-Caveat Lector- Updated 4:25 PM ET January 10, 2001 By YURI BAGROV, Associated Press Writer NAZRAN, Russia (AP) - An American working to restore medical care in war-shattered Chechnya was kidnapped by masked gunmen who pulled him from his car, forced him into another vehicle and drove away, officials said Wednesday. Kenny Gluck, 38, was traveling Tuesday in a four-car convoy of aid workers near the town of Stariye Atagi, south of the regional capital Grozny, when unidentified men opened fire on them, according to a statement from the medical aid group Doctors Without Borders. The group said in a statement from its Amsterdam office that it was "outraged by this direct attack on a clearly marked humanitarian convoy." Other foreign and local employees traveling in the group of cars managed to escape unharmed, the statement said. Doctors Without Borders - which won the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize - is an international relief agency that provides medical help in war zones, disaster areas and remote regions. Doctors Without Borders pulled out of the rebel region in December 1997 following the abductions of aid workers as kidnapping for ransom became widespread, but returned in December 1999. Russian authorities blamed the aid workers for not notifying them of their travels and moving around without military escort. "Such behavior in Chechnya by citizens of foreign governments and employees of humanitarian missions are dangerous," Gen. Ivan Babichev, the military commandant in Chechnya, was quoted as saying by Interfax. "Part of the blame for this tragedy lies with the international organization." Doctors Without Borders officials said they give the military two weeks advance notice of their itineraries. "We never work without permission," Moscow mission head Rian van de Braak said. Hundreds of people - foreign aid workers, journalists, Russian soldiers and local residents - have been kidnapped by armed bands for ransom, especially after Chechnya descended into anarchy following the expulsion of Russian troops in a 1994-96 war. Kidnappers have resorted to extreme cruelty, such as sending videotapes of the captive's finger being cut off. Victims are often kept chained in pits or are used as slaves. Russian officials blamed Chechen rebels for the latest kidnapping. But a Chechen spokesman, Movladi Udugov, said in an interview with Deutsche Welle radio's Russian service that Chechens were not responsible. He pointed at Russian troops, saying the abduction occurred in an area where troops have posts every 200 yards. "It is impossible to kidnap anyone without the knowledge of Russian soldiers," he said. Doctors Without Borders said it didn't know who was behind the kidnapping. Gluck, whose home town was not immediately made public, was regional head of mission for the group and traveled around Chechnya assessing health care needs. He was sharply critical of the Russian military in an article he wrote that was published on the organization's Web site, saying soldiers refused to let wounded civilians pass checkpoints to reach hospitals. Although the town of Stariye Atagi has been under Russian control since February, its hospital "is still without sufficient medicines and equipment," Gluck wrote. "It has received no support whatsoever from the Russian government." Russian troops returned to Chechnya in 1999 after rebels based there invaded a neighboring region and after apartment bombings in Moscow and other cities killed about 300 people. The Russian government blamed rebels for the blasts. Russian officials also cited the wave of kidnappings as justification for a military campaign in the region. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions 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, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== 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
