KavkazCenter - President Maskhadov's interview

President Maskhadov's interview

Interview of President of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Aslan Maskhadov to Chechen Press national information agency.Our agency gets many letters and phone calls, where people want to know what President Aslan Maskhadov personally thinks on one issue or another. Many foreign reporters would like to meet with the President in spite of the obvious difficulties. Since their requests concern their own safety as well as safety of the President, we asked Aslan Maskhadov to answer most frequently asked questions.- Mister President! The press keeps discussing the issues concerning the unification of all forces of the Chechen Resistance under your personal command, which just took place in the Republic. I think, you would satisfy the interest of the broadest circle of observers by giving your evaluiation of the recent event in the Republic.Bismillah Rahmani Rahim! (In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful!)Really, the situation started to radically change lately. Many people believe that the three years of the most severe war that we have endured is already a great success. I agree with it. These three years have shown the Chechens that they were not defeated, regardless of all kinds of repressions against civilian population. I must admit that I am pleased with how virtually everyone, who has taken up arms, is now under my control. When the war started, our experienced enemies managed to sow the seeds of discord between our fighters here and there. Russia has a lot of experience in things like that. I know it as a former Soviet officer. Our Mujahideen, our Commanders, who during these three years have been conducting the struggle against the invaders independently, without any proper coordination with the State Defense Council or with the Commander-In-Chief, have now come to me, some have come one by one, some have come in organized groups, and they said: ŤAslan, we have understood a lot. Neither we, who are alive, nor those who became Shaheeds want to be called Ťbanditsť. We are a part of our people, and in the name of Allah we are fighting for the people's freedom, so that all of us have a free countryť. They said: you are the President of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, our Commander-In-Chief, let us fight under your command. Among such fighters there are names little known as well as very famous. I am not going to mention them. I told them: Alhamdullilah! (Praise God!) The unity of our ranks is a godly deed and it will multiply our successes. And the results did not make us wait too long.I know, journalists like to discuss the issue of who visited who, etc. Has the President become a radical or have radicals become moderates? Even though I do not consider these questions to be fundamental, I would still like to dwell on them. First of all, I am ready and I am obligated to unite all who can put up an armed resistance to the aggressors. Up to this day Russia has been stubbornly ignoring our readiness to settle all the issues peacefully. Moreover, in Moscow our love for peace is perceived as our weakness. This is a delusion. We would want them to stop tormenting our people, which we have not enough power to protect properly. Since they only count on the power solution, we have nothing else to do but accept the challenge. Second, in my determination to oppose the invaders I am more radical than anybody else. My status obligates me, as the President elected by all people, to be this way. I will never go for treason. This is why it's a mere talk, that such and such is more radical, and Maskhadov is a moderate, etc. But sooner or later everything comes to an end, and I'm sure that the Ťdivide and governť policy would not bring our enemies any better expected results. What's more, I am currently working not only on the consolidation of the Armed Forces. The process of consolidation among all Chechens is successfully going on, wherever they are.- Mister President, Russian and other foreign mass media sometimes raise a question about presence of Al-Qaeda in the Chechen Republic. What would you say in this regard?Everybody knows that before starting the second anti-Chechen war, Russians did all things possible and impossible to create the image of Chechnya as the alleged center of international terrorism. They were not embarrassed that being a small nation, Chechens have no grounds to claim to solve some problems of international, global significance. While trying to convince the world in the lameness of all Chechen people, Russian propaganda has allegedly found thousands of Chechens in Afghanistan, Kashmir, Kosovo, Israel, Abkhazia, i.e. in all hot spots. It seems like we started to compete with at least the US, Russia and China. In order to make the impression even stronger, just as the large number of foreigners (Arabs, Chinese, Kashmirians) were found in Chechnya. After September 11, 2001, they even almost saw Ben Laden himself in Chechnya. Of course, all of it is nonsense. On the contrary, in Chechnya during the first war, as well as during the second war foreign volunteers have been participating. Many of them died heroically, many returned home alive. Many are continuing to fight in our ranks. However there are not thousands of them. Throughout all this time, starting from 1994, we have been dealing not with thousands, but with a couple of hundred men, the majority of whom are from Caucasus. We are very grateful to our brothers who offered help in the time of our disaster. I would like to say about Arabs separately. Many of them became Shaheeds, while defending our Faith and our Freedom. They will always be remembered in the hearts of the Chechen people forever. Those Arabs who are fighting in our ranks I can count on the fingers of my hand, i.e. I want to say that there are not too many of them. After the September 11, when we heard about Al-Qaeda for the first time, we were wondering what it was and whether any one of us had any connections with it. Ever since then no one has claimed to have connections with that organization. And now, when all armed fighters are under my supervision, I am ready to account for each one of them. Including Arabs. Let them present some proofs, and we will do what is required by the international practice. I am stating with full responsibility that no one from the territory of Chechnya has ever conducted or planned any terrorist acts. On the contrary, we ourselves are conducting the war with the most bloodthirsty terrorists.