MOSCOW, February 1 (AVN) - Anti-guerrilla actions in Chechnya should be primarily performed by Chechens, Dzhabrail Gakayev, chairman of the all Chechen organisations co-ordination council and director-general of the Chechen cultural centre in Moscow, said on Tuesday.
Asked to comment on the so-called capitulation of a large guerrilla gang in Grozny, Gakayev said the issue was "not that simple." At first it seems that the rebels defending the city are getting rid of the weak and the wounded, he said. However it is more likely that it is the militants sent on special terrorist missions to the federal rear, not the hopeless soldiers who are surrendering. They will get hold of arms as soon as they have a chance and then attack the federals in reverse, he said.
Speaking about the activities of Chechen militia detachments under command of Grozny ex-mayor Bislan Gantamirov, Gakayev stressed that the Chechens themselves should fight "bandits and terrorists."
"The Doku Zavgayev government had militia detachments totalling 10,000 men. They were professionals, reliable and well-tried people. However (Chechen President Aslan) Maskhadov thrust them out of the republic. Now they are ready to join the ranks again, and we have repeatedly asked the country's leadership to involve them in the anti-terrorist fight as soon as possible. However all our proposals were met with no response," Gakayev said.
According to him, federals still have a long way to go to accomplish their primary missions in Chechnya. "Main extremist forces are not yet defeated. Bandit leaders Basayev, Khattab, Raduyev, Barayev and others are still alive," Gakayev said. The rebels are assuming the tactics of long-term guerrilla warfare, he noted.