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.