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PUTIN ADVISER: SCHOOL TERRORISTS GOT ORDERS FROM ABROAD (DURING BESLAN SIEGE)
Channel Two Russia/ Novosti Information Agency ^ | 9/6/04 21:23

Posted on 09/06/2004 4:30:54 PM PDT by gopwinsin04

Terrorists who siezed a school in North Ossetia Belsan, September 1 were recieving orders from abroad throughout the three suspense laden days, says Aslanbek Aslakhanov, President Vladimir Putin's adviser for North Caucasian affairs.

'The men had their conversations not within Russia but from other countries. They were led on a leash. Our self styled 'friends' having been working for several decades, I deem, to dismember Russia. They are doing a huge, really titanic job.' (here in Russia)

'It's as clear as daylight that those people are coming up as puppeteers and are financing terror,' he said to the Rossia television company, National Russian Channel 2 tonight.

Though the bandits named certain people they wanted to see as negotiators, and Mr. Aslakhanov was among them, he is sure that the terrorist gang did not mean to talk to whoever they contacted.

Aslanbek Aslakhanov, a Chechen, was on the site throught the tradegy and contacted the gang on the telephone.

'When I spoke Russian with them, I could not make out a word. Speak Russian!' they told me.

'Well, I did as they wished, though I speak Russian with a Caucasian accent, he said in his TV interview.

(Excerpt) Read more at en.rian.ru ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: achickgavetheorders; beslan; china; chinaviasurrogates; iran; northkorea; ossetia; saudiarabia; syria
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To: MarMema
Weren't there also phone calls made from the theatre/Moscow siege? Anyone recall what the outcome of that was?

I remember the Kremlin first said the calls were to the "Persian Gulf".

Then months later there was that assassination episode it Qatar...

121 posted on 09/06/2004 8:25:41 PM PDT by Shermy
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To: ABG(anybody but Gore)
The very last thing al Quaeda should have done was poke the Bear.

They did not poke the bear...they killed the cubs while momma watched.

122 posted on 09/06/2004 8:31:09 PM PDT by going hot (Happiness is a momma deuce)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: tabor

The Russians are writing nice things about the US response to this tragedy. They know we would never do this, and they know their real adversaries are lots closer. Putin is talking about defending the border of Russia, and that is what he means. He says that a decades-long "so-called friend" is behind Beslan. He's suggesting that a government handed-off the job to these terrorists. And I think he means exactly what he says. He thinks this terrorism is state sponsored. I don't think he would say this if he didn't mean it. He's not Stalin.

I think they want the real perps. I am going to see who the Russian papers say are sending condolances and aid.And who is left out.

I don't recall if Ukrain sent condolances. Or N.Korea.


123 posted on 09/06/2004 8:39:05 PM PDT by Snapple
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To: Snapple; nw_arizona_granny

For the record, I'm on all the Ukraine newsletter lists. I 've not seen a condolence article yet.


124 posted on 09/06/2004 8:41:32 PM PDT by Calpernia ("People never like what they don't understand")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 123 | View Replies]

To: Ohioan from Florida

You are all forgetting that in post-Soviet Russian usage, the rest of the former Soviet Union is the "near abroad". "Abroad" in Russian usage simply means "outside of Russia".


125 posted on 09/06/2004 8:42:01 PM PDT by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know what this was)
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Ukraine's last newsletter:

"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"
An International Newsletter
In-Depth Ukrainian News, Analysis, and Commentary

"The Art of Ukrainian History, Culture, Arts, Business, Religion,
Sports, Government, and Politics, in Ukraine and Around the World"

UNITED STATES PROMISES UKRAINE AGAIN ABOUT IRAQ
Prime Minister Yanukovych Flies to Baghdad for Meetings

"The United States has promised to facilitate participation of Ukraine in the rebuilding of Iraq. Press service of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych informed Ukrainian News of his meeting with US Ambassador to Iraq John Negroponte where this promise was voiced.

The US also promised to help Ukraine in its cooperation with the Iraqi government. Negroponte assured Yanukovych that Americans are really disposed to back up participation of Ukrainian companies in rebuilding of Iraq. 'We understand that the country who participated in the liberation of Iraq must take a full part in its development,' the ambassador said." [articles one, two, three and four]

"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" Year 04, Number 155
The Action Ukraine Coalition (AUC), Washington, D.C.
Ukrainian Federation of America (UFA), Huntingdon Valley, PA morganw@patriot.net, ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net (ARTUIS) Washington, D.C.; Kyiv, Ukraine, FRIDAY, September 3, 2004

-----INDEX OF ARTICLES-----
"Major International News Headlines and Articles"

1. U.S. PROMISES AGAIN TO FACILITATE PARTICIPATION
OF UKRAINE IN REBUILDING OF IRAQ
PM Yanukovych Meets With US Ambassador John Negroponte in Iraq Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, September 2, 2004

2. UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER FLIES TO IRAQ FOR TALKS
WITH IRAQ AND US ABOUT TROOPS AND RECONSTRUCTION
One Plus One TV, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 2 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Sep 02, 2004

3. UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER AND IRAQI PRESIDENT
DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL COOPERATION
Political, economic, military, technical and humanitarian cooperation UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 2 Sep 04 BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Sep 02, 2004

4. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE YUSHCHENKO
SAYS PRIME MINISTER'S TRIP TO IRAQ IS POLITICKING
TV 5 Kanal, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 2 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thu, Sep 02, 2004

5. UKRAINE'S REAL MESSAGE TO THE UNITED STATES
"Reading between the lines" Inside Ukraine Newsletter, Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, September 3, 2004

6. 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CRIMEAN WAR
Britain's Prince Michael Of Kent Will Visit Ukraine On September 9-10 Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, September 1, 2004

7. HUGE GAS DEPOSIT DISCOVERED IN EASTERN UKRAINE
UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine in Ukrainian, 2 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Sep 02, 2004

8. POLAND WANTS UKRAINE, TURKEY IN EU
"In my opinion, an independent Ukraine, and a country with such
a deep sense of self identity, is a good partner for Europe." United Press Int (UPI), Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, Sept 02, 2004

9. ROMANIA "TAKEN BACK" BY RUSSIA'S SIDING WITH
UKRAINE OVER DANUBE CANAL SAYS FOREIGN MINISTER
Viktor Chernomyrdin voices support for Ukraine over Romania Rompres news agency, Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Sep 1, 04

10. ROMANIAN PRESIDENT ION ILIESCU UNDERSTANDS WHY
RUSSIA BACKED UKRAINE OVER DANUBE CANAL
Ukraine should respect cooperation rules between two neighbors Rompres news agency, Bucharest, Romania, Thu, 2 Sep 04

11. ROMANIAN PM HOPES UKRAINE AND ROMANIA WILL
MANAGE TO FOSTER A GOOD PARTNERSHIP
Says EU should take a more active role in Eastern Europe Rompres news agency, Bucharest, Romania, Wed, 1 Sep 04

12. UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER YANUKOVYCH PROMISES
FREE TRADE ZONE WITH RUSSIA IN 2005 ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian, 1 Sep 04 BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Sep 01, 2004

13. BORYS TARASYUK: "WHAT UKRAINE WOULD LOOK LIKE
WITH PRESIDENT VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO"
Would turn Ukraine back onto the path of democratic development "Our Ukraine" Website, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sep 1, 2004

14. TEXT OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BROADCAST BY "OUR
UKRAINE" LEADER VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO ON SEP 2, 2004
UT1 TV, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 2 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Sep 02, 2004

