Posted on 08/06/2004 2:40:53 PM PDT by A. Pole
Ilyas Akhmadov, one of Chechnya’s separatist leaders, has officially been granted asylum in the United States, RIA Novosti has learnt from the American Committee for Peace in Chechnya, co-chaired by former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinskiand former US secretary of state Alexander Hague.
According to the committee, the decision on granting asylum to Akhmadov was taken by an immigration court in Boston, Massachusetts, which was immediately appealed by the US government. “The appeal has now been rejected and the decision on granting asylum is now final,” the committee said.
The committee confirmed that not long ago Akhmadov was appointed to a post at the US non-governmental foundation National Endowment for Democracy and now plans to move to Washington for permanent residence and work.
National Endowment for Democracy confirmed that Akhmadov has been awarded a research grant under the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program and hence is entitled to monthly allowance, medical insurance as well as reimbursement of transportation costs.
In December last year Russian Foreign Ministry urged the US to take Russia’s position in consideration by examining Akhmadov’s application. “The US side is informed about our attitude towards that terrorist accomplice,” the ministry’s spokesman Aleksandr Yakovenko told the press then.
Russian law enforcers claimed to have evidence of Akhmadov’s ties to Chechen separatist leaders Aslan Maskhadov and Shamil Basayev, who has been placed on the international wanted list. In the Aslan Maskhadov government Ilyas Akhmadov held the post of the foreign minister of the self-styled republic of Ichkeria.
The US administration refused to comment on the decision of the Boston court on granting asylum to Ilyas Akhmadov, saying it was a private matter.
but look at this.
I would think, though I do not obviously know for certain that this is the end of it. At least the administration tried to prevent it. Chechnya is a lot more complex (as brought out in multiple well researched post here on FR) than meets the eye but if this guy is in any way complicit in what happened last week than shame on our courts....again.
Cry...maybe...but right now I'm still mad as hell!
Why doesn't Bush clean all the clintonistas out of all policy making positions....starting with Norm Minetta!
Not Beslan, but several other smaller terrorist activities, one in Dagestan. Older. He has cleaned up his presentation, now you see, and wooed the politicians well.
But ten years ago he was a common chechen rebel commander and carried weaponry, probably helped plant mines, etc.
They chose him from the pack and groomed him to be upwardly mobile.
Look at the support behind him. All voters for Kerry, no doubt.
hmmm ...
I wouldn't cry if he had an industrial accident.
we could let the Russians have a "gimme" with this guy say if they stop on Iran's nuclear reactor which Iran has absolutely no need for.
It is truly sad as a Christian that I can now feel so much hate and am unable to feel much remorse for my wishing people dead, after the Beslan massacre. I never thought I would stoop to such horrid thoughts, but I think that little boy who was run through with the bayonet just deadened me to any ability to love our enemies.
And then we give him a job. Where do we complain.
playing this with the Russians to a standoff doesn't help anyone. What do we do, harbor the Chechens, so then Russia helps Iran give AQ a nuke and send it to NYC? Who "wins" in that arrangement?
this decision is wrong, period, and our government should reverse it. Unfortunately, I doubt any part of the media will pick up on this story.
all I can figure is that Afghanistan was our way to pay back for Vietnam and Afghanis became allies. This is reportedly how the blind sheik who's boys attacked the WTC got into America.
now we have this other monster, rather than the huge Cold War, and it has to be fought by other means.
yes, this is very complicated and I think one of these days we may have people calling for mass expulsions.
what a time we live in ...
Makes me think of Richard Holbrooke sitting down with the Kosovo Liberation Army bandits when the States Department still oficially called them "terrorists.
Nothing has changed. I am sure there are many in the West who kind of like the fact that Chechens are a sore in Russia's underbelly -- it keeps Russia bleeding and many think that's good.
Hollbrooke sat with KLA terrorists (State Department's official designation of them at that time) as a representative of the Clinton Administration, and Zbig -- representing Reagan's Administration -- called Osama's thugs "Soliders of God" when it was "profitable" to support such groups. Let's not forget the current Secdef negotiating with Saddam under Bush Sr, or Noriega being on CIA's payroll. Seems to me, we keep running into the same folly -- poor judge of character.
If he's an enemy he's best kept close, nothing says we cant turn him over. Is he free to walk the streets? Even so his where abouts will be known.
Can we get some names of the traitorous U.S. officials who are bringing Chechen terrorist activity to American soil???
Ping
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