PR from a Pseudo-Minister

The U.S. publication of the book “The Chechen Struggle: Independence Won and Lost,” by so-called “Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ichkeria” Ilyas Akhmadov, has provoked utter bewilderment and disappointment in Moscow. Its presentation took place in Washington on January 20, and was organized by an American NGO called the National Foundation for Democracy.

At the Ministry of Internal Affairs, someone commented that Moscow has repeatedly told the American side that Akhmadov is a “former soldier who served as aide-de-camp to an international terrorist, Basaev.” “The matter concerns a criminal, wanted internationally, who, on the advice of his American fans, including ‘a speaking solo,’ Zbigniew Brzezinski, tried to backdate and justify the criminal regime established by Dudaev-Maskhadov during the presentation of the book,” it is said in the Ministry of Internal Affairs commentaries. “Akhmadov still gets a platform to make speeches to organizations like the National Foundation for Democracy that are funded from the U.S. federal government. We are relying on American authorities to draw the appropriate conclusions and take measures to stop these doubtful actions, which are, in fact, playing into terrorist hands.”

Earlier Russian authorities pointed out repeatedly Akhmadov’s connection with top Chechen terrorists and made known the fact that Akhmadov was very close to Aslan Maskhadov’s group. “America is aware of our attitude to this terrorist accomplice,” said an official representative for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Alexander Yakovenko, in December 2002.

Despite all the evidence provided by the Russian side to the Americans, Akhmadov has met on numerous occasions with the representatives of the State Department and the U.S. Congress. The Moscow Interpol Department deemed Akhmadov internationally wanted in 2003. After that, the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the U.S. replied that the question of his further stay in the territory of America had to be decided in court. Later, apart from Alexander Haig, the court also received support letters from ex-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and the late Senator Edward Kennedy. He was called “a Chechen who wants achieve peace for his country.”

In 2003, the Immigration Court in Boston unexpectedly granted political refuge to Akhmadov. The main argument of the judge was that Akhmadov wouldn’t be guaranteed a fair trial in Russia. The Ministry of National Security, formed at that time, appealed this decision immediately. The appeal was proving that Akhmadov couldn’t be granted a political refuge in the United States because of his connections to terrorism actions. However, it didn’t prevent Akhmadov from receiving the status of political refugee. Mikhail Margelov, the head of the Soviet Federation Committee’s International Affairs Department, said, “It looks strange that a country that has suffered from terror and is combating an armed fight in coalition with Russia has provided a political refuge to Ilyas Akhmadov, the internationally wanted terrorist.”*

Obviously, Akhmadov himself is a bargaining chip. Those authorities in Washington, who do not conceal their long-standing antipathy toward Moscow, are interested in making the history of past days remembered again. It is no accident that former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski and former U.S. State Secretary Alexander Haig, both known for their ultraconservative views toward Russia, and who still exert a great deal of influence over political life in the United States, interceded for Akhmadov.

“RG” Reference

The National Foundation for Democracy is financed by the U.S. Congress through the budget of the State Department. Its founders were former U.S. president Ronald Reagan and a congressman, Dante Facella. Akhmadov received a five-month “Reagan-Facella” grant in 2004. The grant recipient is provided with a fully equipped office and a monthly stipend. The grant also includes medical insurance and covers transport expenses. Apart from that, the grant recipient has the support of influential American politicians; he can also arrange meetings with political representatives, media and research institutions.

*Editor’s note: The quotations printed above, although accurately translated, could not be independently verified.