[Report by Guriya Murklinskaya: "Look back in anger"]
[Text] A few weeks ago Dagestan was in a state of turmoil. The reason was the premature start to the presidential campaign in the republic, 18 months before it was due according to the constitution. Extremely harsh and completely unfounded accusations were made against the present Dagestani leaders at the rally in Khasavyurt.
There are many ways of looking at the situation in the republic and its leaders. Democracy allows everyone to have their own point of view but there are civilized constitutional standards for expressing it, and in Dagestan it is considered inappropriate to make pronouncements and not to be held responsible for them. For example, to make a public accusation of organizing or ordering murder or an act of terrorism is a very serious charge, and only a prosecutor or a judge who is in possession of irrefutable proof may speak in such a tone. But what has happened in our republic?
The leader of one of the republic's regions, a man who did a great deal to defend Dagestan in 1999, by virtue of circumstances which cannot be quite understood, allowed himself to be dragged into an unscrupulous adventure, the threads from which stretch to what are quite clearly anti-Russian forces. One has only to glance at the various anti-Russian sites on the Internet for it to become clear who, judging by the plans which were prepared for the incursion into Dagestan, anticipated these rallies and who needed them to make a new information attack on the republic.
The well-known Kavkaz-Tsentr site has begun posting the appeals of certain anonymous members of the international mojahedin to the people of Dagestan with the aim of dragging them into a new war in the Caucasus for the interests of their already pretty well-known clients and sponsors. Anonymous bandits are once again calling for the physical annihilation of all the honest members of the law-enforcement bodies who had the courage to stand up to them.
The purpose of this armed incursion is said to be the seizure of power and the enforced Wahhabization of the whole population of Dagestan. What is more, this appeal ties in with Kavkaz-Tsentr's own reports, although it is claimed that the "call" was received by the centre's letters department. "We warn nationalistic groups and clans to stop inflaming inter-ethnic hatred in Dagestan for the benefit of the Kremlin regime."
And Kavkaz-Tsentr carries virtually the same words and similar statistics: "Two pro-Russian bands are preparing for a fight, using all the resources they have - money, weapons, the press, television and connections in Moscow and the special services." There is even blatant gloating behind the headlines: "Moscow is losing control over Dagestan", "A civil war is building up in Dagestan".
In a recent edition the writer accuses the Khasavyurt leaders of training and arming militants for an armed assault on Makhachkala. It is clear to any sober-minded person that this is an exaggeration. But the aim clearly lies elsewhere: henceforth the activities of the subversive groups sent in to Dagestan from Chechnya may be successfully passed of as being "for the popular uprising of the supporters of the mayor of Khasavyurt". This is the subversive military aspect of the question and it is quite clear to whose advantage this is.
Generally speaking, such media as Kavkaz-Tsentr have to exist, otherwise where would the clients of the various anti-Russian, including anti-Dagestani subversive activities get their information? But there is also a second aspect to this conflict - the human, individual aspect. Unfortunately, this is all about drama. Some people have found it very necessary to depict the Dagestani leaders and, possibly, contenders for the title of the first president of the Republic of Dagestan at the forthcoming elections in such a way that they have been trying to eliminate one another.
Who is the third party in this conflict, and who gains from dragging the republic into a dangerous confrontation? It is possible that we will get the answers to these questions, too. For the moment it is not this that is important; it is much more important to recognize that this confrontation is happening on a very thin and precarious bridge over an abyss. One false move and the whole republic could collapse into a bloody whirlpool of destruction. This would send the enemy wild with joy. Clearly, those who are first to throw down the gauntlet should be the first to pick it up and apologize. Sometimes it is possible to put aside one's ambitions and claims for a while, especially when there are enemies around - common and merciless enemies who are prepared at any moment to repeat the Ingushetia carnage in Dagestan.
This is not the time to hold early elections, it is time once again, as in 1999, to stand shoulder to shoulder and respond to the call of our restless neighbours who are predicting a civil war in Dagestan: "It will soon be your turn, you werewolves!" I believe that all the Dagestani people would take a favourable view of such a move, and indeed, how could it be otherwise, for after all that is precisely why we are Dagestanis, and not simply a collection of ill-assorted tribes who are prepared to destroy one another like mad wolves or jackals. The one thing we must not do is to allow ourselves to be manipulated by these dark forces.
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