2 FredLeDingue,

>>> But I agree Russian soldier are not offered Jihad's better offer: a 5-star hotelroom in the paradise of Allah!!!

Russians came to chechnya, even though nobody there called them - so let them sleep in cowsheds in the open, so that they get what they were looking for.

i will not be surprised if soon there will be a revolt agains such living conditions among russian soldiers, prefeably before the russian presedential elections...

to Balala,
>>Russians came to chechnya, even though nobody there called them

Chechnya is a Russian territory. It is a son she never wanted. You, balala, is a Russian hater. It is okay but would you care to explain why?

to Balala,
You don't live in Russia, you hate Russia but you keep coming to the board to post your opinion on Russian matters. It looks kinda odd, isn't it?

Russia 'hiding true Chechnya toll'


An organisation representing the families of Russian soldiers fighting in Chechnya has accused the authorities of concealing the true numbers of Russian casualties in the offensive.

The Committee of Soldiers' Mothers says it estimates that 3,000 soldiers have been killed and 6,000 injured in the current campaign.

"All this time there have never been comprehensible figures about losses," Valentina Melnikova the head of the Committee of Soldiers' Mothers said.

She said new information had reached her organisation from regional committees that suggested the death toll was far higher than had previously been estimated.

The authorities admit to a death toll of 500, but insist they are not hiding casualties and say that their soldiers are gradually winning the war.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_605000/605687.stm

>>>> You don't live in Russia, you hate Russia but you keep coming to the board to post your opinion on Russian matters. It looks kinda odd, isn't it?

some people just love to hate russia (me included). as for the reason, think why people in eastern europe know some russian (though they did not choose to learn it), but hate to use the language.

it is indeed odd (to me) that armenians does not fit the eastern-european trend (apart from belorus and serbia) ...

Slovak,
If Hitler had won he would have probably killed you too...

Dear russian guests, welcome to INTERCONTINENTAL CHECHNYA (see poster at the link below):

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/p/ap/20000115/wl/russia_weary_warriors_12b.html

Blalalalalalalalaika

"...there will be a revolt agains such living conditions among russian soldiers, ..."

But Balalaika, there are in military campain, not in tourist trip.

Fred, I also find that note about the Russian revolt ungrounded. It is a military campaign not a picnic.
Balala, is the Eastern Europe way the best one or the only possible?

Citizen,

Actually the questions are not mine, they are copied from this board. This is supposed to be the topic, but we all jump in to different topics, and quite often it makes it more interesting.

After 94-96 war, as you said, Chechnya had sort of defacto independence, however it was not recognised by any other country due to Russian refusal to formally grant its independence. This prevented Chechnya to establish constructive ties with other countries, and foreign capital could not be attracted.

Now, just like the egg and chicken question, was there crime because of lack of investment, high unemployment, and extreme powerty, or there was not enough investment because of crime. Obviously there are feedback loops in both directions.

Russian medling in Chechnya's affairs did not help either. I am sure you have seen the stories about Azerbaijan and Georgia, and what sort of tricks Russia are trying to play in these countries. Indeed Russia is a single biggest negative in these countries strugle to develop viable economic and social structure.

Firstly, it is a bit rich for Russia to talk about kidnappings and crime in Chechnya. Russia itself is swamped by endemic crime. If Russia did not want the sort of crimes reported, they could cooperate with president Mashadov, strengthening his rule, rather than undermining him. However Russia saw it was beneficial to its long term plans, so they actually funneled the fire.

Secondly, Russia is succesfully manipulated sub-concious fear of Christians, by creating an Islamic threat in Chechnya. This way they managed to pacify the natural outrage of the West against extreme violance Russia is unleashing to Chechens.

Russia is the evil empire, a menace to whole world peace. It is like an extremely dangerous bully in the neighbourhood. It's always trying to grab other nation's territories, but does not know what to do with them. Look at whole Russia, it's an environmental catastrophy. As someone wrote in this board, Russia has only brought death and destruction, not only to its neighbours, but to its own people as well. I just can not see how anybody can defend the record of Russia.

Russians will always live in the same area. I am not talking about destruction of Russia, but changing the way how Russia operates.

You're right. I don't have high opinion on the new government. I have not seen any other Head of State from secret service. I hope I am wrong, but all the indications are bad.

Citizen,

I agree with your answer to the second part, except that an independent Chechnya should restore law and order and combat terrorism in its own terms, without Russian medling in its affairs.

Hello again, every one, sorry for being absent for a long time. I was very surprised of what is happening at this board.

Slovak, British, Adder21, Balalaika, Svoloch and others, it seems that hatred is all over in your minds. You are probably forgetting, why are you here and what for. Ask yourselves, why and what for are you here, and maybe you'll see that answer is to use Internet to talk, exchange ideas, to understand the opponent's thoughts and maybe to correct him, if he is wrong. We are adult people, at last, aren't we?

Turk and Serb, you are a good example of mind's presence and understanding.

Dear FredLeDingue,

"Russia is multinational country,"
Would you repeat it to Ultra Russian Nationalist?

I agree with the thing Ultra is saying here partly, though I do not always agree with his personal views at the ideology. For example, I think that communism is in dark past, the future of Russia is strong economics, good relations with other countries and democratic society. And, you can not consider one person's opinion as country's opinion, as I do not consider British's opinion as Great Britain's opinion. 🙂 I've already told, that nationalism is not acceptable to the modern Russia's society(but, imho, it was unacceptable in past times, too).

You are mixing nationality and ethny.

