>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (A.Wosni) >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Comrades, >a shortwhile ago I forewarded you a joint statement from the 'Revolutionary >Workers Organization' of Ukraineand the 'Leaguefor the REvolutionary Party' >of >the USA on a Oleg Sheyins position on Chechniya. Here is an English >translation >of Sheyin's original statement. > >A.Holberg > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- >> > > STATEMENT OF O.SHEYIN >> > > >> > > In connection with the discussion on the Net of >> > > ISWOR's report about the pacifist picket in >> > > Moscow against the war in Chechnya, and with V. >> > > Bilenkin's letter, I would like to communicate >> > > the following to interested parties: >> > > >> > > 1.In the "Zashchita" union, the question of >> > > taking part in the picket was not discussed, >> > > either by the national leadership or by the >> > > local organizations, including Moscow's. >> > > >> > > 2.The Interregional Association of Workers' >> > > Unions "Zashchita Truda" ["Defense of Labor"] >> > > did not make any official statement on the war >> > > in Chechnya. >> > > >> > > In my own name here is my personal position on >> > > the given question: >> > > >> > > 1.In examining any conflict from a class view- >> > > point one must understand the social basis of >> > > such a conflict and its prospects. There are >> > > various kinds of national movements, for example >> > > in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of Soviet >> > > forces the Taliban came to power, destroyed a >> > > secular form of state, took away the >> > > civil rights of women, and practically threw the >> > > country back into the last century. The 1979 >> > > revolution in Iran which removed the pro- >> > > American Shah, brought to power the reactionary >> > > regime of Khomeini, which terrorized the >> > > workers' movement and liquidated the beginnings >> > > of civil rights. After the French were driven >> > > out of Algeria two lines of further development >> > > of society took shape -- a secular social state >> > > burdened by bureaucratism on the one >> > > hand, and an Islamic movement on the other. In >> > > Libya the Islamic movement was successfully >> > > incorporated by the leadership of the Jamahiriya >> > > for secular social reforms. >> > > >> > > 2.As a result of historical circumstances, >> > > including Tsarist terror and the deportation to >> > > Siberia in 1944, the Chechen people were practi- >> > > cally frozen in their development. Since the >> > > historical path of development through the >> > > withering away of feudal relations and the >> > > formation of a capitalist structure was not >> > > completed, many remnants of clan society have >> > > survived in the culture of the people. The >> > > people itself consists of the sum total of the >> > > powerful clans, "teips", and the process of >> > > their coming together has not been completed. >> > > >> > > 3.The death in 1996 of Dudayev, who headed a >> > > very powerful teip and had the reputation of an >> > > all-national leader, halted the process of the >> > > further formation of the Chechen people as a >> > > nation. The new president Maskhadov, who did not >> > > support Islamic extremism, came out of a very >> > > uninfluential teip and therefore he could not >> > > control the more radical leaders. >> > > >> > > 4.The war of 1994-96 itself destroyed the indus- >> > > trial infrastructure and severely damaged >> > > agriculture, as a result of which the stability >> > > of Chechen society declined sharply. >> > > >> > > 5.Examples of kidnapping people, stealing >> > > cattle, slavery and genocide against the >> > > Russian-speaking population and the opposition >> > > in general in Chechnya, are generally known and >> > > inarguable facts in Russia. These were not >> > > exceptions, but a rule of life in Chechnya. The >> > > site "Kavkaz-center" on the Internet, which >> > > constitutes almost the official informational >> > > structure of the Chechen state on the Net, from >> > > June to September 1999 was full of calls to >> > > clear Russians and "kafirs" (non-believers) out >> > > of the entire north Caucasus. The invasion of >> > > detachments of Basayev and Khattab into the >> > > Botlikhsky and Novolaksky regions of the Repub- >> > > lic of Dagestan was carried out under exactly >> > > such a slogan. At the same time an Islamic >> > > government of Dagestan was created. >> > > >> > > 6.As a result a people's militia was formed in >> > > Dagestan, which together with the Russian army >> > > cleared the detachments of Basayev and Khattab >> > > out of the territory of the republic. In Dage- >> > > stan -- alone out of the 88 territories of >> > > Russia -- Wahhabism was legally banned as an >> > > extremist Islamic tendency. Consider this: >> > > Dagestan is a multi-national republic, in which >> > > more than 30 peoples live and leading political >> > > positions are held by Avars and to a lesser >> > > extent Lezgins. >> > > >> > > 7.It is fully possible that the means for the >> > > invasion into Dagestan were supplied to Basayev >> > > and Khattab by Russian capital with a long-term >> > > goal -- to carry out a successful military >> > > operation of the Russian army against Chechens >> > > with the goal of achieving popularity for >> > > Putin's government and victory for Yeltsin's >> > > successor in the presidential election. >> > > >> > > 8.This task was achieved. Putin has gained >> > > colossal authority in Russian and is the >> > > uncontested winner in the coming presidential >> > > election. After this the existing democratic >> > > freedoms in the country will be swiftly reduced. >> > > Regarding this, however, one must note that the >> > > January failures of the Russian army in Argun >> > > and Shali did not have a material affect on >> > > Putin's authority. >> > > >> > > 9.It is doubtful that the battles will end after >> > > the successful completion of the military operation in Chechnya, >> > > i.e., the taking of Grozny, Bamut, Itum-Kale and the Argun ravine. >> > > The means do not exist for the re-establishment >> > > of the devastated economy, and no one will pose >> > > that task. After tens of thousands of people >> > > were killed under the bombardments of the >> > > Russian army, and those remaining will have >> > > neither work nor places to live for years if not >> > > decades, the basis is laid for hatred toward >> > > Russia as a state and probably toward Russians >> > > as a people. So to keep Chechnya within the >> > > framework of Russia without a prolonged military >> > > presence will hardly be possible. In time Russia >> > > will have to withdraw its forces and establish a >> > > rigid state border. >> > > >> > > 10.Together with this, the new (like the old) >> > > Chechen state will not be an island of freedom >> > > against Russian imperialism, but a European >> > > version of the medieval state of the Taliban in >> > > Afghanistan. Taking into account its lack of >> > > economic viability at least in the foreseeable >> > > future, and as it has turned out, its foreign- >> > > policy dependence, I doubt that Ankara and >> > > Washington will miss this opportunity to take >> > > advantage of the moment and establish a sphere >> > > of influence based on Chechnya. >> > > >> > > 11.However the countries of NATO will not start >> > > to argue with Russia about the Chechen problem >> > > right now, as it is secondary in comparison with >> > > their general strategic tasks. >> > > >> > > 12.The left organizations of Russia, in my view, >> > > must explain to the workers that in Chechnya >> > > there is simply a process of imperialist re- >> > > division taking place, the hostages of which are >> > > simple people, and that the Chechen problem does >> > > not have a military solution. >> > > >> > > Co-chairman of the Interregional Association of >> > > Workers' Unions "Zashchita Truda" >> > > O.SHEYIN >> > > >> > > 2 February 2000 > > >_______________________________________________ >Leninist-International mailing list >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >To change your options or unsubscribe go to: >http://lists.wwpublish.com/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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