15. "IS WASHINGTON SENDING MIXED SIGNALS TO UKRAINE?"
Rumors of deal between Rumsfeld and Kuchma COMMENTARY by Taras Kuzio, Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume 1, Issue 77, The Jamestown Foundation Washington, D.C., Thursday, September 2, 2004

16. "ONCE OFF LIMITS, CRIMEAN PENINSULA IS NOW OPEN"
John Thomson takes a stroll along Ukraine's Black Sea promenades
and retraces the charge of the Light Brigade in 1854 By John Thomson, Guardian Unlimited, London, UK, Wed, Sep 1, 2004



ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155 ARTICLE NUMBER ONE

1. U.S. PROMISES AGAIN TO FACILITATE PARTICIPATION
OF UKRAINE IN REBUILDING OF IRAQ
PM Yanukovych Meets With US Ambassador John Negroponte in Iraq

Ukrainian News Agency, Kiev, Ukraine, Thu, September 2, 2004

KIEV - The Untied States has promised to facilitate participation of Ukraine in rebuilding of Iraq. Press service of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych informed Ukrainian News of his meeting with US Ambassador to Iraq John Negroponte where this promise was voiced.

"Yanukovych has reported on the reached agreement on creation of practical mechanisms for inviting Ukrainian enterprises in postwar restoration of Iraq," the press report reads.

The US also promised to help Ukraine in its cooperation with the Iraqi government. Negroponte assured Yanukovych that Americans are really disposed to back up participation of Ukrainian companies in rebuilding of Iraq.

"We understand that the country who participated in the liberation of Iraq must take a full part in its development," the ambassador said.

Yanukovych noted that Ukraine is willing to assist Iraq in creation of its own security system that will enable its government to decide internal problems independently and Ukraine it will give a chance to recall its peacekeeping contingent.

As Yanukovych put it, Ukraine is going to build up long-term relations with Iraq, also in trade and economy, and protect its strategic interests in that region.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Yanukovych has left on a two-day visit to Iraq to meet with the country's authorities. The US has repeatedly promised to help Ukrainian companies to participate in rebuilding tenders in Iraq. Before the war, 36 Ukrainian companies had had experience to
work in Iraq. (END) (ARTUIS)


ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO
The Action Ukraine Coalition, "Working to Secure Ukraine's Future"

2. UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER FLIES TO IRAQ FOR
TALKS ABOUT TROOPS AND RECONSTRUCTION

One Plus One TV, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 2 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English. Sep 02, 2004

KIEV - [Presenter] Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych flew to Iraq today to meet Ukrainian peacekeepers and the country's leaders, his press service said. The objective of the consultations is to establish the expediency and a deadline for the further deployment of the Ukrainian contingent there and the extent of Ukraine's participation in rebuilding Iraq and to formulate, depending on the above, Ukraine's economic interests in that country. Oleksandr Zahorodnyy reports from Iraq. [Passage omitted: security measures]

[Correspondent] The Ukrainian delegation first met Iraqi President Ghazi Yawar and then held talks with Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. After the talks, which lasted for an hour and a half, the two prime ministers said relations between the two countries would get a boost soon. Ukraine is willing to rebuild Iraq's oil and gas sector, the power industry and transport.

[Yanukovych, in Ukrainian] We will be helping to rebuild the infrastructure and operations and to create a security system.

[Correspondent] The Iraqi prime minister showed interest in the proposals from his Ukrainian counterpart. He is ready to send an official Iraqi delegation to Kiev by the end of September.

[Iyad Allawi, overlaid with Ukrainian translation] This month an Iraqi delegation will go to Ukraine to hold talks on specific projects. We will establish priority facilities and the deadlines for their rebuilding.

[Correspondent] As for Ukrainian peacekeepers, Yanukovych said that Ukrainian soldiers will leave Iraq as soon as the Iraqi authorities create their own full-fledged armed forces.

[Yanukovych, in Russian] We have agreed on the first steps, [we have agreed] that part of the military contingent will leave one of the Iraqi districts [and will be redeployed] closer to the existing Ukrainian base. With the situation gradually getting stabilized, [there will be] an insignificant reduction, a gradual withdrawal of the military contingent and a replacement of the Ukrainian military contingent with the Iraqi security and stabilization forces. [Passage omitted: Yanukovych is to visit Ukrainian peacekeepers in Iraq.] (END) (ARTUIS)

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE
Ukrainian News and Information Website: http://www.ArtUkraine.com

3. UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER AND IRAQI PRESIDENT
DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL COOPERATION
Political, economic, military, technical and humanitarian cooperation

UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 2 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thur, Sep 02, 2004

KIEV - Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych has stressed during a meeting with Iraqi President Ghazi Yawar that Ukraine will continue to develop bilateral cooperation with Iraq in political, economic, military, technical and humanitarian areas.

The press service of the Cabinet of Ministers quoted Yanukovych as saying that the leadership of the Ukrainian state and the Ukrainian people closely follow developments in Iraq. Yanukovych stressed that there are traditional historical ties between Ukraine and Iraq.

Yanukovych expressed confidence that a necessary foundation is currently in place to deepen cooperation between the two states at a qualitatively new level. "We are confident that the Iraqi side will appreciate us as a reliable partner and friend," Yanukovych said. Ukraine sees Iraq as a country with a great future, he added.

Yanukovych believes that in the coming years Iraq will take a decent place not only in the Middle East. (END) (ARTUIS)

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR
A leading news source for thousands around the world

4. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE YUSHCHENKO
SAYS PRIME MINISTER'S SUDDEN TRIP TO IRAQ IS POLITICKING

TV 5 Kanal, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 2 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Sep 02, 2004

KIEV - [Presenter] Pollsters say that the main rival of Prime Minister [Viktor Yanukovych] in the presidential race is a member of parliament and former prime minister, Viktor Yushchenko, who is visiting Khmelnytskyy Region. As often happens, Mr Yushchenko is being accompanied by journalists, including our correspondent Svyatoslav Tseholko. Svyatoslav, has candidate Yushchenko reacted to the prime minister's [ongoing] visit to Iraq, and if he has, how?

[Correspondent, by phone] Yanukovych went to Iraq for his own sake, not in order to protect Ukrainian interests, Viktor Yushchenko stated in Horodok, Khmelnytskyy Region. He said Yanukovych had chosen the path of politicking, so he needs the limelight - I quote.

Yushchenko explained his scathing criticism of Prime Minister Yanukovych by his view that the Ukrainian authorities are taking advantage of Iraq in order to, I quote, amnesty the undemocratic policy of President [Leonid] Kuchma, end of quote.

[Presenter] Thank you. That was Svyatoslav Tseholko, who is accompanying Mr Yushchenko on his presidential campaign tour.

Meanwhile, the [Yushchenko-led] Our Ukraine parliamentary faction has reported, via its press service, that it intends to raise the issue of a gradual pull-out of Ukrainian peacekeepers from Iraq in parliament. A bill to this effect has been drafted by MP [Yuriy] Karmazyn and MP [Mykola] Tomenko. The authors believe that since Ukrainians appeared in Iraq the situation had changed radically, as power was handed over to the Iraqi
interim government. (END) (ARTUIS)


ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER FIVE
A leading source for Ukrainian news

5. UKRAINE'S REAL MESSAGE TO THE UNITED STATES
"Reading between the lines"

Inside Ukraine Newsletter, Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, September 3, 2004

KYIV - The word heard on the streets of Kyiv regarding the Ukrainian government's real message to the United States is as follows: We helped you big time in Iraq and now it is pay off time. We want some real, sizable reconstruction contracts in Iraq now, not later. We also want a long-time business and trade presence in Iraq supported by the U.S.

