October 1, 1999
RUSSIA: 'WAR CLOUDS OVER CHECHNYA'
The escalating crisis in Chechnya, where Russia has pursued a week-long bombing campaign and positioned ground troops in its fight against Islamic militants, raised widespread concern in the foreign media. Nearly all feared that Moscow risks "sliding into a second Chechen war," having failed to learn the "lesson" that "government bombs don't stop terrorist bombs." Russian commentary aside, many emphasized that "the Caucasus will not come to peace with a bombing campaign like NATO's against Serbia" and that "a political solution"--perhaps negotiating with the republic for its independence--is the only way to resolve the issue of "Russia's 'Vietnam.'" A number of opinionmakers dwelled on the West's reaction to "Chechnya, Part Two," scolding its leaders for their "helplessness" and "silence." Among Moscow papers, there was a general consensus that the country is "facing a real threat" from terrorism, but opinion diverged on whether launching a new war in Chechnya was the best way to deal with entrenched Islamic militants. Several, most notably in the neo-Communist and nationalist/opposition press, favored a strong government response--including air strikes, but many of these also doubted that the Kremlin was capable of formulating a winning strategy. Others, mainly in the reformist press, argued that "use of force is not the answer" and called for a "political dialogue" over the future of Chechnya. A few papers even charged that the government appears more intent on "punishing rebels than fighting terrorists," and worried that a "new massacre"--one called it a "genocide against the Chechens"--is in the offing. Overall, there was no enthusiasm for a ground war. Meanwhile, a spate of Russian editorials leveled criticism at recent U.S. congressional hearings on alleged Russian corruption, dismissing them as politically motivated. Additional highlights follow:
'A CARBON COPY OF NATO'S ACTION'?: Several European writers debated whether parallels can be drawn between Russia's intervention in Chechnya and NATO's in Kosovo. A Brussels's analyst rejected the comparison, claiming that "NATO's action had a humanitarian goal...Russia could care less about the humanitarian aspect." It concluded, "One can...compare Chechnya to Kosovo. But with Moscow in Milosevic's role, not NATO's." Moscow's reformist Vremya-MN also dismissed the comparison, adding, "What we, in effect, are trying to do now is combine NATO's methods with Milosevic's philosophy."
'WAR AS DOMESTIC POLICY': Several analysts perceived "political and other motives" behind the Kremlin's "risky venture." In their view, the "war" was undertaken by a Kremlin not really interested in "bringing the problem itself under control," but, rather, in exacting "revenge" for several terrorist bombings in Russian cities, "distracting" domestic and world attention away from the "corruption and embezzlement scandals" plaguing the country, and hopefully "impressing" voters in the lead-up to forthcoming elections.
U.S. CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS: U.S. congressional hearings on alleged Russian corruption garnered attention from the Moscow press, which portrayed them as politically motivated--i.e., part of a Republican strategy to "fight tooth and nail to regain the White House"--and worried that "Russia's prestige" was falling victim to Washington's partisan politics. EDITORS: Katherine L. Starr and Diana McCaffrey
EDITORS' NOTE: This survey is based on 73 reports from 26 countries, September 17 - October 1. Editorial excerpts are grouped by region; editorials from each country are listed from the most recent date.
EUROPE
RUSSIA: "Enough Is Enough"
Gayaz Alimov wrote on page one of reformist Izvestiya (10/1): "Russia is good at fighting and winning big wars, but it does not know how to cope with terrorism. We have worn down political and ideological terrorism, but feel lost and completely helpless in the face of fanatics and bandits.... Every country wants to protect its citizens. There can be no truce in this war. Russia must learn to fight. So far, we haven't had the heart to say, Enough is enough. We should say that now."
"NATO's Methods; Milosevic's Philosophy"
Human rights activist Sergei Kovalyov said in reformist Vremya-MN (10/1): "Most likely, the Chechens are responsible for blowing up apartment buildings in Russian cities recently. But this is only a guess. If so, aren't our air raids a strike against a rebel territory which insists on sovereignty over our will? This looks more like punishing the rebels than fighting terrorists. We refer to NATO, which we criticized so much when it bombed Serbia. But that was not an anti-terrorist operation. NATO was fighting against the Serbian army, which was responsible for genocide and ethnic cleansing. What we, in effect, are trying to do now is combine NATO's methods with Milosevic's philosophy. That is very dangerous."
"Use Of Force Is Not An Answer"
Duma Deputy Aleksei Arbatov weighed in on page one of reformist weekly Obshchaya Gazeta (10/1): "There is nothing wrong with this nation rallying in the face of a real threat. But our authorities, political and military, seem to take the public consensus as the go-ahead to do anything they want in Chechnya. Threatening an invasion and carrying out air raids are okay. But in the final analysis, this problem only has a political solution. We should let the Chechens look after themselves, if we want them to be a 'healthy' society and...responsible leaders. A blockade and pinpoint strikes might help. A ground war will not."
"Not An Internal Affair"
Dmitry Kosyrev contended on page one of centrist Nezavisimaya Gazeta (10/1): "What is going on in Chechnya and Dagestan is far from an internal affair, as it may seem in Russia. Kosovo and East Timor clearly show how the international community, whatever that means, judges--more often than not misjudges--operations like the one in the North Caucasus. In this particular case, however, the Americans and Europeans...are on our side."
