World Terrorism: News, History and Research Of A Changing World #6 Disinformation, Inc.

VEVAK learned its methodology from the Soviet KGB and many of the Islamist revolutionaries who supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini actually studied at Moscow's Patrice Lumumba Friendship University, the Oxford of terrorism. Documented Iranian alumni include the current Supreme Leader (the faqih) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, under whose Velayat-e Faqih (Rule of the Islamic Jurisprudent) apparatus it has traditionally operated. Its current head is Cabinet Minister Hojatoleslam Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ezhei, a graduate of Qom's Haqqani School, noted for its extremist position advocating violence against enemies and strict clerical control of society and government. The Ministry is very well funded and its charge, like that of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (the Pasdaran) is to guard the revolutionary Islamic Iranian regime at all costs and under all contingencies.

From the KGB playbook, VEVAK learned the art of disinformation. It's not so difficult to learn: tell the truth 80% of the time and lie 20%. Depending on how well a VEVAK agent wants to cover his/her tracks, the ratio may go up to 90/10, but it never drops below the 80/20 mark as such would risk suspicion and possible detection. The regime in Teheran has gone to great lengths to place its agents in locations around the world. Many of these operatives have been educated in the West, including the U.K. and the United States. Iranian government agencies such as embassies, consulates, Islamic cultural centers, and airline offices regularly provide cover for the work of VEVAK agents who dress well and are clean shaven, and move comfortably within our society. In this country, because of the severance of diplomatic relations, the principal site of VEVAK activities begins at the offices of Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.

Teheran has worked diligently to place its operatives in important think tanks and government agencies in the West. Some of its personnel have been recruited while in prison through torture or more often through bribery, or a combination of both. Others are Islamist revolutionaries that have been set up to look like dissidents - often having been arrested and imprisoned, but released for “medical reasons”. The clue to detecting the fake “dissident” is to read carefully what he/she writes, and to ask why this vocal “dissident” was released from prison when other real dissidents have not been released, indeed have been grievously tortured and executed. Other agents have been placed in this country for over twenty-five years to slowly go through the system and rise to positions of academic prominence due to their knowledge of Farsi and Shia Islam or Islamist fundamentalism.

One of the usual tactics of VEVAK is to co-opt academia to its purposes. Using various forms of bribery, academics are bought to defend the Islamic Republic or slander its enemies. Another method is to assign bright students to train for academic posts as specialists in Iranian or Middle East affairs. Once established, such individuals are often consulted by our government as it tries to get a better idea of how it should deal with Iran. These academics then are in a position to skew the information, suggesting the utility of extended dialogue and negotiation, or the danger and futility of confronting a strong Iran or its proxies such as Hizballah (Hezbollah). These academics serve to shield the regime from an aggressive American or Western policy, and thereby buy more time for the regime to attain its goals, especially in regards to its nuclear weaponry and missile programs.

MOIS likes to use the media, especially electronic media, to its advantage. One of VEVAK's favorite tricks is setting up web sites that look like they are opposition sites but which are actually controlled by the regime. These sites often will be multilingual, including Farsi, German, Arabic French, and English. Some are crafted carefully and are very subtle in how they skew their information (e.g., Iran-Interlink, set up and run by Massoud Khodabandeh and his wife Ann Singleton from Leeds, England); others are less subtle, simply providing the regime's point of view on facts and events in the news (e.g., www.mujahedeen.com or www.mojahedin.ws). This latter group is aimed at the more gullible in our open society and unfortunately such a market exists. However, if one begins to do one's homework, asking careful questions, the material on these fake sites generally does not add up.

Let's examine a few examples of VEVAK's work in the United States. In late October, 2005, VEVAK sent three of its agents to Washington to stage a press event in which the principal Iranian resistance movement, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK), was to be slandered. Veteran VEVAK agent Karim Haqi flew from Amsterdam to Canada where he was joined by VEVAK's Ottawa agents Amir-Hossein Kord Rostami and Mahin (Parvin-Mahrokh) Haji, and the three flew from Toronto to Washington. Fortunately the resistance had been tracking these three, informed the FBI of their presence in Washington, and when the three tried to hold a press conference, the resistance had people assigned to ask pointed questions of them so that they ended the interview prematurely and fled back to Canada.

Abolghasem Bayyenet is a member of the Iranian government. He serves as a trade expert for the Ministry of Commerce. But his background of study and service in the Foreign Ministry indicates that Bayyenet is more than just an economist or a suave and savvy businessman. In an article published in Global Politician on April 23, 2006, entitled “Is Regime Change Possible in Iran?”, Bayyenet leads his audience to think that he is a neutral observer, concerned lest the United States make an error in its assessment of Iran similar to the errors of intelligence and judgment that led to our 2003 invasion of Iraq, with its less than successful outcome. However, his carefully crafted bottom line is that the people of Iran are not going to support regime change and that hardliner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad actually has achieved greater popularity than his predecessors because of his concern for the problems of the poor and his fight for economic and social justice. To the naive, Bayyenet makes Ahmadinejad sound positively saintly. Conveniently overlooked is the occurrence of over four thousand acts of protest, strikes, anti-regime rallies, riots, and even political assassinations by the people of Iran against the government in the year since Ahmadinejad assumed office. So too, the following facts are ignored: the sizeable flight of capital, the increase in unemployment, and the rising two-figure rate of inflation, all within this last year. Bayyenet is a regime apologist, and when one is familiar with the facts, his arguments ring very hollow. However, his English skills are excellent, and so the naОve might be beguiled by his commentary.

Mohsen Sazegara is VEVAK's “reformed revolutionary”. A student supporter of Khomeini before the 1979 revolution, Sazegara joined the “imam” on his return from exile and served in the government for a decade before supposedly growing disillusioned.

He formed several reformist newspapers but ran afoul of the hardliners in 2003 and was arrested and imprisoned by VEVAK. Following “hunger strikes”, Sazegara was released for health reasons and permitted to seek treatment abroad. Although critical of the government and particularly of Ahmadinejad and KhameneМ, Sazegara is yet more critical of opposition groups, leaving the impression that he favors internal regime change but sees no one to lead such a movement for the foreseeable future. His bottom line: no one is capable of doing what needs to be done, so we must bide our time. Very slick, but his shadow shows his likely remaining ties to the MOIS.

http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=32632

Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Fatah and Hamas agree to fight Israel together - National unity talks reach agreement to fulfil five goals
[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: If there was a question where the milllions of
dollars of new weapons being supplied to "moderates" would end up being
directed towards..]

National unity talks reach agreement to fulfil five goals, including
formation of a united resistance
Date: 24 / 01 / 2007 Time: 09:56
www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=18900

Bethlehem - Ma'an - The national unity dialogue between rival delegates from
Fatah and Hamas, which kicked off on Tuesday in Gaza, has already yielded
results, according to sources in the Democratic Front for the Liberation of
Palestine (DFLP).

Salih Nasser from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(DFLP) informed that Tuesday's meeting led to an agreement on five issues.
These are the formation of a national unity government, the activation of
the role of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), the formation of a
national security council, the formation of a united resistance front, and
the democratization of the unions in general.

