The war will be catastrophic for Russia
21.05.2000
The appeal of Russian . Memorial.
The territory of Dagestan was cleaned from extremist gangs. For the first time in many years our soldiers rightly felt themselves as liberators. In this battle they were really supported by the absolute majority of the population of Dagestan and of all Russian federation.
However, many politicians and generals want to use the victory for starting a new war in Chechnya, for the revenge after the debacle in 1996. They hope that the fear, caused by acts of terror in Russian towns, will ensure them a support of the society. We are sure that the criminal activities of the extremists, which invaded Dagestan, must be stopped in a most stringent way. Under these conditions the bombardment of the terrorist bases in Chechnya is justified, but we mean the bases and we mean the terrorists. Meanwhile we see that towns and villages are bombed and, as it already had been in 1994, the number of civilian victims is growing. Maybe, it is not premeditated and just caused by the inability of our aviation and artillery to shoot straight. The fact, when the aviation tried to throw mines in Dagestan, but missed Dagestan and hit Georgia, proved it quite convincingly.
The extermination of the peaceful population may not be justified. Besides, the bombardments of residential quarters in Chechnya generate a new wave of hate to Russian troops and Russia, thus strengthening the support of the terrorists.
The new large-scale ground operation in Chechnya, where the local inhabitants will never support the federal army, will certainly lead to plentiful losses both of the civil population and the servicemen of the federal army. That will be a war of extermination, the terror and shame expecting Russia at such turn of events will be catastrophic for Russia.
We demand the instant termination of aviation and artillery bombardments of inhabited areas in Chechnya. We appeal to our military to distinguish between extremist units and those inhabitants, which support the Chechen President, who is recognized by the Russian government.
We demand that the government of Russia would terminate wide-scale ground operations in Chechnya.
We think it necessary to introduce the state of emergency in all the territories adjoining Chechnya, to construct defending installations and organize a frontier infrastructure.
We appeal to powers of all levels to be reticent and to refrain from any actions provoking interethnic clashes.
30 September 1999
The territory of Dagestan was cleaned from extremist gangs. For the first time in many years our soldiers rightly felt themselves as liberators. In this battle they were really supported by the absolute majority of the population of Dagestan and of all Russian federation.
However, many politicians and generals want to use the victory for starting a new war in Chechnya, for the revenge after the debacle in 1996. They hope that the fear, caused by acts of terror in Russian towns, will ensure them a support of the society. We are sure that the criminal activities of the extremists, which invaded Dagestan, must be stopped in a most stringent way. Under these conditions the bombardment of the terrorist bases in Chechnya is justified, but we mean the bases and we mean the terrorists. Meanwhile we see that towns and villages are bombed and, as it already had been in 1994, the number of civilian victims is growing. Maybe, it is not premeditated and just caused by the inability of our aviation and artillery to shoot straight. The fact, when the aviation tried to throw mines in Dagestan, but missed Dagestan and hit Georgia, proved it quite convincingly.
The extermination of the peaceful population may not be justified. Besides, the bombardments of residential quarters in Chechnya generate a new wave of hate to Russian troops and Russia, thus strengthening the support of the terrorists.
The new large-scale ground operation in Chechnya, where the local inhabitants will never support the federal army, will certainly lead to plentiful losses both of the civil population and the servicemen of the federal army. That will be a war of extermination, the terror and shame expecting Russia at such turn of events will be catastrophic for Russia.
We demand the instant termination of aviation and artillery bombardments of inhabited areas in Chechnya. We appeal to our military to distinguish between extremist units and those inhabitants, which support the Chechen President, who is recognized by the Russian government.
We demand that the government of Russia would terminate wide-scale ground operations in Chechnya.
We think it necessary to introduce the state of emergency in all the territories adjoining Chechnya, to construct defending installations and organize a frontier infrastructure.
We appeal to powers of all levels to be reticent and to refrain from any actions provoking interethnic clashes.
30 September 1999