"Morale Is High"
Nationalist, opposition weekly Zavtra (# 39, 10/1) printed this by Aleksandr Borodai and Igor Strelkov: "The Russian troops' morale is higher than ever before, and the overwhelming majority of soldiers are not just ready but eager to fight to avenge their fallen comrades and country. To many, this war is a stimulus to realizing that they are part of this nation and that Russians have a historic mission in the world."
"Is There Still Time To Avert A Massacre?"
Victor Baranets said in reformist, youth-oriented Komsomolskaya Pravda (9/30): "As it looks to settle the conflict in Chechnya, Moscow still needs a formula to combine political and military methods. The Kremlin and government, it seems, have again entrusted the problem to the army so as to have someone to play the fall guy, should things go awry. The military, as if it smells a rat, says that with a stupid policy, tanks precede diplomats. There is still time to avert a new massacre in the Caucasus. [But] the say is with the Kremlin, not the army's general staff."
"Pinpoint Strikes May Not Be So Pinpoint"
Natalia Gorodetskaya argued in reformist Vremya-MN (9/30): "Moscow clearly doesn't want the international community to know the true scale of the effects its less than pinpoint air strikes have had on the peaceful population."
"The West Worries"
Yuri Chubchenko judged on page-one of reformist, business-oriented Kommersant Daily (9/30): "It appears that Chechnya has ceased to be Russia's internal affair. The West, concerned over destabilization of the entire region, has offered its services to set up a political dialogue. Europe is most worried that there is a growing campaign in Russia against ethnic Caucasians, going on with tacit approval from federal authorities. The Russians have nothing to say to that--Yuri Luzhkov insists that while his actions may not be in keeping with the constitution, they are right. The Kremlin refers to the U.S.' missile strikes against Bin Laden's bases in Afghanistan in August 1998, forgetting that those bases were located far from populated areas. Its other argument, that NATO's attacks against Yugoslavia caused casualties among civilians, holds no water either. Prior to bombing, the international community spent more than half a year trying to get Milosevic to sit down at the negotiating table. As pressure grows, Moscow can't really ignore the West's exhortations to start a political dialogue."
"Most Russians Support War Preparations"
Viktor Linnik, editor-in-chief of neo-communist Pravda (9/29-30), asserted on page one: "Today, after the vilest of terrorist acts in Russian cities, most Russians understand and sympathize with the government as it is preparing for war against Chechnya. Anyone brave enough to assume responsibility and wipe bandits off the face of the earth will become a national hero. Obviously, Prime Minister Putin...is a number one candidate to that distinction."
"Do We Need To Occupy Chechnya?"
Viktor Baranets stressed in reformist, youth-oriented Komsomolskaya Pravda (9/29): "Preparations for a new 'march on Grozny' (of course unless this is a bluff) cause millions of Russians to ask, Do we need to occupy Chechnya to do away with terrorists? Drawing on NATO's Yugoslavia war experience, why can't we use its methods to make the Chechens accept our terms? Do we have to do as we did in 1994 when we sent soldiers to die first and repented later? Russian politicians and generals still have time to think everything over to avoid following 'traditions.'"
"West On Our Side"
Maksim Yusin opined in reformist Izvestiya (9/29): "Russian diplomacy may take a breath-- the West is on our side. According to Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Exworthy, the world is ready to accept the Moscow side of the story. The West has more than once demonstrated a superdelicate approach to the Kremlin's actions in the North Caucasus.
"But that does not mean it has given the Kremlin a carte blanche and will applaud anything it does there."
"Idee Fixe"
Yevgeny Krutikov said on page one of reformist Izvestiya (9/28): "Neither the army's General Staff nor its opponents have offered a solution to political problems in the North Caucasus. Saddest of all, they refuse even to think about it. War preparations have become a sort of idee fixe overshadowing the problem itself."
"Army Bombs Own Territory"
Valery Tishkov of an ethnology and anthropology institute pointed out in reformist weekly Moskovskiye Novosti (9/28): "The Russian army is bombing its own territory inhabited by its fellow countrymen as well as by its enemy, armed terrorists, including foreign bandits. NATO pilots who bombed Yugoslavia did not have to live with Serbs and Albanians."
"Even NATO Had A Plan For A Political Settlement"
Vasily Safronchuk noted in nationalist, opposition Sovetskaya Rossiya (9/28): "Unfortunately, the Russian government is hooked on a military solution to the Chechnya problem, completely ignoring the political aspect. Even NATO secured a plan of a political settlement and a corresponding Security Council resolution before launching a military operation against Yugoslavia."
"Russian Images Reminiscent Of NATO"
Yevgeny Antonov and Yekaterina Labetskaya emphasized in reformist Vremya-MN (9/27): "The TV images of General Kornukov (the commander-in-chief of Russia's Air Force) guiding a pointer along a map of Chechnya, as seen from outer space, and commenting on the video of a pinpoint (air) strike were painfully reminiscent of the pictures of NATO's Commander-in-Chief Wesley Clark."
