TBILISI, May 18 (Xinhuanet) -- The FBI said on Wednesday a grenade thrown to US President George W. Bush while he was delivering a speech at Georgia's Freedom Square on May 10 was live and had only failed to explode due to a malfunction.

    At a news conference in Georgia's Interior Ministry, Bryan Paarmann, a FBI official at the US Embassy, said the grenade thrown at Bush "appears to be a live device that simply failed to function due to a light strike on the blasting cap induced by a slow deployment of the spoon activation device."

    "We consider this act to be a threat against the health and welfare of both the president of the United States and the president of Georgia as well as the multitude of Georgian people that had turned out at this event," Paarmann told reporters.

    Experts from both countries have examined carefully the hand grenade, and will submit a detailed report soon, Paarmann said. He expressed satisfaction at the cooperation of the two investigative bureaus.

    The FBI agent called on witnesses to provide useful information to Georgia's information bureau leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator. The Georgian government has offered a reward of 20,000 laris (about 9,000 US dollars).

    The hand grenade, wrapped in a dark, colored handkerchief, was thrown at the podium where Bush stood and landed about 30 meters from him. Enditem