--- Jim Devine <jdevine03 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >There are several reasons why Russian authorities
> are so angry at the
> interview with Basaev. First of all, the Chechen
> rebel commander
> called himself a "terrorist," but at the same time
> he explained
> convincingly that the Russian side was also
> responsible for the
> violence and the wave of terror in the Caucasus and
> Central Russia.<
>
Actually, what happened in the real world is that 2000+ mujaheedin led by Basaev and Khattab crossed over into Dagestan from Chechnya (twice), in the process creating 35,000 refugees. This was after three years of daily depredations of the surrounding territory, up to and including kidnap and enslavement, by criminal gangs who were part of the Chechen government. What then happened was that, after the muj had been repelled (by Dagestani civilians and police), then-pres of Chechnya Maskhadov was given an ultimatum by the Kremlin -- give us Basaev and Khattab or there will be war. Maskhadov refused. Then federal troops entered Chechnya.
That was what happened outside of Basaevland.
Nu, zayats, pogodi!
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