Russia vows to destroy Chechen rebels (Russia Alert - They are bloody mad can you blame them)

Reuters UK ^ | Sun 8 February, 2004 21:48 | By Mark Trevelyan, Security Correspondent

[gdyniawitawa]

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Russia's defence minister says there is a clear connection between Chechen militants and al Qaeda and has vowed that Moscow would "calmly and systematically" wipe out the rebels.

Sergei Ivanov said on Sunday Russia would never negotiate with the Chechen separatists it blames for a bomb attack on the Moscow metro that killed at least 39 people on Friday.

"Whoever hopes we will start negotiations, let them go and start negotiating with Osama bin Laden or Mullah Omar," Ivanov said, referring to the al Qaeda and Taliban leaders.

"We will not negotiate. We will destroy these people calmly and systematically," he told a news conference in Munich.

Ivanov said investigations had not yet determined whether there was a foreign or al Qaeda connection behind the Friday morning rush-hour bomb on the Moscow underground.

But he said operational and financial links between Chechen separatists and bin Laden's network had clearly been demonstrated.

"The connection of these terrorists with the Taliban and al Qaeda has long ago been proved," he said.

Fugitive Chechen separatist leader, Aslan Maskhadov, has denied he was involved in the blast and called for talks.

Maskhadov, ex-president of the rebel region, has little or no control over extremist rebels led by warlord Shamil Basayev.

Ivanov expanded on comments to the Munich Security Conference on Saturday in which he said some foreign fighters were still active in Chechnya.

He said Russian 'spetsnaz' commandos were killing several foreigners a month, and regularly encountering Turks.

"The last Turkish citizen who was killed with a gun in his hand this week in Chechnya had previously, according to his passport, visited Pakistan as a 'tourist', and our experts believe it's clear he had been in a terrorist training camp in Pakistan," Ivanov said.

He said the Turk had then entered Chechnya illegally via Georgia. Many ethnic Chechens live in Turkey.

Russia has backed the United States in its war on terror since the September 11 attacks in 2001, and has consistently depicted its struggle with Chechen militants as part of the same global battle.

It has used this to justify its military operations in Chechnya, where it has fought two wars since the collapse of the Soviet Union, despite frequent criticism from human rights groups.

Ivanov said the type of militants active in Chechnya were also to blame for attacks much further afield.

"These people, if you can call them human, move about the world and carry out similar actions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Russia and Turkey," he said.

[Gorzaloon]

"We will not negotiate. We will destroy these people calmly and systematically," he told a news conference in Munich. ...He said Russian 'spetsnaz' commandos were killing several foreigners a month..."

This would have me putting on Depends, if I were them.

[ckilmer]

imo if the Russians are serious this is going to make the french (& german) communist positions vis-a-vis (US mid east policy)pretty much untenable.

hmmm course I don't know if that means much. (except you won't see that odd co joining of the red crescent and the hammer and cycle at street demonstrations in europe.)

[Polybius]

Not really well lad. Russia has some sophisticated weapons that need too be reckon with.

That's nice but my point is Russia's capability to project power.

Sophisticated weapons are all very well and good but projecting power in a meaningful way requires the unglamorous logistical capabilities that Russia does not have.

For example, the year is 2002. Russia decides to conquer Iraq. The U.S. says, "Go for it but we will sit this one out."

How would Russia pull it off?

[Damagro]

The Russians are right in not negotiating with terrorists, just as The USA is right in the war in Iraq. There is no talking sense to madmen. They must be destroyed or they will do all they can to destroy anyone who stands in the way of muslim domination

[jungleboy]

"Russia has backed the United States in its war on terror "

Oh really... I thought Russia was dead set AGAINST Iraq War.

[gdyniawitawa]

Simple. Remember they sold their weapons to Iraq so they would know their system architecture. More, Iraq weapons program was based on their design.

[Viking2002]

LOL The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If they can keep their Marxist proclivities on a short leash, they'd make a good partner against The Wild Beast Of Islam.

[ValenB4]

Don't hold your breath. Chechnya is within the borders of Russia and events there are are Russian matters and not anyone else's business. Of course Russia is going to oppose the US getting involved near its sphere of influence, just as we have in the past opposed its meddling in our hemisphere.

