Leader of the radical opposition Labor Party Shalva Natelashvili said at a news conference on July 28 that the incident involving the tossing of a hand-grenade during U.S. President Bush’s public speech in Tbilisi was staged by the Georgian government.
“This was carried out by the special services of [Georgian President Mikheil] Saakashvili as a face-saving step against the backdrop of [the government’s] crumbling image,” said Shalva Natelashvili, who is known for his flamboyant speeches.