- Mister President! Lately they started to talk more about the ways of peaceful settlement of Russian-Chechen conflict. Very famous names like Brzezinski, Rybkin, Primakov and Khasbulatov are pretty notable. Please tell us what you think about these initiatives.First of all, we welcome any proposals that could bring peace in Russian-Chechen relations closer. Every day of war brings irreplaceable losses and sufferings for many people. Yes, these are very famous names. Each one of these initiatives is important in its own way.For example, in respected Dr. Brzezinski's statement we can see concern of influential powers of the US about the continuation of the anti-national war. Resolute intervention from the outside would contribute to speedy settlement of the bloody conflict. I would like to hope that Dr. Brzezinski's statements will be continued.We have positive experience of cooperation with Mr. Rybkin [Ivan Petrovich]. While working with the team that he is in charge of, we ended the first war, when on May 12, 1997 in Moscow two presidents signed the Agreement on Peace and Principles of Mutual Relations between Russian Federation and Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Several agreemens were signed on the governmental level. Unfortunately, we did not manage to build up civilized mutual relations back then. Supporters of war prevailed among Russia's leadership, and the constructive process was disrupted. We can only welcome Ivan Rybkin getting involved in the search for peaceful settlement. Ivan Rybkin knows Chechen realities full well, he knows the limits when the sides can achieve compromise. Agreement on Peace and Principles of Mutual Relations between Russia and Chechnya, prepared for signing by Ivan Petrovich [Rybkin] from the Russian side, is a fundamental basis for further settlement of the relations, whenever it may happen.If Yevgeny Primakov talks about a possibility of a peaceful settlement, then it's a good sign. Mr. Primakov (Yevgeny Maximovich) is a very experienced and knowing politician, experienced in affairs internal as well as external. His word has some weight to it, and many of those who are younger and have less experience should listen to the advices of people who know. Yevgeny Maximovich is not the kind of an adviser to be rejected. The Chechen side would be glad to cooperate with that academician.Finally, as far as the plan of Ruslan Khasbulatov goes; there is not a single Chechen family whom this horrible tragedy bypassed. We welcome Khasbulatov's activities in search for a peaceful solution of Russian-Chechen conflict. Just like all of us, he is a Chechen and has no right to stand aside. We keep in touch, we exchange letters. On my task, my representative Ahmed Zakayev meets with him. I know all the details of his plan. There are some aspects that I disagree with. Unlike the above-mentioned initiatives, Khasbulatov's plan is a complete document that provides the solution of key issues in mutual relations of both sides. That proposed plan may become a subject of negotiations.- Mister President! In some private Chechen mass media your Representatives abroad are often being criticized, including Ministers who are also outside of the Republic. What is your evaluation of the reality?I roughly know what and who you have in mind. If any of my Representatives or Ministers does not conform to the necessary requirements, then I release them from the posts that they are holding. Whoever continues to carry out their duties, then it means that as a whole, I am satisfied with their jobs. My Representatives and Ministers report to me about their activities on a regular basis. All their meetings were sanctioned by me. At the present time my Special Representative, the government's Vice Premier is bearing the main workload in foreign affairs. He has been in our government since 1994. He is one of the most experienced of our politicians, who has many years of negotiations and signing the peace accord on the first Russian-Chechen war behind him. I am pleased with his job as my Special Representative on negotiations with international institutions and Russian government officials. He keeps in touch with me on a regular basis, he reports to me and coordinates his every step with me.- Mister President! Some observers express the opinion that the State Defense Council ŤMajlis al-Shurať replaced all other governing bodies, which was actually a coup d'etat. Is that so?Of course, any coup d'etats is totally out of the question. Regulations on State Defense Council Majlis al-Shura is fully in accordance with the Constitution of CRI (Chechen Republic of Ichkeria) and the ŤMartial Lawť Act. State Defense Council Majlis al-Shura is a temporary body, functioning for the period of military operations. It consists of the President, Chairman of the Parliament, Chairman of the Supreme Shariah Court, key Ministers and Commanders of high level. State Defense Council Majlis al-Shura is a collective body, where everyone has his voice. Let me remind that such a body existed here during the first war. State Defense Council Majlis al-Shura has indisputable authority among our fighters, the Mujahideen, and its decisions are acted upon without questioning. I, as the Chairman - the Amir of State Defense Council Majlis al-Shura, am pleased with my subordinates. Since full-fledged functioning of the government and other governmental bodies is now hampered, Councils were created within State Defense Council Majlis al-Shura, which temporary function as individual ministries and departments.- Mister President! I thank you for the interesting conversation, I wish you good health and successes in this difficult but godly deed. May Almighty Allah preserve you and your people!ŤChechen Pressť National Information Agency, www.chechenpressTranslated by Kavkaz-Center