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Putin Appeals to OSCE After Russia Deports Nearly 150 Georgians
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?r=279&c=646344&l=1009&ctl=1448647:A6F02AD83191E160D9382473492334789574F7DCC14957C0 Russian president
urges Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to push for
changes in what he calls Georgia's aggressive behavior 





Vladimir Putin gestures as he meets parliament factions leaders in
Moscow, Oct. 4, 2006Russia President Vladimir Putin has urged the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to push for
changes in what he calls Georgia's aggressive behavior.

In a letter sent Friday, Mr. Putin accused the government in Tbilisi
of preparing to use force in the breakaway Georgian regions of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The letter followed Russia's deportation of nearly 150 Georgians in a
growing dispute over allegations of Russian spying on its southern
neighbor.

Georgia had detained four Russian military officers in Tbilisi, but
released them to the OSCE on Monday. Since then, Moscow has launched a
series of sanctions such as blocking transport and postal links to
Georgia.

The deportees were flown on a Russian plane from Moscow to Tbilisi
Friday. Another Russian plane flew at least 175 Russians home from
Georgia.

Officials in Moscow said Friday that they were ordered to make lists
of students with Georgian names in an effort to track illegal
immigrants. Police denied giving the order. Georgian owned businesses
in Russia have also been closed down.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has criticized such measures as
a "wave of xenophobia" that should worry all nations.

Tensions between the two countries were already high over Georgia's
allegations that Moscow is backing pro-Russian separatists in Abkhazia
and South Ossetia.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.


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