Maybe. Could you explain the difference to me? I doubt I could see it myself.

if the de facto independence ends after the conflict, they will believe there nationality is russian.

They will still be chechens, but they will still be russian citizens, too. English hides the difference between two russian words - "russkiy" - is a russian nationality of the person, "rossiyanin" - means the person is a citizen of Russian Federation. Chechens are not "russkie", but they are "rossiyane".

In Ussr nations remained even. Culturaly but not on passport. Just Ussr couldn't be a nationality.

At least, as far as I know, there was no any national discrimination in USSR. Russians suffered not less then others.

Ecxept Lukashenko and even not the bielorussians he claims to represent, nobody would be crazy enough to join the RF!

First, I'd not say crazy enough, I'd say instead of it: "nobody, except Lukashenko, would dare to join the RF".

This is partly caused by the politics of West. West unofficially offers to small countries economical support, as it was in the times of cold war: USA 'bribed' goverments of West Europe and they got rid of communist's presence in their countries. That is similar to what is happening now. However and of course, it is not the only reason for what you're saying is partly truth.

Russia is not a nation (see above)

Just like USA is not a nation too, if you see what I wanted to say.

The first to use it (afterWW2) will be the evil of the entire humanity.

This was spoken already, I just want to remind you, that it is USA who firstly used nuclear weapons. Second, Igor's idea of using nuclear weapons in Chechnya or in other local conflict is... not very clever idea, if speaking softly. The changed military doctrine of RF is not going to force militaries to use nukes. Officials are still in good psychical health, you know, we are not going to use nuclear weapons against our own citizens 🙂 and against people of the world, too, that's why we call our nuclear arsenal "nuclear shield", not "nuclear sword".

Ultra Russian Nationalist
"Ally with US and Europe? Bullshitt"

I think Ultra wanted to say that current situation is such, that West interests are conflicting with Russia, and NATO's primary target is to weaken Russia, so we can hardly imagine such an alliance. If West would stop to consider Russia as their enemies, maybe then it would be possible. I personally feel some kind of understanding of Russia from two European countries: Germany and France. Good start, I think.

balalaika,
If you look at russian history, there were very few instances of "joining" russia, and much more - of russia INVADING its neighboors, demonstrating how much tatar-mongol blood is left in russian veins.

Are we going to discuss Russia's history? I don't mind, but it seems you are forgetting that past is past. I'm not saying that if there existed such a bad thing in USA, like killing of afroamericans, USA is a nationalistic and shovinistic country, right? And what about tatar-mongol, Russia was somekind of a border for eastern and southern barbarians, so Europe could feel safer.

As the saying goes, tell me who is your friend, and i will tell you who you are. i wonder if there is a more outrageous clown among world leaders than mr. lukashenko.

Errrr... I can name the man you are talking about. It must be Zbignev Bzezhinski. 🙂 Next, Lukashenko is respected politic in both Belarus and Russia, because he is representing wish of two people to reunite once again. My opinion is that splitting of Belarus, Ukraine, Russia is artificial and, sooner or later, this will be changed. The same thing can be said about Armenia, who is the only devoted ally of RF at Caucas. I can only wish all other CIS countries were as friendly as Armenia or Belarus.

very smart, indeed,- if the prediction will be screwed up in two month, the guy may claim that he meant "at least in one month and at most eternity".

The acting president of Russia Vladimir Putin have told that in short time will be done large-scaled operation of Grozny's liberation. We can only look forward to it.

Shame!,
In the Chechen village of Kater-Yurt, locals say they paid a top Russian military official about 150,000 rubles ($5,555) and a big-screen television as a bribe to spare their homes from shelling and looting.

:))) I've read exactly the same article at the Chechen rebels' site www.kavkaz.org, but instead of Kater-Yurt it was.... er.... Semeshki village or something like that... 🙂 Just a little mistake, I suppose. Or all villages are paying about 150,000 rubles to Russian generals? 🙂

Speaking seriously, if money is what Russians are seeking, then why should we send money to restore the economics of liberated part of Chechnya?

Adder21,

The Soviet Union of old could afford the luxury of no-first-strike policy because their conventional forces were stronger than the NATO's. Now that their Army is underpaid, underfed and underclothed, and their perimeter has shrunk to pre-Peter the Great boundary, they are naturally abandoning it.

Exactly. So West can don't worry about evil nuclear russians, it was done for the defense, not offense.

Russia cannot threaten the United States. She is poor. She is weak. She is starving. She is in chaos.

Wrong. Russia CAN threaten USA (we have nukes, still) just like USA can threaten Russia, but why should Russia or USA do it? Times of Caribbean crisis are gone.

aijaz_malik49,

If you think that Chechen terrorists are on the God's side, then I doubt you are correctly understanding the situation. You can read some of Igor's links.

Stanislav

"Chechnya is a Russian territory."

It is not. Russia is trying to conquere Chechnya for centuries. Chechens never accepted the Russian rule, and will never accept. It is interesting how you can pretend not to see the historical facts when it suits you.

Contragts to every one on this board:

I want to extend my deepest happiness and joy to every one on this board for the killing of "Arkan", the worst war criminal of our time; the unfortunate thing is that he desreved to die in uglier way...

The bad news comes for those on this board who were wishing that arkan and his pussycat tigers were coming to help the russians in chechnya... just bad news..

Next on the list: mladic.

u all have a good night.
:-)))))))))))))))))

Armenian,

Are you playing your old trick again by pretending Administrator. I must admit it was funny to some degree.