Russia was a step away from civil war in 1999: Putin

The Times of India ^ | October 5 2002 | AP

[knighthawk]

MOSCOW: Russia was "a step away" from a civil war in September 1999 when Islamic militants, allegedly sponsored by Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network, invaded Daghestan from neighbouring Chechnya, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday.

"At the time of incursion of Chechen militants into Daghestan in Sept 1999 a serious thought was given to mass mobilisation in the country, which would have put Russia a step away from a civil war," he was quoted as saying by Radio Mayak at a Kremlin meeting with distinguished school teachers.

Putin, who was at that time chief of FSB security service under President Boris Yeltsin, for the first time disclosed plans of mass mobilisation into the armed forces in 1999, when maverick warlords, allegedly sponsored by Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda, attacked neighbouring Russian region of Daghestan from the territory of self-declared independent Chechnya.

"Army had no soldiers fit for combat and the young soldiers had to be airlifted from all over the country to the Caucasus," Putin said.

It was Russian army's Daghestan debacle, which forced Yeltsin to virtually nominate Putin his successor and appoint him prime minister in September 1999. Appointment of a "tough" prime minister frustrated the designs of Bin Laden and al-Qaeda to create an Islamic Caliphate from the Caspian to Black Sea, by carving out Russia's southern regions.

In October 1999, Putin virtually took over military command from Yeltsin and sent back army into Chechnya, which was withdrawn after 1996 Khasavyurt Treaty with the separatist leadership. Three years later Moscow is still facing a guerrilla war in efforts to restore federal rule in Chechnya.

[knighthawk]

Russia was "a step away" from a civil war in September 1999 when Islamic militants, allegedly sponsored by Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network, invaded Daghestan from neighbouring Chechnya, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday.

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[Hacksaw]

Please add me

[OldFriend]

I cannot fathom why the US objects to Russia taking care of it's Chechnya problem.

[knighthawk]

Okay, you are on it.

[sheik yerbouty]

Colin @#%%#@@!! Powell.

[valkyrieanne]

Chechnya and Dagestan are *full* of wahhabi jihadists. Last week some of them invaded Russia itself (in the southwest region of Ingushita.) They shot down a helicopter and killed a few dozen Russians. The US equivalent would be jihadis invading through Mexico and killing two dozen New Mexico National Guardsmen. Criticizing the Russians for kicking jihadi tail in Dagestan and Chechnya is *pure* hypocrisy.