Palestinian sources also said that participants agreed on the agenda for the
dialogue sessions.

Nasser added that the participants had agreed to form a committee who "will
prepare the platform [of the national unity government] within the coming 48
hours". He also said that this national dialogue committee will convene at
6pm on Wednesday.

According to the newspaper 'Al-Sharq Al-Awsat' (meaning 'The Middle East' in
Arabic), the meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas'
politburo chief Khalid Mash'al on Sunday in Damascus was key in enabling an
agreement on a national unity government to be announced.

However, the newspaper, which is an Arabic-language daily based in London,
said that Abbas did not want to give the Syrians the honour of achieving
such an agreement. The newspaper quotes Abbas as saying that he did not want
to "give the Syrians the [honour of] completion of this agreement on their
land; I prefer the agreement to be announced in Gaza."

The paper also claims that a draft paper was presented at the Damascus
meeting which hopes to bridge the gap between the two sides. This paper is
reported to include a commitment of the new government to the previous
agreements signed with the Israelis.

http://www.iris.org.il/blog/archives/2126-The-Veil-is-a-Weapon.html

[Subjects are live urls on site]

The Veil is a Weapon:

Ever wonder when you were a child what you would do if you had the power of becoming invisible? That is precisely what the Muslim face covering (the terms niqab, burka and jilbab all apply) allows, and many terrorists, criminals and fugitives have taken advantage of our politically correct weakness toward the religious practices of another culture. It is an essential tool of the Global Jihad as this continuously updated entry will demonstrate. That is the main reason a heavily-promoted campaign is underway to promote its use (see, for example: Veil-Wearing Muslim Women are Part of our Fight - al-Qaeda Chief).

January 15: London Bomb Plotter 'Fled London Wearing Burka'

January 2: Jihadist Posing as Woman in Veil Assassinates Police Chief

December 20: Most Wanted Fugitive Escapes UK in Veil

A suspected police killer escaped capture by fleeing Britain disguised as a Muslim woman.

Asylum seeker Mustaf Jama hid beneath a full-face niqab veil to sneak through Heathrow posing as his sister.

Jama, who is wanted for the murder of policewoman Sharon Beshenivsky, also wore a flowing head-to-toe jilbab as he fled to Somalia.

The Muslim gangster had been freed from jail six months earlier when Home Office officials ruled it would be unfair to deport him to his war-torn homeland because it was too dangerous.

Jama was Britain’s most wanted man when, during last year’s Christmas holidays, he sneaked through Heathrow – even though air, rail and sea ports were on red alert following the murder in Bradford the month before.

He used his sister’s passport to get through a series of security checks. At no stage was he asked to remove the veil so officials could do a proper identity check.

There would have been opportunities as he checked-in for the flight, at the hand-luggage security screening, when passports are produced at embarkation and when boarding the plane.

Last night the Home Office said that although all those who wear a veil are checked as they arrive in the UK, this is “rarely done” for departing passengers.

A spokesman confirmed: “It’s not an automatic policy. Immigration officers reserve the right to ask people to remove the veil in order to confirm their identification.”

If necessary, a passenger can be taken to a private room and be asked to remove their veil by a female officer, he said.

BAA, which runs Heathrow, said it is ultimately up to airline cabin staff during boarding whether to ask for a veil to be lifted, a power which is not rigorously enforced.

One intelligence source said: “The implications of this are truly frightening. The fact that a man who, at the time, was Britain’s most wanted person walked through airport security checks dressed as a woman could be interpreted as an open invitation to terrorists to sneak on to a jumbo jet and blow it up....

“But it is incredible, given the huge manhunt that was on for him, that he could just walk through Heathrow dressed as a Muslim woman”....

The £20million trial saw the robbers granted exceptional human rights concessions to ensure their ability to fast and pray during Ramadan was not affected.

The court had to see that the men were back in their prison cells at Durham in time for prayers and on one day the court did not sit because it was a Muslim holy day....

Two hours before the robbery, three of the gangsters attempted to pray at a mosque close to their robbery HQ – a Home Office-funded property for asylum seekers in Leeds.

As a footnote to the above story, the pious cop killer had said:

Don’t make me kill you on a Friday (a reference to the Muslim holy day).

December 15: Suicide Bomber Disguised in Burka Attacks in Afghanistan
Burkas are frequently worn to conceal explosive vests

November 23: Toronto Jewel Thieves in Burkas

October 9: Suspect in Terror Hunt Used Veil to Evade Arrest

June 19: Zarqawi Often Used Burka to Escape Capture

To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53842

Saturday, January 20, 2007
between the lines Joseph Farah The root cause of terrorism
Posted: January 20, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Joseph Farah
© 2007

It's becoming popular to talk about "the root causes of terrorism."

Lately, we've heard:

* The root cause of terrorism is foreign domination and control of Muslim resources.

* The root cause of terrorism is the hatred of the Western way of life.

* The root cause of terrorism is alienation.

* The root cause of terrorism is poverty and illiteracy.

* The root cause of terrorism is the moral decadence of the West.

* The root cause of terrorism is the West's support for Israel.

Do you know what I think is the root cause of terrorism?

It works.

By that I mean those using terrorism in the world today do it because it achieves their objectives.

Simple. And I think beyond dispute.

No place does it work more effectively than in Israel – once seen as a bulwark against Islamist terrorism. If you want a case study in the enabling of terrorism, the encouraging of terrorism, the feeding and cultivation of terrorism, look no further than the Jewish state.

(Column continues below)

Let's look at the cost of unrelenting terrorism in the Jewish state over the last six years since Ariel Sharon was elected as a hard-line prime minister to put an end to attacks but who betrayed his constituency:

* 56 percent of Israelis support negotiating even with Hamas, a terrorist organization sworn to the Jewish state's destruction;

* 75 percent of Israelis believe their country is struggling for its very survival;

* The more Israel has acceded to the demands of terrorists, the more terrorism has increased;

* The more Israel has unilaterally retreated from lands won in hard-fought combat, the more emboldened its attackers have become;

* The more accommodating Israel is with the terrorists, the higher become the demands on the Jewish state by international busybodies who blame their own problems with terrorists on Israel.

It's a vicious cycle. But it is a cycle benefiting the terrorists – demonstrating its effectiveness as a tactic.

What do the terrorists want besides killing and terrifying people?

Ultimately, it is very simple. They want the entire world subjugated to Islamic rule and law.

There are only two ways to stop the terrorism:

* Surrender and live under the domination of Islam.

* Soundly defeat the Islamic jihad.

You can't talk to it. You can't buy it off. You can't understand it. You can't win it over with compassion. You can't reason with it. You can't negotiate with it. You can't bargain with it. You can't appease it away. You can't wish it away.

In fact, this is an enemy that cannot be seduced by expressions of "tolerance" and gestures of goodwill. It is actually repulsed by such moves – seeing them as weakness to be exploited further and signs that their strategy is winning the day.

Need I remind you this is a conflict with some history.

It didn't begin Sept. 11, 2001, or even with the first World Trade Center bombing or the Iranian revolution of 1979.

This is a war President Jefferson fought.

This is a war that led to Christopher Columbus' voyage west and, ultimately, the discovery of America.

This is a war that nearly led to the conquest of Europe before that.

And it may well lead to the conquest of Europe in the 21st century.

As I have said before, it would not be inaccurate to say this conflict has defined world history for the last 1,300 years.

In the 20th century, we witnessed the high cost of appeasement. We saw it with Nazi Germany. We saw it with the Soviet Union. We saw it with Communist China. And, lately, we see it in the Middle East and in the war with jihadism.

Related special offer:

"Religion of Peace? Islam's War Against the World"

Joseph Farah is founder, editor and CEO of WND and a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate. His latest book is "Taking America Back." He also edits the weekly online intelligence newsletter Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, in which he utilizes his sources developed over 30 years in the news business.

To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53968

Friday, January 26, 2007
Voting machine hacked after key made from website pic
Company uses same lock on all devices – nation's touch-screen systems at risk
Posted: January 26, 2007
5:55 p.m. Eastern

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

A hacker, using a photograph of keys to a Diebold touch-screen voting system available on the company's website, successfully duplicated two that were capable of opening the electronic balloting device now used in many states for elections.

BradBlog.com revealed that a team of computer scientists at Princeton University, who have been studying security issues related to electronic voting, was sent three keys made by a hacker-friend of one of the scientists.

Image of keys to Diebold's AccuVote-TS system (Keyed edges altered by WND)

The hacker, Ross Kinard of SploitCast.com had discovered a photograph of keys to Diebold's AccuVote-TS model for sale on the company's website. The keys, similar in design to those used to open an office filing cabinet, sold for $5.90 a pair and were shown with the keyed edges clearly visible.

"I bought three blank keys from Ace [Hardware]," said Kinard. "Then a drill vise and three cabinet locks that used a different type of key from Lowes. I hoped that the spacing and depths on the cabinet locks' keys would be similar to those on the voting-machine key. With some files I had I then made three keys to look like the key in the picture."

But Kinard did not have access to a Diebold machine.

"Ross sent me his three homemade keys, and, amazingly, two of them can open the locks on the Diebold machine we used in our study!" said J. Alex Halderman, a Princeton Ph.D. student.

(Story continues below)

Halderman and his team revealed last summer that the Diebold AccuVote-TS was vulnerable to electronic hacking, demonstrating how non-detectable software could be installed to steal votes and leave no evidence of its activity.

Installing the vote-swapping software could be accomplished within 60 seconds if internal access to the machine was available. Access was achieved by removing screws or picking the lock, which one team member was able to do easily in 10 seconds.

The installed software's viral qualities allowed it to infect other machines and potentially affect the outcome of an election, Halderman claimed.

In the course of their evaluation of the AccuVote-TS, the Princeton team also discovered that all AccuVote-TS devices were keyed exactly the same. While they publicized the vulnerability of the voting machine's electronics, they did not release information on the use of a common key, so as to not further compromise security. Diebold will only sell keys to licensed owners of its devices.

Kinard's duplication of the keys from a Diebold photograph made that policy a moot point. While Diebold has replaced the image of the keys on its site with a picture of a digital access card, the original photograph is widely available online.

Further, since Diebold does not uniquely key each machine, each election gives more poll workers an opportunity to copy the key they temporarily have in their possession.

Acknowledging that the photograph had been removed due to the level of interest on the Internet, Diebold spokesman Mark Radke defended the company's policy of keying all machines of a particular model the same in a telephone interview with CNET News.

"Can you imagine, if the wrong keys went to the wrong precincts the morning of the election, what would happen?" he asked.

Noting that anyone opening a device with a duplicated key would have to break a seal on the machine to access the lock, Radke said the unauthorized entry would be detected.

"These are people that don't have election experience making some of these comments," he said.

[unknown url]

Russia unwilling to hand over Litvinenko suspect to Yard

· Constitution vetoes extradition, says official
· Moscow may demand oligarch in return

Luke Harding in Moscow and Ian Cobain
Saturday January 27, 2007
The Guardian

Russia said yesterday it was not willing to hand over to Britain the
businessman suspected by Scotland Yard of poisoning the former KGB
officer Alexander Litvinenko.

Russian prosecutors said there was virtually no prospect they would
agree to any future British request for Andrei Lugovoi to be
extradited to the UK to stand trial.

Senior Whitehall officials have told the Guardian that a Scotland Yard
file on Mr Litvinenko's murder, which is about to be passed to the
Crown Prosecution Service, alleges there is sufficient evidence
against Mr Lugovoi for the CPS to decide whether he should face
prosecution.

But yesterday sources in Russia's prosecutor's office said Mr Lugovoi
would not leave Moscow. "If a request for Lugovoi's extradition
arrives from London, the following answer will most likely be given to
it: the constitution of Russia prohibits extradition of its citizens,"
the official said. He said Mr Lugovoi could be tried in Russia for a
crime committed abroad "if there is evidence proving his guilt".

Yesterday Mr Lugovoi shrugged off the accusation against him and
repeated his denials that he had nothing to do with Mr Litvinenko's
murder. In an interview with the Russian news agency Interfax, he said
he had given "exhaustive answers" to Scotland Yard detectives when
they visited Moscow last December. "I have not received any official
statements. However, if it happens I am ready to protect my reputation
in any court," he added.

There were signs yesterday that the affair is damaging relations with
Moscow. Government officials are convinced that, in return for an
extradition request for Mr Lugovoi, the Kremlin is likely to demand
extradition of Boris Berezovsky, the Russian oligarch granted asylum
in the UK.

Sources in the Russian prosecutor's office denied this yesterday. But
pro-Kremlin Russian politicians suggested a quid pro quo in the
Litvinenko affair was reasonable, and said they were baffled by
Scotland Yard's one-sided demands.

"Currently the British side seems to be considering Lugovoi as main
suspect in the case," said Alexei Mitrofanov, leader of the Liberal
Democrat party faction, which supports Vladimir Putin, the president.

British officials in Moscow have tried to explain the nature of the
judicial system in Britain, and the fact that detectives operate
independently of political pressure.

Mr Lugovoi, 41, a former bodyguard with the KGB, was one of several
people interviewed by Scotland Yard detectives in Moscow last month.
Mr Lugovoi met Mr Litvinenko at the Millennium Hotel in London on
November 1. Mr Litvinenko fell ill shortly afterwards and died in
University College hospital on November 23. In the intervening period,
Mr Lugovoi appeared to leave a trail of radioactive polonium-210 at a
number of offices and hotels around London, and traces of the
substance were also found on board an aircraft in which he travelled.
Several other people have tested positive for polonium-210 including
eight members of staff and one other guest at the hotel. Dimitri
Kovtun, a Russian business associate of Mr Lugovoi who was at the
meeting, was also contaminated.

Meanwhile, there were unconfirmed reports last night that Scotland
Yard detectives have discovered that a teapot at the Millennium Hotel
in London gave an "off the chart reading" for polonium-210.

