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| Caucasus |
| Chechens Ready to Start Peace Talks |
| 2002-10-28 |
| A Chechen rebel envoy expressed willingness Monday to start unconditional peace talks with the Russian government over ending the war in the breakaway republic. "Please don't kill us all!" The overture, made at a conference that has sparked a diplomatic row between Russia and Denmark, comes just days after Chechen rebels stormed a theater in Moscow, an attack that ended with more than 100 deaths after Russian forces pumped in sleeping gas and captured the building. ``We urge and we are asking (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, and we declare our readiness, to start peace talks without any preliminary terms,'' said Akhmed Zakayev, a representative of separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov. "Really. We're not that bad, after all. You don't need to use carpet bombing..." Russia, which has so far insisted on a military solution in Chechnya, sharply criticized Denmark for holding the World Chechen Congress after the theater attack. Chechens at the two-day conference distanced themselves from the hostage crisis in Moscow. ``We have no relations with terrorists,'' said Osman Ferzaouli, a Copenhagen-based Maskhadov representative. "No, no! It wasn't us! It was... ummm... somebody else!" About 100 Chechens, Russian human rights activists and lawmakers from Russia and other European countries gathered at a Copenhagen hotel Monday to discuss ways to end the fighting. "They're really cheesed this time! We better do something..." Delegates, including former speaker of the Russian parliament Ruslan Khasbulatov, who is an ethnic Chechen, and former Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis, called for a dialogue with Moscow that could lead to independence for the Caucasus republic. What part about "piss off" don't you understand? The Russians have refused to negotiate with the rebels, who they say have links to international terrorism. Thanks to Steve for the link... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #2 Same company, different branch offices... |
| Posted by: Fred 2002-10-28 11:43:30 |
| #1 Sorta reminds me of the way Arafat does business. |
| Posted by: Pink & Fluffy 2002-10-28 11:40:36 |