Hamas leader says Chechnya is Russia's 'internal problem,' Chechen rebels protest

[C-Force]

Hamas leader says Chechnya is Russia's 'internal problem,' Chechen rebels protest
By: Associated Press
Published: March 5, 2006

The leader of radical Palestinian group Hamas said Friday that the conflict in breakaway Chechnya was Russia's internal problem, provoking a protest from the Chechen rebels.

"It is Russia's internal problem. We do not interfere in other states' internal problems," Hamas political chief Khaled Mashaal said after talks in Moscow.

Chechnya, a mainly Muslim province in southern Russia, has been wracked by two conflicts in the past decade between Russian troops and Chechen separatists.

Although large-scale fighting has ended, regular skirmishes and rebel land mine attacks continue. Human rights activists accuse Russian forces and their local Chechen allies of major abuses against civilians, including kidnapping and extra-judicial executions.

Chechen rebel envoy Akhmed Zakayev, who has been granted political asylum in Britain, said the Hamas statement was a betrayal but not unexpected.

"We did not expect there to be any difference between Hamas and Yasser Arafat," Zakayev told The Associated Press by telephone from London, referring to the late Palestinian leader. "They have put the interests of the Russian government above that of religious solidarity with Chechen Muslims."

Russia's invitation to Hamas, extended by President Vladimir Putin, was the first crack in an international front against the group, which has sent dozens of suicide bombers to Israel and does not recognize the right of the Jewish state to exist.

Hamas won parliamentary elections in January and is working to form a government.

http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Briefs/7947.htm

[Dabug]

And your point is....?

[C-Force]

гений.

[Dabug]

I'm glad you know how to copy-paste articles, but you still don't have a point. Perhaps you should try coming up with some point(s) to discuss instead of trying to insult me.

[C-Force]

Originally Posted by Dabug

I'm glad you know how to copy-paste articles, but you still don't have a point. Perhaps you should try coming up with some point(s) to discuss instead of trying to insult me.

The point is to start a discussion. This is where people weigh in with their support or opposition to the topic. What's so hard to understand about that?

Maybe you should figure out how discussion forums work before you go using and abusing them.

[Voyager13b]

CForce,

Considering the political and materiel support Hamas recieves from Russia, I would expect that they wouldn't dare to make any direct comments that might cause more problems in Chechnya for Russia. Biting the hand of it's only real ally on the pemenant security council of the UN would be a bad move.

Arab support for Chechnya is handled through Al Queda and other groups that do not have a regular mailing address, office buildings, and listed telephone numbers.

Voyager.

[Dabug]

Originally Posted by C-Force

The point is to start a discussion. This is where people weigh in with their support or opposition to the topic. What's so hard to understand about that?

Maybe you should figure out how discussion forums work before you go using and abusing them.

When most people (at least the ones I've seen) want to discuss an article, they will post sections of the article relevant to what they wish to discuss, highlighting some sentences they want people to notice and/or posting their remarks and opinions about the article. They usually don't regurgitate the article verbatim and wait for any sort of response. But, I guess this isn't your `style.' Well, whatever.