And by the way we have decided along with President Putin that the Prime Minister should be the next President of Ukraine. President Putin has guaranteed he will assist us to make sure this happens. Putin says Russia needs and wants the Prime Minister.

We all know the presidential election in Ukraine will not be free and fair. Let's not kid ourselves. We are not about to give any candidate but the Prime Minister access to the major TV channels in Ukraine and so on. This is a given and we all know it. This is exactly the way it has been so far in 2004 and we are not about to change our policy for the final two months of the presidential campaign.

So U.S., our second request is for the U.S. to please just stay focused on Iraq, Afghanistan and the war on terror and just forget there is a presidential election in Ukraine. We will take care of the presidential election quite well by ourselves thank you.

P.S. Tell that to the EU also and never forget how much we helped you in Iraq. We are a major member of the "coalition of the willing."

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
Forward "The Action Ukraine Report" around the World

6. 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CRIMEAN WAR
Britain's Prince Michael Of Kent Will Visit Ukraine On September 9-10

Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, September 1, 2004

KYIV - Prince Michael of Kent will visit the Crimea on September 9 to 10 so as to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Crimean War.

The Embassy of the United Kingdom's press service disclosed this in a statement, the text of which Ukrainian News has obtained.

He will be accompanied to the Crimea by The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sir Alan West, British Ambassador to Ukraine Robert Brinkley and British Defense Attache in Ukraine Captain Rob Drewett (Royal Naval).

According to the information of the press service, representatives from France, Italy, Turkey and Russia will take part in the celebrations. The press service disclosed that a monument will be opened on September 10 to honor the memory of those that died in the Crimean War.

During the time of the Crimean War, which lasted from 1853 to 1856, the Russian Empire, of which Ukraine was a part, fought against the coalition comprising Britain, France, Turkey (Ottoman Empire) and Piedmont- Sardinia for domination in the Middle East.

Russia lost the war, but the defense of Sevastopol in 1854-1855, in which thousands of Ukrainian natives took part, became one of the most famous events of world military history.

As Ukrainian News reported previously, President Leonid Kuchma in July 2003 directed the head of his Administration, Viktor Medvedchuk, to organize the commemoration of the anniversary of this war. (END)


NOTE: See article sixteen below about visiting the Crimean Peninsula.

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No. 155: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN
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7. HUGE GAS DEPOSIT DISCOVERED IN EASTERN UKRAINE

UNIAN news agency, Kiev, Ukraine in Ukrainian, 2 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Sep 02, 2004

KIEV - The national oil and gas company Naftohaz Ukrayiny has discovered a new big gas-condensate deposit in Kobzivka (Kharkiv Region), with gas reserves estimated at 100bn cu.m, Naftohaz board chairman Yuriy Boyko told journalists on Wednesday [1 September].

Boyko said the deposit's lower horizon alone would yield almost 70bn cu.m of gas, adding that the development of the deposit would make it possible to extract an additional 4bn cu.m of gas a year.

"We have discovered a deposit of this size for the first time since inde- pendence," [in 1991] Boyko said. He also said that the well leading to the lower horizon is 6 km long. [Passage omitted: description of Naftohaz]

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT
Ukrainian Information Website: http://www.ArtUkraine.com

8. POLAND WANTS UKRAINE, TURKEY IN EU
"In my opinion, an independent Ukraine, and a country with such
a deep sense of self identity, is a good partner for Europe."

United Press Int (UPI), Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, Sept 02, 2004

WARSAW, Poland - Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski says he wants to see Turkey and Ukraine as members of the European Union.

While the country itself has only been an EU member for four months, Kwasniewski told the International Herald Tribune his vision is for a "pluralistic" Europe that would break traditional east-west mentalities.

"Some see Ukraine much more on the side of Russian influence than as a part of a European structure," he said. "In my opinion, an independent Ukraine, and a country with such a deep sense of self identity, is a good partner for Europe."

As an example, Poland had no qualms in joining the U.S.-led war against Iraq, which earned it blistering criticism from France and Germany.

Barring any major setback to planned changes in Turkey, EU leaders are expected to support accession negotiations with Turkey at their December summit meeting in Brussels. The exact date for starting those talks has not yet been set. (END) (ARTUIS)

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER NINE
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9. ROMANIA "TAKEN BACK" BY RUSSIA'S SIDING WITH
UKRAINE OVER DANUBE CANAL SAYS FOREIGN MINISTER
Viktor Chernomyrdin voices support for Ukraine over Romania

Rompres news agency, Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Sep 1, 04

BUCHAREST - The recent statement of the Russian ambassador in Kiev Viktor Chernomyrdin voicing support for the Ukraine as regards the building of the Bystre waterway bears out the start of the former Soviet space taking sides, in the context in which Romania is NATO's easternmost border and the future easternmost frontier of the EU, Romania's Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana said on Wednesday [1 September].

The Romanian side, Geoana said, was taken aback by the statement of the Russian ambassador in Kiev, a former highlight of the Russian political circles, as it has sensed a significant difference as compared to Romania's firm stand, condemning the Ukrainian project, which is also supported by the European and Euro-Atlantic communities.

The chief Romanian diplomat pointed out that geo-strategic vested interests are behind this project, as Romania has nothing to win out of Ukrainian ships sailing on the Danube, except for the ridiculous amount of 5m dollars. "This is not about money, but about the geo-strategic ambition to operate a waterway, a route which cannot be controlled by the Euro-Atlantic community," Mircea Geoana said.

The Romanian foreign minister advised the Russian ambassador to Kiev to take interest in Russia's relations with the Ukraine rather than Ukraine's ties with Romania, which is solely the responsibility of the authorities in Bucharest. Mircea Geoana pinpointed that Romania will never stop fighting against this Ukrainian project by making use of all diplomatic means, in a move to have it halted or make it irrelevant. (END) (ARTUIS)

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN
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10. ROMANIAN PRESIDENT ION ILIESCU UNDERSTANDS WHY
RUSSIA BACKED UKRAINE OVER DANUBE CANAL
Ukraine should respect cooperation rules between two neighbors

Rompres news agency, Bucharest, Romania, Thu, 2 Sep 04

BUCHAREST - Romanian President Ion Iliescu has said the Russian Federation's stand as regards the construction of Bystre canal is natural. "There is a natural solidarity between the two countries, although we used to get along better with the Russians. It probably is a matter of adaptation of the new states, of the new state," Iliescu said on Thursday [2 September] at the Parliament Palace, during a discussion with the journalists.

President Iliescu reiterated there were also elementary rules of mutual informing on any project of this kind. "There might be a reason for building this canal, but such a construction cannot be made without your partner's agreeing on it. Which will the consequences over the environment be? This is an elementary matter of respecting some cooperation rules between two neighbours," Iliescu underscored.

The Romanian president said that "nobody is right when supporting the breaking of some rules of behaviour". "Even if they have a total justification, we still have to be provided with those studies, agree with them and confront them with our own analyses," Iliescu highlighted.

Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana on Wednesday 1 September said that the recent statement of the Russian ambassador in Kiev Viktor Chernomyrdin voicing support for Ukraine as regards the building of the Bystre waterway bears out the start of the former Soviet space taking sides, in the context in which Romania is NATO's easternmost border and the future easternmost frontier of the EU. (END)(ARTUIS)

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN
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11. ROMANIAN PM HOPES UKRAINE AND ROMANIA WILL
MANAGE TO FOSTER A GOOD PARTNERSHIP
Says EU should take a more active role in Eastern Europe

Rompres news agency, Bucharest, Romania, Wed, 1 Sep 04

BUCHAREST - The basic treaty between Romania and the Ukraine, hastily concluded in 1997 did not solve all bilateral issues, Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase said on Wednesday [1 September] during the annual meeting with Romania's ambassadors and consuls general.

"At this point, the hasty conclusion of the treaty with the Ukraine in 1997 stands out again, as it did not solve all problems, but rather brought about complicity we are still striving to solve," the Romanian Prime Minister said.

He voiced hope that Romania and Ukraine will manage to foster good partnership relations rooted in European values and the principles of good neighbourliness. Adrian Nastase said Romania would not have benefited from the support of the international community in so far as the Bystre waterway is concerned, had it not managed to boost necessary confidence in Romania abroad.

The prime minister stressed that the latest developments in Eastern Europe stand proof that the European Union should take on a more active role in this respect: "We have seen fit a quick designation of a special representative of the European Commission which would cater for more attentive European involvement in these issues of the Eastern neighbouring area," the Romanian PM said. (END) (ARTUIS)

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER TWELVE
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12. UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER YANUKOVYCH PROMISES
FREE TRADE ZONE WITH RUSSIA IN 2005

ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian, 1 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Sep 01, 2004

DONETSK - Ukraine's trade with Russia has increased by 35 per cent this year alone, while exports to Russia have gone up 50 by per cent, Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said today during a visit to Zaporizhzhya Region. He also said that a free trade zone with the Russian Federation will be finally created in 2005. [Ukrainian media have not been observed reporting this statement.]

"Russia was the first to meet us halfway by cancelling VAT on fuel. This is a serious step which will allow us to improve price policy on many commodities," the Ukrainian prime minister said. He believes Ukraine will not only manage to maintain the present growth dynamics, but even to improve on it. The prime minister promised the government would closely monitor foreign markets in order not only to maintain the levels of foreign trade but also to increase them with countries like Russia. (END)(ARTUIS)

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER THIRTEEN
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13. BORYS TARASYUK: "WHAT UKRAINE WOULD LOOK LIKE
WITH PRESIDENT VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO"
Would turn Ukraine back onto the path of democratic development

"Our Ukraine" Website, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sep 1, 2004

KYIV - "Candidate from the democratic coalition 'Power of the People' Victor Yushchenko has good chances of winning the presidential elections on 31 October of this year," said the director of the Institute of Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, the head of Narodniy Rukh Ukrainy, Borys Tarasyuk, while speaking at the European Forum, which is being held in the town of Alpbach, Austria.

The people's deputy of Ukraine is convinced that the victory of the People's candidate in Ukraine will change the essence of government, which will turn Ukraine back onto the path of democratic development and transparent economy.

According to Tarasyuk, failures on the road to the European integration of Ukraine stem from the policies of the current government: "It is responsible

for building a clan and oligarchic system of government over the last 10 years, the government that ignores the supremacy of law, uses threats, intimidation, and even kills its opponents and journalists that find courage to tell the truth. It continues talking about European and Euro-Atlantic integration while, in reality, holding a course in the opposite direction - dragging Ukraine into the Eurasian space."

Borys Tarasyuk stressed that Ukraine is not like the rest of the CIS- member states: "Ukraine has a powerful opposition that has widespread public support, which was proven at the 2002 parliamentary elections. It is also supported by the fact that it is lead by the most popular politician Victor Yushchenko."

Borys Tarasyuk called on the participants of the European Forum among whom there were representatives of governments, civic organizations, famous politicians, scientists, as well as the representatives of the European Committee to imagine Ukraine after Kuchma. "That Ukraine will be a different country, a country that will conduct consistent foreign and domestic policies, which will become a reliable partner to all the peoples of the European continent," ensured Borys Tarasyuk. (END)
LINK: http://www.razom.org.ua/en/news/1947/


ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER FOURTEEN

14. TEXT OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BROADCAST BY "OUR
UKRAINE" LEADER VIKTOR YUSHCHENKO ON SEP 2, 2004

UT1 TV, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian, 2 Sep 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Thursday, Sep 02, 2004

KIEV --- [Voice-over] Yushchenko is standing for president.

[Crowd chanting] Yushchenko! Yushchenko! Yushchenko! Yushchenko!

[Voice-over] On 4 July 2004 Yushchenko declared he is standing for present. He is standing for every Ukrainian to finally sense the change they have been yearning for for so long. The authorities are acting outrageously, but this time we shall not allow the vote to be rigged. Do not fear, on 31 October each of us will pass sentence on these authorities. Yushchenko is standing for president. [Yushchenko] I have made the decision - I am standing for president. This is my statement. [applause] This will be a victory for us all! Tell everyone when you come back home - I believe in Ukraine. I know my duty. We shall win together! I believe. I know. We can do it. [Voice-over] Yushchenko is standing for president so that each of us can win, so that each of us can get stronger and be sure of our right to build a future of our country. Yushchenko is standing for president. The day before Yushchenko goes to his home village of Khoruzhivka in Sumy Region, where he prays on his native land - and receives his mother's blessing. [Yushchenko's mother] I bless you. May you accomplish great deeds. May God and good people and everything on earth help you. I thank everyone who supports him. [Voice-over] A prayer on the parents' land and the mother's blessing in order to press ahead with faith, a pure heart and an unbending spirit. [Yushchenko] I believe in Ukraine. I believe in each one of us. [Voice-over] Viktor Yushchenko. Born in the village of Khoruzhivka, Sumy Region, into a family of teachers. His mother is Varvara Tymofiyivna Yushchenko. His father is Andriy Andriyovych Yushchenko. Since the first day of the Great Patriotic War, he had fought on the front-lines in the Soviet army. Shell-shocked, he was taken prisoner and made six attempts to escape from concentration camps. The last one was from Auschwitz. [Yushchenko's mother] The last time he tried to escape was from Auschwitz. But nothing was more painful, he said, than the thought that was always on my mind and that I woke up with every morning - I am going to die anyway, but I have no son. [Voice-over] Viktor Yushchenko was born on 23 February 1954. He is an economist by education. In 1996, he was the head of the National Bank of Ukraine who gave Ukraine the hryvnya. From December 1999 to April 2001 he was the prime minister of Ukraine. Without borrowing a penny, in just one year the Yushchenko government raised the minimum wage and pension by 50 per cent and repaid arrears to the people. That was how the economic revival began. Ukraine started to believe that life would get better. The year 2000. Yushchenko's Our Ukraine bloc wins an unparalleled victory in the parliamentary election. The year 2004. Viktor Yushchenko is a candidate for the Ukrainian presidency because he has proved his right to be president by his deeds, not words. [Crowd chanting] Yushchenko! Yushchenko! Yushchenko! Yushchenko! [Voice-over] Tens of thousands of people on 4 July 2004 gathered in the Singing Field in the Ukrainian capital to be together with Yushchenko, to be with him when he starts his election. Among those who walk next to Yushchenko to the Central Electoral Commission that day are representatives from every city and every village in Ukraine. Everyone wants an honest future. I elect and I am responsible - that will be the will of the voter in every city and every village. [Crowd chanting] Yushchenko! Yushchenko! Yushchenko! Yushchenko! [Yushchenko] Today all of Ukraine, from Luhansk to Lviv, from Chernihiv to Crimea, demands change. [Voice-over] Yushchenko is standing for president. [Yushchenko] I am standing in this election with the slogan "I believe. I know. We can do it." I say I believe because I believe in Ukraine. I believe in each one of us. I believe that we shall build a state where everyone will be proud to say: "Yes, it is my Ukraine." I say I know because I know my duty. Everyone should gain from my actions, regardless of whether they like Yushchenko or not. I say I know because I know what to do. I proved this when I worked at the National Bank and as prime minister of Ukraine. I say we can do it. We can do it - it is the will and inspiration of everyone. Together we can do anything. There are millions of us, and our people are talented. We have a rich land and a great history. We can live like human beings. Everyone will get a chance to earn a worthy living for themselves and their families through honest work. We shall build a fair and humane society. We shall bring about change, which every Ukrainian has been awaiting for so long. The strong will support the weak. The rich will help the poor. [Voice-over] Yushchenko is standing for president. [Yushchenko] Ukraine will no longer be a bargaining chip. Enough pinning our hopes on Europe, America or Russia. We must pull ourselves out of the pit, and we shall do it. Ukraine will be respected. [Voice-over] Do not believe that there are no resources or opportunities for this. It is time to stop stealing. The national wealth is in the pockets of oligarchic clans. Social benefits and privileges are for the select. The criminal authorities are to blame for this. There are double standards in Ukraine. Some laws are for the authorities and their families, others are for us. Those who work in courts, tax inspectorates, police and the SBU [Security Service of Ukraine] are well aware of this. [Yushchenko] An end will be put to corruption. The bandits will be kept in jail. [Voice-over] On 4 July 2004 Yushchenko stated in front of the people that he is standing for president. The countdown to victory is now in days. Despite everything, we shall build a state where everyone will be proud to say - Yes, it is my Ukraine! [Crowd chanting] Yushchenko! Yushchenko! [Yushchenko] This will be a victory for us all. Tell everyone when you come back home - I believe in Ukraine. I know my duty. We shall win together! [Voice-over] All of Ukraine, from Luhansk to Lviv, from Chernihiv to Crimea, demands change.

