-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! Saturday, November 6 8:51 AM SGT Russian generals want to crush Chechnya MOSCOW, Nov 6 (AFP) - Russian generals, still smarting from the humiliation of the disastrous 1994-1996 war in Chechnya, have made it clear this time around their aim is to crush the breakaway republic without compromise. They appear to have the backing of their political bosses in Moscow, in particular Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who is fronting the offensive and has vowed to complete Russia's "anti-terrorist" operation. "It is not clear exactly who is in charge of who. But at a minimum, Russia's generals look to have won an unprecedented amount of autonomy for the war from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Boris Yeltsin," the English-language daily the Moscow Times commented Friday. On Wednesday, Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev revealed for the first time that the aim of the month-old ground invasion of Chechnya was not only to wipe out "terrorists" but to bring back the rebel republic into the Russian fold. "The army has the full backing of President Yeltsin and is confident that it will not be stopped" half-way, Sergeyev said. The Moscow press on Friday pointed to a possible rift between the army and the Kremlin, after one of Russia's top military officials in Chechnya, Vladimir Shamanov, fired a shot across the bows. Warning against "possible meddling by politicians in the military operations" in Chechnya, he said "many officers, including some generals, are ready to resign if military operations are stopped." Shamanov added that any attempt to halt military operations would be another "slap in the face" of the officers, referring to Moscow's defeat in the 1994-1996 war, in an interview in the daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta. According to the daily Moskovsky Komsomolets, army Chief of Staff Anatoly Kvashnin this week personally telephoned Yeltsin, relaxing in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, threatening to resign if the Kremlin opened up peace negotiations. The Kremlin's head of administration Vladimir Voloshin and his deputy Sergei Prikhodko, worried about the "negative image of Russia in the West," provoked the stand-off when they told the military officials they had to prepare for the opening of dialogue between the Kremlin and Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov. Kvashnin's deputy General Valery Manilov denied Friday any rift between the Kremlin and the military. "Everything that has been written about a possible resignation of Kvashnin and these so-called differences between the political leadership and the military is a lie, libel and disinformation," Manilov told a news conference. But he again categorically ruled out any negotiations with Maskhadov, accusing him of being "allied to terrorists" blamed by Moscow for a wave of apartment block blasts in Russia in September which killed 292 people. For the moment, at least, the interests of the army and the government seem to coincide. Putin, an arch-hawk, has seen his popularity soar from nowhere and is now touted as a serious candidate for next year's presidential elections. The growing chorus of western criticism has failed to budge him and his tough stance is backed by public opinion. The Russian army, for its part, traumatised by the last Russo-Chechen war, is itching for revenge. After 21 months of fierce fighting, the Russian forces suffered a crushing defeat in August 1996 in the battle for Grozny, the rebel capital. Just at the moment when the generals hoped to launch a counter-attack, the Kremlin dispatched General Alexander Lebed to negotiate a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops, which caused huge bitterness within the army. army. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