"You Don't Plan War This Way"
Andrei Piontkovsky charged on page one of reformist weekly Novaya Gazeta (9/27): "You don't plan a war this way. It looks like planning a massacre to hide the previous crimes of this regime. There is no point in urging morality in a totally immoral society. As it is going to commit a crime, genocide against the Chechens, the outgoing regime seeks to implicate the Russian people, turning this nation into its accomplice and hostage. We need to stop before it is too late."
"Carbon Copy Of NATO's Action"
Yevgeny Krutikov remarked in reformist Izvestiya (9/25): "The tactics the Russian military is using (in Chechnya) are almost a carbon copy of NATO's methods which proved a success in Yugoslavia. They are much easier to use in Chechnya, the scale of the operation a great deal smaller and organized air defense non-existent. The chief concern is that there be no more explosions in apartment buildings elsewhere in Russia at this preliminary stage of the air war."
"Russia's Prestige"
Reformist Noviye Izvestiya (9/24) front-paged these remarks by Yuri Sigov in Washington: "The just-ended unprecedented 'Russian corruption hearings' are more proof that America and many other countries in the West do not care a hoot about Russia's prestige.
"That the hearings took place at all is extraordinary to any Russian. Secretary Summers was the only one to try somehow to defend Russia."
"Cui Bono?"
Aleksandr Fomenko queried in centrist Nezavisimaya Gazeta (9/24): "Who profits by this scandal? Various outside forces do.... They include hysterics on the Clinton and Blair teams angry at Russia unexpectedly intervening in the Balkans, and pragmatic Republicans fighting tooth and nail to regain the White House."
"National Security Vs. A 'Black Hole'"
Nationalist, opposition weekly Zavtra (# 38, 9/24) front-paged this comment by its editor-in-chief, Aleksandr Prokhanov, and the editor-in-chief of national, opposition Sovetskaya Rossiya (9/24), Valentin Chikin: "With terrorist explosions resounding across the nation and a bloody war raging in Dagestan, Kremlin propagandists call upon the people to rally to the government. Rally they will but not before the government rallies round the idea of national security, putting it ahead of the interests of the 'family,' credit cards, and money transfers to the Bank of New York. You can't rally round a 'black hole' which saps Russia's strength, money, resources, will, consciousness and honor. You can't rally to traitors who, sitting in the Kremlin, have reared the bloody terrorist beast."
"Total Lack Of Evidence"
Referring to the House Banking Committee hearings, Viktor Ivanov commented on page one of reformist, business-oriented Kommersant Daily (9/23): "As the first result of the hearings, it has been suggested that the United States change its banking legislation to deny Russians a right to the privacy of investment, which will make them third-rate clients. As expected, the hearings have produced no evidence that Russian money in U.S. banks is of criminal origin and associated with illicit drug-trafficking, kidnapping, bribery, and the misuse of IMF funds."
"Hammer Swung Over Democrats, Clinton"
Melor Sturua noted in reformist, youth-oriented Moskovskii Komsomolets (9/23): "The congressmen demand that the American shores, formerly threatened by the 'Marxist ideology,' now be shut down against foreign corruption. Nothing can stop the Republicans. It is not Russian kleptocrats and Yeltsin, but the U.S. Democrats and Clinton they are after."
"Serious Moral Damage"
Yevgeny Popov stressed in nationalist, opposition Sovetskaya Rossiya (9/23): "Without a doubt, Russiagate or, speaking more precisely, Kremlingate--the latest in the U.S. media coinage--has damaged Russia seriously.... The hearings, far from clearing Russian top officials, have accentuated the charges."
"Hit Of The Season"
Official government Rossiyskaya Gazeta contended (9/22): "Pursuing their political interests, the U.S. Republicans, it seems, are out to make the Russian theme the hit of the season.... It is an open secret that the scandal is linked to the coming presidential elections in the United States."
"Can Russia Stay Democratic?"
Igor Rotar mused in centrist Nezavisimaya Gazeta (9/22): "The Kremlin has long since lost control of several republics in the North Caucasus. It is doubtful that it can quickly check the export of an 'Islamic revolution.' It takes a long bloody war to defeat the Islamists. A new war would not leave a stone unturned in Chechnya. To avert terrorist acts and cut Chechnya off from outside aid, Moscow would have to declare a de facto state of emergency. Doing that and staying democratic, if in name only, is impossible."
"Don't List Russia As A 'Money-Laundress'"
Sergei Dukhanov cautioned on page one of official government Rossiyskaya Gazeta (9/21): "Don't hurry to list Russia as a 'money-laundress.' There is still no evidence to prove that."
"Bias"
Nikolai Zimin filed from Washington for reformist Segodnya (9/21): "The very name of the U.S. Congressional hearing--'Russian corruption and allegations of money-laundering'-- observers note, betrays its organizers' bias. No formal charges have been made against anyone. It is weird, the way the notion of the presumption of innocence is being handled so casually, not to mention the lack of American political correctness. The hearing can hardly have a salubrious effect on Russian public opinion."
"Who Wants The Truth About Corruption?"
Centrist Nezavisimaya Gazeta (9/21) ran this remark by Dmitry Gornostayev in New York: "It is as if someone wants not so much to get at the truth about corruption in Russia, as to keep up interest in this topic and constantly remind the public that Russia is steeped in crime. It works."
