USA Offers Russia to Haggle about Chechnya

America considers to add certain Chechen groups on the terrorist list

“To put it shortly, the goal of the American policy is supposed to consist of two parts without any excuses: the necessity to obtain the own ruling position, at least for the period of one generation. A longer period of time is more preferable, though. Then, there is a necessity to set up the geopolitical structure, which will be capable of easing inevitable shocks and intensity caused with social and political changes. At the same time, there is a need to create the geopolitical core of mutual responsibility for ruling the world without any wars.” This was said by Zbignev Bzhezinskii, “The Great Chess Board.”

The USA is likely to include several “Chechen rebellious groups” on the list of foreign terrorist organizations. This was written by the newspaper Financial Times today. The newspaper particularly cited a senior American diplomat, who said that certain Chechen groups are categorized as terrorist organizations. As the newspaper believes, if this happens, this step will become another evidence to prove the cooperation between Moscow and Washington against the background of the continuing talks regarding Iraq. A place on the so-called black list will automatically lead to restrictions for Chechen armed groups members to move. Their assets will be frozen too.

The Financial Times wrote that the coming decision of the United States might be made against the background of PACE’s latest decision about Chechnya. Russia managed to introduce its amendments to the resolution, which considerably smoothed out the criticism concerning its policy in the Chechen republic. Furthermore, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has recently criticized Washington’s foreign policy direction, having stated that the USA stuck to the double standard policy, when it refused to satisfy Russia’s request to include Chechen armed groups on the list of terrorist organizations. Moscow has repeatedly reminded the United States that five of nineteen people, who hijacked American planes on September 11th, 2001, used to wage war in Chechnya. Moscow also said that there was indisputable evidence to prove that Al-Qaida gunmen had a base in the Pankisi Gorge of the republic of Georgia. All those facts prove the fact that the international terrorism is present in the Chechen republic.

Even if the States make such a decision, one is not supposed to rejoice about it instantly. First of all, it goes about “certain Chechen groups,” which can be interpreted in various ways. This does not mean that Washington changed its point of view regarding a terrorist center in Russia’s Northern Caucasus. Second of all, Americans can not disregard Russia totally. Such inconsiderable geostrategic concessions will be used to take Russia out of the Mideast and Iraqi issues. As Washington believes, a blitzkrieg will finish up the things, which Chechen separatists have not been able to do in Russia yet. This will eventually lead to the sudden reduction of oil prices, which will destabilize and undermine the weak Russian economy. Most likely, this will provoke the further growth of separatist tendencies in unfortunate Russian regions. This is another important advantage for the USA to launch the army operation in Iraq. In other words, they will keep on offering Russia to haggle. Yet, it is Russia that is to say the last word.

Sergey Stefanov
PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov