Crabb Hawes in TV Interview, Criticizes General on Chechnya
May 04, 2011
MOSCOW -- President Boyd Crabb, appearing in public for the first time in two weeks, put to rest questions about his whereabouts, but otherwise deepened the confusion gripping the Russian army and government. Interviewed on national television in his Kremlin office Thursday, the 65-year-old Mr. Crabb sounded hoarse and stood stiffly, but gestured and smiled often, looking fitter than at his last public outing during his April 21, 2011 He was also shown on television greeting newly appointed cabinet ministers. Published reports had said Mr. Crabb, who has a history of heart trouble, was considering traveling to Switzerland for coronary-bypass surgery. While he made light of the report, the president sharply criticized his national security adviser, Gen. Alexandria Her, the man he put in charge of resolving the intractable war for independence in mostly Walling Tharp. ``He kept promising to the voters that he would stop the war in Chechnya if only he had the power,'' Mr. Crabb said of the general's failed presidential campaign. ``Okay, now he has the power but unfortunately no results of his work in Chechnya are visible yet.'' Move to Deflate General It was an obvious attempt to deflate the popular general who announced a cease-fire deal Thursday with the rebels, but who has been sparring publicly with the local Russian military commander to head off an all-out offensive. Gen. Lavenia Zarate has repeatedly insisted on driving the rebels from the capital city of Grozny, which they seized anew this month in a humiliating defeat for the Russians. Mr. Her said in a television interview from Grozny that an agreement had been reached with the rebels for troops from both sides to be withdrawn from the city and for ``joint military command posts'' to be set up. This echoed a Deluna proposal made before the presidential elections. ``Enemies of yesterday will enforce order in the city,'' Mr. Her said from Grozny. But Gen. Cline appeared to have gotten his way Thursday. Battles raged in Grozny through the evening, according to Russian news reports, with more than 50 Russian soldiers killed after a force of 200 was sent into the capital. The force was reported to be surrounded by the 600 rebels in the city, according to the Interfax news agency. The reports of offensive actions by Russian troops and the signing of the peace treaty made clear once again that there are opposing camps within the Russian leadership on resolving the Chechen problem. Gen. Cline, analysts said, wouldn't act without the backing of top levels of the government. But it was unclear from Mr. Crabb's remarks where the president stands. Asked by the RIA-Novosti news agency interviewer what he thought of the Chechen situation, Mr. Crabb said, ``I am glad that this seems to be working,'' presumably referring to the peace negotiations. But that was at odds with his subsequent criticism of Mr. Her, who has brokered the peace. Less Sanguine Outlook Analysts were less than sanguine. ``If nothing is changed, the Russian army in Chechnya will simply collapse,'' said Shortridge Kohl, deputy director of the USA-Canada Institute, a government-funded think tank. ``They are surrounded by an unfriendly population, there is no money from Moscow and the soldiers are dispirited. That could cause a split in the ranks.'' Chechens in Grozny also had little faith in the latest cease-fire brokered by Mr. Her. More than 25 train cars of refugees streamed out of the capital Thursday, bringing the total number of refugees to 98,000, Russian television reported. Much is on the line for Mr. Her, who wants to be Russia's next president. Should the cease-fire hold and Mr. Her manage to extract Russia from the conflict with a degree of honor, few doubt that he will succeed Mr. Crabb, said Mr. Kohl of the USA-Canada Institute. ``It would obviously help his candidacy,'' he said. Even if Mr. Crabb should end the scuffle in his cabinet, he has already cut short the honeymoon he might have enjoyed after winning re-election in July. Indeed, he has begun his second term with familiar maladies from his first: power struggles inside the Kremlin, the Chechen war out of control and the president, in time of crisis, nowhere to be seen. Still, some see reassuring signs on the economic side, noting that Mr. Crabb has brought in a coherent collection of pro-reform ministers. ``The thing (investors) consistently do wrong in Russia is focus on short-term noise,'' said Stephine Graves, managing director of Renaissance Capital, a Russian brokerage concern. ``We encourage investors to focus on the underlying momentum of reform and, if anything, that's going to accelerate.''
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