Today Yushchenko is going where people are waiting for his word and his truth. He will take this truth to every city and every village in Ukraine. Today Yushchenko is giving Ukraine hope. After the election, he will bring change. He has proved he can do it - not in word but in deed.

Ukraine demands change. Ukraine is awaiting change. Ukraine is awaiting Yushchenko. Today Yushchenko is coming to meet the people. After his victory, the state will come to meet the people. The strong will defend the weak. The rich will help the poor. Yushchenko is standing for president.

[Video shows Yushchenko addressing the crowd in Kiev when he nominated himself for president on 4 July 2004, Yushchenko walking through the crowd, shaking hands with people, Our Ukraine flags being waved, crowd chanting; Yushchenko kissing the Ukrainian flag, visiting his home village, praying, being blessed by his mother, kissing an icon; Yushchenko's family photos, pictures of his father and mother; Yushchenko presenting the hryvnya as chief backer; Yushchenko as prime minister and parliamentary faction leader; more video footage from his nomination meeting; young supporters of Yushchenko, a map of Ukraine and his campaign itinerary; ends with his campaign banner reading "Yes!" in Ukrainian. Duration 10 minutes.]

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER FIFTEEN

15. "IS WASHINGTON SENDING MIXED SIGNALS TO UKRAINE?"
Rumors of deal between Rumsfeld and Kuchma

COMMENTARY by Taras Kuzio, Eurasia Daily Monitor
Volume 1, Issue 77, The Jamestown Foundation
Washington, D.C., Thursday, September 2, 2004

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld visited Ukraine in mid August to discuss Ukraine's military contingent in Iraq. Since August 2003, Ukraine has had 1,576 troops in Iraq deployed 130 km south of Baghdad in the Polish-run sector. An additional 146 troops are to be rotated in during September and October (Interfax-Ukraine, August 2). Altogether, Ukraine has the fourth largest deployment in Iraq and the largest military force from a non-NATO country. Ukraine has lost eight soldiers, including four who died during non-combat accidents and one suicide.

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma's decided to send Ukrainian troops to Iraq in spring 2003. He needed to repair his personal reputation after Washington had accused Kuchma of bypassing UN sanctions and authorizing the sale of Kolchuga radars to Iraq in July 2000. Kuchma and his allies also hoped the Iraq deployment would encourage Washington to turn a blind eye to any irregularities in the 2004 Ukrainian presidential elections.

During the election campaign the three opposition candidates (Viktor Yushchenko, Oleksandr Moroz, and Petro Symonenko) have all voiced their support for withdrawing Ukrainian troops from Iraq. Channel Five television quoted Yushchenko as saying that the presence of Ukrainian troops in Iraq was an "indulgence to the United States for tolerating anti-democratic actions in Ukraine itself." He went on, "We do not want the renewal of democracy in Iraq at the cost of stifling democracy in Ukraine." Touring the Crimea, Yushchenko promised that if he were elected, he would gradually withdraw Ukrainian forces, now that the Iraqi government can "take care of its own security" (Channel Five TV, August 10).

Kyiv is rife with speculation that a secret deal was struck during Rumsfeld's visit. The Kyiv Weekly, a newspaper formerly owned by Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk's son but recently purchased by the Industrial Union of the Donbas, reported that a quid pro quo had, in fact, been agreed between Rumsfeld and Kuchma. Under the alleged deal, what "Ukraine provides to the U.S. in Iraq is the main guarantee that Washington does not subject Kyiv to being ostracized in the event of dubious results in the Ukrainian presidential election" (Kyiv Weekly, August 20). Thus official threats to withdraw Ukrainian troops made before Rumsfeld's visit to Ukraine were simply a bargaining ploy.

Nevertheless, the Kyiv Weekly warned that two factors could upset this pact. First, Bush could loose the U.S. presidential election and void the deal. The Democratic Party has threatened to withhold visas to Ukrainian officials and to investigate their offshore bank accounts (New York Times, March 17). Second, Western Europe and the EU were not party to the agreement and could still criticize election fraud.

Whatever Kuchma and Rumsfeld discussed, the pro-presidential media still are anti-American. The pro-presidential centrists are the only political forces in the Ukrainian parliament who are continuing to support the presence of Ukrainian troops in Iraq. State television is broadcasting warnings by pro-presidential candidates, on both the extreme left and the extreme right, to vote against Yushchenko because he is a "nationalist" and has an American wife. Many of the stations airing these warnings are controlled by Viktor Medvedchuk, head of the Presidential Administration.

Prior to Rumsfeld's visit, the Ukrainian authorities had begun leaking stories and making off-hand comments that they were considering withdrawing Ukrainian troops from Iraq. This exercise was part of an ongoing operation aimed at extracting advantages for Kuchma and his chosen successor, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. The Ukrainian authorities understand that after Spain withdrew its troops earlier this year, withdrawing Ukrainian troops prior to the U.S. elections would harm President Bush's ratings.

Yanukovych has been lukewarm in his support for Ukraine's troops in Iraq. He knows that three-quarters of Ukrainians want them back home and this policy could affect his election chances. On a campaign tour of Donetsk just prior to Rumsfeld's visit, Yanukovych warned that Ukraine would be reducing its military contingent in Iraq. With these remarks he sought to distance his candidacy from the highly unpopular issue of Ukrainian troops in Iraq.

