CHECHNYA LINKS LIBRARY

The Week in Brief: Dec 4 - Dec 10, 2000

Adam Chinayev, former Interior Minister of the Chechen government, was killed in Chechnya.

A Russian Ministry of Defence spokesman said that not more than 30 percent of federal army’s equipment is operational.

Russia introduced visa regime with Georgia.

Boris Nemtsov, leader of the Union of Right Forces faction in the State Duma, met Russian President Vladimir Putin, giving him proposals for a political settlement of the conflict in Chechnya. The proposal includes launching a dialogue with Chechen authorities that are legitimate under Russian laws and appointing Chechnya's governor-general in charge of both civil and military administration, Nemtsov said. -- Interfax

A group of some 120 armed men looted the house of Grozny Mayor Beslan Gantamirov in the village of Gekhi (Urus-Martan region), allegedly in an attempt to kill the mayor. Gantamirov, who was not at home at that time, later accused Russian soldiers of taking part in the attack while Russian sources spoke exclusively of Chechen guerillas.

Sergei Yastrzhembsky, Russian presidental aide, said that Georgia and Russia might conduct a joint military operation to eliminate Chechen rebels in the Pankiss gorge.

Representative of Chechnya will be included in the Russia’s Federation Council – the parliament’s upper chamber. Akhmed Zavgayev was appointed for this post on Akhmad Kadyrov’s proposal.

The Russian military said it was planning to deploy permanent garrisons in 200 Chechen villages to protect the local inhabitants and their administration leaders.

A car twin-bomb killed over 20 people outside a mosque in the village of Alkhan-Yurt, south-west of Grozny. Russian authorities said the attack on civilians was carried out by Chechen guerillas while these said the bomb was planted by Russians.

No major events.