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Military

USIS Washington File

28 October 1999

Text: Johnson Statement Oct. 28 on Chechnya to OSCE Permanent Council

(U.S. calls for serious political dialogue on Chechnya)  (530)
In a statement October 28 to the OSCE's (Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe) Permanent Council in Vienna, U.S. Ambassador
David T. Johnson expressed the concern of the United States about the
worsening crisis in the North Caucasus, particularly "the recent
shocking violence" in Grozny, Chechnya.
Johnson, who heads the U.S. Mission to the OSCE, said Russia's last
war in Chechnya (1994-1996) demonstrated that there cannot be a purely
military solution to the problems in the North Caucasus, and he called
for a vigorous and conscientious effort to engage in a serious
political dialogue.
"All parties must avoid indiscriminate and disproportionate use of
force that would harm innocent civilians," he said. "Russia's progress
toward developing a civil society, including democracy and rule of
law, will be in jeopardy if it continues to permit a backlash against
its citizens because of their ethnicity or religion."
Following is the text of Johnson's statement:
(begin text)
U.S. MISSION TO THE OSCE  
October 28, 1999
STATEMENT ON CHECHNYA DELIVERED BY AMBASSADOR DAVID T. JOHNSON TO THE
OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL, VIENNA
Mr. Chairman, we would like to reiterate our continued concern about
the situation in the North Caucasus, particularly in light of the
recent shocking violence in Grozny and the reports this morning that
it is continuing and even intensifying.
As we noted in yesterday's plenary meeting of the Forum for Security
Cooperation, we are deeply concerned that these reports suggest that
certain norms of military behavior, as set forth in the Code of
Conduct on Politico-military Aspects of Security, have apparently not
been observed. We, like the EU, also call for the Russian Federation
to comply with the Vienna Document 1994 requirements to provide
notification and to provide information on the relationship between
its concentration of forces and Chapter V of the Vienna Document 1994
on Observation of Certain Military Activities.
We believe that the continuing spread of violence in the region will
be contrary to everyone's interests except one group: those who rely
on violence as a means to their political ends, including those who
would be pursuing separatist ends. Russia's last war in Chechnya
demonstrated that there can be no purely military solution to the
problems of the North Caucasus, and there must therefore be a vigorous
and conscientious effort to engage in a serious political dialogue.
All parties must avoid indiscriminate and disproportionate use of
force that would harm innocent civilians. There is no sustainable
argument that the innocent women and children of Chechnya are bandits
or terrorists.
Mr. Chairman, Russia's progress toward developing a civil society,
including democracy and rule of law, will be in jeopardy if it
continues to permit a backlash against its citizens because of their
ethnicity or religion. Finally, in defending its own territory, Russia
should take special care to respect the independence and security
concerns of neighboring states, especially those of Georgia and
Azerbaijan.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State)



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