Defense Minister Marchuk had already raised this theme through diplomatic channels with Poland and the United States (Era Television Channel, July 29). But after meeting Rumsfeld in the Crimea, Marchuk refuted rumors that Ukraine was considering pulling out its troops, warning, "No one can give you a deadline [for withdrawal] yet" (AP, August 13). Their withdrawal will depend, Marchuk explained, on how quickly Iraq establishes its own security forces.

While the rumors of a secret deal between Rumsfeld and Kuchma are probably false, Washington continues to send mixed signals to Kyiv. The U.S. Congress and State Department have joined with the EU and Council of Europe to send strong signals about the need to hold free and fair elections. A U.S. delegation, led by Senator John McCain (R-AZ), visited Kyiv last week and reiterated these concerns, which is, of course, what the opposition want to hear. At the same time, the Ukrainian opposition believes the U.S. National Security Council and Department of Defense are more interested in Iraq than democratization. (END) (ARTUIS)


Taras Kuzio is a Visiting Professor at the Institute for European , Russian and Eurasian Studies, Elliott School International Affairs, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-04, No.155: ARTICLE NUMBER SIXTEEN

16. "ONCE OFF LIMITS, CRIMEAN PENINSULA IS NOW OPEN"
John Thomson takes a stroll along Ukraine's Black Sea promenades
and retraces the charge of the Light Brigade in 1854

By John Thomson, Guardian Unlimited, London, UK, Wed, Sep 1, 2004

CRIMEA - We looked out across the Valley of Death, as Lord Raglan had looked 150 years earlier, before the charge of the Light Brigade on October 25, 1854. Rain drizzled down and the view was mistier than it had been then, so the landscape looked flattened out - but then, that seems to have been the mistake he made too.

Olga, our battlefield guide, was dressed up in high Ukrainian fashion - leather jacket, winkle-picker toes reaching halfway to Kiev - which looked out of place on a rural hillside in the rain. But she knew her stuff, launching into a stirring Tennyson recital, in perfect English:

"Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred..."

I half expected the valley to be like one of those canyons the Lone Ranger gallops through, with Indians raining arrows down from the cliff tops. It's not that dramatic, but lethal enough if your enemy has cannon rather than bows and war paint.

There are two fairly broad valleys running between modest hills and separated by a low ridge. From his viewpoint on a higher hill further off, Raglan, the British commander, spotted the Russians on the ridge hauling away British cannon they'd captured. This would never do - they might use them as evidence that they'd won - so he sent an order to his generals on the valley floor telling them to prevent it.

He didn't realise that down below, they couldn't see these guns. All they saw was the Russian heavy artillery at the head of the northern valley, and this was what they concluded they were meant to attack. So off they trotted, as disciplined as if they were on parade, breaking into a gallop, and gradually being mowed down from three sides. "C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre," observed a French marshal.

It wasn't as suicidal as is sometimes supposed: 673 men rode out; 118 were killed and 127 wounded. (The loss of 360 horses was the real problem.) But it was a military disaster - as Tennyson, and Olga, noted: "Someone had blundered." The blame was conveniently pinned on Captain Lewis Nolan, who carried Raglan's order to the generals but may have misinterpreted it; as the first to die, he was in no position to answer back.

Now, the Valley of Death is a vineyard, growing in the rich earth for which Ukraine is famous. Bullets and badges still come to the surface in the soil occasionally, as do unexploded second world war bombs. A small white obelisk recalls those who fell.

The battlefield was long off-limits not only to tourists but to locals too: in Soviet times the fleet, like its tsarist predecessor, was based at Sevastopol nearby, and Balaklava harbour was used for repairing sub- marines - in a cave, away from prying American satellites.

But the Soviet Union has gone, replaced by independent Ukraine, which welcomes foreigners and their money to the Crimean peninsula, its Black Sea playground.

You can see why the British used Balaklava's sheltered, winding harbour as a supply base. It now wants to be a tourist resort. The waterfront is being spruced up; buildings are getting a lick of paint. You can go into the hidden cave. But it all still has that ramshackle Soviet air. Down by the fishing boats, men sit fishing, and women sit selling snacks. The view is spoiled by a rusty floating dock, which will have to go if this is to become the St Tropez of the Black Sea.

As for Sevastopol, founded by the ancient Greeks and also recently opened to the world, it now houses both Ukrainian and Russian fleets in its harbour. This will be the centre for Crimean war commemorations. The Earl of Cardigan, descendant of the Light Brigade commander, will be there with a tour group; the descendant of the overall cavalry leader, Lord Lucan, probably not.

The city has a striking war attraction worth a visit: a 360-degree panorama painted on the inside wall of a circular building, depicting the 1854-55 British siege of the city. Its realistic detail artfully enhanced by three-dimensional artefacts in the foreground, it is 115 meters long and 14 metres high.

Sevastopol was besieged again when the second world war came to Crimea. The best-known name from that era is Yalta, the health resort where Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill got together in 1945 to carve up the post-war world. This took place at the white, Italian renaissance-style Livadia Palace, in big gardens overlooking the sea, and you can still see the round table where the deal was signed, once Stalin had fooled the other two into thinking he'd allow a free Poland.

Tsar Nicholas II, who built the palace as a summer home, was not the only Yalta visitor. Chekhov lived here, in a villa with some cherry trees, writing The Cherry Orchard. Khrushchev and Gorbachev had dachas along the coast, and it became more or less the only Soviet seaside resort, replete with socialist health spas. Locals were sniffy about the "cotton tourists" - the workers, who came in summer - preferring the "velvet" ones, the artists and professionals who turned up in autumn.

Russians still flock in, along with Ukrainians and a smattering of other Europeans (a 50-mile trolleybus ride, the world's longest and arguably prettiest, goes to Simferopol, the nearest airport). Ringed by mountains and sea, the town's green, if a bit grubby in its back streets. It offers healthy nature walks, with Europe's highest waterfall, Uchan-su, almost 92m if it doesn't dry up in summer. The spas are still there.

You can visit the Massandra vineyard, the golden-domed Alexander Nevsky cathedral, Chekhov's home, or the vaguely Moorish Alupka palace nearby, as well as taking daytrips to Balaklava. On a boat trip round the bay, you may find dolphins splashing in your wake. Restaurants are cheap and cheerful, though English isn't always spoken. Try the Swallow's Nest: the food is OK but the setting - it's a sort of mini-castle perched on a crag over the ocean - is spectacular.

The traffic-free promenade by the sea, with palm trees and pastel-shaded buildings, is the heart of Yalta. The beach itself is nothing much, pebbles and concrete, but holidaymakers stroll by, stopping to watch chess matches, test bouncy castles, eat big Macs (opposite the statue of Lenin), or dress in 18th-century costume to pose for photographs in drawing rooms set up on the strand.

