Russians offer €8.5m to ‘neutralise’ Chechen rebel leaders

RUSSIAN authorities have blamed the Beslan hostage crisis on “international terrorists” and are offering €8.5 million to “neutralise” the Chechen rebel leaders they claim are responsible for last week’s school siege.

But critics have said the offer is a fig leaf to mask the failure of Russia’s Chechen policy. There is also uncertainty about the exact relationship between the two highest profile suspects, former Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov and rebel leader Shamil Basayev.

The two men stood against each other in the presidential election and analysts are unsure whether Basayev had any subsequent roles in Maskhadov’s administration or rebel movement.

The siege in Beslan was the latest in a string of attacks against Russian forces since August 1, when Maskhadov promised a fiercer war against Moscow’s rule. However, his London-based representative has denied he was behind Beslan.

Basayev, however, has been behind a string of hostage takings and attacks by Islamic militants across the Russian Federation. In early November, 2002 Basayev announced groups linked to him were behind a siege in a Moscow theatre where 130 people died. However, he said Maskhadov had not known of the incident.

Maskhadov’s envoy in Britain, Akhmed Zakayev, this week denounced the actions of the school terrorists as “a monstrous act”.

However, in the wake of the attacks Russia stepped up efforts to extradite Zakayev who has been granted political asylum in Britain.

The former actor, who previously served as deputy prime minister of Chechnya, is wanted by Moscow to face charges including murder and torture.

A captured gunman from the school siege said on Russian state TV that he was told Maskhadov was behind the attack.

But Zakayev denied Maskhadov had played any part and alleged the gunman’s TV statement had been extracted under torture.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ruled out talks with the Chechen rebels, although both the US and EU favour a political solution.

He says the West has double standards since its leaders would not negotiate with Osama bin Laden.

Human rights group Amnesty International said the Russian authorities had covered up the extent of the crisis in Beslan.

It said the attack took place after five years of “widespread, persistent and largely unpunished human rights violations by Russian troops against civilians in Chechnya as well as egregious human rights abuses by rebel fighters”.