Aslan Maskhadov: "The Victory will be ours!"
Reuters, June 20, 2004.

We would like to note that the interview with President of CRI Maskhadov is dated 20 June, i.e. two days before the military action in Ingushetia. If we attentively listen to Maskhadov's speech and analyze the events in Ingushetia, it will not be difficult to realize who ordered about the effective and professionally carried out operation which resulted in great losses inflicted to the enemy.

This analysis should give a serious cause for Russian leadership as well as for the leaders of Council of Europe and the USA to reflect on. Undoubtedly, the Chechen President's suggestions should be taken into consideration.

The editors of Information and Analytical Centre

Reporter: Aslan, Kadyrov is gone, enemy's efforts were defeated. Kadyrov, Jr. got the so-called "post of vice-premier". Those whose hands are stained with blood of the Chechen people have now been scattered throughout various puppet structures. Talks are now being heard about the coming 'elections'. What is the President's opinion on that?

President Maskhadov: In the name of Allah, Gracious and Merciful! Praise Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessings be to the Messenger of Allah, and then: Peace be upon you, and mercy of Allah be upon you, Chechen people and Mujahideen fighting on the way of Allah.

I would like to touch on the situation today and on the goals for tomorrow. We will weigh it on the scale of justice.

Leaders of Russia are dismayed, with no hopes or any specific plans. Their whole plan was to do the dirtiest job against the Chechen people and state by using Kadyrov's bloody hands.

If Moscow has not totally lost its mind, they must understand that even if the war will be going on for decades, and if they find another Kadyrov or ten of the ones like him, they will never win a victory by war or by wiliness. There is only one way to end a war: armistice and agreements. And this is what we are offering.

As far as the so-called 'elections' go, only slaves, traitors and degenerates will go to these elections. Oh well, let them 'elect'…

Putin deceives his own self and others by calling puppets to the Kremlin, by listening to their lies and by hoping to have the situation in Chechnya changed by using their hands. This is how he makes himself and his policies look laughable to the entire world.

Reporter: What can Putin get out of these 'elections'?

President Maskhadov: If they do not seek peace, then they will develop a permanent headache. Putin is hoping to continue his prior tactics of kidnapping people. He will be trying to get the people intimidated by breaking centuries-old traditions and by provoking an internecine war inside the Chechen society. Certainly, he will be looking for the degenerates like Kadyrov to conduct these policies.

Moscow will be appointing the ones of their own, like Zyazikov (in Ingushetia) and like the one that was here (Kadyrov - ed.). One picked by Putin will have to crush the traditions and make up new ones instead, which will be unacceptable and disgusting, and he will be trying to split the Chechen society.

And here is what we will be doing in contrast to it: we will keep fighting against Russia with tripled energy. We will try to help the pro-Russian Chechens, who are still deluded, and we will explain to them the point of what is going on. But if they will be unwilling to understand this truth, then the retribution will be just and harsh.

At the same time I would like to say firmly: however much would Moscow and local puppets desire, we will not let them provoke a real confrontation within our society.

It's hard to find a replacement for Kadyrov. This world had not seen such a filthy scoundrel before. There are traitors, there are hypocrites, but that was filth from the inside: repulsing and disgusting. He was committing gravest evil deeds while using the Koran as a cover.

Each one of these traitors sticks up for his own self, and they are all alike: they all are arrogant, totally uneducated, and having no respect whatsoever for themselves or for others.

There is a chance that Moscow can use another option as well. The Kremlin might quite logically figure, "They're useless, they are thieves and robbers, who go over to Maskhadov whenever they feel like it". And then the Kremlin may use the 'soft option'. Putin has other puppets for that purpose: all sorts of lottery players and FSB agents. They will keep deceiving the starving people and promising them the earth but giving them only crumbs. Just like Kadyrov, they will be trying to deceive the Mujahideen too by promising them cars, salaries and amnesty in exchange for treason.

But there is nothing new in it. It has been going on for hundreds of years already. Russians were making promises to Chechens: "Go back to your villages. We will let you have your weapons, your pistols, and your daggers. You can perform your prayers. We will not ban anything to you". Those who believed it relaxed and were killed.

Everybody knows that millstones were located on the bank of the Sunzha River (old KGB building - ed.), which were grinding men, women, believers and scholars and turning them into bloody mash.

Some Chechens have been expressing the idea to this day, like, "We're not going to be fighting with Russia yet; we won't be demanding freedom, we'll take a break and create the conditions for peace, and then we will summon new strength and resume the battle". But this is self-delusion. As long as the relations with Russia are not made clear, the genocide will continue and Russia will be claiming that Chechens are its citizens and will be doing whatever it wants to.

Here, in the woods and in the mountains, it's hard to spot us. Hundreds and more warriors can be deployed here. We can give battle or we can withdraw if we do not wish to be fighting. Our enemies do not know where we are. They do not know about our routes, our re-deployments or where our bases are located.

And if we believe Russians and get into automobiles, they all will see us, and it will be easier for them to kill us.

I was talking to the Commanders of Mujahideen. Right now a session of State Defense Council 'Majlis al-Shura' is being prepared. We must force out Russians from our country. This is our duty. There should be no 'elections'. The people know this. There are sufficient forces under the CRI President to fight for another 20 years without us over-exerting ourselves.

