A £2bn pipeline to carry Caspian oil to Europe through Georgia risks being damaged by Chechen mercenaries or ecological saboteurs sponsored by Russian intelligence, a senior Georgian security official and sources in Moscow claim. The GRU, the sophisticated elite of Russia’s military intelligence corps, has allegedly allocated money towards hiring or training eco-warriors and mercenaries to sabotage the 1,100-mile project, which is run by a consortium headed by BP and is expected to be operational by 2005. “We are aware of this threat,” a Georgian cabinet member said. “The pipeline is a key strategic interest to Georgia and we are checking the situation very carefully.” Full Story