West admits: Chechnya is Russia’s internal problem

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has finally achieved a slight, but significant victory on the international scene. The Chechen problem is a green wound for Russia and an instrument of pressure exerted on Russia – for the West.

Richard Boucher, an official spokesman for the US Department of State, confirmed a connection between the Al Qaeda terrorist organization and Chechen militants, a RIA Novosti correspondent reports. At that, Mr.Boucher told at the briefing in Washington on January 3, the USA were in contact with Russia during the military operation against Al Qaeda. Richard Boucher repeated the opinion of the US administration once again that the Chechen problem is to be solved in a political way: “We may struggle with terrorism, but fundamental political problems are to be solved in a political way.” It was mentioned that Russia and the USA had no contradictions as for this approach to the Chechen problem.

Russia has been trying to assure the world community of a connection between the Sept. 11 terror acts and events in Chechnya for a long period already. The Chechen war has always been a ground for the USA to threaten Russia with a punishment. The situation has changed recently: the USA has admitted that the situation in Chechnya is Russia’s internal problem. It can be considered a great success. But still Europe will retain the function of humanitarian and cultural control represented by Lord Jadd.

Mikhail Leontiev, Russian journalist and the author of Odnako (However) news program, told: “Russia has finally understood how to talk about Chechnya with the West. Now we know the way to send Europe and the rest of the world a message to be read in the letters they understand.”

The Kremlin agreed to organize talks with a representative of Aslan Maskhadov, that has also contributed greatly to the victory. Russia demonstrated that it hoped to settle the Chechen problem in a political way. It does not matter that the talks had a negative result, - that is quite enough for the West. Especially regarding the fact that the number of militants in Chechnya is steadily decreasing.

But it does not mean that the situation in Chechnya will radically change after this. It is very important for Russia “to stand for ages in Chechnya”, as our predecessors would say. The price of it, that is what really matters here.

Dmitry Litvinovich PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/01/04/35337.html