Who is hiding behind offers to clear Javakhk from Armenians?

PanARMENIAN.Net - Day.az web site has posted a statement allegedly made by the Union of Compatriots of Georgia (UCG), who are "launching a war against Armenian occupants of Samtskhe Javakheti." The statement signed by UCG chairman Gogi Chipashvili says, in part, "From this day, September 18, the UCG consisting of 2500 Georgian patriots and their volunteer armed groups are starting a war against Armenian separatists. We are not going to tolerate the occupation of Armenians, who have seized the lands of our ancestors. Any time we are ready to take up arms against mercenary Armenians. We call on the Georgian government, especially on President Mikhael Saakashvili to be cautious and not encourage Armenian separatism, because the head of the state will be responsible for collisions and bloodshed. We do not expect any assistance from government in this guerrilla war. We do call on the sons of Georgia to join us in the name of glory of our country."



It's curious that Day.az has embellished the publication with comments calling on the readers "to feel the menace of a new war in the South Caucasus being provoked by Georgian Armenians for this once."



Meanwhile, representative of the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Levon Isakhanian said that the statement is "absurd from beginning to end." "The Georgian security service would immediately prevent such actions. To be honest, the story is just ridiculous. What can 2500 people do against 100-thousand population of Javakhk? But the most interesting fact is that the statement was circulated by an Azeri portal while Georgia is absolutely unaware," Isakhanian stressed.



For his part, senior exert of the Caucasus Media Institute, historian and political scientist Sergei Minasyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, "The statement by the Union of Compatriots of Georgia is a figment. It just can't be."



A similar comment was received from Javakhk News Agency editor Armen Grigoryan. "No one in Javakhk heard either of the UCG or its intentions. By the way, text of the statement imitates the style of articles published by Azeri press," he noted.