Chechnya news 8/9 2003

Statement of Akhmed Zakayev

The deputy prime minister of Chechnya and the Chechen president's special envoy, Akhmed Zakayev, has commented on the latest US action against Shamil Basayev.

"The statements that Basayev has received money from al-Qaida and Osama bin-Ladin are purely of propaganda nature. The US position on the Chechen problem was made public long time ago. The USA, in effect, supports Putin's policy in Chechnya today despite all the crimes committed by Russian troops and despite all the reports and calls of influential international organizations which have described the events in Chechnya as war crimes or genocide.

"The current political situation allows the George Bush administration to try to use Putin and Russia to resolve their present strategic tasks. The Americans are making a blunder."

10.08.03

http://www.chechenpress.com/news/08_2003/3_11_08.shtml (translation by M.L.)

Monday, Aug. 11, 2003. Page 2

Rebels Ridicule U.S. Move

The Moscow Times: A Chechen separatist news agency said Saturday that Washington's designation of warlord Shamil Basayev as a terrorist amounted to its acceptance of part of the responsibility for atrocities in Chechnya.

In a terse, irate statement published on the Kavkas.org web site, Agency Caucasus also ridiculed Washington's move to freeze any assets Basayev may have in the United States, saying the rebel fighter had no holdings in the country to begin with.

Russia's enthusiastic praise of the U.S. action indicated its "happiness" that the United States was willing "to share the same responsibility for the Russian bloodshed and genocide in Chechnya," wrote the agency, part of the Caucasus Foundation, a nongovernmental organization based in Turkey.

Russia has long sought international recognition of its military campaign in Chechnya as an anti-terrorist operation.

Akhmad Zakayev, the right-hand man of separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, criticized the U.S. decision as serving nothing but propaganda purposes, Agency Caucasus said. "The United States administration is using the current political situation to manipulate President [Vladimir] Putin and Russia in the direction of U.S. interests," Zakayev, who is in London fighting extradition to Russia,
was quoted as saying.

Washington's decision comes ahead of Putin's planned visit to the United States in late September. Kommersant suggested it was an attempt by the U.S. administration to ensure Moscow's favorable attitude during the talks. "The freezing of Basayev's accounts can be considered a gift by George Bush to Vladimir Putin ahead of important talks," the newspaper said Saturday.

Russian newspapers gave front-page coverage to Washington's decision, but some reproached the United States for taking too long to make the move.

The United States had designated three Chechen groups as terrorist organizations in February.

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Moscow Ekho Moskvy Radio in Russian 1800 GMT 8 Aug 03

[Newsreader] The inclusion of [Chechen field commander] Shamil Basayev's name in the US government's black list of terrorists has resulted in freezing of all accounts - reachable by the American
authorities - which ensured financial support for the man's activities. However, Russian State Duma Deputy from Chechnya Aslanbek Alsakhanov does not understand why the American administration
decided to act in this manner only now. He spoke on this issue in his interview with our radio station.

[Aslanbek Alsakhanov, interviewed] The only thing I would like to say is, why only now have they frozen [the accounts]? Why only now are they talking about it? Generally, it is the logic as well as the practice of all special services to insist that all suspicious accounts, which give us grounds to suppose that they are used for terrorist activities, should be frozen. This is a norm, this is a right thing, this is how things should be. And I can only wonder why they did it only now, when Basayev was declared the number one terrorist by Russia in 1996. What is this, are they starting some kind of a campaign, or have they just woken up? Everyone understands that economy is a concentrated manifestation of both politics and terrorism and all negative and positive occurrences, it is expressed in everything. Therefore, all channels feeding money into terrorist organizations, in the first place - in Chechnya, should have been blocked 10, 15 or 20 years ago rather than today.
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Moscow Ekho Moskvy Radio in Russian 1800 GMT 8 Aug 03

Shamil Basayev is a particularly dangerous global terrorist. That is the view of the US State Department and Treasury Department. According to Secretary of State Colin Powell, Basayev could be a serious threat to the national security of America and its citizens. Today Russia and the USA jointly entered the name of Chechen field commander Shamil Basayev on the UN antiterrorist list prescribing sanctions against the Taleban movement, Al-Qa'idah and persons connected to them. Aside from that, US officials have declared that Basayev received several millions of dollars from the Al-Qa'idah organization and its ringleader Usamah Bin-Ladin. There is no information about Shamil Basayev's links with the international terrorist organization, Al-Qa'idah. That is what [Chechen rebel leader] Aslan Maskhadov's envoy Akhmed Zakayev [currently facing extradition proceedings in London] said in an interview with our station.

