#9
Novye Izvestia
June 27, 2002
SECURITY MINISTERS DISSATISFIED WITH THE PRESIDENT
Generals dislike the initiatives of their supreme commander-in-chief
The military will not tolerate any criticism of its actions in Chechnya
Author: Said Bitsoyev
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]

CLEARLY IRRITATED, SECURITY MINISTERS IMMEDIATELY CHALLENGE ANY AND ALL PROPOSALS FOR A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF CHECHNYA. EVEN PRESIDENT PUTIN'S PROPOSALS ARE NO EXCEPTION. THE GENERALS FEEL FREE TO DISAGREE WITH THEIR OWN SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.

The public hadn't even had time to digest President Putin's peace proposals for Chechnya when the military took offense and raised an outcry. United Federal Group commander Vladimir Moltenskoy was the first to voice his displeasure. Moltenskoy described the practice of cleanup operations as effective, and advocated continuing it - less than two hours after the president spoke of the need to put an end to cleanup operations.

"We are ready to restrict our actions to passport regime checks in the settlements where the locals back up the federal center and power structures. Operations will be stiff, however, when our troops come under fire or when terrorist acts are organized," Moltenskoy said.

The president called formation of local internal affairs directorates, each including a fighting unit, a major condition necessary for resolution of the conflict in Chechnya. "Chechnya should be defended by Chechens themselves," Putin announced. The following evening, however, a popular TV channel ran an update on the state of affairs in Chechnya: mysterious officers of secret services in black masks telling the audience horrible things, as follows: Wahhabi militarnts have infiltrated the local law enforcement agencies. In some internal affairs district directorates they account for up to half of personnel. As soon as Aslan Maskhadov gives the order, they will rise up against the federal forces... What the TV channel meant was that Chechens were not to be trusted. Unless we want to mount another military campaign several years from now, of course.

Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov became Putin's foremost opponent. Ivanov, with his cultured voice and inevitable smile, went on television to tell the nation that a guerrilla takeover of Grozny had been prevented. According to the minister, special forces killed three separatists carrying bags of documents. This is what amazed the public. After all, this was the first time guerrillas in Chechnya had used this unusual method of delivering Maskhadov's orders to his subordinates.

The prevented capture of Grozny is, however, the most striking part of Ivanov's revelations. The city is located in the center of Chechnya, right on the flatlands which the federal forces have controlled since 1999. There are numerous units, armored vehicles, and thousands of troops in Grozny itself and around it. What kind of force would be needed to overcome the lot of them, and defend some areas of the city for days on end? And if Chechen separatists can actually field such forces, then what has the United Federal Group been doing in Chechnya all these years? And what are generals' assurances on gradual stabilization and destruction of the major enemy forces worth?

Clearly irritated, security ministers immediately challenge any and all proposals for a peaceful resolution to the problem of Chechnya. Even President Putin's proposals are no exception. The generals feel free to disagree with their own supreme commander-in- chief.

BACK TO THE TOP    #212 CONTENTS    NEXT SECTION