Quoting unidentified sources, ABC News in the US said that the teapot
had remained in use for some time after the death of Mr Litvinenko.
Another unconfirmed report suggested that Mr Litvinenko had been
poisoned with a contaminated cup of tea.

NTSB Releases Preliminary Report On Van Nuys Citation Accident

Conflicting Reports On Whether Luggage Door Was Open
Editor's Note: Below is the unedited NTSB Preliminary Report on the
fatal
crash of a Cessna CitationJet (C525) near Van Nuys Airport January 12.

In the report, the NTSB states investigators were unable to confirm
accounts
from several witnesses stating dark objects fell out of an open left
baggage
door in the plane's nosecone, and that those objects were pulled into
the
jet's left engine. Other witnesses say the door was closed as the jet
took
off.

Investigators determined in their post-crash examination the front left
baggage door appeared to be in the unlocked position. The NTSB says
that
does not mean the door was open at the time of the accident, however --
and
adds similar incidents on other Citations have not proven debilitating.

The left engine separated from the airframe in the crash... but showed
no
apparent sign of inflight damage from debris. The right engine had
significant damage, which may have been caused by impact forces.

A pilot who departed after the Citation told the Board the jet appeared
to
be flying slower than normal before it banked hard right, and into the
ground. Pilots Frank Kratzer, 72, and Fernando Miguel Fernandez, 49,
were
lost in the crash.

NTSB Identification: LAX07MA069
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, January 12, 2007 in Van Nuys, CA
Aircraft: Cessna 525, registration: N77215
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain
errors.
Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has
been
completed.

On January 12, 2007, about 1107 Pacific standard time, a Cessna
CitationJet
525, N77215, collided with terrain in Van Nuys, California. Sunquest
Executive Air Charter was operating the airplane under the provisions
of 14
CFR Part 91. The airline transport pilot and the commercial copilot
sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was destroyed. The cross-country
positioning flight was departing with a planned destination of Long
Beach,
California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an
instrument
flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The approximate global
positioning system (GPS) coordinates of the primary wreckage were 34
degrees
13.535 minutes north latitude and 118 degrees 29.621 minutes west
longitude.

Linemen added 190 gallons of fuel in each wing. One of the linemen
observed
the copilot preflight the airplane and load bags into the left front
baggage
compartment. He noted that the copilot pulled the front left baggage
door
down with one hand, but did not see him latch or lock it. The airplane
was
then towed to a start-up area; the start-up area was on the other side
of a
hangar, and out of sight. Several minutes later the CitationJet crew
reported that they were ready to go. A lineman went to the start-up
area and
directed them out of the ramp area. He could not tell if the baggage
door
was locked.

The airplane taxied the full length of the airport to the departure end
of
runway 34L, which is 8,001 feet long. Witnesses at midfield noted that
the
airplane was airborne and then leveled off; the front left baggage door
was
closed. Witnesses at the end of the runway said that the baggage door
was
open, and the airplane was about 200 feet above ground level (agl). The
airplane turned slightly left, and was slow. It began descending, and
the
wings were rocking. It then did a hard right turn, and into the ground.
The
airplane cut one string of power lines that were perpendicular to the
flight
path; the falling line hit one witness in the head. Another witness
said
that the wings were nearly vertical to the ground when the airplane
hit. The
right wing hit in the street, and the airplane went through a set of
power
lines parallel to the flight path. It continued through a wire fence
with a
cinder block wall behind it, and through another cinderblock wall with
a
wire fence behind it.

A Cessna 414 departed behind the CitationJet. Just after the tower
cleared
the 414 for takeoff, one of the CitationJet's pilots indicated that
they
wanted to return for landing. The tower asked if they could make it
back to
runway 34L, and the crew acknowledged 34L. A few seconds later the
tower
cleared them to land on any runway, and the response was OK. The 414
pilot
had the CitationJet in sight, and indicated that he was looking down at
it,
and it appeared to be slow. He saw the slight left turn, and the hard
right
into the ground. He was able to maneuver away from the fireball.

Some witnesses thought that they saw dark objects fall from the
airplane,
and enter the left engine. The airport did two checks for loose
objects, and
found nothing. Law enforcement scoured the area from the end of the
runway
to the crash site, and found nothing. Most of this space was an open
sod
field.

Investigators established control continuity, determined that the gear
were
down, and the speed brakes were stowed. The left engine separated, and
was
100 feet in front of the main wreckage. It turned freely when manually
rotated. The right engine remained in place, but sustained mechanical
damage
and would not rotate. The sides were crushed, and cinder block pieces
were
in the inlet.

Examination of the front left baggage door indicated that the key
mechanism
was in the unlocked position. The Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) noted
that
upon energizing the electrical system, the amber master caution light
would
illuminate, and an amber annunciator light would flash if the cabin
entry
door, either of the forward baggage doors, or the tail cone door was
not key
locked. After pressing the master caution light, it would extinguish,
but
the DOOR NOT LOCKED annunciator light would remain on continuously. The
annunciator panel is in the middle of the glare shield across the top
of the
instrument panel.

A review of previous reports noted other instances of a front baggage
door
popping open on several different Citation models. In some cases the
door
separated, and the crews landed uneventfully. In at least one case, a
front
baggage door on a model with a similar nose configuration stayed
attached.
That crew returned to the departure airport, and landed successfully.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov
aero-news.net

Safety Concerns Tarnish Image Of Bangkok's New Airport

BANGKOK, Jan 26 Asia Pulse - International airlines say they are afraid
to
use Bangkok's new airport because of safety concerns amid reports
incoming
flights had been either delayed or forced to land at a military airport
in
the nearby province of Chon Buri.

Suvarnabhumi Airport, the multi-million dollar showcase gateway to
Thailand
for many foreign tourists, had its west runway closed for repairs for
two
hours Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT

Transport Minister Admiral Theera Haocharoen admitted airport
authorities
had found 25 cracks in taxiways that made it impossible for aircraft to
use
11 of the airport's aero-bridges.

"This has started to affect the country's image and some airlines are
afraid
to use Suvarnabhumi due to safety fears," he said.

He refused to order airport officials to close down the new facility,
but
instead to carry out temporary repairs on the cracks in the taxiways
and one
at the head of the 4,000 metre long runway.

The airport has been mired in allegations of corruption since its
fanfare
opening last September, with complaints of sub-standard materials used
in
its construction, not just on runways and taxiways, but throughout the
terminal.

Theera said engineers would start to carry out these repairs "within
the
next few weeks".

Some flights had to circle the airport yesterday or land at U-Tapao
military
airfield in Chon Buri for refuelling and temporary parking.

A Thai Airways International spokesman said two flights were delayed by
more
than one hour.

One passenger aboard a domestic Thai Airways flight from Hat Yai, in
Thailand's far south, said his aircraft had been diverted to U-Tapao
airfield where passengers were forced to sit for an hour before the
flight
could return to Suvarnabhumi.

