#12
BBC Monitoring
Rebel web site wary of Russian "perfidy" now
Chechen peace talks under way
Source: Marsho news agency web site in Russian 1310 gmt 12 Dec 01
The Chechen Marsho news agency web site has said that history has taught Chechens that Russia is not to be trusted. Even now that the Chechens control the situation in the republic, forcing the Russians to hold talks with rebel President Aslan Maskhadov's representative, the Chechens are wary and suspect that there is a difference between what Moscow says and what they are planning to do. The following is the text of an M. Timurov report by Chechen Marsho news agency web site:
12 December, Marsho news agency correspondent M. Timurov: Do not take a dip in the same river twice. The Chechens, who have learnt well from many centuries of bitter experience, do not intend to relax in the slightest from now on as the perfidy of the Russian aggressor became the "talk of the town" long ago, and anyone with even the slightest knowledge of Caucasus history and Russian politics is well aware of this.
One recalls how back in March 1996, Russian President Boris Yeltsin disconcerted television viewers when, with a depressed air, he acknowledged during an exclusive interview that the war in Chechnya was his personal mistake. Because of this, he announced his intention to sit down at the negotiating table "even with Dzhokhar Dudayev himself". And we recall the events which followed this! Only three weeks later, Russian special services murdered the first president of sovereign Ichkeria, that famous son of the Chechen people - Generalissimo Dzhokhar Dudayev - an unprecedented act of baseness. As emerged later, the decision to eliminate the Chechen leader was adopted long before President Yeltsin made this statement to the media. The Chechens will never forget this lesson, as history has a habit of repeating itself.
And now we recall Putin's phrase, which has been cited a lot by other Kremlin so-called politicians: "The formal status of Chechnya is not important to us, as long as Russia is not attacked from its territory!"
The Russian press goes on to report that General-Governor Kazantsev has been declared politician of the year. (In truth, it does not specify by whom!) Is all this not connected with the fact that it is Viktor Germanovich who is the Russian president's authorized representative for conducting a dialogue (Russia stubbornly refuses to recognize the term "talks") with the deputy prime minister of the CRI [Chechen Republic of Ichkeria], Akhmed Khalidovich Zakayev, the equally authorized representative of the president of Ichkeria!?
This begs the question, what goal is the Kremlin pursuing!? There is no doubt that in Moscow they are dreaming of the Chechen conflict ending as soon as possible, as it has not justified their hopes and is developing in a totally different way than was planned at the start of the "anti-terrorist campaign". But once again, the question arises: at what price do the occupiers wish to get out of this war? Whatever the case, Russian wants to preserve the remnants of its imperial dignity! And how events will develop in the future now depends on the Chechens.
At this stage Russia is trying to realize its plan concerning the elimination of the most prominent figures in the Ichkerian resistance, including the legitimate president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Aslan Maskhadov, to at least turn the situation back in their favour at this closing stage. The Chechen side has reliable information that Putin gave such an order to the leaders of the Russian power [defence, internal affairs and national security ministry] structures: whatever happens, deal with this before next spring! If this does not happen, Russia will be forced to ask for talks "without preconditions".
The situation in Ichkeria is such that the Chechen mojahedin fully control the situation in the state. Now even the Russian press, breaking through all the barriers set up by the special services, has been forced to admit the existence of such a factor as attacks on military columns and shelling of the federal forces' positions, although there was previously a taboo on this topic being covered in the media. It is true that now in the military reports presented by the Russian military, the following detail can always be found: "federal artillery fire scattered the enemy" or "20 fighters were killed when the Russian forces returned fire". But nobody reacts to these "consolation prize" words any more: if Russian military officials report huge losses among the "fighters", that means that things are not going in the best way possible for them.
The growing pressure from the fighters of the Ichkerian resistance is effectively forcing the occupiers to reconcile themselves to the idea that their days on sovereign Chechen territory are numbered, although this was clear from the very start of the criminal anti-Chechen Kremlin adventure.
This is the reason why the previously arrogant tone employed in Kremlin political circles has now been replaced by a more considered one. But even in the light of all this, Russian diplomacy will always be like "a suitcase with a false bottom".
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