Posted on 10/13/2005 4:53:31 AM PDT by fishhound
Edited on 10/13/2005 8:31:53 AM PDT by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
Civilians are believed to be among 60 people killed in clashes between police and rebels in Russia's volatile North Caucasus, say Russian media reports. Civilians are feared to be among 60 people killed in clashes between police and gunmen in Russia's volatile North Caucasus, say Russian media reports.
President Vladimir Putin has ordered Nalchik city in Kabardino-Balkaria province to be sealed off and for forces to shoot any armed resisters.
Officials say armoured vehicles and troops have been deployed and the situation is returning to normal.
Militants from nearby Chechnya are believed to be behind the attacks.
A pro-rebel website said it had received information from rebel sources that a unit of Chechen armed forces had entered Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria.
'All-out attack'
A school and the city's airport, as well as government buildings, were caught up in the running gun-battles.
The BBC's Emma Simpson in Moscow says this appears to have been an all-out attack on Nalchik's law enforcement and security services.
Black smoke billowed across the city
Fighting broke out in the Belaya Rechka area early on Thursday and spread to several parts of the city.
A local Interior Ministry source told Itar-Tass that rebels launched a "carefully planned" simultaneous attack on police stations, Russia's federal security forces, military and drugs-control offices as well as the airport.
One unidentified security official has told Russian news agency Ria that the reason for the attack was the arrest on Wednesday of at least one radical extremist.
Correspondents say violence in Kabardino-Balkaria has been steadily increasing.
Political changes and a harsh crackdown on alleged Islamic militants appear to have pushed the region to the verge of instability, the BBC's regional analyst Steven Eke says.
'Eliminated'
Russian Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Chekalin said Mr Putin ordered the city to be completely sealed off to ensure not a single fighter could escape.
"Those who resist will be eliminated," he said.
He was also quoted as saying he knew of no civilians killed in the fighting.
A witness told the BBC she had seen the bodies of gunmen, soldiers and civilians in the streets. Earlier, regional President Arsen Kanokov said 12 civilians had died.
A third of the 150 rebels who took part in attacks had been killed, he told Itar-Tass news agency.
Five police officers had also died, Mr Putin's special envoy to the area, Dmitry Kozak, told Russian television.
He also said the gunmen had stormed one police station and taken hostages.
But officials quoted by Itar-Tass said they were later freed, although there were no details.
Mr Kozak said that overall the city was under control.
Website claim
The pro-rebel Kavkaz Center website said that a detachment of the Chechen-linked Kabardino-Balkaria jamaat, called Yarmuk, had entered Nalchik.
The use of the word jamaat indicates that it is made up of radical Islamic fighters.
The attacks are the latest in a series of disturbances that have been destabilising Russia's North Caucasus region for more than a year.
Correspondents say Nalchik is about 100 km (60 miles) north-west of Beslan, where Chechen rebels took hundreds of hostages at a school in 2004, in an attack claimed by warlord Shamil Basayev.
Our analyst says that after last year's Beslan massacre the government promised more money and support for the impoverished North Caucasus - but nothing has changed.
Yeah, I know that, but we're not doing enough. Bush needs to think of trade with Russia as the number one foreign trade item on the agenda. It impacts not only our economy, but our entire foreign policy, from Iraq to China to Venezuela to Korea to India to Iran, and even to Europe.
Hard to disagree. There is nothing more I would wish for than for US and Russia to engage in constructive cooperation, çause I come from those part. Currently I am frustrated with both sides. But pumping $300 bln into the Chinese war machine by way of trade is plain suicidal.
Too damn bad they don't listen to us, huh?
Because Russia has Muslim populations within it's native area, I imagine.
Just to clarify and conclude, the "herdsmen" referred to Cowboys and "soldiers" to Cossacks. The Russians have some reason to see themselves as the historic eastern and southern bulwark of Christian civilization and feel slighted when that's not recognized.
Everything is Bush's fault when you're a dirty traitor, or a commie scumbag.
"What I don't understand is why the US has not sided firmly with Russia in this struggle."
What *I* don't understand is Russian military support for Syria, Iran, China, etc etc.
"The Indians didn't even SEE a horse until Cortez and the Spaniards introduced them to the New World in 1519"
There used to be horselike critters in North America - the Indians ate them all.
That's their problem. They didn't support our WoT, let 'em fight their own battles. Screw the Russkies.
You should be in a position to protect yourself. Never rely on any government for protection, local, State or Federal.
Oil is on an international spot market, you get it from the closest locale; when the Russians put more on the market, it simply lowers the price across the board.
Yes, but they were muslims by the name only. The wahhabi ideology contributes to rapid radicalization of the muslim population plus nationalism in some Russian muslim republics (Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Tuva, etc.). It's a time bomb.
I think the closest we got to the Chechen War, so far, was 2-3 years ago when we sent special forces to Georgia to "train" their special forces. Georgia borders Russia (close to the Chechen region), and I believe our forces were there to help keep the Chechens out.
When Ivan stops supporting Iran, then we'll come to the table. Until then, forget it.
Stupid move.
I think that is true to a degree, but it is also false to a degree. If the Russians are selling oil to the Chinese, that is naturally going to benefit the Chinese.
Georgia is a member of the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq. Russia helped the Iraqis fight us and now they support the Iranian and Syrian jihad on US soldiers in Iraq.
Somehow, I believe this must be Bush and Rove's fault. Just thinking out loud you know! /sarcasm still on.
Hail Putin! Down with Boosh!
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