"It May End Up In Nothing"
Vadim Arsenyev contended on page one of reformist Kommersant Daily (9/21): "The hearing is politics and serves to prove that the White House's Russia policy is ineffective. In fact, it may end up in nothing, since neither the special services nor the media have been able to provide facts about Russia using American banks to launder money."
BRITAIN: "Russia's Chechen Folly"
The independent weekly Economist told readers (10/1): "Bombs in Moscow, trouble in Dagestan, so starts another war against breakaway Chechnya: this logic is madness. Russia should have learnt from its first war against the Chechens that force will not bring peace to its southern rim. Indeed, it may well encourage the spread of the very Islamic militancy it aims to defeat.... Still, Russia can hardly be blamed for wanting to punish those who planted the bombs that have killed about 300 civilians in the past month, most of them in Moscow.... All the same, Russia has consistently gone about tackling southern discontent in the wrong way.... Events would have turned out much more happily for Russia had it supported the fledgling republic's beleaguered leader, Aslan Maskhadov, against the Islamic zealots tormenting him. Admittedly, that would have probably involved conceding that, after a referendum, Chechnya should be allowed to secede.... Now, however, it is probably too late for Russia and Chechnya to sort things out themselves."
"War Clouds Over Chechnya"
The conservative Times ran this editorial (9/30): "The Kremlin mood is bleakly determined. No settlement has followed the truce that ended the disastrous 1994-96 war.
"Most of the blame lies with hardline Chechen Islamists, who have prevented President Maskhadov from reaching any political accommodation with Moscow.... In contrast to 1994, there is general support now in Russia for military action. The world is urging caution on the Kremlin. The West, with enough dilemmas already on intervention, is anxious to avoid a fresh humanitarian crisis. The impoverished Russian military has little money or patience for a drawn-out struggle. Mr. Putin, mindful of past humiliations, may still be forced to act. The long war looks set to resume."
"Russia's Running Sore"
The independent Financial Times emphasized (9/29): "The unimaginable is once more being discussed...a new war in the northern Caucasus.... Moscow has repeatedly refused to acknowledge Chechnya's independence, or even to hold senior-level discussions with its democratically-elected government. By turning away, as well as by bombarding its citizens afresh, the Russian authorities have succeeded in undermining what limited efforts at state-building and stability were taking place.... In addition, by labeling all the rebels as Islamic or Wahhabi, Moscow is alienating a broad segment of the Russian population, in the form of its 19 million or more Muslims. In doing so, it fundamentally misunderstands a conflict in which Islam is often little more than a convenient cover for political or other motives."
"The Disaster That Is The Caucasus"
The centrist Independent had this lead editorial (9/28): "There are many occasions when the politics of the Kremlin give cause for despair. None more so than when it comes to its policies, or lack of them, on the Caucasus region.... The bombings carried out by Islamic radicals in Moscow and other Russian cities in recent months have been horrific. However, the Russian reaction has smacked more of mindless revenge than of bringing the problem itself under control.... In the short term, this grandstanding may impress Russian voters in the lead-up to the forthcoming elections. But it will not improve the security of ordinary Russians. Each bomb dropped on Chechnya...increases the chances that a lunatic will detonate another bomb in Moscow. It is time that Russia learnt this obvious lesson. Government bombs don't stop terrorist bombs; they encourage them."
"Reconsidering Russia"
The independent Financial Times opined (9/22): "The recent spate of allegations concerning Russian money-laundering has raised questions about Western policy towards Moscow.... Russia, so it is said, has shown itself to be beyond the pale. Such conclusions may be tempting, but they are wrong. As U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers argued yesterday on Capitol Hill, the West abandons Russia at its peril. Aid for Russia is not charity: It is the pursuit of vital U.S. and international community interests. The West should make clear that its goals are political more than economic. They are primarily to try to stabilize Russia's military and keep its nuclear weapons under unified control."
FRANCE: "The West Keeps A Low Profile"
Isabelle Lasserre opined in right-of-center Le Figaro (10/1): "The West is adopting a surprisingly low profile about Russia's air strikes on Chechnya.... During the first war, the West closed its eyes to the tragedy, because Yeltsin stood as a guarantee to reforms and democracy.... Today, while the West has lost every illusion about Yeltsin, other reasons explain its silence.... Western governments, which consider Chechnya an internal Russian issue, are backing Moscow in its fight against Islamic guerrilla terrorists.... The White House appears to take seriously the Russian allegations regarding Bin Laden's support of Muslim rebels in the Caucasus.... Also, it is rumored that the West would like to avoid a parallel being made between the Russian intervention in Chechnya and NATO's in Kosovo....
"But sooner or later, the West will have to wonder about the real reasons behind the Kremlin's role in Chechnya, which is not simply to fight Muslim fundamentalism." Lasserre added that while "comparisons with NATO's intervention in Kosovo are feared by the West...Russia is exploiting the parallel to the hilt."
"War As Domestic Policy"
Dominique Bromberger told listeners of government-run France Inter radio (10/1): "This time around, the war in Chechnya is playing a major domestic role. Yeltsin's popularity is at its lowest...and Vladimir Putin, his probable successor needs some recognition.... To succeed where others have failed would be a major achievement.... The point is to drag out the situation, at least until December, even if after that date Russia must accept the secession of southern Chechnya.... But such a diversion could backfire against the regime if the war continued for too long. War is often an extension of domestic policy through other means."