"My flight was the first to get to U-Tapao and during the hour I saw
four or
five more planes land, one of them belonging to Thai AirAsia," he said.

Flight TG 240, another flight from Hat Yai, delayed takeoff for 40
minutes
and passengers were told they had to wait till Suvarnabhumi Airport was
less
congested.

Somchai Sawasdeepon, Airports of Thailand (AoT) senior executive vice
president and Suvarnabhumi director, said the west runway had been
closed
for repairs from 2pm to 4pm.

"We ordered a number of flights to stop over at U-Tapao where they
could
refill their tanks," he said.

After a two-hour on-the-spot inspection Theera admitted 11 aero-bridges
were
sealed off due to subsidence on taxiways.

In the first official admission of serious damage, Theera identified
more
than 100 points at 25 areas on taxiways and one point on the west
runway
where damage had occurred. Seven points on the taxiways had been
repaired
but subsidence had recurred after two weeks.

"Cracks have also been found at many other areas. This will affect
travellers on planes that cannot reach 11 aero-bridges, while the
repairs
have caused traffic jams," Theera said.

While admitting the airport needs swift repairs, Theera said
Suvarnabhumi
would not be closed and denied that Bangkok's old international
airport, Don
Muang, would be reopened as had been demanded by many budget airlines
to
ease congestion at the new airport.

Deputy Prime Minister Kosit Panpiemras has also opposed shifting
flights to
Don Muang, saying it would inconvenience travellers.

Over the next fortnight an investigation committee chaired by Tortrakul
Yomnag will start examining the ground under the airport, which is
located
in an area known as Cobra Swamp.

The airport has been plagued by operational glitches and structural
defects
which have been widely blamed on the rush to complete the project.

Allegations of corruption have been aired in Bangkok over the lack of
transparency in the awarding of contracts.

There have also been reports of leaks in the roof, faulty
air-conditioning,
poor drainage in the parking lots and complaints of a severe shortage
of
rest rooms.

Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um has warned 12
light-control
boxes are inappropriately located, and said although they were built to
handle temperatures of up to 40 degrees they were placed outside where
the
temperature can rise to 45 degrees.

They could be damaged by the heat or catch fire, he said.

"These problems indicate massive corruption," Saprang said. "Someone
needs
to take responsibility."

(AAP)

[unknown url]

Denver airport deals with critters

DENVER -- Denver International Airport operations manager Mike Carlson
and
federal wildlife biologist Kendra Cross take an airport vehicle on a
road
parallel to runway 34 Right looking for a "coyote slide," where the
animals
have dug under DIA's perimeter fence.

Not far from Frontier Airlines' maintenance hangar, Cross finds where
coyotes burrowed under the 8-foot-high chain-link and barbed-wire
fence.

Planes hit coyotes at least three times last year at DIA, said Cross,
the
airport's principal wildlife biologist, who works for the U.S.
Department of
Agriculture. There are about 200 wildlife strikes annually at DIA.

About 85 percent of Cross' work is at DIA, but the job also takes her
to
other airports, including Grand Junction, Gunnison and Colorado
Springs.

On Nov. 26 at DIA, an engine on a departing United Airlines 737
ingested
what officials thought was a young coyote.

Pilots completed the takeoff, but returned immediately to the airport
so
mechanics could assess the damage, which officials estimated at
$50,000,
Cross said.

From a freezer on the south side of DIA's A concourse, Cross pulled
out a
large plastic bag with what she and her colleagues had judged to be the
remains of a juvenile coyote killed in the November incident.

DIA employees collected the shredded animal parts from 200 feet of
runway.

When wildlife officials cannot make a definitive identification of an
animal, the remains are sent to the Smithsonian Institution, where DNA
testing is used to verify the species, Cross said. In this case, the
scientists determined the animal was a great horned owl.

At DIA, coyotes, geese and birds of prey -- owls, hawks and eagles --
are
among animals that collide with planes.

To control them, wildlife biologists first try "habitat management,"
which
includes fencing and limiting the presence of trees, shrubs or grasses
that
attract animals.

When that doesn't work perfectly, Cross and other wildlife biologists
turn
to "hazing and harassment," she said.

During the recent seasonal mass migration of geese, officers fired
non-lethal pyrotechnic "bangers and screamers" from a shotgun and 15mm
launcher to drive the birds away.

As a last result, officers turn to trapping or poisoning.

"Lethal control is a necessary management tool," though it is only used
10
percent of the time, Cross said. "The reason why we manage prairie
dogs,
rabbits and other prey species is because they attract predators like
coyotes, hawks, eagles and owls."
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2007/01/26/news/regional/9f21a4f18
418db678725726e006c16d9.txt

http://dinarstandard.com/management/ABIR011607.htm

2nd Arab Business Intelligence Report(ABIR) Confirms Economic
Confidence
By Sajjad Chowdhry , Jan 23, 2007

Since 2002 business, political, and thought leaders have gathered
annually to discuss and debate the most pressing issues facing the
broader Arab world. The forum, modeled on the annual meetings of the
World Economic Forum at Davos, was known as the Dubai Strategy Forum
but
since 2004 has become the Arab Strategy Forum (ASF).

Leaders attending the forum, from within the Arab world and from
outside
it, have included Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, former US
President Bill Clinton, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and of course Shaikh
Mohammed of Dubai. This yearâ€™s Forum brought together more than 600
participants including more than 20 governmental heads and 30 global
industry leaders.

Last year, the ASF became the venue for the introduction of the first
Arab Business Intelligence Report (ABIR) whose goal was to act as a
point of reference serving insights on economic matters to regional
business leaders.

ABIR is published by PriceWaterhouseCooper (PwC) and Moutamarat, a
joint
venture created in 2005 between Tatweer and Saudi Research Company.

The 2nd ABIR report findings were released Decmeber 2006 and was based
on 568 surveys conducted in 18 countries.

As Michael Stevenson, Middle East Senior Partner of PwC writes, â€œthe
report is designed to be used by any individual or organization with an
interest in the Arab worldâ€™s growing economic confidence and the huge
opportunities that the region offers.â€

Expanded Coverage

The 2nd Arab Business Intelligence Report (ABIR II), released at the
Arab Strategy Forum in early December 2006, studied the opinions and
perceptions of over 550 Arab business leaders â€“ versus 140 in 2005 -
through telephone interviews. This methodology allowed the authors of
the ABIR II to create a set of unique indices including the CEO Arab
Confidence Index, Labor Market Index, and the Arab Innovation Index.
These indices were not a major part of the ABIR II but did inform some
of its results.

+++

Arab Business Intelligence Report:

Produced by: Moutamarat, PriceWaterhouseCooper
Survey of: 568 Senior Executives - typically Chairman, CEO or
President
Countries covered 18 - UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco,
Oman,
Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Tunisia, Lebanon, Qatar, West Bank & Gaza,
Yemen, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya
Sectors covered:

20.0% Financial Services
14.3% Energy, Mining and Metals
13.6% Engineering, Construction, Real Estate
11.6% ICT
9.9% Travel and Tourism
9.7% Healthcare
8.8% Retail and Consumer Goods
6.0% Entertainment and Media
5.6% Transport, Logistics and Storage

+++

In order to access a wider data base for its survey, the ABIR II
expanded its geographical reach to encompass Morocco in the West to
Oman
in the East and Sudan in the South to Syria in the North. The ABIR II
also covers an expanded set of business sectors which can be reviewed
in
the accompanying box.

