President Bush and first lady Laura Bush walk across the South Lawn of the White House as they return to Washington from a five-day trip in Europe to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, Tuesday, May 10, 2005. After urging the spread of democracy at stops in Latvia, The Netherlands, Russia and Georgia, Bush returns to the White House to face domestic challenges with Congress on Social Security and his judicial nominees, as well as seeking help from China on getting North Korea back to negotiations on its nuclear weapons program. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Agents Check Report of Grenade Near Bush
WASHINGTON - The Secret Service was investigating a report Tuesday that a hand grenade was thrown at the stage during President Bush's speech in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
After Bush left Georgia on Tuesday, the Secret Service was informed by Georgian authorities of a report that a device, possibly a hand grenade, had been thrown within 100 feet of the stage during Bush's speech, hit someone in the crowd and fell to the ground, Secret Service spokesman Jonathan Cherry said.
According to the report, a Georgian security officer picked up the device and removed it from the area. The Secret Service had not seen the device as of Tuesday evening, Cherry said. It has agents in Tbilisi working with the FBI, State Department and Georgian authorities to investigate the report.
Guram Donadze, spokesman for the Georgian Interior Ministry, said no hand grenade was thrown close to Bush. "This is an absolute lie. This did not occur," Donadze told The Associated Press.
Officials from President Maikhail Saakashvili's office were not immediately available for comment. Georgia's security service has been merged with the Interior Ministry.
The White House referred the AP to the Secret Service for comment.
Cherry said he couldn't characterize the source of the report that a device had been thrown.
Bush was returning to the United States late Tuesday after a four-country trip that also included stops in Russia, Latvia and the Netherlands. He was the first American president to visit Georgia.