Tension Surfaces Between Tbilisi and Batum

Reportedly, the Tbilisi administration states that they will also arrest Chief of Adjarian Supreme Council, Aslan Abashidze, and has restricted the air space to prevent Abashidze, who is in Moscow, from going to Adjaria. Due to its support of Abashidze, Russia has become involved in the escalating tension. Russia has warned Georgia not to send troops to Adjaria. Moscow put the Russian Army in Batum on alert saying, "if there is a crisis, the responsibility will be the Georgia administrations."
After the event, Saakashvili convened the cabinet council and stated that they would never retreat on the decision to go to Adjaria. Saakashvili said that Georgia is not a country of Russians and ordered that not one single tank should be removed from the military base. Disclosing that he directed all security units to prepare for a state of emergency, Saakashvili said, "we have given time to Adjarians administration, we will not forgive them if they continue to behave like this." The problems that they face today come from the period of former president Eduard Shevardnadze, Saakashvili said," what kind of president am I, if I cannot travel in my country?" Abashidze was known as an ally to Shevardnadze, who resigned in October.
Meanwhile, Georgian Prime Minister, Zurab Jvaniya, said that Saakashvili told Abashidze in a telephone conversation, "we will not let two different customs, intelligence units and defense ministries, violate the rights of the autonomous zone either. Jvaniya stated that they would not stand still for events in the region. Stating that Saakashvili conveyed to Abashidze a request to meet with the Adjarian people, Jvaniya stated.