Report Highlights

As stated by Moutamarat, in today's world, knowledge has become a vital
competitive factor and the key to economic and social progress.

ABIR serves as an important benchmarking tool that should influence
senior executivesâ€™ decision making to exploit growth, open new
markets
and create opportunities to secure the future of their own businesses
and the regional economy.

DinarStandardâ€™s own DS 100 ranking, in its third year, has served as
another such tool providing business leaders across the Arab and
broader
Muslim world a competitive benchmark.

This years DS100 -companies' overall year to year growth of 37% in
revenues mirrors the sentiment noted by the executives surveyed by the
ABIR.

79% senior executives believe that economic conditions are better than
12 months ago.

81% believe conditions will improve over the next year

ABIR II reported that confidence about economic prospects among Arab
business leaders grew from 79% last year to 81% this year. Arab
business
leaders were 40% more confident in their business prospects over the
next 12 months than US business leaders. And most important, 79% of
business leaders reported an actual improvement in business conditions
over the last year.

Focus on Human Capital

One of the key findings of the ABIR II was that Arab leaders overall
are
aware that there are certain key challenges which affect their
businessâ€™
development in the foreseeable future. Foremost among these is how to
improve the condition of human capital in the Arab world.

Of the 568 executives interviewed, 68% responded that raising
educational levels in the work force was important for business
development. The survey identified this as their most important
challenge.

Interestingly though, business leaders in the UAE did not see this as a
challenge; possibly because the UAE has no shortage of expatriate
talent.

Among the other challenges cited by Arab business leaders, in order of
importance were, the improvement of infrastructure, implementation of
stable and sound economic policy, embracing innovation and reducing
entrenched bureaucracies.

Planning for Growth

As companies in the Muslim world look to compete globally they have to
identify well thought out strategies to gain a share in international
markets.

55% of the respondents to the ABIR II survey identified alliances and
joint ventures as the primary growth strategy in the near future versus
47% who identified organic growth as their primary expansion method.

Joint ventures and alliances will expose Arab companies to
international
markets while allowing them to take advantage of the knowledge and
established expertise of their partners as well as share the costs and
risks associated with business development. These deals should also
open
up possibilities for technology transfer and contribute to the overall
improvement of Arab companiesâ€™ own knowledge bases. Since a majority
of
Arab business leaders have identified strategic alliances as their
primary method of achieving growth, 2007 promises to be an interesting
year to watch.

Asked to identify which country was the most important growth market in
their respective industries 18% answered Saudi Arabia and 12% answered
the UAE.

Not surprisingly then, executives were also asked which country they
saw
as offering the most potential for forming commercial alliances or
partnerships 24% answered that the UAE offered the most potential; up
from 13% last year. Following the UAE was Saudi Arabia with 14% of
executives saying it offered the greatest potential for commercial
alliances or partnerships.

Identifying Threats

The ABIR II also asked its participants to identify the greatest
threats
faced by their businesses over the next 6 months and in the long term.
78% of executives responded that oil price movements were the greatest
threat over the next 6 months. This was followed by cost of capital
issues, currency fluctuations, inflation, corporate governance issues,
and stock market volatility.

The issue of Human Capital was important in the medium and long terms.
In the next 12 months over 80% of executives expect the cost of labor
to
increase. In the long term 73% of executives answered that the lack of
available talent and trained resources presented the greatest challenge
to their businesses.

Looking Forward

There is little doubt that the ABIR II builds on the findings of the
original ABIR. It gives its reader a close view of the types of issues
business leaders are facing today as well as what they anticipate in
the
future. The survey highlights their differences and agreements in an
objective manner. In other words, the diagnoses are real. Where the
report leaves room for readers is in one major area.

Namely, the ABIR II makes only passing references to the level of
corruption in Arab businesses by mentioning that corporate governance
issues are an important obstacle impeding growth. The report needs to
do
more in a manner similar to the Arab Business Council of the World
Economic Forum which, in its meeting of November 2005, adopted the
Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) of the World Economic
Forum. In the very least the survey used to gather information for the
report should ask some direct questions about their perception of
corruption in the business community across the Arab world.

Pakistan: Islamabad mullahs threaten suicide attacks

Reconstruct mosques or Else: Islamabad mullahs threaten suicide attacks

* Cleric says 10,000 students to be taught significance of jihad

By Mohammad Kamran and Mohammad Imran

January 27, 2006

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\27\story_27-1-2007_pg1_4

ISLAMABAD: The administration of Lal Masjid on Friday threatened the
government of suicide attacks if it continues to demolish mosques and
madrassas. The clerics also acquired a commitment to this effect from
thousands of worshippers at the Friday congregation.

Addressing the Friday sermon, Maulana Abdul Aziz, key prayer leader of
Lal Masjid, asked the government to reconstruct the demolished mosques
and urged President Musharraf to "seek Allah's forgiveness" for
demolishing "seven mosques in the country". "We are ready to carry out suicide
attacks if the government does not meet our demands," he said, adding
that the clerics would accept General Musharraf president for life if he
accepts all their demands in letter and spirit.

Maulana Aziz, who is also the principal of Jamia Hafsa and Jamia
Fareedia madrassas, issued a decree after citing verses from the Quran that
jihad had become obligatory on all men and women against the backdrop of
"prevailing evil in the country". He demanded the government enforce a
system based on the Quran and Sunnah in the country and stop dubbing
jihad as terrorism.

He praised the girl students of Jamia Hafsa for besieging the children
library, saying, "It was the last resort because all our
demonstrations, negotiations and protests fell on deaf ears. This is a practice of
the mujahideen all over the world."

Maulana Aziz said that millions of madrassa students had decided to
sacrifice their lives in the name of Allah and the government must realise
the gravity of the situation. He said that 10,000 students of Jamia
Fareedia would sit in aitekaaf for 40 days to seek "divine help" and they
would also be taught about the significance of jihad. "We do not want
an armed conflict with the government, but we should not be pushed to
the wall," he added.

http://realpolitikandlife.blogspot.com/2007/01/hamas-revealed-in-their-own-words.html

Saturday, January 27, 2007
Hamas...... revealed in their own words.

NOTE: [I]The Hamas emblem to the left consists of the Dome of the Rock, two crossed swords, and two Palestinian flags embracing the Dome with the phrases, "There is no god but Allah", and "Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." At the top is a map encompassing the boundaries of the State of Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with "Palestine" written under the picture and a strip at the bottom stating "Islamic Resistance Movement-Hamas."[/I]

I mentioned some time ago, after printing the charter of Fatah, the original party of the PLO that I would follow up with the Hamas charter. It is reprinted below in it's entirety.

I will give a few highlites here. Remember these words whenever "peace" is discussed. As with the Fatah charter, there is simply no allowance made for discussion, peace, territorial concessions.

