http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1474662004
Pro-Moscow Chechen militia leader rewarded for 'heroism' OLIVER BULLOUGH IN MOSCOW A PRO-MOSCOW Chechen who leads a militia accused by human-rights activists of kidnapping and murder received Russia's highest award yesterday for "valour and heroism". Activists reacted with astonishment to the news. Tatyana Lokshina, a Chechnya specialist for the Helsinki Group, Russia's oldest human-rights organisation, said it "discredits the award Hero of Russia". She added: "If Russia has such heroes, it is hard to say what our state has sunk to." Ramzan Kadyrov is the first deputy prime minister in Chechnya's pro-Moscow government and is crucial to Russian efforts to defeat rebels who have resisted Moscow's rule for a decade. He said the award showed Moscow's appreciation of efforts to stabilise Chechnya started by his father, Akhmad, a former rebel who switched sides to head Chechnya's pro-Moscow government until his assassination in May. Mr Kadyrov leads a several-thousand-strong irregular army called the "Kadyrovtsy" accused by activists of disproportionate violence in operations to detain young men suspected of rebel ties. Ms Lokshina said: "I have worked a lot in Chechnya and it is hard to shock me, but I did not expect this." Analysts say Mr Kadyrov often operates outside central control and uses Moscow- supplied arms to pursue his own interests. Many soldiers in Chechnya say they spend as much time fighting the Kadyrovtsy as the rebels. "Russian president Vladimir Putin by his decree awarded the decoration of Hero of Russia to Ramzan Kadyrov ... for valour and heroism, shown while fulfilling his professional duty," the Kremlin said. Mr Kadyrov thanked Mr Putin for the award and said he would keep fighting rebels that Moscow links to international terrorist groups. "I see this ... as recognition of the course chosen by Akhmad Kadyrov to bring peace and stability back to the Chechen Republic," a spokesman quoted him as saying. "Above all, the heroism of the brave Chechen people has been recognised, as has our full resolve to continue the uncompromising and decisive fight against terrorism." ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $4.98 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Q7_YsB/neXJAA/yQLSAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
