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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Russia furious at ABC News airing interview with Basayev |
| 2005-07-29 |
| Russia summoned Washingtonâs envoy on Friday to protest a US television channelâs airing of an interview with a Chechen rebel leader that threatened to add to strains between the two countries. In the interview, broadcast by ABC on Thursday night, warlord Shamil Basayev accused Russia of killing thousands of civilians and defended his own raids -- the bloodiest of the 10-year Chechen war -- as part of a struggle for independence. âWe invited the deputy chief of mission to express our views over the broadcasting of an interview with a terrorist ... We expressed our strong indignation,â a Foreign Ministry spokesman said. âThe TV channel has shown outrageous neglect of the standards of responsible journalism and general human values.â Russia accuses him of links to Osama bin Ladenâs Al Qaeda movement and says the Chechen war is part of the global struggle against terrorism. It is quick to criticise any Western sympathy for the Chechen cause as proof of âdouble standardsâ in the fight, and has previously slammed the United States and Britain for refusing to extradite rebels. âThese notorious double standards and double approaches continue to exist ... Undoubtedly, this sours our cooperation (with the United States) and gives a boost to terrorist activists,â Anatoly Safonov, President Vladimir Putinâs special representative for the war against terrorism, told Interfax news agency. âThis is the reaction not just of the Foreign Ministry but of any Russian citizen. Not long ago, our American colleagues asked why there was so much anti-Americanism in the Russian press. These publications are the reactions of our people, who have suffered such losses in Beslan and in Moscow.â Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made unusually pointed criticism of Russian democracy, saying the Kremlin had too strong a grip on power and blocked a free press. Basayev happily admitted he was a terrorist in the ABC interview, but said the Russians were worse. âIf they are the keepers of constitutional order, if they are anti-terrorists then I spit on all these agreements and nice words,â he said. Chechnyaâs pro-Moscow government, which is accused of collaborating with the enemy by Basayev and the other rebels, said the United States should have known better than to broadcast an interview with the rebel leader. âI was shocked when I found out that a channel in a country mourning thousands of terrorist victims, should give airtime to one of the worldâs most famous terrorists,â Moscow-backed President Alu Alkhanov told RIA Novosti news agency. The US embassy declined to comment on the foreign ministryâs summoning of Deputy Chief of Mission Daniel Russell. There is currently no US ambassador in Moscow because former envoy Alexander Vershbow has only just left his post. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #7 Hey Vlad, just throw some ABC reporters into Lubyanka. We promise not to complain. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2005-07-29 23:34 |
| #6 Maybe russia should go crying to china, they might have some sympathy for them. Otherwise they'll have to look in the dictionary between shit and syphilis, thats where they'll find their sympathy. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2005-07-29 20:26 |
| #5 true kat but if ABC can find this man why can't russian authorities? Also russia ia still selling alot of arms too our enemies who are murderers too. I also agree most news orgs should be run out town except fox news. Sorry if i'm not making sense my meds are kickin in about this time |
| Posted by: Thraing Hupoluper1864 2005-07-29 16:50 |
| #4 Is anyone suprised? This is their (Basayev's) way of repaying ABC's for its (ABC's) staunch support -- even though the that russian school He gives ABC a 'scoop' and ABC gives him open air-time and easy questions.... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-07-29 15:39 |
| #3 ABC is a menace. Shut them down. Interviewing terrorists is an abuse of free speech. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0â Doom 2005-07-29 15:21 |
| #2 Doesn't excuse the free air time afforded a mass murdering sociopath who wants the any publicity is good publicity attention. They couldn't find any better to fill the time? |
| Posted by: MunkarKat 2005-07-29 14:56 |
| #1 how mnay times has russia stabbed us in the back? |
| Posted by: Thraing Hupoluper1864 2005-07-29 14:47 |