I know those "on the left" so to speak, like to paint all "evils" as the same. i.e. mistakes made by the US or Israeli or other democratcic governments as the same as those of terrorist regimes. But when one's very purpose is the murder of others, the difference is clear.

Note to begin with, the name of the organization.
"The Islamice RESISTANCE movement". The entire function is to resist. Even when given what it wants it is to resist.

The other thing to note is the outright description of themselves as an offshoot of the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt. As I described in my post on Egypt, this is the granddaddy of most Middle Eastern terror organizations, AL Qaeda, Hamas, etc.

So before printing the entire text, some highlights:

[COLOR red]"Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it."

"The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgement Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up. "

"There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors."

"After Palestine, the Zionists aspire to expand from the Nile to the Euphrates. When they will have digested the region they overtook, they will aspire to further expansion, and so on. Their plan is embodied in the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion", and their present conduct is the best proof of what we are saying."

"The day that enemies usurp part of Moslem land, Jihad becomes the individual duty of every Moslem. In face of the Jews' usurpation of Palestine, it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised. To do this requires the diffusion of Islamic consciousness among the masses, both on the regional, Arab and Islamic levels. It is necessary to instill the spirit of Jihad in the heart of the nation so that they would confront the enemies and join the ranks of the fighters."

"The Zionist invasion is a vicious invasion. It does not refrain from resorting to all methods, using all evil and contemptible ways to achieve its end. It relies greatly in its infiltration and espionage operations on the secret organizations it gave rise to, such as the Freemasons, The Rotary and Lions clubs, and other sabotage groups. All these organizations, whether secret or open, work in the interest of Zionism and according to its instructions. They aim at undermining societies, destroying values, corrupting consciences, deteriorating character and annihilating Islam. It is behind the drug trade and alcoholism in all its kinds so as to facilitate its control and expansion."

"Writers, intellectuals, media people, orators, educaters and teachers, and all the various sectors in the Arab and Islamic world - all of them are called upon to perform their role, and to fulfill their duty, because of the ferocity of the Zionist offensive and the Zionist influence in many countries exercised through financial and media control, as well as the consequences that all this lead to in the greater part of the world."

"Leaving the circle of struggle with Zionism is high treason, and cursed be he who does that."
[/COLOR]

[COLOR blue]The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)
18 August 1988

In The Name Of The Most Merciful Allah

continues..............

Second Arab Business Intelligence Report takes temperature of 600 CEOs

http://www.moutamarat.com/knowledge/abir_report.aspx

Second Arab Business Intelligence Report takes temperature of 600 CEOs

Download complete PDF http://www.moutamarat.com/main/pdf/ABIR_VII.pdf

600 top business leaders from across the Arab world have participated
in
the ABIR II, an increase from the 140 of its first edition, as a result
of the renewed partnership between Moutamarat and
PricewaterhouseCoopers
(PwC).

The report is the most comprehensive analysis of business opinion in
the
region and is rapidly becoming the most authoritative indicator of
trend
lines and future business direction. The ABIR II will include the
second
Arab Confidence Index, industry-specific reports and a brand new Arab
Innovation Index. The reach of the ABIR II, which is nearing
completion,
has been extended to 18 countries in the Arab world, making it the most
comprehensive barometer of corporate opinion in the Arab world. At the
same time the number of industry sectors covered has been trebled to
nine, from three.

In addition to financial services, healthcare, travel and tourism
covered in the first ABIR, the ABIR II will also feature the views and
analysis of industry leaders in a number of other sectors. These
include:

Energy, Mining and Utilities
Engineering, construction and real estate
Entertainment and media
Information and communication technologies
Retail and consumer goods
Transport, logistics and storage

Mr. Khalid Al Malik, the CEO of Moutamarat, said:

"Together with PwC we spent six months of the year selecting,
approaching and understanding the opinions of the key decision-makers
in
the Arab world. The ABIR II is based on an intensive research program,
for which prominent business leaders across the Arab world gave their
opinions, predictions, doubts and hopes for the future of their
respective industries.

"We have received a tremendous response from participants. The survey
is
ongoing but we expect this second version to conclusively establish the
ABIR as the definitive authority on Arab industry opinion. It offers a
depth of research into the region that has not been available before
and
gives a snapshot that is crucial for anyone involved with the Arab
world. We are delighted to unveil the results of our research at the
most important summit in the region, the Arab Strategy Forum.

"The new report will again offer an abundance of facts and figures
gained from the research and these will be accompanied by analysis and
conclusions from the Arab world's most prominent business leaders, and
a
range of industry experts."

The industry leaders who took part in the study charted trends,
predicted future growth, and highlighted economic challenges and
progress. The report adds value and awareness to industry knowledge
through the insights of some of the most prestigious corporate,
political and academic Arab decision-makers.

Mr. Al Malik added: "The second Arab Business Intelligence Report will
build on the success of the first and provide even greater insights
into
the circumstances and industry trends that determine the prospects of
the nine covered industries, and of the region as a whole."

Michael Stevenson, Middle East Senior Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers,
said: "Last year's survey indicated that the Economic Confidence in the
region was very high, with 83% of Arab senior executives believing that
conditions will further improve over the next 12 months.

"We look forward to seeing the results of this year's survey, which
will
clarify whether the extraordinary optimism evident last year has been
sustained and what new issues have emerged from the high levels of
economic growth in the region over the past year.

"Taking into consideration the geopolitical context of the region, and
recognizing that the research was conducted before, during and after
the
war in Lebanon, this year's research will provide clear data and
monitoring of the current levels of business confidence in the Arab
world."

PW/Oleg Lukin: The 1997 presidential and parliamentary elections in Chechnya

January 27th 2007 · Prague Watchdog / Oleg Lukin

The 1997 presidential and parliamentary elections in Chechnya

By Oleg Lukin, special to Prague Watchdog

Almost immediately after the end of the 1994-1996 war, a leadership
struggle began in Chechnya. It was now a struggle between those who
only yesterday had been comrades-in-arms. The death of the first
President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (ChRI) upset the
political balance in the camp of the supporters of independence. The
war had pushed to the foreground a number of military men, politicians
and public figures who were ready to lay claim to the post of leader
of the republic.

The elections for the presidency and parliament of the ChRI were set
for January 27, 1997. More than 20 nominations were received for the
post of Head of State, but only four people were considered to be
genuine candidates: acting President Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, Prime
Minister Aslan Maskhadov, Deputy Prime Minister Movladi Udugov and the
head of Chechnya's Customs Committee, the influential field commander
Shamil Basayev.

These were the candidates in support of each of whom 10,000 signatures
had been submitted to the republic's Central Electoral Commission by
December 23 1996. One of the special features of this election
campaign was the fact that it was impossible even for moderate
politicians of a pro-Russian orientation to take part in them. Thus,
Ruslan Khasbulatov, the former speaker of the Russian parliament which
had been dissolved by Boris Yeltsin in the autumn of 1993 was
compelled to withdraw his candidacy under pressure from field
commanders.

