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.

[RussianConservative]

And now you tell me how N. Ireland is success story?

[RussianConservative]

Yeah, if it wasn't for that little problem with Communism, a Russian/US alliance would make a nice balance for a bipolar (pun intended) world.

You are right, but don't worry, one day West will be free again. Capitalist Russia is patient.

[RussianConservative]

US opposed Russian bombing of Taliban through UN in spring 2001...and protect Saudi from Russia and Pakistan from India daily.

[RussianConservative]

The part about Mashkedov is like every line about Yasser Arafat, never mind Baseyov was Mashkedov's secretary war.

[RussianConservative]

Too late, Grozny and all land north of Tarek river is Christian Tarek Cossak land...border rewrote by frigging Soviet bastards who at all steps destroy Holy Christian Russia.

[RussianConservative]

Afghanistan was not clock cleaning...10 years, 1 million dead Afghan and 15K dead Soviet troop (many second rate Turkicks) is not clock cleaning, it is slow bleed of Vietnam variety...same what Iraq is trying to be.

[RussianConservative]

Do you know why Russian annex Chechnya and then to Khiva? Because since 1700s Chechyns slave raid russian colonists to far north, all land north of Tarek (still now Chechnya, thanks to STalin redraw of map for allied Chechins who help him destroy Tarek Cossaks) and for thousand years slave raid to Georgia, Ossessia, Abhazia (all Orthodox land) and sell to Khiva....till 1830's Russia do punitive counter raid to punish...by 1820s decision made, enough is enough...only by annex, burning of forests, building forts and road will issue solve...and did...but then Khiva hire Azerbajanies and Turks and start all over again.

[RussianConservative]

Tell that to Israelies, Indians, Ethiopians (oops they did to Eritria..who then exterminate all Christians really quick), Serbs, and other...also, US need to give freedom to Peurto Ricans and soon all SW US and Hawaii.

[McGavin999]

There are very few Chechens left. What is left is pretty much as warped as the Palestinians. They are no longer reasonable. Most of them have been so brainwashed by the Islamists that there is not much hope for a peaceful settlement. The Islamists have to be wiped out, totally and completely.

We'll probably help the Russians, but sooner or later they are going to have to learn to trust us. We can't go into battle with them unless we can trust them at our backs. That issue is going to have to be resolved pretty soon. When that happens there will be no place for these nutcases to hide.

[ChadGore]

Go Vladi Go ! . . . we'll meet you in Tehran.

[missyme]

I think Russia will turn like a Dog to it's master soon..

[MarMema]

Most of them have been so brainwashed by the Islamists that there is not much hope for a peaceful settlement. The Islamists have to be wiped out, totally and completely.

Absolutely true.

Let the day come when Russia has completed the destruction of ikcheria, so that it can then go in and remake the land into a country of decent people.

[Axenolith]

Northern Ireland wasn't Islamic...

[MarMema]

Since Russia began as one of the greatest Christian countries, this is also what many of us are hoping for. In Russia there is (Christian) prayer in schools and religious instruction of a Christian nature as well.

[McGavin999]

Uh....RC, Puerto Rico HAS it's freedom. It asked that we stop using an part of their island for a bombing range and we did. Now they are begging us to come back because they didn't realize that it would mean we had no need for a base without a bombing range. They thought we would just continue to pump American dollars into their ecomomy.

As to Hawaii and the South West, they all petitioned the US to become states so I seriously doubt they want "freedom from the US". It was a long hard battle to become states.

Other than that, I agree with your points about Chechnya and future US/Russia alliances.

[Axenolith]

They GOT their Independence for the most part under Dudayev (sp?) but then they had to go back and tweak the bears nose again, kinda like Arafat getting offered 90+% of what the Pali's wanted at Oslo and then rejecting it and continuing to blow up people...

[RussianConservative]

Well Hawaii was recognized independent kingdom till annexed by US business and marine and queen turned into gardener. As for SW...just wait and see what new Mexican majority say about Askalan...their mystic homeland. US soon have issues galore.

[Polybius]

Afghanistan was not clock cleaning...10 years, 1 million dead Afghan and 15K dead Soviet troop (many second rate Turkicks) is not clock cleaning, it is slow bleed of Vietnam variety...same what Iraq is trying to be.

It does not matter how many Afghans the Soviets killed or how many Vietnamese the U.S. killed or whether the Germans sunk more tonnage that the British at the Battle of Jutland.

A lost war is a lost war and 50,000 Americans or 15,000 Soviets are too many deaths for a losing war.

Military science advances by quantum leaps. Imagine the state-of-the-art air forces of 1918 meeting the state-of-the-art air forces of 1944.

By current U.S. standards, the U.S. military capabilities during Vietnam were downright primitive.

Things have changed and Afghanistan is a case in point. Compare the 15,000 Soviet dead and the 1,000,000 Afghan killed with the very light casualties on both sides that resulted in a complete U.S. victory.

Now, America's critics can only compare 530 deaths to Vietnam.........Well, at this rate it will take another 90 years to equal Vietnam.

The question is: In 2003, could Russia have projected power across the oceans to have conquered Iraq with less than 1,000 deaths?

[ChadGore]

Polybius: Please don't cheer for terrorists, it's not good form.

[McGavin999]

None-the-less, Hawaii petitioned to become a state. There are always those who look to a utopia of yesterday that never existed. I really doubt there is more than 1% of the people who want to go back to being an independent "country". As for Atzlan, there too it's ridiculous to think something like that would ever get off the ground. It's not the land that makes a successful country, it's the people. If we were to give the entire southwest their "freedom" they would become a third world hell hole within a few years. After all, Mexico used to own California, they sold it. It was nothing when we got it other than a lot of beautiful land.

Have you ever been to Mexico? It's incredibly beautiful, full of natural resources, rich in oil. Yet it can't support it's own people. Why do you think that is? Why do you think all those people have to steal into this country in the dark of night to try to make a living? Why can't they make a living in their own country? Think about that.

It is freedom and capitalism that makes the difference. We call it the American spirit, but it belongs to anyone who believes in it.