10 May 2004 00:06
A Chechen killing
THE BOMB which killed President Akhmad Kadyrov this weekend has exposed the continuing inability of President Putin
to bring the Chechen Republic to heel. It is also a worrying development at a time when Islamic countries are already in
foment. Once again, Chechen rebels have sent a clear signal to the Russians that they will not lay down their weapons in
the ongoing battle for greater independence. Mr Kadyrov was a controversial figure. He had fought the Russians for
independence in the mid-1990s before turning to become Moscow's stooge, elected in a rigged ballot. At the same
time he was a strong-willed man, under whose rule a degree of stability was returning to Chechnya. President Putin, now
securely in his second term of office, should move towards giving Chechens the genuine autonomy they nearly won for
themselves in 1997 after defeating the Russian invasion. Two facts militate against this hope. The first is that Mr
Putin may feel his reputation is at stake. The second is that Russia has learned the critical importance of controlling
its border territories. Chechnya is part of that "near-abroad", and it is unthinkable that Moscow would give
it independence and risk it becoming a fundamentalist Muslim state.
Mr Putin emphasised yesterday that the majority of Chechens are not terrorists. That is true. But the longer that
large numbers of Russian troops stay in the country, carrying out brutal security sweeps, the more sympathy grows in the
general population for a terrorist response. Mr Putin will now have to search for a credible successor to Mr Kadyrov who
can enter into a new dialogue with the rebels - or it will bode ill both for Chechneya and the stability of Russia.
[Evening Standard] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
