Grenade aimed at Bush could have exploded

An FBI agent said today a grenade found in the crowd during last week’s speech by President George Bush in the Georgian capital Tbilisi was capable of exploding and had been thrown.

The statement by Brian Parmen contradicted initial reports by Georgian officials that the grenade either was not in condition to explode or that it was a so-called “engineering grenade” which would not be fatal except at extremely close range.

Parmen also said the grenade had been thrown and fell on a girl in the crowd. That was also at odds with statements by Georgian officials, who said it was not thrown.

Bush spoke to tens of thousands of people in Freedom Square, a main plaza in Tbilisi, on May 10.

The crowd response was overwhelmingly favourable and Bush spoke in strong support of Georgia’s efforts at democratic development following the Rose Revolution of 2003.

No arrests have been made in the case and police have appealed to the public to offer photos and videotapes that may contain information on the perpetrator.