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Suspect Seen Describing Bush Grenade Toss
By MISHA DZHINDZHIKHASHVILI
.c The Associated Press
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) - A man who admitted throwing a live grenade
toward President Bush during a rally in Georgia said in a video
broadcast Saturday he aimed to spray shrapnel over the bulletproof
glass protecting the U.S. leader.
Bush and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili were at a podium
protected by the bulletproof barrier at a rally in Tbilisi in May when
the grenade landed about 100 feet away. It did not explode, and
investigators later said it apparently malfunctioned.
``I threw the grenade, not directly at where there was bulletproof
glass, but toward the heads ... so that the shrapnel would fly behind
the bulletproof glass,'' Vladimir Arutyunian said in the video
broadcast by Georgia's Rustavi-2 television.
The station said the clip was provided by the Interior Ministry.
Arutyunian was arrested Wednesday after a shootout in which he was
injured and a policeman was killed. He has been charged with murder in
the policeman's death, but no charges have been filed in the May
grenade incident.
Arutyunian has been in a hospital since his arrest. The video showed
him lying propped up in his bed, but speaking lucidly and gesturing
strongly.
Court officials on Saturday came to the hospital and ordered
Arutyunian detained for three months while the investigation
continues.
Investigators were searching for a motive. Suspicions that Arutyunian
might be linked to Russian forces in Georgia followed reports that
Russian military uniforms were found in his house after he was
arrested.
But the deputy commander of Russia's forces in Georgia, Col. Vladimir
Kuparadze, on Friday denied Arutyunian had any links to the Russian
military. Russia has troops at two military bases in Georgia and
their withdrawal, now scheduled for 2008, had been a tense issue
between the two countries.
The Interior Ministry said Friday that Arutyunian was believed to have
been a member of the Agordzineba party, which supported the leader of
a region largely outside central government control.
Aslan Abashidze, the recalcitrant leader of the Adzharia region, fled
to Russia last year amid street protests against his authoritarian
rule.
The unrest erupted after Abashidze destroyed bridges linking Adzharia
with the rest of Georgia and claimed that Saakashvili was preparing a
military invasion.
07/23/05 18:59 EDT
By MISHA DZHINDZHIKHASHVILI
.c The Associated Press
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) - A man who admitted throwing a live grenade
toward President Bush during a rally in Georgia said in a video
broadcast Saturday he aimed to spray shrapnel over the bulletproof
glass protecting the U.S. leader.
Bush and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili were at a podium
protected by the bulletproof barrier at a rally in Tbilisi in May when
the grenade landed about 100 feet away. It did not explode, and
investigators later said it apparently malfunctioned.
``I threw the grenade, not directly at where there was bulletproof
glass, but toward the heads ... so that the shrapnel would fly behind
the bulletproof glass,'' Vladimir Arutyunian said in the video
broadcast by Georgia's Rustavi-2 television.
The station said the clip was provided by the Interior Ministry.
Arutyunian was arrested Wednesday after a shootout in which he was
injured and a policeman was killed. He has been charged with murder in
the policeman's death, but no charges have been filed in the May
grenade incident.
Arutyunian has been in a hospital since his arrest. The video showed
him lying propped up in his bed, but speaking lucidly and gesturing
strongly.
Court officials on Saturday came to the hospital and ordered
Arutyunian detained for three months while the investigation
continues.
Investigators were searching for a motive. Suspicions that Arutyunian
might be linked to Russian forces in Georgia followed reports that
Russian military uniforms were found in his house after he was
arrested.
But the deputy commander of Russia's forces in Georgia, Col. Vladimir
Kuparadze, on Friday denied Arutyunian had any links to the Russian
military. Russia has troops at two military bases in Georgia and
their withdrawal, now scheduled for 2008, had been a tense issue
between the two countries.
The Interior Ministry said Friday that Arutyunian was believed to have
been a member of the Agordzineba party, which supported the leader of
a region largely outside central government control.
Aslan Abashidze, the recalcitrant leader of the Adzharia region, fled
to Russia last year amid street protests against his authoritarian
rule.
The unrest erupted after Abashidze destroyed bridges linking Adzharia
with the rest of Georgia and claimed that Saakashvili was preparing a
military invasion.
07/23/05 18:59 EDT