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Russian Officials Predict Collapse of Political Wing of Chechen Separatist Movement
INTERFAX

Groznyy/Moscow, 9 March: The chairman of the Chechen State Council, Taus Dzhabrailov, believes that the elimination of (Chechen rebel leader) Aslan Maskhadov means that the so-called "Maskhadov" wing of separatists is going to disintegrate and that well-known terrorist Shamil Basayev might declare himself Maskhadov's successor.

"The results of the operation in Tolstoy-Yurt to eliminate Maskhadov led to the collapse of the "Maskhadov" wing, which was trying to present itself as a political and legitimate wing," Dzhabrailov said on Wednesday (9 March) in a telephone interview with Interfax.

"A fierce and uncompromising struggle for the post (of separatist leader) will now get under way between the so-called `Ichkerians' who entrenched themselves abroad and those who are still in the mountains," the State Council head believes.

Dzhabrailov links the struggle for the post that has become vacant after Maskhadov's death, first and foremost to the fact that the separatist leader "was the main recipient of funds provided by international terrorist organizations".

At the same time, the State Council head believes that "the Ichkerians do not have any possibility even to create a veneer of legitimacy for their actions to elect a successor to Aslan Maskhadov".

Dzhabrailov said Maskhadov stripped of powers Ichkeria's Vice-President Vakha Arsanov back in the late 1990s. "There is no chairman of Ichkerian parliament currently on the list of Ichkerian leaders, and the post of chairman of the cabinet of ministers does not exist at all in compliance with the so-called `constitution'", Dzhabrailov said.

"Shamil Basayev is actually becoming leader of the illegal armed formations. Although he does not occupy any official post in Ichkeria, he nonetheless is at the head of the Ichkerian terrorist wing," Dzhabrailov said.

"I am not ruling out the possibility that Basayev might declare himself Maskhadov's successor," the State Council head said.

State Duma deputy Ruslan Yamadayev shares Dzhabrailov's opinion that the elimination of Maskhadov will result in a collapse of the "Maskhadov" wing.

"Aslan Maskhadov's death has put an end to the so-called `political wing' of illegal armed formations, although Maskhadov could not be considered a politician either," Yamadayev said in an interview with Interfax on Wednesday evening.

"The `Ichkerians' do not have a figure whom they could nominate unanimously and agree that this person will occupy Maskhadov's post," the parliament member believes. "They will not manage even to create a semblance of electing Maskhadov's successor."

At the same time, Yamadayev pointed out: "No matter who Basayev's people declare Maskhadov's successor and no matter what they call this post, this man (Basayev) will be associated with the terrorist wing of illegal armed formations."

"Field commanders Doku Umarov, Rappani Khalilov and Arab mercenaries are the only people remaining in Basayev's entourage. And no one in the world will ever sit at the negotiating table and talk with any of these men. Therefore, the terrorist wing is the only thing remaining now," Yamadayev pointed out.

Russian president's adviser Aslanbek Aslakhanov, for his part, told a news conference in Moscow on Wednesday that after the elimination of Maskhadov the struggle for leadership would unfold in the ranks of the most radically minded fighters.

"A backstage fight will break out for the right to be at the top, and there are so many of those wishing to be the first," Aslakhanov said. "Two men are considered to enjoy authority after Maskhadov's death - the names of Shamil Basayev and Doku Umarov have been mentioned in turns."

"I would rather place them in the following order: first goes Umarov and then Basayev, because Umarov was more active than Basayev," the presidential adviser said. Incidentally, he did not rule out that the so-called "state committee for the defence of Ichkeria" could elect "someone else" as the leader of bandit formations.