"An Explosive Situation"
Jacques Amalric predicted in left-of-center Liberation (9/29): "Everything is in place for a new tragedy like the Chechnya massacre in 1994-1996. The Russian regime, which is today even more inconsequential than it was then, continues to consider the Caucasus crisis not as a problem that needs to be solved, but as a diversion that can be exploited.... The Russian population's reservations have been vanquished: Today, everyone feels threatened by terrorism...and the majority of the Russian people are in favor of bombing Chechnya.... With its new form of air strikes, Moscow hopes to benefit from the West's indulgence about Russia's policy in the Caucasus.... It is a policy which is...condemned to failure and that will only lead to increased tension in a region."
"International Aid And Reasons Of State"
Babette Stern argued in left-of-center Le Monde (9/24): "Madeleine Albright has firmly warned Boris Yeltsin that unless be decides to fight corruption, the United States will not support additional financial assistance.... Larry Summers previously sent the same message.... The West's indignation (over Russia's corruption) is surprising.... The West, and the United States in particular, were well aware of the advanced state of corruption of the Russian system.... In fact, much of the motivation was simply not financial.... Helping Russia on the road to democracy was one of the motivations: It was a reason of state."
GERMANY: "Ground War"
Karl Grobe argued in left-of-center Frankfurter Rundschau (10/1): "It is not clear what kind of strategy the Russian hawks' are pursuing. One thing is clear: They are punishing the Chechen people with air strikes for terrorist attacks, which were possibly committed by Chechen ultra-nationalists. The Russians are establishing themselves on Chechen territory...[and] forcing Chechen politicians who are willing to negotiate...to enter into an armed struggle. They are risking an extension of the war.... A conflagration and scorched earth as the result of a bomb war...would be a political disaster, even though it may correspond to the mood in Russia."
"A Scorched Earth Policy"
Christoph von Marschall observed in centrist Der Tagesspiegel of Berlin (9/30): "In Chechnya, Russia is trying to prove that...it [is] able to do what NATO achieved...in Kosovo: force a militarily inferior opponent to politically capitulate under the influence of air strikes. But this parallel quickly comes to an end. The Russian forces do not make any distinction between civilian and military targets. Whole cities and villages are systematically destroyed....
"With a policy of scorched earth, Moscow is driving an increasing number of Caucasians into the arms of the rebels.... What will remain is what Moscow tried to fight: a breeding ground for fundamentalism and terrorism."
"War--And No Outcry"
Moscow correspondent Thomas Avenarius filed the following editorial for Munich's centrist Sueddeutsche Zeitung (9/29): "According to the pattern of NATO's warfare in Kosovo, Russia wants to defeat the enemy from the 'air.' However, the question is whether the bombs and missiles will really hit Bassayev's fighters.... The war against the 'terrorists' and 'bandits' is being waged at the expense of the civilian population.... Thus far, we have heard little from the warriors in the name of 'humanity' (Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Gerhard Schroeder.)... However, in the case of Russia, external military pressure will have no effect. But one should now try to enter into talks with Russia about a solution to the Chechen conflict.... In Russia, many politicians consider tough action against the unpopular Chechens a boost for themselves [prior to] elections. This is one more reason to exert well-dosed economic and political pressure on Moscow as quickly as possible."
"Moscow About To Reach Its Goal"
Berlin's left-of-center Die Tageszeitung held (9/28): "Moscow is trying its best to make the word believe that it is fighting terrorists in Chechnya, but it is clear that Russia is only implementing a well-prepared plan which is to distract attention from the corruption and embezzlement scandals of the Kremlin and which should finally force the Caucasian republic to its knees.... In Kosovo, Russia obviously learned from the United States that an air war is expensive but not dangerous."
"Bombs And Ground Forces"
Moscow correspondent Thomas Avenarius filed this editorial for centrist Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Munich (9/27): "Although almost all politicians in Moscow condemned NATO's air strikes against Serbia as a 'cowardly aggression,' Russian bombs are dropped on Grozny according to this pattern.... In Moscow, the leadership has obviously come to the conclusion that to learn from NATO how to bomb means to learn how to win.... The bombs which the Russian pilots drop on Chechnya have thus far mainly hit civilians.... But this is not what the officials in the Russian government and general staff are aiming for. Premier Putin was strikingly open when he said that, if the terrorists hid on toilets, they would even raze these toilets.... In view of this determination, we can conclude that...a Russian attack with ground forces against Chechnya is likely."
"And The West Looks Away"
Manfred Quiring had this to say in an editorial in right-of-center Die Welt of Berlin (9/27): "Nobody would deny Russia the right to attack terrorists, but the general condemnation of a whole people and the current frontal attack, which is 'only' waged from the air, cannot be justified...even if Russia presented clear evidence of the participation of Chechen groups in the terrorist attacks.... The Russian leadership reveals a shocking inability to learn from past experience.... The reactions in the West...are embarrassing and disappointing. The governments are trying to ignore the events. Again, they are being selective in promulgating the view that there are no 'internal affairs' when the issue is human rights."
