DATE=12/10/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA / CHECHNYA (L)
NUMBER=2-257028
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Russian forces continue to bombard the Chechen
capital, Grozny, one day before a military deadline
for residents of the city to leave or face even more
massive attacks. But V-O-A's Eve Conant in Moscow
reports that in one of Russia's first overtures to
Chechnya's leaders, a top official says he is willing
to meet with Chechnya's president to discuss
evacuating civilians.
TEXT: In a sign that Moscow may be backing away from
its ultimatum for residents in Grozny to leave by
Saturday or possibly face death, Emergency Situations
Minister Sergey Shoigu says there is no strict
deadline for civilians to leave the battered capital.
/// SHOIGU ACT ONE - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER ///
He says that "December 11th is not a final deadline.
We should not pay so much attention to it," he says.
"In fact, there are very few people left in Grozny."
Mr. Shoigu promised Russian forces would stop their
military barrage to allow civilians to flee, but gave
no details. He said he would talk with Chechnya's
leadership to facilitate the evacuation. He stressed
that any talks would not involve political
negotiations and would only focus on the evacuation
process.
Implying that the Chechen leadership is blocking
residents from leaving, Mr. Shoigu called on President
Aslan Maskhadov to allow people to leave Grozny.
/// SHOIGU ACT TWO -IN RUSSSIAN - FADE UNDER ///
"Mr. Shogu says if the Chechan president was a man, he
would let these people leave. He says Russia is ready
to accept them. "We have buses and cars at several
corridors waiting for them."
But civilians trapped in the city have said they are
afraid to move not because their own people are
stopping them, but because of massive airstrikes and
reports of Russian soldiers firing at refugees as they
flee. Many civilians still in Grozny are also old and
sick, making any travel difficult.
/// OPT /// Also Friday, the Russian military said
Chechen militants exploded canisters of toxic agents
in a village on the outskirts of Grozny.
/// OPT // BARANOV ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER ///
/// OPT /// General Alexander Baranov says he
believes the canisters contained chlorine and ammonia
and the blast resulted in a cloud of fumes.
/// OPT /// There is no way to verify the claim
and the Russian military has a near-monopoly on
information coming from Chechnya. Each side has
accused the other of preparing chemical or toxic
agents for use in the conflict. /// END OPT ///
Meanwhile, the Kremlin is showing no signs of halting
military activity despite widespread international
criticism.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin has received firm
support for the offensive from China, but the European
Union and other international organizations have
discussed applying economic pressure on Russia to
express their condemnation of the campaign. (Signed)
NEB/EC/JWH/KL
10-Dec-1999 09:40 AM EDT (10-Dec-1999 1440 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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