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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| New Chechen leader promises to cease hostage-taking, attacking civilians |
| 2005-06-06 |
| New Chechen resistance leader Abdul-Khalim Sadullaev told RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service today that he strongly condemns terrorism and that Chechen independence fighters will not attack peaceful civilians, women and children, and will not take them hostage. Sadullaev emphasized that the resistance will continue to attempt to inflict maximum damage on Russian armed forces and Russian military targets, but would try to avoid injuring civilians. Sadullaev's statement was made in response to email questions submitted by RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service, which broadcasts in the Chechen, Avar and Circassian languages to the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation. Sadullaev, a young man in his 30s, was virtually unknown until he was named Chechen president three months ago, following the killing of his predecessor Aslan Maskhadov. It is not known what role Sadullaev may have played in the Moscow theater hostage-taking in October 2002 or last September's hostage-taking in Beslan. Russian officials blamed both Maskhadov and radical field commander Shamil Basaev for those terrorist acts, although Mashkadov also spoke publicly against the use of terrorist tactics. Asked about his relations with Basaev, Sadullaev hinted at disagreements among the Chechen resistance leadership, but did not mention Basaev by name. Sadullaev said he is trying to maintain unity within the resistance and channel its efforts in a single direction, and for that reason he will neither sever relations with anyone or try to force anyone to cooperate against his will. "Our nation is very small," he pointed out, and so unity is of paramount importance." Chechnya has not been recognized internationally as a sovereign state. Sadullaev said Maskhadov's death has not resulted in any "hasty" changes in tactics and that Chechens will not give up their goal of independence."Our forces are not becoming weaker, and we are prepared to go on fighting." Sadullaev said, adding that "freedom is impossible in an unfree country, and in an unfree country human rights are worthless and cannot be protected. Russia has shown us this yesterday and continues to do so today." In response to a question about the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sadullaev said, "It was Putin who began this war and he has no way to end it. The war cannot end with us being forced to our knees and capitulating, and Putin has left himself without an alternative." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #4 "I didn't do it, and besides, I won't do it no more." |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2005-06-06 16:42 |
| #3 I tend to think he's just talking out his butt to try and gain Western support - judging from his bio and the Rantburg search engine, this guy is more or less a tool of Abu Hafs al-Urduni. Color me skeptical that he cares much about civilian casualties. |
| Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-06-06 15:36 |
| #2 "Our nation is very small" but we have, inshallah, managed to produce a few of the finest mass murdering sociopaths in the caucas and, perhaps the world! Now why would the good Abdul want to go and renouce a hard working sociopath like Old Nasty Pegleg B himself?! Won't win independence with Old Nasty Pegleg B on the ship of fools, can't get it without him either. Abdul should just go get himself martyred now and get it over with. |
| Posted by: Tkat 2005-06-06 15:32 |
| #1 New Chechen resistance leader Abdul-Khalim Sadullaev told RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service today that he strongly condemns terrorism and that Chechen independence fighters will not attack peaceful civilians, women and children, and will not take them hostage. So, is he gonna like tell Basayev this? Dont think so. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-06-06 15:30 |