MOSCOW. Aug 2 (Interfax-AVN) - Acting Chechen interior minister Ruslan Alkhanov said the statement by Chechen rebel leader, Aslan Maskhadov, threatening to assassinate the winner of the upcoming presidential election in the province is propaganda aimed at creating tension and fear among the people.
"The threats to escalate the attacks on settlements and objects in Chechnya and outside it are not backed up by a real force and should not be taken seriously," Alkhanov told Interfax.
"Five years ago, when Maskhadov had a regular army, a security service, terrorist training camps, thousands of foreigners, first-class weaponry and armored vehicles, he could not fight the federal forces. He definitely cannot do it now," Alkhanov said.
He suggested that Maskhadov is trying to re-assume he position as the single leader of illegal armed groups as the president of Ichkeria and "is prepared to assign the responsibility for any incident in Russia to Chechen rebels to do that."
Alkhanov also said that Maskhadov's claims to have 2,500 - 3000 rebels at his disposal are untrue. "It is widely known that Maskhadov does not command or control anyone. More than that, he does not trust anyone but one or two of his bodyguards. His own "defense minister" has not seen him for a year. What army and what plans can he talk about?" Alkhanov said.
"Maskhadov and illegal armed groups are only capable of committing terrorist acts, murders and bandit attacks against unarmed people," Alkhanov said.
He said that the situation in Chechnya is completely under control of the federal forces and the Interior Ministry's forces, who are capable of preventing any provocative acts of the rebels and any escalation of the situations.
Alkhanov said that he is confident that the Chechen presidential elections will proceed without any complications and that no one will be able to interrupt them.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Chechen rebels have expressed preparedness to agree to the federal forces' presence on the Chechen territory.
"No one is talking about a complete withdrawal of the Russian troops. This cannot be done," Maskhadov's emissary, Akhmed Zakayev, said on Monday in an interview with Novaya Gazeta. "We want the Russian troops to remain at their bases. conflict] will not break out," Zakayev said.
He said if the presidential elections are conducted under international control, the rebels are ready to recognize the victory of any candidate, even if he is one of their adversaries.