Two children in critical condition after Chechnya bombing

Interfax. Monday, May. 10, 2004, 10:40 PM Moscow Time

GROZNY. May 10 (Interfax) - Two children under age 10 are in critical
condition after the Sunday bombing in Grozny that killed at least six
people, including Chechen President Akhmad Kadyrov, an emergency
center doctor said on Monday night.

The two children are among at least 13 people who remain hospitalized
in the republic after the attack, Dr. Manash Usmanova of the
Zashchita Disaster Medicine Center told Interfax.

She said statistics about servicemen who were injured in the blast
have not been made available to the center. Some of them have been
taken outside Chechnya for treatment.

Usmanova said that in total, 86 people had asked for medical
assistance following the bombing. She confirmed the official death
toll at six
nanova (no dateline)



Ekho Moskvy 10 May 2004 [BBC Monitoring]

Russian journalist says slain Chechen president`s son "extremely
cruel"

Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya has alleged that Ramzan
Kadyrov, son of the slain Chechen President Akhmat Kadyrov and newly
appointed deputy leader of Chechnya, abused his father's political
opponents in the run-up to the presidential poll in Chechnya on 5
October 2003.

She said this on 10 May to Russian Ekho Moskvy radio: "He is an
extremely cruel man. His chief of staff used to be one of the most
cruel men among the militants led by (Chechen warlord Shamil) Basayev
before switching sides after an amnesty. I have met several people
who told me that Ramzan Kadyrov personally tortured them in his home
in the village of Tsentoroy. These people were associated with other
candidates for the presidency during the presidential campaign, that
is to say, in August-September of last year (2003). And they said
that Ramzan Kadyrov and that other man with him (presumably the chief
of staff) used very elaborate torture. For example, they would peel
narrow strips of skin off a person's back. This is the sort of
torture you would call medieval brutality. That is perhaps the best
characterization of the kind of person he is, if he is to be judged
by his deeds. Also, in the same village of Tsentoroy, which has now
been turned into a sort of fortress, orgies are known to take place
after torture. I have personally been told about this too."


Chechen spokesman says appointment of late leader`s son good for war
on terror

Grozny, Itar-Tass, 10 May: The appointment of Ramzan Kadyrov as first
deputy chairman of the Chechen government "will strengthen the
campaign against terrorism in the republic", Ziyad Sabsabi, the head
of the Chechen president's administration has told ITAR-TASS. Acting
Chechen leader Sergey Abramov signed the relevant order appointing
Akhmat Kadyrov's son first deputy prime minister today.

"This appointment undoubtedly signifies that the Chechen leadership
intends to continue with the policy begun by Akhmat Kadyrov who died
yesterday in a terrorist incident in Groznyy and reflects
determination to finish what he started," said Sabsabi.

"Political continuity will be preserved. Furthermore, the appointment
of Ramzan Kadyrov, who was formerly head of the Chechen president's
security service, will beef up the security force presence in the
Chechen government with a view to intensifying the war on terrorism
in the republic."

[passage omitted]