[Zakayev] I believe that Powell's statement is probably mere propaganda. If such evidence existed, the Americans have the possibility of coordinating their actions on Chechnya with our representatives who are in America currently. You will know that the representative of Maskhadov, Salambek Maigov, was in American recently. After the terrible events of 11 September in America, President Maskhadov expressed his readiness to cooperate on all these matters. If this is being done in some kind of unilateral fashion, then that is their problem. But to date we know absolutely nothing about Shamil Basayev getting any sort of funds from Usamah Bin-Ladin or from his organization.

[Endall]

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08 August 2003

U.S. Designates Chechen Rebel Leader as Terrorist Under Executive Order 13224, blocks assets in U.S. and bars transactions with Basayev

Secretary of State Colin Powell has designated Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev a threat to U.S. security and citizens.

This designation under Executive Order 13224 on terrorism financing blocks Basayev's assets in the United States and bars most transactions with him.

"We believe that Basayev, as leader of his group and individually, took part in planning and perpetrating terrorist acts," said State Department Deputy Spokeman Philip Reeker. Basayev has claimed responsibility for the seizure of the Dubrovka Theater in Moscow last October as well as other acts of terrorism.

In an August 8 Federal Register notice, Powell said Basayev "has committed, or poses a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States."

Following are the texts of Reeker's statement and the Federal Register notice:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
August 8, 2003

Statement By Philip T. Reeker, Deputy Spokesman

DESIGNATION OF SHAMIL BASAYEV UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 13224

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell today designated Shamil Basayev, Amir (leader) of the Riyadus-Salikhin Reconnaissance and Sabotage Battalion of Chechen Martyrs (RSRSBCM), under Executive Order 13224 on terrorism financing, blocking his assets in the U.S., held by U.S. persons and barring most transactions with him.

Secretary Powell designated Basayev's group on February 28, 2003, pursuant to section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224, authorizing him to designate foreign entities and individuals he determines--in consultation with the Attorney General, the Treasury Secretary, and the Homeland Security Secretary--to have committed, or to pose significant risk of committing, acts of terror that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the U.S.

We believe that Basayev, as leader of his group and individually, took part in planning and perpetrating terrorist acts. He claimed responsibility for seizing the Dubrovka Theater in Moscow in October 2002. This act of terrorism resulted in the death of 129 hostages, including one U.S. citizen.

On December 27, 2002, Chechen suicide bombers destroyed the Chechen administration complex in Groznyy, killing 78 dead and wounding 150. Basayev claimed he personally pressed the button detonating the explosive device. On May 12, 2003, a truck loaded with explosives killed 60, including seven children and wounded 200 at a government compound in the Chechen town of Znamenskoye. The next day in Iliskhan-Yurt a female suicide bomber approached Akhmad Kadyrov, head of the pro-Moscow Chechen administration, at a local religious festival. The blast did not kill Kadyrov but it did kill the bomber and 18 others, wounding 43. Basayev publicly claimed to have planned these suicide bomb operations.

In November 2002, Basayev warned member states of international organizations in Russia that they were considered targets for future attacks.

For these and other acts of terror, the Secretary made today's designation. Because Basayev has links to al-Qaeda, the U.S., along with the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation, asked today that the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee include him on its consolidated list maintained pursuant to UN Security Council Resolutions 1267, 1390 and 1455. Once listed, all UN Member States must impose arms and travel sanctions on Basayev, freeze his assets without delay, and prohibit their nationals and persons in their territories from making available to him any funds or other resources.

(end press release)

(begin Federal Register notice)

Federal Register: August 8, 2003

Volume 68, Number 153, page 47378

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr08au03-114]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Public Notice: 4436

Determination Pursuant to Section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224 Relating to Shamil Basayev

Acting under the authority of section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001, as amended by Executive Order 13286 of July 2, 2002, and Executive Order 13284 of January 23, 2003, and in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, I hereby determine that Shamil Basayev [Date of Birth: 1/14/1965, Place of Birth: Chechen village of Dyshni-Vedeno] has committed, or poses a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.

Consistent with the determination in section 10 of Executive Order 13224 that ``prior notice to persons determined to be subject to the Order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States would render ineffectual the blocking and other measures authorized in the Order because of the ability to transfer funds instantaneously,'' I determine that no prior notice need be provided to any person subject to this determination who might have a constitutional presence in the United States because to do so would render ineffectual the measures authorized in the Order.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register.

Dated: August 4, 2003. Colin L. Powell, Secretary of State, Department of State. [FR Doc. 03-20310 Filed 8-7-03; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4710-10-P

(end text)

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