DATE=3/2/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=RUSSIA / CHECHNYA (L)
NUMBER=2-259772
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov is calling
for immediate negotiations with Moscow on ending the
war in his breakaway republic, but says his forces are
prepared to fight Russian troops indefinitely. Moscow
Correspondent Eve Conant reports Russian forces are
combing Chechnya's southern mountains for remaining
groups of Chechen fighters.
TEXT: Russian Deputy Commander Vadim Timchenko
estimates hundreds of rebels are hiding in caves in
the rugged, mountainous terrain of southern Chechnya.
He says it could be difficult to flush them from their
hiding places, but says that the rebels do not have
enough public support to carry out an extended
guerilla war.
But some Russian politicians, such as liberal
legislator Alexei Arbatov, disagree.
/// ACT ARBATOV IN RUSSIAN IN FULL AND FADE ///
He says - it is inevitable that guerilla war will
continue. The rebels will ambush roads and seize
towns.
In his first public statement in weeks, Chechnya's
President Aslan Maskhadov told the Ekho Moskvi radio
station that rebel fighters are still in control of
the Argun Gorge at the base of Chechnya's mountains.
He said resistance would continue. Russia's military
says rebels only control four villages in the
strategic gorge, which runs through the mountains to
the Georgian border.
The Chechen leader urged Moscow to stop the military
campaign and immediately begin peace talks. Russian
officials rejected the call for talks.
Moscow has branded the Chechen president a criminal.
The Kremlin's spokesman on Chechnya, Sergey
Yastrzhembsky, says the only Russian officials
prepared to talk to Mr. Maskhadov are prosecutors.
/// ACT YASTRZHEMBSKY IN RUSSIAN IN FULL AND FADE
UNDER ///
He says the only talks Moscow will hold will be
regarding a criminal case, which Russian authorities
have opened against the Chechen leader.
Mr. Yastrzhembsky said security officials intercepted
a telephone call between a rebel field commander and
what he described as a Middle East sponsor. He said
forces had overhead information that Chechen rebels
were planning to stage terrorist attacks in Russian
cities, including Moscow, in order to upset coming
presidential elections on March 26th.
/// SECOND ACT YASTRZHEMBSKY IN RUSSIAN IN FULL AND
FADE ///
He says - the rebels need to create conditions that
would make it impossible to formally elect Acting
President Vladimir Putin as head of state. He says -
for this reason they are planning terrorist acts
including a possible sabotage of one of Russia's
nuclear facilities.
In a separate development, Russian authorities have
reluctantly agreed to allow U-N Human Rights envoy
Mary Robinson to visit the North Caucasus. Officials
say the visit is likely some time in April.
The U-N agency and other international groups are
calling for an independent investigation into
allegations of torture and human-rights abuses carried
out by Russian troops against the Chechen population.
But the government has given no indication it would be
willing to allow such a probe. (SIGNED)
NEB/EC/GE/RAE
02-Mar-2000 12:10 PM EDT (02-Mar-2000 1710 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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