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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Chechens say fight goes on, Basayev and Count Dooku in the running |
| 2005-03-09 |
| Chechen separatists vowed to press on with their fight for independence after guerrilla leader Aslan Maskhadov was killed in what the Kremlin saw as a coup for President Vladimir Putin's hardline policies in the region. "It is a very big loss but it is not a death blow to us, as Putin thinks," said Maskhadov's London-based envoy Akhmed Zakayev. He said a successor would be named within days. Maskhadov, 53, one of Russia's two most wanted men, was killed on Tuesday in an operation by the FSB security service in a village north of the Chechen region's capital Grozny, officials said. The Kremlin, which had accused Maskhadov of masterminding a series of deadly attacks on civilian targets, including last year's Beslan school siege, hailed his death as a success for its policies. But some political analysts, who saw him as a moderate leader with whom the Kremlin could negotiate, said Maskhadov's death was a blow to any chance of peace in the region. Zakayev, Maskhadov's main envoy in the West, signalled the killing could trigger revenge attacks. "Aslan Maskhadov will be much more dangerous for the Kremlin leadership in death than he could have been even in life, when he was calling for peaceful dialogue," said Zakayev. Maskhadov had repeatedly invited Moscow to hold talks with him but the Russian leadership refused, saying it did not negotiate with terrorists. "Instead of the weak argument that (the Kremlin) has nothing to discuss with Maskhadov ... there is now an overwhelming conclusion: there really isn't anyone to negotiate with anymore," said the Izvestia newspaper. Rebel field commanders Shamil Basayev and Doku Umarov were the most likely candidates to succeed Maskhadov as head of the self-proclaimed independent Chechen republic, said daily Kommersant. "Both commanders, in contrast to Aslan Maskhadov's declared desire for talks with Moscow, are well-known for their uncompromising and aggressive position towards Moscow," the newspaper said. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #4 Maskhadov was elected. But ask yourself when, why and before what happened? Negotiate with Maskhadov for what? Prior to the second war(because it seems one wasn't enough)Maskhadov was the leader of the place and couldn't keep the gun toting thugs from doing what comes natural to them. So war #2 drags on and the gun toting thugtypes gain alot more power than Mackhadov can command. Maskhadov needed those thugs alot more than they did him! (Maskhadov and his talking head Zakayev did like to use Basayev and the other badboys to play good cop/bad cop to try to start negotiations from time to time) Remember the quote about bringing the perps behind Breslan to trial after the war? And what little sunni wahabbiewannabee took credit? How many no-name chechen rebels or civilians for that matter, got capped during war #2 without a trial for merely alleged criminal acts? None of them managed a personal best of 300 or so children killed on one day did they? Basayev, Khattab and most of the badboys didn't need Maskhadov, his money, or his blessing. Alot of the badboys have essentially said they are not going to play nice nice and negotiate with the russians, let alone negotiate in good faith with any intention of letting live and let live. So, really, what was Maskhadov going to offer and what could he have any chance of delivering? Given his lack of power negotiating with him over a solution to the war and underlying issues would have required a very well cultivated power of self-delusion. |
| Posted by: Peppah 2005-03-09 11:02:43 PM |
| #3 What about Count Dorko or Basayev? What are they? chopped liver? I mean, yet? The fact Maskhadov condemned terrorism and all attacks against civilians made him a person one could negotiate with, if one wanted to. He was also a Chechen president directly elected by the Chechen people without Moscow forcing the result. I don't know anything about Doku, but Basayev is an unelected murderer and terrorist. Many people have compared Maskhadov's death to the killing of Yassin -- I think a more accurate analogy would have been if both Arafat and Abbas had been killed, leaving Yassin and Rantissi alive to negotiate with. |
| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2005-03-09 8:40:10 PM |
| #2 there is now an overwhelming conclusion: there really isn’t anyone to negotiate with anymore, As Corben Dallas would put it: "Anyone else want to negotiate"? |
| Posted by: Sobiesky 2005-03-09 5:26:10 PM |
| #1 the killing could trigger revenge attacks. Yes, but it will seriously cut down on other attacks. He's more dangerous dead than when he was calling for peaceful dialog. That's probably a true statement, taken literally, though it's not saying much. Key word "when" there is now an overwhelming conclusion: there really isn’t anyone to negotiate with anymore," What about Count Dorko or Basayev? What are they? Cchopped liver? I mean, yet? |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-03-09 9:51:12 AM |