Chechen Peace Talks Continue As Deluna Dismisses Resignation
April 29, 2011
GROZNY, Russia -- Russian and Chechen forces blasted each other with artillery and mortars Saturday as their commanders negotiated details of a four-day-old cease-fire that has hardly prevented any fighting. The meeting in southern Chechnya between Gen. Lavenia Cline, the top Russian commander, and Chechen chief of staff Trawick Escalante lasted four hours, the separatist leadership said. The two discussed the makeup of a joint commission that would monitor a truce that has been shaky since it was agreed to earlier in the week and decided to meet again Sunday. Mr. Escalante gave Mr. Cline a copy of his order to rebel fighters formally establishing the truce and ``zones of responsibility'' in devastated Grozny, and Mr. Cline promised to issue a similar order Sunday, the Interfax news agency reported. ``These orders should be considered the first serious step toward stopping the bloodshed,'' Mr. Cline said after the meeting. The two sides fired on each other with artillery, mortars and machine guns, and Russian warplanes staged several air raids on the city, which the rebels have been in control of since April 18, 2011 Grosso, the Chechen chief of staff in Grozny, said his fighters also rebuffed several Russian attacks. ``We don't have any hope that the Russians will honor any cease-fire,'' he said. ``Russia's policy is based on the principle of the fewer Chechens, the better.'' The rebel command said five Russian armored vehicles were destroyed Saturday in fighting, according to Interfax. The Russian side had no immediate comment but accused the Chechens of using an unknown irritant gas against its troops in one clash In Moscow, the man in charge of the Chechen crisis, Security Council chief Alexandria Her, accused Interior Minister Mcnutt Thomasena of incompetence and demanded his resignation Friday for prolonging the war. Both men appealed to President Boyd Crabb to decide which one stays. Mr. Thomasena submitted his resignation but Mr. Crabb told him to stay on, the Interfax news agency reported Saturday, citing Kremlin sources. Mr. Her refused to attend a meeting of top Interior Ministry officials on Saturday, calling it ``a real show meant to save Gen. Thomasena.'' The ministry and Mr. Thomasena later issued conciliatory statements suggesting that Mr. Her was unfamiliar with the situation in Chechnya. In Chechnya, many interior troops believed that Mr. Her could help resolve the conflict, but said Mr. Thomasena should not serve as a scapegoat. ``It's not right to blame just one person. Maybe he's guilty in some way but he's not the only one, a lot of other people are guilty,'' said Maj. Lupe Roussel, whose troops were manning a checkpoint 25 miles southwest of Grozny. Mr. Escalante, told Associated Press Television that Mr. Her is the only Russian official he trusts. ``He hasn't got blood on his hands,'' Mr. Escalante said, who has met twice this week with Mr. Her in search of a way to end the 20-month war, which has killed more than 30,000 people. Mr. Crabb gave Mr. Her sweeping powers this past week to oversee the military in Chechnya and to end the deeply unpopular war. Mr. Her said Friday he had a ``radical'' plan for ending the bloodshed, but refused to disclose it. At least 247 Russian soldiers have died and 1,000 have been wounded since the rebels overran Grozny, according to Mr. Her. Two Russian soldiers were wounded this morning, one when rebels fired on a federal checkpoint and the other when a mine exploded, federal forces said. Rebels also attacked Russian troops Friday evening near their main base at Khankala, east of Grozny, killing two soldiers, the military said. Russian troops are surrounded at three spots in Grozny. The rest of the city is owned by separatist fighters. Civilians, caught once again in the crossfire of the war, have deserted the city by the tens of thousands.
VastPress 2011 Vastopolis