"Deja Vu"
In Munich's centrist Sueddeutsche Zeitung (9/24), Thomas Avenarius commented: "A country can make the same stupid mistake twice....
"The Kremlin ordered the bombing of the airport Grozny and thus may have crossed the line...to a second open Caucasian war. The infiltration of Chechen fundamentalists into the neighboring republic Dagestan was not open war...[but] a fight...against infiltrating terrorists.... But with every bomb on the airport in Grozny, with every dead civilian and with every threat against the freely elected president...the Chechens will rally closer together. It is correct that Moscow cannot tolerate the rebel attacks.... But the Caucasus will not come to peace with a bombing campaign like NATO's against Serbia. Moscow will only succeed in getting those who suffer from the bombing into an alliance with the rebels."
ITALY: "Russia's Risky Venture In Chechnya"
Luciano Gulli filed from Moscow for leading, conservative opposition Il Giornale (9/28): "Russian strategists suggest that it is better not to run risks and to let the Air Force 'top guns' do the work, following the U.S. teacher.... The Kremlin does not understand that before world public opinion the lines of women, old people and children escaping toward the borders...are unbearably similar to those Kosovar-Albanians.... It might be a bluff...but the gamble begun by the generals in Moscow, which Putin himself has joined, is very risky."
"Russian Strategy Carbon Copy Of NATO Balkan Operation"
Vladimir Sapozhnikov wrote from Moscow in leading, business Il Sole 24-Ore (9/24): "Instead of Kosovo there is Chechnya, instead of Pristina there is Grozny. For the rest, the strategy adopted by the Russian military towards the rebel republic in the Caucasus is a carbon copy of the NATO operation...in the Balkans."
"Russian Scandals And The West's Responsibilities"
Former managing editor Piero Ostellino commented on the front-page of centrist, top-circulation Corriere della Sera (9/23): "So far, the West...has limited itself in wondering if it was right in supporting Yeltsin...and replying that it did the right thing because there were no other alternatives.... The bitter truth is that after the fall of the Berlin Wall...too many people in the West confused the stock market with the state of law, and the rule of law and capitalism with the free market. And now there is no market, no capitalism, no civil society and no state in Russia.... The purely economic-oriented interpretation of the crisis of communism...induced us to ignore that the first thing to do in Russia was to help in the creation of the legal system, which would have then favored the establishment of a state of law."
BELGIUM: "Chechnya Is Not Kosovo"
Pol Mathil asserted in independent Le Soir (10/1): "Boris Yeltsin threatened WWIII. Primakov cancelled his U.S. trip...[and] the Kremlin froze its relations with the West. And what was the reason for this burst of anger? Kosovo.... Today, Russia should apologize. Moscow has clearly come to the conclusion that an operation of the 'Kosovo 1999 model' is a perfectly legitimate manner to solve conflicts. Like NATO's aircraft in Kosovo, the Russian aircraft are destroying Chechnya based on the principle that it is possible to wage war without risking its own troops' lives.... But after the comparisons come the differences.... NATO attacked a foreign territory and has made casualties among foreign citizens, whereas Russia is bombing...its own territory and killing its own citizens. NATO's planes did their utmost to avoid 'collateral damage.'... The Russians do not have such a technology and, besides, they could not care less.... NATO had an interlocutor: Milosevic, who could at any time yield, which he finally did. In Chechnya, no one is in charge.... Lastly, NATO's action had a humanitarian goal: stopping ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.... In Chechnya, Russia could not care less about the humanitarian aspect. It is merely guided by a very precise strategic objective, that of imposing at any cost in the Caucasus the 'Russian order' which would give it free access to the wealth and geopolitical advantages of the Caspian Sea.
"One can, of course, compare Chechnya to Kosovo. But with Moscow in Milosevic's role, not NATO's."
"Applying The 'Kosovo Option'"
Pol Mathil asserted in independent Le Soir (9/25): "The Russian military seem to be applying the 'Kosovo option,' using NATO's strategy against Yugoslavia: The pilots must destroy all the enemy infrastructure without the need for ground troops.... Politicians--many of them are more or less implicated in the financial scandals--can breathe: the 'affairs' are forgotten. In light of the 'sacred patriotic mission,' critics are silenced.... Western experts and public opinion are ready to accept the Russian thesis according to which the terrorists are based in Chechnya.... Because, of course, Western strategists are thinking further than Grozny.... Maybe the West thinks that, after all, it would not be a bad idea if the Russians, by 'a limited local war' managed to restore some order in this very sensitive area, close to the Caspian Sea and to its much coveted resources. For big investors, there is nothing worse than political instability."
CZECH REPUBLIC: "The End Doesn't Always Justify The Means"
A commentary in leftist Pravo asserted (9/30): "NATO...was warned prior to launching air strikes against Yugoslavia that this move could be misused in the future by other states for their own ends. As Russia's operations in the Caucasus demonstrate, this warning was substantiated.... Regular press briefings 'NATO style' where Russian military spokesmen proudly identify successful hits of hostile targets seem to ridicule NATO, as if Moscow said: 'What do you want? We have been doing exactly what you did in Yugoslavia.'... Moscow says it is waging a 'just war' like the Alliance in Kosovo."