On a warm summer evening, it's all very relaxed and civilised. You could be in a Greek or Italian town or even, in the dim light of dusk, somewhere on England's south coast. Ukraine, far away on the Black Sea, is part of Europe after all.
WAY TO GO
John Thompson travelled with Prospect Tours (020 7486 5704). An eight- day tour of Kiev and the Crimea, including flights (international with Ukraine International, internal with Aerosvit), four nights at the Oreanda hotel on the Yalta seafront, and a daytrip to Balaklava guided by Olga Makarova, costs £1,150, plus about £60 for a Ukrainian visa. Other tour operators with Crimean itineraries include: Voyages Jules Verne (0845 166 7000), Noble Caledonia cruises (020 7752 0000) Regent (0117 921 1711) Intourist (020 7727 4100) http://travel.guardian.co.uk/countries/story/0,7451,1294369,00.html


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126 posted on 09/06/2004 8:43:02 PM PDT by Calpernia ("People never like what they don't understand")
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To: CJ Wolf

Don't forget that Russia has still ostensibly had friendly ties with Iran and Syria, as well as the former regime in Iraq.


127 posted on 09/06/2004 8:45:48 PM PDT by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know what this was)
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To: All

Some terrorists were duped
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=518&u=/ap/20040906/ap_on_re_eu/russia_school_seizure_plan_2&printer=1

Russia School Seizure Was Long Planned

Mon Sep 6,11:24 AM ET

By JIM HEINTZ, Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW - Militants appear to have planned their seizure of a Russian school carefully, starting months earlier and sneaking weapons into the building in advance. Still, some of the raiders may not have known what they were getting into and were appalled to find they were holding children hostage.



Some of the objecting militants were killed by their own comrades, the lawyer for a captured militant told The Associated Press.


Pieces of the picture of how militants took more than 1,000 hostages at the school in Beslan were falling into place, mainly from news reports citing unspecified but presumably official sources. Officials are saying little publicly — Federal Security Service spokesman Sergei Ignatchenko declined to immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press on Monday.


But the reports portray the raid as a fastidiously prepared operation — in which militants used renovation work as a cover to plant arms and explosives in the school — almost literally under authorities' noses.


School No. 1 in Beslan, which the militants seized Wednesday on the first day of the new school year, is only about 200 yards from the local police department headquarters.


"Why the law-enforcement bodies didn't know and why they allowed a column of fighters to get into the city past all checkpoints — this is something that can be judged only through rumors," the newspaper Novye Izvestia said Monday.


The band of hostage-takers — some reports have said there were over 30 — were demanding independence for Chechnya (news - web sites) and were a mix of ethnicities, including Chechens and up to 10 Arabs, according to Russian officials.


After the hostage-taking ended Friday in a frenzy of shooting and explosions, Russian news agencies cited unnamed security sources as saying that the planners of the raid were believed to have scouted at least two schools in Beslan.


"Judging by everything, they felt the better one for their goals was the main building of School No. 1 with its half-basement gymnasium annex, where the floor had to be replaced," the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted a law-enforcement official as saying.


"The bandits were able to bring into the school a large quantity of weapons, ammunition, equipment and explosives, under the guise of planks, cement and other building material, enough to defend the seized place for a long period," the official said.


Regional security service head Valery Andreyev appeared to reluctantly agree. "The special services are carefully checking the version that the terrorists brought in arms, explosives and ammunition ahead of time," he said, according to the Interfax news agency.


That hypothesis appears to conform with other details of the seizure. The approximately 30 raiders arrived in a single military-style truck — believed to have been hijacked in neighboring Ingushetia — which, jammed with people, would have been too small to carry much equipment.


Hostages also spoke in news accounts of a huge quantity of explosives in the school — not only the suicide belts worn by some of the hostage-takers, but bombs hung from basketball hoops and a 2-foot-square bomb built in the center of the gym.


Such a plan echoes some of the recent years' most brazen terrorist attacks. The Kremlin-backed president of Chechnya, Akhmad Kadyrov, was killed in May by a bomb in a stadium in Chechnya's capital that was believed to have been planted during reconstruction work. The huge bombs brandished by the raiders who seized a Moscow theater in 2002 were believed to have been spirited in while an office in the building was being remodeled.


The Moscow theater standoff ended when Russian forces pumped in a knockout gas that disabled the militants — and inadvertently killed most of the 129 civilian victims. Perhaps learning from that experience, the Beslan hostage-takers brought along two dogs, possibly to detect gas.


Why the militantsscouted Beslan at all was not immediately clear. The city of 30,000 could have been seen as large enough to provide a shockingly high number of victims while not large enough to risk a heavy police presence. It also is the location of the region's main airport and is on a railway line.


But amid the careful preparations, the attack's planners may not have considered psychology.


Umar Sikoyev, a lawyer for a captured militant identified as Nur-Pashi Kulayev, said the band's leader did not tell them what their mission was and that after the seizure a fierce argument broke out in the band, with several objecting that taking children hostage was wrong.

The raid's commander shot the dissidents' leader to death and then detonated the suicide belts worn by two women raiders by remote control to establish order in the band, Sikoyev told The Associated Press.

(LEADS with three grafs to UPDATE with lawyer of captured militant saying dissenting militants were killed; corrects spelling of Beslan; picks up 4th graf 'But the reports ...' SUBS final two grafs bgng 'Umar Sikoyev, a ...' to ADD lawyer's comments.)


128 posted on 09/06/2004 8:48:06 PM PDT by Snapple
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To: Snapple

"He says that a decades-long "so-called friend" is behind Beslan."

This advisor said similar. Did Putin say "so-called friend" too?


129 posted on 09/06/2004 8:50:29 PM PDT by Shermy
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To: Alamo-Girl

Ping


130 posted on 09/06/2004 8:53:56 PM PDT by amom
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To: Snapple

I haven't been up on what the Russians have been saying re: our responses, so that's good to hear. I'll read up on the Ukraine. I want to believe Putin is a pretty straight-shooter, but in my mind I keep going back to the KGB culture and mentality which has been so ingrained. Thanks!


131 posted on 09/06/2004 8:54:21 PM PDT by tabor (just another New Yorker who did NOT vote for Hillary)
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To: tabor

Putin went to law school. He is a bureaucrat but not a maniac. First he needs to keep the Ossetians from going on the rampage and killing more Inguish or Chechens.

This can get a lot worse.


132 posted on 09/06/2004 9:01:03 PM PDT by Snapple
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To: Shermy

I think you are right. I think it was an official spokesman, not Putin. I posted two stories from Novosti earlier. Check those. Still, it was an official statement. That's what Novosti is. It would be authorized by Putin I think. Those are like White House briefings by the press secretary. It's not just what some guy says.


133 posted on 09/06/2004 9:04:19 PM PDT by Snapple
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To: Shermy

http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?msg_id=4811815
Putin's speech.

He is blaming Beslan on a government that wants to tear off part of Russia because it fears their weapons.

Putin's expert on the Caucasus is quoted at the beginning of this thread. I think he claims a decades-long so-called friend did Beslan.

Putin doesn't just shoot of his mouth. He says more or less what he means I think.


134 posted on 09/06/2004 9:12:47 PM PDT by Snapple
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To: Snapple

Here is exactly what Putin's advisor said:
"They [ie the terrorists]were led on a leash. Our self-styled friends have been working for several decades, I deem, to dismember Russia. They are doing a huge, really titanic job. It's clear as daylight that those people are coming up as puppeteers and are financing terror,"

He is talking about state-sponsored terror.


135 posted on 09/06/2004 9:15:35 PM PDT by Snapple
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To: amom

Thanks for the ping!