Our enemies know it as well. This is exactly why they were trying to divide us into tribes, sects, Jamaats, Tarikats, and Wahabists. These attempts are continuing to this day. Some people were unable to stand this ordeal and went over to the other side. Thus, the Most High sifts us by separating the faithful from the hypocrites. Our staff has been determined. The ones who remained can never be deceived or seduced! And we will never get tired.

One more thing… Whoever occupies this puppet's chair - his days are numbered. He'll be in power only until the arm of the Mujahideen reaches him. Whoever wins elections next month: Aslakhanov, Khasbulatov, or even somebody distantly related to me. - his end will be the same if he comes to power with a Russian constitution and policy. Kadyrov got what he deserved, even though he had a motorcade of 100 to 200 cars and 3 to 4 thousand bodyguards when traveling from anywhere to Hosi-Yurt.

Each one of the Fighters who joined us even a week ago knows how to handle a radio, a landmine, a remote control and virtually any weapon. The number of Fighters is growing each day every time our men, women or children get kidnapped or killed. After each time Russians or Kadyrov's collaborators commit a crime, there is a new person who blows himself and these scumbags up. And no one has an antidote for that. There is only one Truth of the Koran, the Word of God. No one has the power to stop them!

This summer the Mujahideen are going to do a serious job. We are sure that we will oust the enemy and bring peace to the people, and then let the people elect their president. As far as Russia's proteges go, they have three powerful mines under them: they should be afraid of the Mujahideen, the blood avengers, and their Russian masters. It is virtually impossible to be safe in a situation like that.

Reporter: Is there a way out of this situation?

President Maskhadov: I have been saying the same thing since the first day of the war and until today: "Withdrawal of troops and negotiating table. The main right of the people is guarantee of security". But once Putin replaced Yeltsin, he started it all over again.

For us it is essential to get guarantees of the people's safety, and anything else can always be agreed on. We will not deviate from this path. Our people have been facing danger for hundreds of years. As soon as Russians feel like it, they start blaming all deadly sins on us, they declare us to be their subjects and their enemies at the same time, and then they start wars against us, they start deporting us to Siberia and grinding us with millstones on the Sunzha River. Nobody has the right to be committing such atrocities against any nation.

Reporter: Are there any prospects of international pressure on Russia? And how likely are other states to change their attitude towards Russia?

President Maskhadov: You can talk about such changes by looking at the events in Georgia. Russia is being ousted. The Caucasus is being regarded with meticulous attention. The reasons for changes are Caspian resources. Let me tell you that there are some attempts being made to contact us. It is clear that changes in this situation will not pass us by. I cannot tell you all of it in detail, -- it's a state secret.

One thing is clear: not a single state will force its way to the Caucasus without solving the Chechen problem. It's as simple as that!

There are some improvements in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. PACE delegation was here in early June. Everybody knows how Russians were acting when accompanying them, and how they were trying to block any local information.

But 'unplanned meetings' still did take place. So, PACE has the real information about the situation.

We have Selim Beshayev, Umar Khanbiyev, Akhiad Idigov and others working in Strasbourg and Brussels. Some of them have met with NATO officials. This organization is hateful to Russians and is surrounding Russia from three directions. And they are not pleased with our contacts with the NATO. In July Netherlands are assuming the chairmanship in the European Union, and the Dutch leader is calling our representatives for the contacts. So they are not indifferent towards what is going on here.

But sudden attacks by our Armed Forces, and multiplied number of dead bodies of Russian invaders, which makes Russia pretty nervous, are the main thing.

Reporter: A year ago, you were saying that you were ready to bring the war to an end without interference of the third-party states, including the West, as long as Russia would go for real peace. Would you agree to it now?

President Maskhadov: We have been saying to the West: "You did not help us in that war, and in this war you have not lifted a finger to stop it and to have the problem solved. But we will handle it ourselves, with our faith and with our strength. We have the power to go on with this war".

The time of cringing before Russia is over, and there are other forces and states that have influence on the Caucasus. If the European Union helps stop this war, uses its peacekeeping troops and helps strengthen our State, then we will be developing our cooperation with them. And if not, then others will help us sooner or later. We have also been saying to Russia that if it pulls its troops out, then we are ready to consider the option of not allowing the influence of our countries in our region and not allowing them to fortify their positions in the Caucasus through Chechnya. But it will only happen if Russia understands us and helps us.

I was taking about it with the Commanders at the State Defense Council. But if Russia is still thinking to bring it all to the end by using Kadyrov or Alkhanov, how else can I bring them to their senses?

And if the West will say: "We have such and such interests here. What are our Chechnya's interests in the Caucasus?", we will answer that if the interests coincide, then there is no problem!

In conclusion I would like to say that in the final analysis everything will be all right with the help from the Most High! There must be no doubts that Russia will withdraw its troops and that Chechens will get their freedom. Real men are working on it right now, and there are many of them.

A little bit of patience, and the victory will be ours!

Interview with President of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (CRI), Commander-In-Chief of State Defense Council Aslan Maskhadov June 20, 2004

Translated from the Chechen language by Kaysar Moro Information and Analytical Centre of the President of CRI, for Chechenpress, July 6 2004