DENMARK: "Russia Moving Further Into The Abyss"
Center-right Berlingske Tidende commented (9/28): "By intensifying action in Chechnya, Russia is moving further and further into the abyss.... Terrorists cannot be beaten by bombing Chechnya's infrastructure. Seen from the Russian point of view, one of the advantages of the campaign is that it has shown the Russian people that the government is willing to act decisively in order to protect them. However, any sense of security that this may give is false, since Russia cannot guard itself against acts of terrorism in this way. It is in the process of repeating the mistakes made in Chechnya and earlier in Afghanistan."
HUNGARY: "War In The Caucasus"
Leading Nepszabadsag carried this editorial by senior foreign affairs writer Endre Aczel (9/27): "The second Russia-Chechnya war has broken out, with the Russians doing exactly what they were doing in 1994.... Each bomb that falls onto the Chechen capital can only bring all...Chechens into unity against the Russians.... Chechnya's independent status is to be settled before the end of 2000 and the Russian presidential elections are next summer. Is there a connection?"
KAZAKHSTAN: "Russia Is In A Chechen Trap"
Independent weekly Novoye Pokoleniye asserted (9/24): "Russia has lost forever the political opportunity to create a partnership with Chechnya.... The last terrorist acts in Russia...are the beginning of a big bloody performance, the finale of which might be the creation of a radical Islamic zone from the Caspian to the Black Sea."
LITHUANIA: "Russia Destabilized"
Independent, top-circulation Lietuvos Rytas ran this editorial (9/17): "Political analysts do not reject the scenario of a turn to dictatorship.... The conflicts in the northern Caucasus, which are spreading like an epidemic, complicate Russia's economic life and diminish the possibilities of overcoming...the economic and financial crisis."
THE NETHERLANDS: "Operation Whirlwind"
Conservative De Telegraaf remarked (9/23): "The police in Moscow has been involved in an 'ethnic cleansing' of the Russian capital. The idea behind 'Operation Whirlwind' is to arrest suspects of the recent bombings. In practice, anyone with darker features can be picked up and deported."
POLAND: "Kosovo The Other Way Around"
Leopold Unger maintained in liberal Gazeta Wyborcza (10/1): "Boris Yeltsin had threatened [the West] with the outbreak of World War III, Prime Minister Primakov had cancelled his flight to the United States...and the Kremlin had frozen its relations with the West. Whence that angry reaction? Because of Kosovo. This is, in short, how Russia responded to NATO's air operation. Now Russia should apologize. Moscow has apparently recognized that the 'Kosovo 1999 pattern' is a justified manner of settling disputes, since this is the model that Moscow has been implementing in Chechnya."
"Evil Transferred To Grozny"
Leopold Unger observed in liberal Gazeta Wyborcza (9/24): "This war...will be good all around...provided that Russia doesn't lose again.... All the segments of the [state] apparatus, which are more or less plunged in financial scandals, will sigh with relief because they hope that during war not only the muses but also prosecutors will grow silent.... Second, the world community is practically convinced that the new face of terror is of Chechen provenance.... Third, [outside] strategists are of the view that it would not be bad if the Russians manage--at the cost of a very local war which does not pose a threat to the world--to restore some order in the area which is the stage for a 'great game'--this time for Caspian oil."
SLOVENIA: "Russia's Air Strikes Pass Bounds Of Legitimacy"
Left-of-center, independent Dnevnik opined (9/28): "Political problems cannot be resolved with violence and military attacks. Russia's air strikes have passed the bounds of legitimate police activity against terrorists and their alleged bases."
"Dirty Double Standards"
Left-of-center Delo (9/27) stated in a front page editorial: "Russian genocidal policy in the northern Caucasus...does not differ at all from the Serbian slaughter in the Balkans. But while Washington--and the West--eventually realized what was hidden behind Milosevic's policy, it has been closing its eyes to pogroms in the Caucasus, and cautiously stating that Chechnya is Russia's domestic issue in which one should not intervene. Is there a difference between the genocide in Kosovo and the one in Chechnya?... [This demonstrates] a dirty policy of double standards."
SPAIN: "Escalation In Chechnya"
Liberal El Pais commented (9/29): "Yeltsin's aircraft attack bridges, refineries, and electrical supply plants copying NATO's military strategies in Serbia, which were once strongly criticized by Moscow. And the aircraft kill tens of hundreds of civilians that have little or nothing to do with the targets declared by Moscow. It looks like, in reality, bombs are seeking to demolish the more than fragile balance of Chechnya.... If Islamic terrorism is always a guaranteed successful scapegoat in Russia, it is especially so in such critical moments, when Yeltsin's regime...faces both legislative and presidential elections in only a few months.... The EU yesterday broke thick Western silence in urging the Kremlin to restrain from escalating the war in Chechnya. It is a timely warning."
TURKEY: "Russia On The Eve Of Chaos"
Semih Idiz wrote in the tabloid Star (9/21): "From an outsider's view, the picture of Russia is one of a country on the eve of enormous, dangerous developments [and] social anarchy."