136 posted on 09/06/2004 9:21:58 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Snapple
Snapple, who has the ability to track phone calls and such? Is it just the US? At first I thought we were providing Russian with as much info ASAP to help them out. What other countries can and are willing to provide Russia with that type of info? Thanks.
137 posted on 09/06/2004 9:55:22 PM PDT by Chgogal (Pssst. I have it on the best authority that Allah has run out of virgins. Spread the word.)
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To: Snapple

Conspiracy theory (Pravda title, not mine)
09/06/2004 19:59 ( from Pravda article- yikes, not sure about proper linking yet)

"After the tragedy in Beslan, President Putin gave address to the nation on September 4.
This address is very different from the previous official statement by the Russian President, it can probably start some radical changes in the country"s domestic and foreign policy.

Formally, the President made his address to the Russian citizens, but the address content demonstrates that its primary target audience are the Western countries and the USA in particular.

The President openly stated that the country"s authorities consider Russia the geopolitical successor of the USSR, and will not tolerate any other role imposed on it. Putin sincerely regrets about the collapse of the "big great state", but says that, "despite all the difficulties, we managed to preserve the core of this giant" - the Russian Federation.

The analysis of the address statements on foreign policy should probably be started from the things which were not mentioned there. There were no assurances to the West that we are fighting the common enemy - terrorism. Previously, many assurances of this kind were made. This fact tells much: until recently, such statements were commonplace of any speeches of Russian officials on terrorism. However, a new, truly sensational idea was pronounced by the President.

President Putin said, "Our country which used to have the most powerful system of protection of its borders, became protected neither from the West nor from the East". First time for the last years, a high-ranking Russian official said about a threat from the West!

President of INDEM Foundation Georgy Satarov believes that Putin did not explain to the people what had provoked the war, and the war started now, "not in 1999", and the President did not say who is responsible for the failure to stop terrorists implementing their plans. "Psychologists discovered long time ago that a strong person looks for the causes of the problems in himself, while a weak person looks for them outside", said Mr. Satarov. For this reason, Mr. Satarov considers Putin"s hints on the West"s alleged involvement in terrorist acts as the attempt to explain what is happening, in the easiest way, using conspiracy theory.

The president"s address to the nation was not sufficiently concrete and tough, said political consultant Oleg Matveichev, "People were expecting the oath to punish the terrorists and those who had sent them. It was necessary to say something about the responsibility of the law-enforcers, provided that the law-enforcement authorities are going to be strengthened now".


138 posted on 09/06/2004 10:03:26 PM PDT by tabor (just another New Yorker who did NOT vote for Hillary)
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To: MarMema

A much older one perhaps. You have researchd this well, MarMema.


139 posted on 09/06/2004 11:19:04 PM PDT by Libertina (Thank God we have President Bush in the White House.)
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To: Chgogal; Snapple; struwwelpeter
Light Shed on Identity of School Attackers Created: 06.09.2004 11:17 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 13:21 MSK, 4

MosNews

In the aftermath of the hostage crisis that left nearly 400 people dead, most of them children, the first reports have emerged on the identity of the attackers who seized the school in Beslan, North Ossetia.

Officially, the General Prosecutor's Office has revealed that 31 attackers were killed, one was taken into custody, Gazeta.ru reported. 30 of the bodies have been discovered, one was destroyed by a blast. The attackers were made up of various nationalities, including Chechens, Kazakhs, Tartars, and Koreans.

Authorities, reluctant to shed light on the first results of their investigation, nonetheless, allowed Russian television to show footage on Sunday of an unshaven and heavily guarded man, described by a top prosecutor as a member of a Chechen rebel group which held more than 1,000 people hostage in a school last week. The man's name was not given as prosecutors cited "the interests of investigation".

State-controlled First Channel showed the man being escorted in handcuffs into a room by masked commandos. "This man directly took part in the attack, he is a member of the gang," said Deputy Prosecutor General Sergei Fridinsky. "Tomorrow the court will sanction his arrest and he will be charged."

The man, dressed in a dirty black shirt, looked and spoke very much like a native of one of Russia's North Caucasus regions, which include Chechnya and neighbouring North Ossetia, where the hostage crisis occurred. "I did not shoot. I swear by Allah I did not shoot," said the man, who looked scared. "I swear by Allah I want to live."

Russian officials initially said the 32-member group included Chechen separatists and 10 Arab fighters and that three of the hostage-takers had been captured alive. But later they said all the hostage-takers were killed and that three suspected accomplices had been detained.

Shortly after the standoff reached its bloody finale Friday, at least two Russian officials said that several of the hostage takers were Arabs — nine of them, according to an adviser to President Vladimir Putin, or 10, according to the head of the Federal Security Service in North Ossetia, the republic where the attack took place. However, authorities have not publicly presented evidence supporting those claims.

Aslanbek Aslakhanov, an adviser to Putin on Chechnya, called the makeup of the group of hostage takers "fully international." Valery Andreyev, the North Ossetia security chief, said one of the hostage- takers was black. First Channel, without citing a source, said that the hostage-takers included Chechens, Ingush, Arabs, Kazakhs and Slavs. Earlier Russian media reports had said authorities believed the hostage-takers included Chechens, Ingush and a man from North Ossetia.

Details began to emerge on Monday as regards the identity of the attackers. Kommersant Daily reported that one of the leaders of the rebel group was identified as *Vladimir Khodov, known also as Abdulla. Three other attackers, Magas, Fantomas and Polkovnik (Colonel) were identified by their accomplice, who was detained alive and agreed to help investigators. The man, identified as *Magas, proved to be none other than Magomed Yevloyev, an ethnic Ingushetian from Grozny, who together with Shamil Basayev, masterminded a raid on Ingushetia in June this year.

The names of several other attackers became known on Monday. The Gazeta daily wrote, citing sources, that at least four of them were natives of the village of Stary Engenoi, Nozhai-Yurt, Chechnya. 24- year-old *Nur-Pashi Kulayev, detained alive after the Friday shootout, had been one of Shamil Basyaev's bodyguards. His brother, 31-year-old Khan-Pashi, was killed on 3 September.

Doku Umarov headed the gang, according to the Izvestia newspaper. A teenager, who managed to escape from the school building before it was raided by the rebels, recognized him on a photo of Chechen rebel leaders, shown to him by the paper's correspondent. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- (commentary from chechen here - FYI *This Vladimir Khodov was put on the wanted list by the Russia's MVD for being a suspect to the car's explosion on Feb 3, 2004 in Vladikavkaz, that took place near the Gamid-Bank ( we've got posts on this in our archives). Two people died, several more were wounded. This crime was never solved and two versions emerged - 1. criminal feud (razborka) or 2. terrorist act. The first version was investigated because the bank was known to be involved in mafia wars, ( there were more attacks on it and its employees already before,iteresting that in 96, its owner Gamidov was blown up with his body guards on the stairways of the Financial Ministry of Dagestan). the second one because the explosion took place when a truck was passing by with some military school cadets - some of them got wounded - and one passed away from wounds later. Anyway, the MVD of Russia has this http://www.mvdinform.ru/index.php? newsid=2417 with info on Khodov and a photo depicting his face. Judging by his first and last name, patronymic and that photo of him it could be assumed that he's a Russian - that's what Fridinsky was talking about, mentioning Slavs, or Russians to be among the terrorists, in one of his reports. ** This is still not 100 % confirmed if Magas - that's Magomed Yevloyev or according to Ingushetiya ru, a certain Taziyev ***That makes sense - Ingushetiya could have got his last name wrong - no Kulev here, and first and last name sound Chechen in Gazeta's article. M.L.(end of commentary)

140 posted on 09/07/2004 12:33:59 AM PDT by MarMema (Ikcheria is a gateway to hades)
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