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Basayev may have fled abroad
Arrested rebels have said that Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev, Moscow's most wanted man, might have left the republic, Russian media reported on Wednesday. Sources from the Regional Operative Headquarters in the Northern Caucasus said that Basavev is probably hiding abroad.
He's admitted that...
"According to our data, nobody knows where Basayev is. Rumors circulating among bandits indicate that Basayev has probably left Chechnya and is hiding abroad," the sources reported.
Riyadh, perhaps?
The sources also revealed that during the interrogations of arrested rebels who operated under Basayev's command, the Russian authorities concluded that some Chechen leaders have abandoned low-ranking commanders. The sources also suggested that communication channels among rebel groups had been cut. Maj. Gen. Ilya Shabalkin, spokesman for the federal forces in the Northern Caucasus, told Interfax on Wednesday that; "detained members of Basayev's guerrilla groups have said that most low-ranking commanders have been left to their own devices, funds come in irregularly, and if they do arrive at all, their amount is minimal."

An arrested rebel from Hussein Ismailov's rebel group - based in the Shali district of Chechnya - said that rebels could not communicate with either Basayev or his associates for a long time. ROH sources also noted that some rebels are currently trying to move out of Chechnya. "It is well known that leaders attempt to escape abroad using tourist visas obtained through intermediaries in tourist agencies located in the neighboring regions," the sources said, adding that rebels "attempt to establish stable escape channels from Chechnya to neighboring regions and foreign countries." Arrested suspects also said that hiding in Chechnya will be difficult this winter because many established centers and food storage sites have been found and destroyed by federal forces.
Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-11-28
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=49921