Posted on 09/09/2004 1:12:21 PM PDT by lizol
Russia Warns West Against Meddling in Chechnya
By Oliver Bullough
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the West not to meddle with Russia's Chechnya (news - web sites) policy on Thursday in the wake of a bloody hostage crisis, highlighting a growing rift over the issue between former Cold War foes.
He said, in a reference to British and U.S. offers of asylum to spokesmen for Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov, that the West was directly interfering in an internal issue. "When our Western partners say we should re-examine our policy, what you call our tactics, I would advise them not to interfere in our Russian internal affairs," he told reporters.
"Some try to interfere by offering political asylum to terrorists who are directly linked to the Chechen tragedy."
At least 326 hostages -- half of them children -- died in last Friday's chaotic storming of School No.1 in Beslan, southern Russia, after it was seized by gunmen demanding Chechen independence. Another 356 are still in hospital.
Russia blames Maskhadov and warlord Shamil Basayev for Beslan and other Chechen-related violence and links them to groups who conducted attacks such as the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and train bombings in Madrid in March.
President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) has promised to investigate the hostage raid properly. On Thursday, Alexander Dzasokhov -- the president of North Ossetia, where the hostage drama took place -- sacked his government, Russian news agencies reported.
ROOT CAUSES
Though the European Union (news - web sites) and the United States were quick to condemn the latest violence, they have infuriated Moscow by pressing it to deal with the root causes and address the grievances of the Chechen people.
Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet president when the Chechnya crisis started, also called on Thursday for talks with the rebels.
Putin, speaking after the hostage killings, said the demands for the Kremlin to negotiate with separatist rebels were akin to inviting Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) to the White House for dialogue.
Russia has instead sought to end Chechen demands for independence by force of arms, fighting two wars there since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 saw long-suppressed ethnic and national tensions boil over into violence.
"This policy is supported by the Chechen people which voted in a referendum for a constitution to keep the Chechen people in the Russia Federation," said Lavrov.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, a close Putin ally, on Thursday repeated threats to stage pre-emptive strikes on militant bases outside Russia, Russian news agencies said.
"Preventive strikes do not mean using navy or air force," Interfax news agency quoted him as saying. "It will all depend on circumstances ... We will not warn anyone in advance."
Thursday was the fifth anniversary of a midnight bomb blast which destroyed an apartment block in Moscow, killing nearly 100 people. Two more blasts followed, all blamed on Chechen rebels.
In the wave of outrage which followed, Putin, then prime minister, sent troops to Chechnya, a move that won massive support and helped propel him to the presidency in 2000.
Chechen rebels promised to pay $20 million to anyone helping them capture Putin in a statement posted on separatist Web sites, a day after Moscow offered $10 million for the capture of Basayev and Maskhadov.
Maskhadov, a relative moderate among Chechen separatists who have been fighting Russia for 10 years, has denied involvement in the hostage-taking. Basayev has yet to comment, but experts say the attack showed all the signs of his leadership.
CORRUPTION
Many Russians say corruption among the security services is partly to blame for Beslan and other attacks, since heavily armed separatist fighters managed to infiltrate areas hitherto untouched by the decade-long Chechen conflict.
Muscovites surveyed by the respected Levada center, an independent polling institute, felt overwhelmingly that the state could not protect them, with 77 percent of the 500 people interviewed after Beslan saying the security services could not guarantee their security.
The same survey showed 34 percent of people blamed the FSB and police for the hostage-taking, compared to 33 percent who blamed militants.
Putin has made clear tough measures will be adopted to rein in separatists and stop their attacks. In a hint of what might be discussed by parliament later this month, an influential regional leader demanded the return of the death penalty for terrorism scrapped under Putin's predecessor Boris Yeltsin.
"Terrorists should not be captured," Interfax quoted Aman Tuleyev, the governor of Urals Kemerovo region as saying. "They should not be allowed to survive through life sentences."
He said, in a reference to British and U.S. offers of asylum to spokesmen for Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov, that the West was directly interfering in an internal issue. "When our Western partners say we should re-examine our policy, what you call our tactics, I would advise them not to interfere in our Russian internal affairs," he told reporters.
I wonder if the West doesn't need a taste of what our Slavic friends are going through to get this message.
You would think 9/11 and 3/11 would have been enough. I personally am more than willing to take those as wake-up calls and not risk the lives of friends, family, and countrymen. Sadly, my government does not think the same way. It will even give refuge to these thugs.
NIMBY!!!
Read later.
In this matter, the Russians are right.
Putin looking for a few good scapegoats.
bush, putin and sharon should unite in the war against terrorism...
I think Putin is too sensitive to the West's views.
He should do what needs to be done in Chechnya and tell all critics in the West - Fuck off!
Russia got nukes and nobody wants to go to war with Russia over Chechens or Baku-Jeyhan pipeline...
Kind of like the way Russia has stayed out of the affairs of Iraq for the past couple years.
I think in the end Bush will work with Putin to deal with terrorists. The major issue seems to be the State Department meddling behind the Russians' backs.
I agree. Russia needs to be left to deal with this problem themselves. They might also take their own advice, and stay out of our business in regards to Iraq. If we're smart, we'll use this as a 'hook' for Russia to be our partner in the WOT. Just tell them that we will leave them and Chechnya to their own devices, but drop that reactor support to Iran, and get on board with our anti-terror policies. We could even use Russian commandos here and there to wipe out known viper pits. If we play this smart, and keep our eye on the big picture, we might be able to get Russia into the fold. The Russian population must be feeling a rage rivaling that of the US on 9/11. We need to use that rage, and let them deal with their own in return for more cooperation and a stronger alliance.
"He should do what needs to be done in Chechnya and tell all critics in the West - Fuck off!"
So Sharon also "should do what needs to be done in Ghaza and Western Bank" - to sorround it, burn to the ground and kill as many as possible and then ask - who was a terrorist, and who was just a poor, helpless civilian.
So Bush also "should do what needs to be done in Fallujah and An- Najaf" - same way.
Do you really think so???
I doubt it.
Ping
Bush needs to keep quiet and stay out of this. Criticizing the Russians here will do no good. If anything, Bush could learn from the heavy handed tactics that the Russians will probably use.
The world was a lot better off when the Soviet Union controlled what are now extremely dangerous Islamofascist republics in Central Asia. American interference in Afghanistan in the 1980's was a huge mistake. American cannot afford to pay that price again.
"In this matter, the Russians are right."
I agree. Let Russia decide what is right for Russia....they need no interference from the United States!
BTTT
I don't care about past differences with Russia. I don't care about some so-called pragmatic concern. There was a time, Cold War not long over and 9-11 an unsuspected bad day in the future, when I had sympathy for the Chechens.
They might as well be radioactive now. I'll have none, thank you!
This is very bad idea, to be a Chechen right now and it is just fatal idea to be a Chechen in Russia.
So when are they going to release a MSDS on this place.
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