Saturday, June 04, 2005
Chechens Involved at Andijan?
Russia lent support to the Uzbek regime in the face of calls for an investigation into the Andijan uprising. But now the Russian government has its own idea who the culprits are, and it turns out the Uzbeks and Russians have a conveniently common enemy: Chechen rebels.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claims to possess information indicating that Chechen terrorists were involved in the recent rioting in Uzbekistan.
"We have information that Islamic extremists, structures of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, remnants of the Taliban, and some Chechen terrorists were involved in this," Lavrov said at a press conference in Vladivostok, referring to the rioting in Andizhan last month.
But, alas, Chechen President Alu Alkhanov denied the so-called Chechen trace in the recent events in Uzbekistan. "There is no Chechen trace in Uzbekistan," Alkhanov told the press outside St. Petersburg. "I know that they have nothing in common with the Chechen republic or the Chechen people," he said.
What a great stroke of luck this would be for Russia, expanding its influence and drawing Uzbekistan closer -- based on "information" that no one will ever examine. And, moreover, how convenient for Vladimir Putin to have the Chechens to blame for all the woes of everyone everywhere. So much more immediate and personal than the nefarious "tur'rists" our pols are stuck trying to scare us with.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claims to possess information indicating that Chechen terrorists were involved in the recent rioting in Uzbekistan.
"We have information that Islamic extremists, structures of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, remnants of the Taliban, and some Chechen terrorists were involved in this," Lavrov said at a press conference in Vladivostok, referring to the rioting in Andizhan last month.
But, alas, Chechen President Alu Alkhanov denied the so-called Chechen trace in the recent events in Uzbekistan. "There is no Chechen trace in Uzbekistan," Alkhanov told the press outside St. Petersburg. "I know that they have nothing in common with the Chechen republic or the Chechen people," he said.
What a great stroke of luck this would be for Russia, expanding its influence and drawing Uzbekistan closer -- based on "information" that no one will ever examine. And, moreover, how convenient for Vladimir Putin to have the Chechens to blame for all the woes of everyone everywhere. So much more immediate and personal than the nefarious "tur'rists" our pols are stuck trying to scare us with.
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