GEORGIA: The headquarters of an independent Georgian television station which played a part in the downfall of Mr Eduard Shevardnadze came under grenade attack yesterday.
The attack heightened tension ahead of a January 4th presidential election in which Mr Mikhail Saakashvili, who led street protests that brought down Mr Shevardnadze, is expected to win.
A grenade fired from a shoulder-held launcher hit the studio of Rustavi-2 in the capital Tbilisi in the early morning, damaging the station's editing suites. No one was injured.
"This was a real terrorist attack," the State Minister said.
He said the culprits were people opposed to stability in the volatile ex-Soviet state on the southern fringes of Russia.
"It struck concrete between floors. If it had gone into the building the results would have been much more serious," the State Security Minister said.
"I think this was not just to frighten, like before, because there could have been casualties," the station's owner said.
Rustavi-2 has been the target of intimidation in the past. Founded privately 10 years ago, the station became critical of Mr Shevardnadze during his years in power, and at one point was shut down for 18 months.
It played a part in toppling Mr Shevardnadze in November by rallying people to turn out in support of street protests against a parliamentary election said to have been rigged in favour of his supporters.
There was some positive news for Georgia's provisional leadership in that the Black Sea region of Adzhara is now likely to take part in next Sunday's vote after earlier threatening to boycott it. Georgia's breakaway province of Abkhazia and its South Ossetia region are both cold-shouldering the election.