MOSCOW, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Russia's Parliament stepped up the rhetoric Saturday about what Moscow sees as Georgia's lack of support in cracking down on Chechen rebels in the region, proposing Russia consider preemptive strikes in the manner of the Israelis against Palestinian militants.
And in a surprise move, Tbilisi also on Saturday offered refugee status to many of the Chechens clustered in its strategic Pankissi Gorge.
Russian military officials say fierce fighting has taken place for nearly a week between Russian troops and a 60-man Chechen contingent around Itum-Kale, a district in the south of the Russian province Chechnya. On Friday they declared the Chechens defeated.
It was from a stronghold in Pankissi Gorge from which the rebels -- who are fighting for independence from Russia -- attacked Russian border guards and entered the country illegally, Russia has asserted.
"Militants and mercenaries have turned this region of Georgia into an international terror base for replenishing their stocks of arms and ammunition, giving medical aid to wounded rebels and forming new units," a senior Russian general staff official told Interfax news agency Saturday.
Russia suspects that up to 160 rebels are left in the gorge preparing to stage a new raid in coming days.
Thus on Saturday Sergei Mironov, the speaker of the upper chamber of Russia's Parliament, proposed that Moscow launch preemptive strikes on the territory occupied by the Chechen rebels, whom he likened to Palestinian terrorists.
"I think we should follow Israel's example which, knowing that the terrorists are stationed in neighboring areas, doesn't wait until the threat reaches its own territory, but launches pre-preemptive strikes," he said.
The comments followed those of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who suggested last week that Russia send its special forces to the area to help sweep the rebels.
Mironov said, "It seems that the Georgian side is unable to handle this issue on its own."
The military spokesman however said, "The general staff is not planning an operation to crush the Chechen militants and foreign mercenaries," according to Interfax.
Meanwhile, Georgia's State Security Minister Valery Khaburdzania told reporters in Tbilisi that Georgia had found a way out of the delicate issue involving Chechen rebels in the gorge.
"If the rebels turn over their weapons to Georgian authorities, they will be granted the status of refugees and won't be criminally persecuted," Khaburdzania said. He added the offer did not apply to those rebels who had already committed serious violent crimes, however.
Khaburdzania's press conference took place hours after he made an unprecedented confession in an interview with Tbilisi's Rustavi-2 television network.
"A certain number of small, illegal armed groups are located in the uncontrolled and unpopulated part of the Pankissi Gorge. They entered the area in recent years from Chechnya," he told the network.
Georgian officials until now have vehemently denied the presence of Chechen rebels in the gorge.
Moscow maintains the separatists are under the command of Chechen warlord Ruslan Gelayev, who reportedly fled there some months ago. U.S. intelligence reports have also suggested guerrillas from Osama bin Laden's al Qaida network may also have fled to the Pankissi Gorge from Afghanistan and other countries where international efforts to stop terrorism have imposed pressure.
The speaker of the Georgian parliament Nino Burdzhanadze responded to Mironov's statements immediately, brushing off Russia's attempts to interfere.
"No matter how hard Moscow tries, Tbilisi won't agree to a joint special forces operation in the Pankissi Gorge," she said Saturday after meeting a group of visiting U.S. congressmen.
Burdzhanadze added that Georgian authorities had made a mistake trying to cover up the rebels' presence in Pankissi, hoping that "such mistakes shouldn't be repeated."
Eight American lawmakers visited Georgia to observe the U.S.-financed effort that aims to train and equip 1,700 troops of Georgia's anti-terrorist crack force.
In another assertive move on Saturday, Georgia demanded that Russia extradite Levan Telidze, a Georgian shepherd who notified Russian border guards last week about the upcoming raid of the Chechen rebels from Pankissi Gorge.
"He crossed the border illegally and thus violated Georgian legislation," Georgian border guards chief Lt. Gen. Valery Ckheidze told reporters.
The general said it was also suspicious why Telidze went to the Russians, ignoring Georgia's own border guard troops.
No immediate reaction was available on the issue from Russia.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to honor Telidze with Russia's Medal of Courage for "audacity and self-sacrifice displayed as he performed a citizen's duty."