MIDDLE EAST
ISRAEL: "Terrorism In Russia"
The independent Jerusalem Post opined (9/19): "The separatists of Dagestan or Chechnya should not be led to believe that the action of NATO in Kosovo or the UN in East Timor is setting precedents that justify terrorist [separatist] campaigns."
KUWAIT: "Silence On Chechnya"
Mohammed al-Shibani wrote in independent Al-Qabas (9/29): "It is America's will to end the Chechen and Dagestani uprising, because, as Muslim nations, it fears Islam may spread to other republics. Why is everyone silent despite the massacres and the continuous Russian pounding of the civilian Chechen population? Where is the UN and the various human rights organizations? Is it because these nations are Muslim, and because America calls for this war?"
EAST ASIA
JAPAN: "Second Chechen Conflict Feared"
Conservative Sankei's Moscow correspondent Takagi observed (9/29): "The Russian government characterized the air bombing of Grozny as a steadfast showdown with bands of international terrorists. It is said that Islamic militants and other radical elements have been trying to create confusion and political unrest in Moscow and elsewhere in Russia in order to bring an early end to the 'weakening' Yeltsin administration. Yeltsin can hardly ignore such acts of terrorism. Given the present circumstances, the Russian military cannot but continue military operations against Grozny and other places in Chechnya. There are rising fears, however, that the Russian military operation, if prolonged, will most likely trigger a new war."
THAILAND: "Yeltsin Set To Make Another Bad Blunder"
The lead editorial in the independent, English-language Nation held (9/22): "That Russians want to see a tough response to the bombings is understandable. But fury and the desire for revenge inevitably lead to bad policy. And it is unlikely to be any different this time in Russia.... Russia still has the chance to form an orderly framework for dealing with the independent-minded republics it once ruled with an iron hand but which are now breaking free from its grip.
"It is here--in the search for a fair policy and good government for these regions--that Moscow must concentrate its energies. The military path will only lead to more disaster."
VIETNAM: "Unrest In Caucasus: A Profound Scheme By The West?"
The lead editorial of Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon), the mouthpiece of Ho Chi Minh City's Communist Party, commented (9/29): "According to Berlin newspapers published on September 24, the theory that NATO attacked Yugoslavia in order to attack Russia has been proven. By attacking Yugoslavia to support the independence of Kosovo, NATO has ignited and fueled separatist movements for independence in other countries including multi-ethnic Russia.... Stimulating separatist movements and Islamic secessionist movements is a Western tool to carry out its most profound scheme: attacking Russia's position in the world.... A weakened Russia means that the scheme the West has nourished for a very long time, that of setting up a monopolar U.S.-led world, won't be obstructed by Russia."
SOUTH ASIA
INDIA: "Trouble In Chechnya"
An editorial in the nationalist Hindustan Times said (9/29): "Moscow had hardly ever bothered to help the Grozny leadership resolve the host of problems facing the bombed and burnt-out region.... Moscow's myopia on Chechnya had meant that even clear warning signals from the Caucasus rarely reached the Kremlin's corridors, and even if they did, were effectively drowned by the high-decibel political drama unfolding there.... A Russian military assault on Chechnya now seems imminent.... It would, however, be worthwhile for Russia to pause and ponder the real reasons for all this trouble and its own failures in this respect."
SRI LANKA: "Russia Seething In A Political Cauldron"
Stanley Alpage opined in the opposition, English-language weekly Sunday Island (9/26): "Any new [Russian] leader will have to come to terms with the increasingly limited powers of the federal government. Moscow does not matter to many of the leaders of Russia's 89 regions, which have gained increasing de facto autonomy."
WESTERN HEMISPHERE
ARGENTINA: "Russian Bombing Of Chechnya"
Leon Bastidas, on special assignment in Moscow for leading Clarin, wrote (9/28): "Moscow insisted that the targets of its air strikes are camps and facilities used by guerrillas, but the massive nature of the attacks indicates that Russia plans to go beyond blasting extremists and seeks to re-establish Russian constitutional order in the rebel republic."
BRAZIL: "Conflict May Threaten Elections"
A short analysis in liberal Folha de S. Paulo's international section held (9/24): "The worsening of the crisis in the Caucasus feeds rumors in Moscow that the conflict might be used as a political weapon by the Kremlin. The government might use it as an excuse to adjourn the elections, which it has minimal chances of winning. Another hypothesis, that would be advanced by another general war against Chechnya, is the removal of a weakened Yeltsin and the transfer of presidential powers to Vladimir Putin.... The intensification of the attacks against separatists in the Caucasus and the decreeing of the state of emergency, followed by the postponing of elections, might elicit less resistance from the people, since the Russians are frightened with the recent wave of terrorist attacks. But the [political] opposition will surely resist."
CANADA: "The Russian Octopus"
Frederick Wagniere opined in centrist, French-language La Presse (9/23): "In Russia, corruption is not a regular and organized phenomenon but rather an interlocking system.... However, Russia is not only a corrupt state...but also a nuclear power with a UNSC veto. The United States is the first to take these circumstances into account, and encourage the grant of new credits to Russia for fear that the Russian nuclear arsenal would turn against them. For the United States, it is a prudent path which corresponds to its global political objectives."
For more information, please contact:
U.S. Information Agency
Office of Public Liaison
Telephone: (202) 619-4355
10/1/99
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