Despite the fact that the presidential candidates were all unanimous
on the question of Chechen independence, differences in their vision
of the prospects for the republic's development were already evident.
For example, Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev and Movladi Udugov positioned
themselves as supporters of the building of a Sharia state that would
distance itself from Russia.

Their opponent was Aslan Maskhadov – a talented military leader and
moderate, pragmatic politician. The former chief of the general staff
of the Chechen army proclaimed as his goal the creation of an
independent secular Chechen state. This, in his view, would be
facilitated both by the establishment of peaceful, good neighbourly
relations with Russia and by the strengthening of mutually beneficial
contacts with the West.

Basayev as a participant in the election race

Another candidate for the president's chair, and also a figure worthy
of special note, was Shamil Basayev. Here is an excerpt from an
interview Basayev gave for the Lithuanian newspaper Respublika on
March 4, 1997:

"The war with Russia will continue. For Russia has behaved in a
brutal, inhuman manner in Chechnya. Russian troops have killed 100,000
people, they wrecked everything and then left (...) If it is in our
interests, we will talk to any leader of this country. But if Russia
will pay us 700 billion US dollars for the damage caused to Chechnya,
with that money we can buy half of Russia." (See: A. Savelyev: The
Chechen Trap, "Hot Ashes", http://savelev.ru/book/?.ch=157).

This would seem to point to an explicit radicalism and a tendency
towards continued confrontation with the Kremlin. But the
above-mentioned book also contains evidence that is directly to the
contrary. Shamil Dzabloyev, leader of the Assembly of
National-Democratic and Patriotic Forces, an Ossetian by nationality,
spent nearly 8 months from mid-December 1996 as a hostage of the
guerrillas. In his memoirs (Confessions of a Hostage) he writes:

"Basayev's participation in the elections was a very short one, and
others took part for him. Then he fell completely silent, and made no
aggressive statements. During the eight months I spent in captivity,
there was not one aggressive statement from him. The commander of the
guerrillas who had seized me said that Basayev had advised him to `let
that man go.' I know that there were previous instances when soldiers,
doctors, and so on were set free at his suggestion. What does he want?
Can it be that he has had a change of heart, or has nothing in common
with these guerrillas? The guerrilla commander said: `Basayev and I
have already parted company.'" (See: A. Savelyev: The Chechen Trap,
"Hot Ashes", http://savelev.ru/book/?.ch=157).

In my view, the contradiction in the statements and actions of Shamil
Basayev is only apparent. For "external consumption" the field
commander created for himself the image of a "radical", but actually
in 1997 he still remained an ally of Aslan Maskhadov. In this way he
sent a kind of signal to the Kremlin - "If you don't recognize
Maskhadov, you will get me as President." And if such a combination
did occur, it proved to be extremely successful. The Russian
leadership was forced to put its money on Aslan Maskhadov as the
moderate representative of the separatists. The population of Chechnya
was probably guided by the same logic. People were weary after two
years of war, and figured that Maskhadov was the man who would be able
to resolve all the controversial issues at the negotiating table and
bring about an improvement in Chechen-Russian relations.

Maskhadov's convincing victory

The elections took place on January 27 1997 in the presence of Russian
and international observers who did not observe any important
irregularities. Aslan Maskhadov won a convincing victory, gaining more
than 59% of the vote. Shamil Basayev came second, with an impressive
23.5%. Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, who had expected to free himself of the
prefix "Acting" on becoming the republic's legitimate President,
suffered a crushing defeat, with only 10% of the vote. And in fact,
none of the other participants in the election race, including Movladi
Udugov, were able to take even 1% of the vote.

The turn-out in the elections to choose deputies for the Chechen
parliament was much lower. Even after two rounds of voting (on January
27 and February 15 1997) only 32 deputies out of 63 had been elected.
And at the beginning of March 1997, the Central Election Commission of
the ChRI reconsidered its decision and affirmed the election of
deputies in 11 more constituencies. This was quite possibly caused by
political expediency, as the republic did not have the resources to
fund a campaign of parliamentary by-elections, and in its new
composition could not begin work in the absence of a quorum (42
people). The largest faction in the legislative body was made up of
more than 20 deputies from the pro-Maskhadov Party of National
Independence (led by Ruslan Kutayev, assistant to the Chechen
President). The second largest faction was the Islamic Order Union,
led by Movladi Udugov, with 7 deputies.

Having gained a convincing victory in the presidential elections,
Aslan Maskhadov attempted to unite his former political rivals around
him. Personally assuming the post of head of government, he appointed
the first deputy prime ministers, Shamil Basayev and Movladi Udugov.
As for Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, he refused to work with the Maskhadov
administration, and soon went over to the opposition. Nevertheless,
this was the moment of the greatest consolidation of Chechen society
in the entire interwar period of 1997-1999. Aslan Maskhadov had almost
no serious political enemies, and the parliament also supported the
President's line. But, as subsequent events were to show, the scale
and complexity of the tasks confronting the Chechen leader proved to
be incompatible with the real possibilities that were open to him.

It would be impossible to bring about the economic renewal of the
republic and to attract foreign investment without a reining-in of the
prevailing criminal mayhem and the uncontrolled field commanders. But
this required the application of rather strict measures in cases of
insubordination, and was fraught with the danger of incipient civil
war. Aslan Maskhadov was no longer able to permit an armed resistance
led by his former comrades-in-arms. It was perhaps not merely a
question of the fear of losing power. The civil war of 1994 between
the supporters of Dzhokhar Dudayev and the pro-Russian opposition
served as a pretext for the invasion by federal forces. And at the end
of the first Chechen war the Kremlin stubbornly refused to recognize
the republic's independence, thus preserving a juridical pretext for
the "restoration of the country's territorial integrity."

"Everything was ready for war"

Nevertheless, Aslan Maskhadov's attempts to restrain the radical
extremists and plain criminals were realized in practice. At the same
time, the Kremlin dodged the resolution of similar problems in the
neighbouring republics of the North Caucasus, which remained under
Russian jurisdiction (the most obvious example being Daghestan). The
prevailing situation is described very accurately in his memoirs (My
War) by Russian General Gennady Troshev, a veteran of the two Chechen
wars:

"Maskhadov fought Wahhabism in Chechnya for more than two years (!).
It got to the stage of armed clashes, but not only did Moscow fail to
lift a finger to help him, it did nothing to destroy the extremist
groupings in the heartlands of its territory. In general it can be
said that in the south of Russia all the conditions for the spread of
Wahhabism throughout the entire Caucasus were created. Everything was
ready for war."

In the prevailing situation Aslan Maskhadov was doomed. A military
leader and politician who defended the independence of his country in
a bloody war and was ready for long and difficult peace negotiations,
he was no longer wanted either by his former comrades-in-arms or by
the Kremlin. His overthrow by Chechen radicals was only averted by
another worsening of relations with Russia which developed into a new
war that was even more protracted and bloody than the previous one.

Oleg Lukin (okent@yandex.ru) is a historian, specialist for
military-historical themes

[tr. DM]

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