who told us that it is peaceful here, and there are no rebels. There are no problems. That was on camera. And we were accompanied by police who have Kalashnikov rifles.

Off camera, three men told us that they were fighters, that there are others here, and they claim that they can take on any army.

It's a very mixed situation, hard to believe anybody in this side, but it is traditionally an area of a lot of instability, and that is why Georgia is now asking for help from the United States to increase its military and protect its borders.

I'm Jill Dougherty, CNN, reporting from the Pankisi Gorge.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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