President Saakashvili warned on December 27, that Russia, whose leadership “is linked to political murders”, might resort to “direct political terror” and “direct physical reprisal” in Georgia.

Saakashvili made the remarks while addressing a group of new recruits of the state guard service – an agency in charge of providing security of senior officials and premises of the state agencies.

In his speech Saakashvili spoke of Georgia’s “struggle for existence”, recalling Russia’s efforts “to derail Georgia from the path of development” through economic embargo and attempts “to stage mass internal disorders” and through direct military intervention and added that after the failure of these efforts the only thing left at Russia’s disposal was “a direct political terror, direct physical reprisal.”

“You know well that this force [referring to Russia], and particularly its leader, is specialized in political violence, and his name is linked to political murders committed in many countries of the world,” Saakashvili said without mentioning names.

“You know that after they have tested everything against Georgia, the only thing left at their [disposal] is a direct political terror, direct physical reprisal, more than that this very leader two years ago swore before the entire world that he would do it; he has neither hidden it nor rejected it; he says that he will do it and that this is a matter of dignity for him.”

“So my friends, because the line of defense is also passing here [referring to state guard agency], we should be calm and our response to hysteric threats should be calmness, cold-bloodedness and of course, we should be watchful and professional, and we should do it. Our responsibility and obligation is to ensure that not a single insidious plan is implemented against Georgia… We are equally responsible for that – me and you,” he told new recruits of the state guard service.

In the same speech Saakashvili also said that recently Russia tried to stage “various subversive acts.” He was referring to series of explosions in Tbilisi; Georgia said that suspects behind the blasts were acting upon the instructions of a Russian army officer serving in breakaway Abkhazia.

“We announced that we were ready for cooperation, including with Georgia’s occupant, to investigate all these acts. But as you have seen we received a rude response from them and it has further strengthened the suppositions about who has staged all these acts on the territory of our country against our peaceful population,” Saakashvili said.