"Not all Chechens are Terrorists" from Johnson's Russian List

[DoreneFC at aol.com]

#8
MoscowTimes
October31, 2002
Editorial
DistinguishTerrorism From Separatism
 
EditorialBy branding the Congress of the Chechen People a terrorist
gatheringand pushing for the arrest of Akhmed Zakayev, the Kremlin may
havefurther solidified domestic support for more resolute use of force in
dealingwith the Chechnya problem.
 
But thereality is that not every Chechen separatist is a terrorist, even
thoughsome refugees have become so radicalized in the course of the brutal
Chechenwar that they openly supported the seizure of innocent civilians in
Moscowand wished they were part of the hostage-taking group.
 
Russiashould stop trying to portray all Chechens who favor
self-determinationas ruthless butchers acting on the orders of
internationalterrorist networks that the international community should
joinforces against. The self-determination aspirations of a formidable
part ofthe Chechen people is Russia's domestic problem, which no
internationalanti-terrorist coalition would solve for the Kremlin. 
 
Russiashould try to distinguish between terrorism and separatism -- even
thoughthe division line between them can be blurred -- using adequate and
proportionateforce to cope with the former, but not the latter.
 
It isclear that by failing to personally condemn the hostage-taking before
thestandoff was over, Aslan Maskhadov has discredited himself. But
civilizedproponents of self-determination of Chechnya, who oppose
terrorismas a means to achieve their goal, have not ceased to exist with
thediscrediting of Maskhadov, whose five-year term as president expired
earlythis year. 
 
Andmore bullets and bombs will not kill these aspirations of
self-determinationbut radicalize them, as was the case with Dzhokhar
Dudayevand Aslan Maskhadov.
 
Thereshould be no doubt what this brutalized nation would opt for if given
the immediateopportunity to vote on self-determination -- and that would
be anunacceptable development for the Kremlin. 
 
But theKremlin can take one step without shedding control of the republic
andthat is holding elections for a Chechen parliament. This would give
proponentsof nonviolent self-determination legitimate representation and
stillallow for the establishment of a presidential republic.
 
TheKremlin can also soften the grievances of the people by stopping the
indiscriminateuse of force and encouraging economic and social development
of thisravaged land. 
 
Ifsafety and decent living standards would not decrease the Chechen
people'sdesire to break away from Russia, then nothing will. 
 
But ifrepresentation in parliament and the reality of a safe and
relativelyprosperous Chechnya lead separatists to abandon the idea of
usingviolence to achieve their goals, then the Kremlin could hope that
theseproponents of self-determination could become what Gerry Adams and
SinnFein have become for Northern Ireland.
 

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