Georgia has decided to more than double its military commitment to Iraq and has volunteered for a dangerous combat mission to prove its worth as a Western ally. The President, Mikhail Saakashvili said yesterday that a combat brigade of about 2,000 troops would be deployed by June along the Iranian border. Until now 850 Georgian troops have been serving in Iraq, involved mainly in protecting the green zone in Baghdad.

The extraordinary decision is aimed at proving to Georgia’s allies in the West, particularly the US, that it is a loyal and dependable member of the coalition. He said that Georgia would also be increasing its commitment to Afghanistan, where there are presently about 100 Georgian troops.

In return, the small and vulnerable Caucasus nation of five million people expects President Bush, Tony Blair and other leaders to come to Tbilisi’s defence against the continued threat posed by Moscow.

“A full brigade of Georgian troops will be in place by June to block the main weapons smuggling route on the Iran-Iraq border,” Mr Saakashvili told The Times, during a visit to London, where he will meet the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. “It is a risky business but I think they can do it. We believe that if Iraq fails we will all be in trouble. I think there is still a chance to stabilise the place,” he said.

“What we are trying to prove is that Georgia can serve as a reliable ally.”

Georgia’s commitment to Iraq may seem illogical. The country has a small professional army with many security problems of its own, including dealing with two breakaway regions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But for the US-educated lawyer, who came to power in 2003 during the so-called Rose Revolution, the deployment may be a shrewd move.

The country is in a permanent state of crisis with Russia, which still regards the Caucasus as its backyard and resents Georgia’s goal of joining Nato. The Kremlin watched with alarm as the pro-democracy protests in Tbilisi swept Mr Saakashvili to power and then inspired a similar movement in Ukraine during the Orange Revolution.

President Bush has praised Georgia for spreading freedom across the region, while President Putin has accused Tbilisi of “state-sponsored terrorism”.

In October the dispute with the Kremlin came to a head when Russia cut all transport links with Georgia, banned the import of Georgian goods and began deporting some of the tens of thousands of Georgians living in Russia.

Mr Saakashvili said that much of the angry rhetoric directed at Tbilisi had calmed down, but the economic and other sanctions remain in place and the Georgian leader is concerned that the row could flare up again. During his talks with Mr Blair, Gordon Brown and Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, the Georgian leader is expected to appeal to Britain to use its influence to keep Moscow in check and to strengthen military and commercial ties. Clearly he has calculated that with attention focused on the Middle East, Moscow may be tempted to squeeze his country. “The Soviet Union invaded Hungary in 1956 because they thought world attention was diverted to the Suez Crisis,” he said. “It is important that we are kept on the radar screen.”

Mr Saakashvili praised the late Russian leader Boris Yeltsin. ““He was a genuine politician. You could change his mind if you talked to him for half an hour. He and Vladimir Putin are two very, very different people,” he said.

The reformer

— Born in 1967, Saakashvili studied at Kiev University and the International Institute for Human Rights. Graduated in law from Columbia University, 1994. Returned to Georgia to enter politics

— By 2000 was Minister of Justice in Shevardnadze Government but resigned two years later to lead anti-corruption protests

— Won elections after “Rose Revolution” in 2003, in which Georgians rejected rigged results returning Shevardnadze to office

— Has pursued a reformist agenda, privatising state monopolies and improving Georgia’s failing tax system. GDP rose 8.8% in real terms last year

Sources: fco.gov.uk; DfID; Columbia Law School

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