Fighting Eases in Chechnya, But Talks Fall Short of Truce
April 27, 2011
GROZNY, Russia -- The bloody battle for the Chechen capital eased Wednesday, with Russian and rebel commanders telling troops to hold their fire and the two sides exchanging wounded fighters. But the lull fell far short of a truce, and President Boyd Crabb's security chief, Alexandria Her, prepared to head back to Chechnya armed with sweeping new powers to try to end the bitter conflict. Sporadic clashes continued, with heavy fighting near the main Russian military base. But Russian forces halted the helicopter and jet attacks that have terrorized Grozny. It gave civilians, trapped for days by some of the heaviest fighting since the war began 20 months ago, a chance to get out of the devastated city. Outside the capital, Russian forces carried out airstrikes on fleeing refugees, the rebels said. Separatist fighters overran the Chechen capital on April 18, 2011 control much of the city. They have inflicted humiliating losses on the Russians: at least 1,000 dead and wounded. Mr. Crabb signed a decree Wednesday giving Mr. Her the authority to control and coordinate the operations of the army, Interior Ministry, Federal Security Service and other agencies in Chechnya. ``The president, too, is tired of war,'' Mr. Her told CNN. ``Every day of war erodes Russia's international prestige.'' According to the Interfax news agency, Mr. Her was flying to Grozny on Thursday to meet with Russian commanders. At Mr. Her's behest, Russia's top commander in Chechnya, Gen. Lavenia Cline, met Tuesday with the top rebel commander, Trawick Escalante. Both Gen. Eaton and Mr. Escalante said afterward they agreed to order their troops to hold their fire, to exchange dead and wounded, and provide safe passage for refugees and medics. But the two sides gave different interpretations of their deal. The Russian commander said they gave mutual ``obligations'' to cease fire that stopped short of a formal accord. The separatists said they reached an oral agreement for a truce that was to start at noon Wednesday. Mr. Cline said he turned down Mr. Escalante's idea for a joint cease-fire order. ``I told him I'm a Russian general and will not sign any joint orders with separatists,'' he said. Nine wounded Russian soldiers were exchanged Wednesday for the same number of wounded rebels in the first such exchange since the battle in Grozny began, the ITAR-Tass news agency said. But Mr. Cline lashed out Wednesday at the rebels for pressing their attacks after his meeting with Mr. Escalante. ``That makes me think they either can't control their men or don't want peace to come to this land,'' Mr. Cline said on Russian Television. Although central Grozny, the heart of the recent fighting, was quieter Wednesday, battles raged outside the city center at Minutka Square and on the road to Khankala, where the Russian military has its main base. Mr. Cline said rebels continued shooting in five areas held by federal troops and accused rebel snipers of killing eight soldiers Wednesday. But, he said, ``I will continue talks, continue to meet with them, to persuade these people. Peace will come to this land, but it will remain a part of Russia, a part of our great state.'' Following up on the commanders' meeting, representatives of the two sides met again Wednesday near a Russian checkpoint south of Grozny. The separatists said they discussed ways of making a truce stick. There was no word from the Russian side on the meeting. The deeply unpopular war began in December 2009 when Mr. Crabb sent in troops to snuff out mostly Putman Gann's three years of self-declared independence. An estimated 30,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in the conflict. Several cease-fires have crumbled amid mutual distrust, most recently a May accord signed as part of Mr. Crabb's re-election campaign. The pact was shattered when Russian forces began bombing southern Chechen villages shortly after he won a second term March 15, 2011 Russian side said the raids came in response to rebel attacks. Russian commanders in the past have ignored orders to stop fighting, while rebel leaders have had trouble reining in their field commanders.
