The United States says it takes strong exception to the possibility of Russian military intervention against Chechen rebels in Georgia.

A State Department spokesman said Washington fully supported Georgia's territorial integrity and opposed Russian intentions.

Putin's warning is "his strongest yet"

The warning came after Russian President Vladimir Putin alerted the United Nations that Moscow would take necessary measures to defend itself if Georgia failed to deal with Chechen rebels on its territory.

Mr Putin's comments follow weeks of mounting tension between the two countries over the activities of pro-Chechen rebels along the Russian-Georgian border.

The Georgian President, Eduard Shevardnadze, called Mr Putin's statement hasty and suggested talks with Moscow.

Help rejected

In a letter to the Security Council, Mr Putin said Georgia had rejected numerous offers of Russian help to wipe out the rebels holed up in the Pankisi Gorge.

He said Georgia's own military operations had failed to achieve tangible results, and he has told his armed forces to draw up plans themselves.

Observers said Moscow's message was to Washington as much as to Georgia.

For the past four months American troops have been stationed in Georgia, helping the country's army to tackle Chechen militants - but with limited results.

But State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said the US took "strong exception to statements by President Putin threatening action against Chechen targets on Georgian territory".

"We strongly support Georgia's territorial integrity and oppose any unilateral military action in Georgia," Mr Reeker said.

Iraqi linkage

The BBC's Steven Kingstone says the timing of the Russian warning is very delicate.

Some observers believe it is Moscow's last-ditch attempt to stop Washington from attacking Iraq, where Russia has sizeable economic interests.

As President George W Bush ponders a possible pre-emptive strike against Baghdad, Mr Putin might have been hoping for more leeway from Washington, our correspondent says.

As it is, the Americans will now have to work that bit harder to win Russian backing for diplomatic and perhaps military action against Iraq.

Tension

Russia has been fighting an intermittent war in the rebel republic of Chechnya since 1994.

Moscow has accused Georgia of allowing Chechen rebels to use the lawless gorge as a base for their fight against Russian armed forces.

Georgia says the situation in Pankisi is under control after its interior ministry sent over 1,000 troops into the region to flush out the separatists.

It says Russia has already carried out raids on the area, killing one person and injuring several.

Moscow denies any involvement in the attacks.