[Eva]

Hey, I don't want the US to interfere, the Russians have been begging us to help them with their Chechen problem for years, but now is not the time to accomodate them.

[Ronin]

Even though it should be clear to anyone who can read a map, not many people seem to understand that the Islamic threat Russia faces is far worse than our own.

They share borders with these people. They know that if the Islamanazis consolidate their grip on the near-abroad, former SSRs that it won't be too much longer before they start making new advances into Christian territory.

Their real wake-up call was the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict. They didn't get it then, but now that the warning has been written in blood on the Moscow Metro walls, they seem to be getting with the program.

Negotiating with Islamists is ultimately futile. Any promise they make they will break as soon as it is in their interests.

The United States and Russia should be full partners in the great work to preserve Western Civilization. Unfortunately, lingering "Cold War" rivalry is still hampering that.

[fire_eye]

I wish Putin all the luck in the world obliterating Chechnya... but Solzhenitsyn points out that of all the "conquered" peoples whom Stalin subjugated, only the Chechens continued to resist.

That said, though, one thing Bin Ladin accomplished (brilliant political strategist that he is) with his 9/11 attack was to ensure that Russia will now have a free hand in Chechnya. Pathetic pictures of dismembered Chechens won't arouse any sympathy here in America any more (except among the psychopathic, suicidal, and dwindling Left, of course). Nice going Osama... your "Islamic Brothers" owe you a big debt of... of... of - ?

And there are any number of bored American ex-Special Forces types who will be only too happy to go to Chechnya to help out, just to get some "trigger time" against the goat-rapers (if the Russians really want any help...)

[jpsb]

[Sending in spetnaz soldiers and killing a bunch of people (eh' terrorists) won't solve the problem in Chechnya.]

That would depend on how many Chechnyians are killed, and I would suggest that it is up to the Chechmyians to stop the killing.

Go Ruskies, kick butt!

[jpsb]

So, quite a bit of Islam is on their border or close. A bear is a bear is an bear. Even weak and wounded a bear is nothing to mess with.

[jpsb]

[unglamorous logistical capabilities that Russia does not have}

true, but the USA does have the logistical capabilities and perhaps the willingness to use them to assist an ally. If I were a terrorist I would not sleep easy tonight. Thanks Islam for helping to cement good will between the great peoples of the American Republic and the great peoples of the Russian Republic. Thank you very much.

[Polybius]

Simple. Remember they sold their weapons to Iraq so they would know their system architecture. More, Iraq weapons program was based on their design.

Let me re-phrase the term "logistical capabilities".

How will the Russian Army cross the world's oceans with enough "beans and bullets", fuel, troops and carrier based close air support to wage a war without getting their clocks cleaned as was the case in Afghanistan?

[Cronos]

I dunno, Chechnya was invaded by the Russian Empire. Perhaps if they got out of there earlier the slamic dimension may not have entered in. Right now, the Russians are foreigners rulign over Chechnya. This isn't any different from the Russians ruling over the Baltic states. The Chechens aren't Russian.

[Cronos]

Oh and I'm not condoning the terrorists that did this dastardly act. Get THEM. But if the Russians gave the Chechens their independence, wouldn't things be different?

[SunkenCiv]

"We will not negotiate. We will destroy these people calmly and systematically," he told a news conference in Munich.

The reason Russia wants Chechnya is that it's the proposed route for an oil pipeline to the Black Sea, and of course because it used to be part of the Russian Empire. The same annexation policy is being applied elsewhere, notably in the Georgian republic. Vladimir Putin wants to rebuild the Soviet system and reacquire its territory. He just "disappeared" a politician who had announced his challenge for the next elections.

[RussianConservative]

Only problem is: US must give up protection of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turks, KLA, Pakistan (good terrorists), Russia must give up protection Syria, Iran, PPK...may be more then either near sighted leadership handle...human ego what is human ego...for that Islam grow strong by playing pettiness of both on each other and do good job of the real Great Game.

[RussianConservative]

Give it 5-10 years till old dead weight of Cold War really start death journies...then it is easier to move to present reality and not live in hazy past.